In diet culture, carbs have often been labeled the enemy. We’ve heard it touted over and over again in the wellness world: “Kick carbs and go keto.” or “Low-carb diets are the only way to lose weight.”
We’ve all been fed the same misinformation for years. And we’ve gotten the same unsuccessful results when it comes to losing weight.
But what if I told you that carbs are not the enemy? And that you can lose weight without having to track every gram of carbs you eat.
As a holistic nutritionist for over 20 years, my experience working with clients as well as my own personal health journey has taught me that you should never cut carbs unless you want short-term results.
As humans, we were meant to thrive on a carbohydrate-rich diet, but not all carbs are created equal. To make sense of this, it's important to recognize the difference between good and bad carbs.
What Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are macronutrients found in many different foods ranging from cakes and cookies to fruits and vegetables [1].
Carbohydrates break down into glucose in the body, which is then converted into energy.
Our bodies need carbs to function at their healthiest - giving us energy, keeping us full, and flooding our systems with nutrients.
However, it’s important to note that not all carbs are created equal, and understanding this can be the difference between gaining weight and dropping pounds.
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
Good Carbs
Good carbs can be found in fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains. Carbs found in these natural, whole foods are much different than the carbs found in cake.
Healthy carb sources metabolize in the body much slower than highly refined carbs, making them less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Plus, they are loaded with the vitamins and minerals your body needs to live a healthy life, flood your system with age-defying antioxidants, and help you lose that stubborn body fat.
Eat plenty of healthy, high-carb foods - especially fruit and vegetables. Starchy vegetables like white or sweet potatoes are also great options for a high-carbohydrate diet. Incorporate healthy whole grains like brown rice and quinoa. Feel free to add legumes like lentils or chickpeas. Your body will thank you.
Eat more good carbs and you will lose weight. Or in this case…you can also drink them.
The Raw Generation Skinny Bundle is a weight loss system full of healthy high-fiber carbs that will help you feel full, lose pounds, and maintain a healthy weight. It’s exactly what your body needs to healthfully lose weight while being deeply nourished.
Flood Your System With Good Carbs and Lose Weight
Bad Carbs
High-carbohydrate intake from processed foods in the typical Standard American Diet (like cakes, cookies, and ice cream) provides virtually no health benefit and almost always hinders weight loss goals.
Indulging in unhealthy carbs can lead to many chronic health issues like weight gain, heart disease, high cholesterol, inflammation, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
These carbs have no nutritional value and metabolize in the body much quicker than good carbs, causing rapid blood sugar spikes and sudden energy dips. Think of a small child after they eat candy...Sugar rush.
Avoid eating foods like sugary drinks, cake, cookies, donuts, pastries, chips, ice cream, and processed snacks.
There is nothing good about bad carbs. These refined carbs are the only carbs you should be restricting from your diet.
How Do High-Carb Diets Affect Our Bodies?
Carbs play a significant role in regulating our blood sugar levels. When we consume carbohydrates, our body breaks them down into glucose, which enters the bloodstream and provides energy for our cells.
However, not all carbs affect blood sugar in the same way. Simple carbs found in sugary snacks, drinks, and processed foods, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, leading to energy crashes and cravings.
On the other hand, complex carbs from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains release glucose slowly, providing a more sustainable energy source.
Choosing the right carbs to fuel your body with can stabilize blood sugar and can help prevent common negative effects of sugar spikes and dips.
Why Restriction Never Works
Harsh extremes like heavily restrictive low carbohydrate diets never work. This way of eating is not sustainable forever. Eventually, you WILL crave carbs and indulge because our bodies need them for our overall health.
Restricting carbs might offer short-term fat loss results but rarely leads to long-term weight loss success.
When we cut out carbs completely, our bodies miss out on vital energy, often leading to cravings, fatigue, and brain fog.
Extreme carb restriction, like with the Atkins and ketogenic diets, for example, is impossible to maintain long-term and can lead to a vicious cycle of depriving and bingeing.
For a truly effective and lasting weight loss journey, focus on choosing the right kinds of carbs and never restrict them. Instead, listen to your body's cravings.
High Carb Diet For Weight Loss
There are plenty of diet fads from high-protein and high-fat diets you may have read about... From keto to paleo - the diet plans are endless.
What these fads have in common is they banish fruits and limit vegetables…and while you may in fact lose weight short-term, you are doing it in a way that is detrimental to your long-term health, leaving you open to chronic disease.
I have spent nearly two decades helping hundreds of clients learn to lose weight healthfully. That knowledge has been converted into something tangible at Raw Generation with our tried and true method for successful weight loss and healthier living - The Skinny Bundle.
The Skinny Bundle combines the Skinny Cleanse® with a post-cleanse weekly weight loss system, the Stay Skinny Method™. Each one is packed with dense nutrition from raw fruits and vegetables, the healthy carbs that are going to be your key to weight loss success.
Learn to drop body weight and keep it off with my proven methodology for weight loss. Become mindful of fat intake. Learn to eat plenty of carbs, natural sugars, and healthy fats (in moderation) while utilizing my carefully curated “clean-eating” guidelines. Eat plenty of carbs and watch the number on the scale drop.
Embrace Carbs
When it comes to getting healthier, forget the carb confusion. Embrace natural carbohydrates from fruits and veggies rather than restrict them.
By choosing the right foods, we nourish our bodies, shed pounds, and feel amazing. It's not about restricting yourself; it's about making educated, nutrient-rich choices. So go ahead, enjoy healthy carbs, and watch your body transform.
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