Carbohydrates

As discussed in Macronutrients 101, carbohydrates are one of three large energy-yielding nutrients that make up this group, the others being Fats and Proteins. Carbohydrates, or carbs, as they are known in the biz, are a large family of different carbon-oxygen-hydrogen based chemicals found in foods that the body can consume, break down, absorb and metabolise for energy. Carbs are actually the primary source of energy for your body, in fact, your body will prioritise burning carbs first, ahead of fats and proteins.

If you ever happen to hear a nutritionist banging on about carbohydrates, they are talking about three main sub-groups of nutrients: sugars, starches, and fibres. All three of these are naturally occurring nutrients that originate in plant-based foods. To break it down even further for you, carbs consist of building blocks known as saccharides or sugars. Glucose, a common example of the simplest type of sugar, is a monosaccharide, as is fructose which is the type of sugar found in fruit. When two monosaccharides join together they become disaccharides, the most common being sucrose also known as white cane sugar. Lactose found in milk is another example. When large numbers of saccharides are joined together they form polysaccharides and are the foods most people will commonly think of when they hear the word carbs, things such as bread, potatoes, and pasta.

In modern society, even if we are regular gym-goers and keep active in our personal lives, we may still spend much of our week sitting and not being active while at work. The overconsumption of carbohydrates, in excess of the body’s needs, can become detrimental to our health. Excess carbohydrate intake places a large metabolic load on the body, if we are constantly asking our bodies to deal with high levels of blood sugars it will inevitably lead to weight gain, poor metabolic health and will put you at increased risk of things such as heart disease and diabetes. 

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all carbohydrate-rich foods and also contain many other nutrients. We believe in creating balanced, healthy habits that last a lifetime so it is these whole foods that we advise you to build your diet out of first. By doing it this way, not only do we eat carbs in a more appropriate amount, but we also get the whole combination of nutrients that the food contains.