3 REASONS YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO CUT CARBS

Carbs still get a bad rap. While there’s definitely an argument for reducing the free sugars and processed carb-heavy foods in our modern diet, not all carbs are created equal. Carbohydrates are essential for energy, concentration and achieving your fitness goals. Without them in your diet, you could be missing out on nutrients and workout fuel - not to mention you could be left feeling ‘hangry’.

If you believe you need to cut out carbs completely to lose weight, let me explain why that’s wrong:

1. CARBS ACTUALLY HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
This is not a typo. When you first switch to a lower carb diet, the weight you lose quickly is mostly water. This tricks you into thinking that cutting out carbs is the fast and sure-fire weight loss solution. 

However, if you’re exercising daily, working out on a low-carb diet for weight loss can be pushed too far: your body can go into Low Energy Availability (LEA). This is when your calorie intake is insufficient to meet the energy required for daily tasks and the demands of training.

According to TIFFXO’s advanced sports dietitian Lisa Middleton, there are serious downsides to cutting out valuable nutrients on a calorie-restricted diet like that. 

“In addition to losing muscle and your metabolic rate – making it harder to lose weight – LEA can also lead to poor bone health, sub-optimal recovery and muscle conditioning and increased risk of injury,” she says.

2. CARBS HELP YOU SMASH A WORKOUT
From HIIT to my FIGHTER workouts to running around after the kids, carbs help fuel your body (like petrol fuels a car). However, (spoiler alert!) I’m not referring to refined carbs, like white bread, sweet pastries or sugary drinks. The carbs I’m talking about are those you find in whole foods such as vegetables, oats, fresh fruit, legumes and whole grains.   

“If you’re attempting any high-intensity or challenging workout, whether it’s cardio or strength, you need to provide that easy fuel for your body to grab, and carbs are so important for that,” Lisa says. “You don’t want to risk muscle loss because you haven’t been feeding your body properly.”

Carbs that are low GI, including brown rice and bananas, will always get my tick of approval – they take longer to be digested and absorbed, so you don’t just get that blood sugar spike.

3. FRUIT AND VEG HAVE CARBS TOO
If you’re giving carbs the kick, that means more than just going without bread and pasta. Extremely low-carb diets often cut out a variety of great fruits and vegetables, along with their health benefits.

“When people cut out the higher carb fruits and veg, they’re missing out on all of the whole food fibre and vitamins that they offer, too,” Lisa says. 

Here are just some of the amazing nutrients you’ll be going without if you keep these out of your shopping trolley:

• Potatoes: sure you can avoid the deep-fried chips, but when prepared as a healthy whole food these provide fibre and vitamin C.

• Sweet potatoes: these guys offer fibre and beta-carotine (Vitamin A), as well as some Vitamin C and B6. 

• Legumes: if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, these are some of your important protein and carbohydrate sources in a balanced diet. Not to mention the prebiotic fibre needed to maintain gut health. 

• Bananas: a great source of potassium, Vitamin B6, fibre and magnesium.

• Apples: an apple a day… adds fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants to your balanced diet!