Carbs or Carbohydrates are probably the most misunderstood macronutrient of all. Considered as the enemy, if you aim at losing weight these macros have such a bad reputation that almost every diet warns you to stay away from them. But no matter how much you try to avoid them, if you plan on having a healthy body and sane mind carbs are important to accomplish that.

For years, the diet and fitness industry has been bad-mouthing carbs so much that most of us don’t even know that something called “good carbs” exists. On the contrary, a lot of research has proved that a well-balanced meal with an adequate amount of all the macros including carbs is essential for proper development of body and to live a long and healthy life.

Carbs are in fact the fuel for our body and brain. They help transport important nutrients throughout the body. Have you ever tried a no-carb or low-carb diet? If your answer is yes then you might have experienced that you start feeling cranky when you are on such a diet, simply because your body is running low on fuel.

Most of us know the importance of another macro- protein in our diet but unfortunately only a few have a clue about carbs. So, before we jump into knowing when we should include carbs in our diet, let’s first see what are the different types of carbs? Which one is healthy and which should you stay away from?

Also Read: Carb Cycling- What Is It and How It Helps To Lose Weight?

Types Of Carbs

Carbs are one of the macronutrients including protein and fats. They are the preferred fuel source by our body. Carbs provide close to 4 calories per gram. Once you consume carbs they are broken down into glucose which is nothing but sugar molecules used by our body as fuel and part of it is stored as body fat if consumed in excess. Carbs can be classified into two categories- simple carbs and complex carbs. So let’s find out which one is the healthier option and what’s the difference between the two.

Simple Carbs

Simple carbohydrates are made up of just one (monosaccharides) or two (polysaccharides) sugar molecules. Simple carbs include the carbs found in table sugar, candy, honey, syrups. These carbs release energy quickly and lead to a spike in insulin to lower the sudden rise in blood sugar level.

Complex Carbs

Complex carbs have three or more sugar molecules. Oligosaccharides contain between three and ten simple sugar units and polysaccharides can contain hundreds of saccharides.

Complex carbohydrates include legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables, pasta, and bread. Complex carbs do not increase the blood sugar level suddenly and are digested over a longer period of time.

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Types of Complex Carbs:

1. Fiber

Dietary fiber is naturally found in fruits and veggies. Cellulose is the main component of dietary fiber. Vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, and spinach are rich in cellulose or fiber. Our body can’t digest fiber but the best thing about it is the fibrous structure in fruits and veggies slows down their digestion which means that there will be no sudden increase in blood sugar.

2. Starch

Starch is used by plants to store energy. Starches are found naturally in foods such as garbanzo beans lentils, barley, corn, oats, and wheat. Some vegetables also contain starch such as carrots and potatoes. Starch, unlike fiber, is quickly absorbed- although not as quickly as simple sugars. So, starchy food can also lead to a quick rise in blood sugar.

Which Carb Is Healthy?

Generally speaking, complex carbs are considered much healthier than simple carbs. They have more nutrients and fiber and take longer to digest, making them a more filling option (1).

However, simple carbs can be consumed pre-workout. That’s because they are broken down easily and provide instant energy for the workout. (2).

The body handles various types of carbohydrates differently. Generally, carbohydrates that are digested and absorbed slowly can help to control insulin response.

Also Read: Top 15 Weight Loss Myths

When To Eat Carbs?

To Lose Weight

When it comes to losing weight different studies show different results, some say that skipping carbs during dinner aids weight loss while others say that consuming carbs during day aids weight loss.

A recent study observed that our body burns carbs better in the morning and fat in the evening (3).

Several other studies, however, indicate that weight gain occurs with eating more calories later in the day, so high-carb during the night may lead to weight gain (4).

Hence, we can not draw any conclusion from research yet. However, they do point towards the possibility that consuming fewer carbs is certainly helpful in reducing weight whether it’s during the day or at night.

However, logically it seems better to consume carbs early in the day, post and pre-workout as we remain active at that time and require more energy. If you are planning to cut down on carbs doing it at dinner makes much more sense.

Some studies find that consuming carbs along with protein within a few hours after or before a workout may help increase protein synthesis, which is the process by which your body builds muscle (5, 6, 7).

Also Read: Skinny Fat: Is Getting Skinny Same As Getting Healthy?

While On Keto Diet

The ketogenic, or keto diet is immensely popular nowadays. It a very-low-carb, high-fat, moderate protein diet. This particular diet restricts carb intake to less than 50 grams per day.

However, there is no hard and fast rule on when to consume carbs during the day in this diet.

If you have an active lifestyle or you workout regularly and are following a keto diet, time your carb intake around your workouts. This is known as a targeted ketogenic diet and helps improve your performance.

Furthermore, if you experience insomnia while on a ketogenic diet, eating carbs at night can help to get a night of better sleep (8).

Bottomline

The bottom line is you don’t need to cut off carbs completely from your diet instead opt for the healthier complex carbs and reduce your daily carb intake but don’t make it too low. As far as the timing is concerned even though there is no research confirming whether day or night is optimal for carb consumption, pre and post-workout are definitely proven to be the best time to consume carbs.

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