What’s The Skinny On Carbs?
May 24, 2013What exactly is the low down on carbs? For many weight loss surgery post-ops, there are many varying opinions about carbs. If you check OH’s message boards, there are many questions with various answers and opinions. So, what is the deal with carbs? Let’s check out the “good” and “bad” carbs so we can make the best decision for ourselves.
Carbohydrates aren’t all good or all bad. Some carbs promote health while others definitely do not. When certain carbs are eaten too often and in large quantities, the risk of weight regain, diabetes and coronary heart disease increases.
When you think of carbohydrates, what comes to mind? Carbs come from a wide variety of foods such as bread, vegetables, fruit, beans, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, corn, cake and even pie. They also come in different forms. The most common ones are sugars, fibers, and starches. The basic building blocks of all carbohydrates are sugar molecules.
Carbs are the highest octane and the most desirable fuel source for your body’s energy requirements. If you don’t have an adequate source of the right kind of carbs, your body may scavenge from dietary protein and fat to supply glucose. When you deplete your stores of glycogen (stored glucose in muscle and lean tissue) your body turns to burning muscles or organs (lean muscle tissue) and dietary protein or fat to provide blood glucose to supply energy needs. When this occurs, your basal metabolic rate drops because you have less lean muscle tissue burning calories and your body thinks it is starving and cuts back on energy requirements.
Good Carbs
You should continue to eat carbs that have the greatest health benefits. The carbs you eat should come from carbohydrate-rich foods that are close to the form that occurs in nature. Let’s face it, chocolate chip cookies don’t fit into that criteria! The closer the carb food is as Mother Nature intended, the greater the density of other vital nutrients. The health enhancing carbs you should choose from are the following:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Beans
- Lugumes
- Whole grains
Some nutritionists include dairy products such as low-fat or skim milk and sugar-free yogurt too.
Good carbohydrates are unprocessed in their natural state or very close to their natural state. They have been minimally altered by man or machine (or not altered at all).
Good carbs have these healthy characteristics:
- High in fiber
- High in nutrients
- Low glycemic index
- Greater thermic effect
Due to their high fiber-content, good carbs make you feel fuller and help you to avoid overeating which is a welcome benefit to weight loss surgery pre and post-ops.
Now that we’ve singled out what the good or healthy carbs are, let’s lay out the bad or unhealthy carbs.
Bad Carbs
Bad carbs are refined, processed carbohydrate foods that have had all or most of their natural nutrients and fiber removed in order to make them easier to transport, sit on the shelves of stores for extended periods of time, and to be more “consumer-friendly.” Most baked goods, white breads, pastas, snack foods, candies, any other junky types of foods fit into this category. Bleached flour, enriched wheat flour and white sugar (and other disguised forms of such such as corn syrup) along with artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives are among the most common ingredients to make “bad carbs.”
Most processed carb foods provide only “empty” calories which have little or no nutritional value. Eat enough of these empty calories and your body will quickly turn them into extra body fat and jeopardize any weight loss or maintenance efforts.
Tips For Your Journey
Here are some carbohydrate tips for your WLS journey:
1. Cut out “junk food” from your food choices. This includes chips, candy, bakery items, snack and junk food (fast food).
2. Avoid (or at least limit) your consumption of refined-flour baked goods such as non-whole grain breads, bagels, donuts, cupcakes, brownies, cakes, cookies. Also, throw out processed, high-sugar breakfast cereals and stick to oatmeal and whole-grain cereals.
3. Buy a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. Include at least 1 to 2 servings with each meal. Make your goal to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. If you need to snack, choose fruit or vegetable sticks.
4. Include a serving of leafy green vegetables at least once or twice a day.
5. Make sure that your grain food choices are whole-grain. Whole-grains needs to be the first item listed in the ingredient list.
Make sure to check with your nutritionist for any specific food concerns or questions on your personal food plan.
Carbs can, and should, be part of a healthy, nutrition-packed WLS food plan. Not all carbs deserve a bad rap nutritionally. Enjoy the right type of carbs, and you’ll open up a great range of flavors and textures in new dishes that are packed with nutrition and health.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
