Carbophobia: Myth or reality?
Along with the popular high protein diet craze comes the belief that carbohydrates should be avoided in order to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result, people shun carbs, trying their best to reduce or even eliminate carbohydrates from their diets. People become terrified of carbohydrates having adverse effects on their waistlines and, as a result, become "carbophobic". The question then arises, is cutting carbs the way to achieve a healthy diet? The answer is no, and below I will explain why.
Why do we need carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are one of the essential macronutrients, meaning our bodies need them to function. We are designed to derive energy from carbohydrates. From our muscles to our red blood cells to our brains, carbohydrates are the fuel that allows us to function (Pope/Nizielski/McCook, pg. 321). When we deprive ourselves of this vital macronutrient, adverse health effects such as cancer and heart disease can occur (Campbell, pg. 136). Not convinced yet that we need carbohydrates? Check out these 6 Reasons You Should Be Eating Carbs!
Do carbohydrates make us fat?
So, if carbohydrates are so important, why are we constantly hearing that they make us fat? I used to think that the best way to stay fit and lean was to limit carbohydrate intake. I had a negative perception of carbohydrates, assuming that they were the trigger for weight gain and poor health (Babin/Harris, pg. 51). However, the problem is not carbohydrate consumption in general, rather it is the type of carbohydrate. When choosing carbohydrates, there are two types we look at: unrefined carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates. Unrefined carbohydrates are unprocessed and include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. These carbohydrates are fantastic for our health. Providing fiber, vitamins, and minerals, unrefined carbohydrates promote lean body mass and help fight disease (Campbell, pg. 138). Refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, are where issues arise. Refined carbohydrates include processed foods like white flour, refined sugars, and soft drinks. Stripped of the majority of their fiber, vitamins, and minerals, these carbohydrates are calorically dense and provide little to no nutritional value (Pope/Nizielski/McCook, pg. 326). As a result, over consumption of these refined carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and increased risk of chronic diseases. To learn more about the facts and fictions of carbohydrates, check out this article featuring truths about carbohydrates and debunking myths!
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| Unrefined vs. Refined Carbohydrates* |
Looking at the current dietary habits of Americans, it's no wonder people assume carbohydrates are to blame for their continuously increasing waistlines. The majority of carbohydrates consumed in America are from refined unhealthy sources, rather than unrefined healthy sources. As a result, people blame all carbohydrates for the adverse effects of refined carbohydrates. Making healthy carbohydrate choices can make a huge difference in body weight and disease susceptibility.
I used to be among those carbophobics who believed all carbs were bad. However, upon learning more about a plant based diet I found that including unrefined carbohydrates is largely beneficial for my health and energy levels. I had to alter my lifestyle to suit this new dietary habit by grocery shopping more often to accommodate my increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and being a more conscientious restaurant patron (Babin/Harris, pg. 121). This shift allowed me to establish healthier cooking and dining habits, however, it was not the easiest transition to make. Increasing my carbohydrate intake caused me to feel a sense of role conflict, because high carb diets are usually shunned in my community of fitness focused individuals (Babin/Harris, pg. 202). However, I was able to adapt to this tension by involving myself in additional social networks (Babin/Harris, pg. 164). These networks of likeminded individuals who also supported a plant based diet gave me a sense of community surrounding my diet and helped sooth the conflict I initially felt.
If you're ready to step up your unrefined carbohydrate intake, check out this tasty recipe for Chickpea Quinoa Stir Fry that's loaded with healthy, unrefined carbs!
Image credits:
*Pictures from unsplash.com, assembled into graphic by the author
Sources:
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB: Consumer Behavior: Student edition 7. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Campbell, T. C. (2016). The China Study. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, Inc.
Pope, J., Nizielski, S., & McCook, A. (2016). Nutrition for a changing world. Macmillan.
Your first sentence definitely caught my attention; I strongly agree that the millennial microculture is obsessed with protein. (Angell) I watched a documentary on Netflix this summer called “What the Health”, it completely changed my perspective on the meals I eat and inspired me to become vegetarian. In the documentary they touch on the marketing scheme that was created in order to make our generation obsessed with consuming protein. This was a great blog since it answered many questions that I have had since I started trying to eat healthier this year.
ReplyDeleteA couple things that you could have added to the blog would be specific examples and descriptions of different diets. Having examples of which foods commonly eaten by people our age contain refined carbs versus unrefined carbs would help me make tangible changes to my eating habits. I know I personally learned what a plant based diet means through the documentary I watched, but a lot of my friends were curious to learn more. There are many varieties of diets that have become a trend in our generation that are influenced by our primary reference groups. (Angell) I know the documentary and close friends from high school are what pushed me to become vegetarian. It would be great to get a breakdown of the popular diet trends such as being vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, plant-based diets, what each of them entails, and positives / negatives of each one.
Article on our generation’s obsession with protein:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/07/07/our-obsession-with-protein-could-potentially-be-harmful_a_21425501/
Article on popular diet trends:
https://www.cbsnews.com/media/diet-paleo-low-carb-low-fat/
Angell, A. CB Chapter 9 Cultures and Microcultures Angell. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Angell, A. CB Chapter 8 Groups and Social Influence Angell. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Immediately when I saw the title of your post I was hooked. Carbs had played a huge role in my life and often represented a negative schema (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 86) for me. I had been in a constant battle with carbs for the majority of my high school career and even into college. During high school I thought all carbs were my enemy and the root of all of my self-image problems. Especially during my senior year of high school, my consumption frequency (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 288) of carbs was slim-to-none. During this period of my life I wouldn't even touch a piece of fruit in fear that I would gain weight. Eventually, after talking to my mom and doctors I realized, like your post discusses, that carbs were not necessarily bad and cutting them out completely was not healthy.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found interesting, but also really scary after reading your post is that by cutting carbs out, you're putting yourself at risk of developing cancer and heart disease. I knew that carbohydrates were necessary for our body to function, but I had not realized how drastic the affects of not consuming them could be. When I was younger I wish I had known about the different types of carbs you had mention and had realized that there are certain carbs that are actually good for your health. That being said, I think for readers who have little knowledge on the difference between the two types, you could have gone further and mentioned some of your specific favorite types of unrefined carbs to eat. Here is a quick read that offers some specific examples of carbs you should be eating: https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/a-list-of-unrefined-carbohydrates-12373250.html
I have to agree with you that my social environment (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 27) growing up influenced my choice to avoid carbs. I had to learn to separate myself from the individuals who looked down on me for eating carbs, whether they were healthy or not. I still have certain people in my life who avoid carbs completely, which has an unhealthy effect on them and everyone in their life. That being said, I am going to try and take your advice and seek out more peers who have a similar outlook on health and diet as me!
Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 27, 86, 288). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
After going to many nutritionists I have received so many conflicting opinions about carbohydrates in respect to weight loss. Your blog post was extremely refreshing. Many people think that to lose 5 lbs in a week the answer is to simply cut out carbs, but what I have realized is that these suggestions are only temporary. They do not contribute to a truly healthy and fulfilling diet.
ReplyDeleteI have specifically noticed that on this campus, every myth you noted about carbs is believed to be true. Many people are extremely limited with their diets and often do not consume any carbs unless they are consuming alcohol! The girls seem to feed off of each other's habits (Babin & Harris, 2016, p.160). Your blog is informative and could help change a lot of people perceptions based off of their social and informational influences.
What I have found is that people have the same perception with sugars as they do carbs. In both of these instances, I think that people try so hard to avoid these that they direct everything they consume (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 94). They think that their bodies can sustain avoiding these foods completely and before they know it they are binging on it because non-carb and non-sugar diets are showing to be un-sustainable. In your situation, it shows that you have done the proper research and found a lifestyle that suits your hedonic and utilitarian needs!