Carbs Do a Body Good

Carbs get a bad rap. Carbs are a fundamental fuel for human bodies, and can be great for your gut. The gut is the hub of human health, and nourishing the gut is my primary consideration in making food decisions. The benefits for the gut are among the many reasons I eat a carbohydrate-rich diet.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Some carbs are not very beneficial, and may lead to various metabolic disorders, along with contributing to the epidemic of obesity. However, not all carbs are created equal, and far too many people throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater when it comes to carbs.

Hooray for fiber!
Yesterday's high carbohydrate breakfast: whole grain bread, oats and
healthy fats in the form of ground flax and chia seeds.

All foods have a glycemic index, which indicates how quickly blood sugar levels rise upon consumption of the food. Some carbs spike blood sugar quite quickly – often called the simple carbohydrates. And other carbs cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar – often called complex carbohydrates. Reducing your consumption of simple carbohydrates is a good idea for all of us. However, consuming complex carbohydrate does a body good.

Why would I endorse the consumption of complex carbohydrates in lieu of protein-rich foods? Most complex carbs are a rich supply of that most essential nutrient – fiber. If you recall from some of my prior blog postings, fiber is the prebiotic that enables probiotics to deliver their benefits to the gut. Since gut health underlies almost all other health factors, it’s important to feed the beneficial gut microbes… and the fundamental nutrient is fiber.

The vast majority of foods that people associate with being high protein have little, if any, fiber. Animal-based foods such as meat and dairy contain virtually no fiber. And the over-consumption of fiber-poor, protein-rich foods comes with an opportunity cost. The significant cost of consuming too much protein is borne by the gut’s health. Too little fiber = greater risk of conditions such as anxiety, depression and auto-immune disease, to name just a few.

In summary, humans really don’t need very much protein. The scientific evidence suggests that humans do very well on 0.8 grams of protein per 1-kilogram of body mass. Please, do the arithmetic… this is really very little protein! Couple the epidemic of excess protein consumption with the prevalence of fiber-deficient diets, and it’s small wonder that so many people feel anxious, battle with their weight or struggle with autoimmune disease.

It’s currently estimated that less than 2% of all Americans get the recommended daily allotment of fiber. Are you among the majority of people who are literally starving their microbiome? If yes,  please consider upping your intake of the wonderfully nutritious and satisfying foods that are high in complex carbohydrate. Your body, brain and mind will thank you!