The No-Carbs Fallacy

Dr Atkins may have been dead for 7 years, many still consider that carbohydrates are the enemy when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, let alone putting off some. The reality is somewhat more complicated.

First of all carbs are not all born equal. Foods as diverse as plain rice, white sugar, corn syrup or bread are all representatives of the wide carbohydrate family. However some are more healthful than others, partly depending on their glycemic index. As a rule of thumb all highly processed foods should be avoided, be it carbs or other categories.

For instance, not only is the glycemic index of white sugar among the highest but it also does not contain any other nutrients like fibers of vitamins. So the first rule for the carb-wary crowd should be: pick your carb carefully by staying away from all highly processed foods.
A sensible choice includes most whole-grain foods and unprocessed fruits. Beware though of misleading labels prominently touting whole-grain ingredients whereas sugar or corn syrup have been added to the mix. This is typically the case for most breakfast cereals sold in the US.


Now, provided that you choose your carbs carefully, a carbohydrate-rich diet is not likely to contribute to weight gain. Moreover if you are serious about maintaining a regular exercise routine, be it aerobic or anaerobic, there is no way around consuming carbohydrates to recover from exercise. On average you should take in about 3g of carbs for every gram of protein you eat. Barring that you simply won't be able to maintain a long-term exercise regimen because you will be either too exhausted or your muscles will never recover (they will cramp) or both.

Physical exercise is thus a license to eat more (healthy) carbs than your sedentary neighbor. Don't overdo it though (most people I know overestimate the number of calories they burn in an hour of strenuous exercise. The correct answer is somewhere between 400 and 600 calories, which represents only about 7 to 10 oz of bread).