I often see or hear others say: you need to quit carbohydrates during weight loss. Some people are even afraid of carbohydrates and feel that as long as they eat rice, pasta, and other foods with high carbohydrate content, they will become fat. But is this really the case? Today, I will come to understand carbohydrates with you!
1. What is Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the human body. It is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Each 1 gram of carbohydrates can provide 4 calories of energy.
In addition to providing energy for the human body, carbohydrate also undertakes important tasks such as storing energy, regulating cell movement, forming human tissues, and maintaining brain operations. It is called together with fat and protein as the three macronutrients.
2. What food contains carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are found in almost all foods, except for a few foods such as fat, meat, seafood, etc. Foods with higher carbohydrates are rice, pasta, fruits and root vegetables (such as potatoes, sweet potatoes), and so on.
Carbohydrates in food can be divided into two categories: simple carbohydrate and complex carbohydrate.
Simple carbohydrate is composed of monosaccharides and disaccharides, and they are easier to be absorbed by the body with simple structure. Common simple carbohydrates include sugar, candy, honey, and so on.
Complex carbohydrates are composed of polysaccharides. With more complex structures, they take longer to be absorbed by the body, so they can provide more satiety. Common complex carbohydrates include rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, etc.
In addition, our common dietary fiber is also a kind of carbohydrate. Although it cannot be absorbed by the human body, it has the function of maintaining a healthy digestive system!
3. Does GI affect the human body?
Every time when it comes to weight loss or carbohydrates, there are always words that don’t understand: GI value. It refers to the glycemic index. I often see information recommending that people who lose weight consume low-GI foods because low-GI foods have a lower impact on blood sugar after entering the body, and are relatively less hungry, and are rich in fiber.
However, the point is that a healthy adult does not need to worry about the GI value. Because even if you use high GI foods, as long as you take in protein and fat, you can also lower the body’s glycemic index.
4. To lose weight is to quit carbohydrates?
After reading the above points, I believe you have some understanding of the effect of carbohydrates on the human body. I often see people saying that if you don’t eat staple food or rice, your weight will drop immediately, so it will be very effective to lose weight without carbohydrates!
The truth is that every 1 gram of carbohydrate carries 3 grams of water, and more than 70% of the human body is composed of water. Therefore, the weight lost by not eating carbs for a few days is not a successful weight loss, but water reduction that lose the weight of water.
In addition, according to a study by Harvard Medical School, even if a low-carb diet can make people reach their weight goal in the short term, it is not beneficial in the long run. Long-term intake of too little carbohydrates has a particularly great impact on women. A long-term low-carbon diet may affect women’s hormones, causing problems such as hair loss, depression, and menstrual disorders.
5. How to lose weight healthy without reducing carbohydrates ?
According to research by the American Institute of Medicine and Harvard University, a healthy adult needs to ensure that 45%-65% of the calories in the diet come from carbohydrates every day. If your daily healthy calorie intake is 1,800 calories, then at least 200-290 grams of carbohydrates should be consumed.
In other words, judging from a round plate, one must ensure that a quarter of the food is carbohydrates. As long as the food intake is healthy, coupled with appropriate exercise, it is not difficult to achieve the ideal body shape and figure!
It should be noted that the main source of carbohydrates is not only rice and pasta but also other grains, such as oats, whole grains, potatoes, etc.
No matter what your original intention is to lose weight, keep in mind that health is the most important thing in the process.
Jason 
Fong Tan Ling 
Shayan Ahmed 