In the previous part of this series, we talked about protein. Today we’ll be covering carbohydrates, or carbs for short.
Carbohydrates, like fats, have gotten a lot of bad press because of various diet fads that have shown up in recent years.
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely carbs you should avoid, but the right ones can do wonders for your health and help improve your physique. After all, they’re your body’s main source of energy.
Depending on the number of sugar molecules in its structure, a carbohydrate can either be simple or complex.
Simple Carbohydrates
All carbs that consist of one or two sugar molecules are known as simple carbohydrates.
These carbohydrates are commonly found in:
- Table Sugar (white and brown)
- Honey, Syrup
- Soft Drinks (and packaged fruit juice)
- Dairy (in the form of lactose)
- Fruit
Generally, simple carbs are absorbed very easily. This means that they provide energy quickly. However, that spike of energy is always followed by fatigue. This phenomenon is also known as a ‘sugar crash’.
Because of their quick absorption rate, simple carbs won’t sate your hunger for long(1) and may cause your blood sugar levels to rise dramatically.
This isn’t to say that all simple carbs are bad, however.
Fruit and dairy, for instance, come with many vitamins and minerals. Fruit is also rich in fiber, which makes it more filling and slower to digest(2). The protein in dairy has a similar effect(3).
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are those that have more than two sugar molecules in their structure.
Your body has to break complex carbs down into single sugar molecules before it can absorb them. As a result, complex carbs are digested at a slower pace than simple carbs and the energy you get from them lasts longer.
They also have a smaller effect on your blood sugar levels.
Complex Carbohydrates can be found in:
- Whole Wheat/Grain Products
- Whole Plant Foods (excluding fruit)
- White flour products
Again, however, there are exceptions.
Refined complex carbohydrates such as those found in white bread, breakfast cereals and cakes often play by different rules.
The refining process strips carbohydrates of most of their fiber and vitamins. Simple sugars are then added to many of those refined foods (white bread, cakes etc).
Consequently, refined carbs often work like simple carbs. In fact, excessive consumption of refined carbs has been linked to obesity(4) and type 2 diabetes(5).
So, which carbs are better?
A few years ago, you would’ve simply been told that complex carbs are the healthier option.
However, as you can tell by this point, the real choice here isn’t between simple and complex carbohydrates. It’s between whole, unprocessed carbs (fruit, whole grains, dairy etc) and refined carbs (table sugar, soft drinks, white flour products etc).
Strangely, the natural foods that we’ve evolved to consume are superior to products manufactured purely with taste, convenience and low cost in mind…
Who could have guessed?
Simply put, the closer the food you’re consuming is to its base ingredient, the better (think tomatoes vs ketchup).
Recommended Carbohydrate Intake
Ok, now that we’re clear on which carbs are good for you, let’s see how many carbs you should eat. Carbs, like protein, provide 4 kcal of energy per gram.
About 45 – 65% of your calories should come from carbs.
So, let’s assume we have an adult male with a total intake of 2500 kcal/day.
The calories this person should get from carbs can be anywhere between 1125 (45% of 2500) and 1625 (65% of 2500).
If you’ve read my post on protein, you know what comes next. We’re going to divide the calories by 4 in order to convert the number to grams.
Lower limit: 1125 / 4 = 281 grams
Upper Limit: 1625 / 4 = 406 grams
This person can consume 281-406 grams of carbs per day.
Final Thoughts
Ok, lecture’s over. Time to put theory into practice!
Gradually try to replace some of the refined carbs in your diet with whole, unprocessed carbs. You can also play around with your carb intake and observe how it affects your energy levels.
Above all, keep what you learned in mind next time you go to the grocery store.
In the third and final part of the Macronutrients 101 series, we’ll tackle fats.
Stay on the grind.
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