Are carbs evil?

[suzieQ]

I've heard a lot about carbs being really bad and that if you want to lose weight you should avoid eating them. I really really enjoy eating carbs, and I get that I totally consume too much, and I can limit the amount I eat, but should I cut out carbs entirely? Is that safe? Do carbs have any nutritional value at all?

[JennyR]

Carbs are not evil and you shouldn't avoid eating all carbs. They are an important part of your diet and do offer some nutritional value. That said, you do need to limit the amount you eat, especially if you want to lose weight, keep it off, and be healthier. Cut out the high fats and sweet treats. Cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, pasta, white bread, etc. Focus on eating foods with whole grains. Don't make every one of your meals or desserts based around carbs, Make the carb a small side, instead. And remember, it's ok to enjoy your favorite carb treats every once in a while. Just don't make it part of your daily diet

[BigBobby]

Carbs are one of the 3 macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins. All of them are needed for you to be healthy. Any of them in excess has a bad effect on your weight or other parts of your life. So the trick is to get the right ratio. So when you decide how many calories you should eat every day, make sure that the right amount is made up of each of the macronutrients each day.

[suzieQ]

Great! Thanks for the comments. I had a feeling that carbs were important, but all you hear about is how bad they are and how much fat they cause, and there are so many diets out there that eliminate carbs, I was really starting to wonder if they were a natural part of the human diet! I'll take a look into the right ratios. Thanks again!!

[Bruce]

If you eat the same number of calories for fats, carbs, or proteins, it's the carbs that would make you fat first. They get turned into blood glucose fastest so you have the smallest amount of time to burn them off before they're stored as fat.

[TinaDancer]

I don't think carbs are evil. I think they're necessary. Atkins just gave them a bad name. after all, whole grains are really good for weight loss, blood pressure, cholesterol, and regularity, but they're high in carbs. It all depends on what you eat. A donut may taste great, but it's not exactly health and diet friendly, just a great treat haha

[Drew]

They're evil because they're so addictive and you want to eat way more of them than you should LOL

[Charlotte]

They're evil because they're so addictive and you want to eat way more of them than you should LOL

Hahaha so very true!! I love cake...I don't think I could even give up cake.

[enviroTodd]

It is not the carbs that are evil but the choice of carbs that we use to pollute our bodies. When we choose white, refined flour, we may as well sit down with rat poison and feast

[suzieQ]

Charlotte - I love cake too. hahaha...that and cupcakes, and cookies, and muffins, and bread lol.

enviroTodd - Wow...I really love rat poison hahaha.