The produce area is a great place to shop. It is home to our favorite fruits and vegetables that we should all be filling our plates with. However, there are some starchy vegetables that hang out in the produce area that so many experts have told us to avoid. “They have too many carbs, they spike your blood sugar, etc.” So why is the best area to shop in the grocery store, also home to some foods we should also be avoiding? Well, it is because those starchy vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc are something we should actually be eating too, and here we are debunking the carb myths behind those starchy vegetables.
3 Carb Myths Debunked
Myth #1: Carbs will make you fat.
Carbohydrates are necessary fuel for the body and the brain. Period.
When you consume too much of anything it can cause the body to store it as fat. This doesn’t necessarily mean just one particular food is to blame for people to gain weight, like carbohydrates. What is important is to have a balanced diet so that you are getting all of the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs to function effectively. Too much of anything isn’t exactly good, even if it is considered good for you.
Myth #2: Carbs make your blood sugar spike.
A big reason why people give carbohydrates a big pass is that they are known to raise blood sugar levels. This is certainly true with some high-carb foods, like bread, but all carbohydrate foods should not be thought to do this very thing to our bodies. Instead, it is important to understand the difference between the different kinds of carbohydrates and how they can impact your body.
Carbohydrates that are better for your blood sugar levels, meaning they don’t spike your blood sugar, are carbohydrates that also contain fiber. Some carbs that also contain fiber too are things like beans, oats, quinoa, lentils, etc.
Additionally, solid carbohydrates are better than liquid ones. For instance, fruit eaten as a whole has fiber, but when it is juiced and turned into a liquid the process that turns this solid into a liquid removes the fiber. Now the fruit has a bigger impact on your body’s blood sugar.
Myth #3: I am cutting carbs… means I am only eating fruits and vegetables.
This statement always seems to be a bit confusing. Are you cutting carbs because you eat a lot of bread and are now not going to eat bread? Do you think all foods are bad for you except for fruits and vegetables? Do you not realize that fruits and vegetables are mainly carbs? There are a lot of follow up questions to this statement.
The takeaway here is that fruits and vegetables are good for you. Fruits and vegetables are carbs. Carbs are good for you.
