Did you know that carbs can help you lose weight, improve your mood, give you energy, and even more? It may seem counterintuitive, but contrary to what diet culture would have you believe, healthy complex carbs are a vital part of anyone’s diet. Here are some of the reasons:
- Helps muscle retention and growth
- Increased energy
- Maintaining healthy weight
- Mood-boosting
- Promotes heart health
In the rest of this article, we’ll walk you through each of these reasons and share both scientific context and practical tips. So, let’s get started!
5 Reasons To Add More Healthy Carbs To Your Diet
Helps Muscle Retention and Growth
If you’re trying to bulk up your muscles, you need carbs! That’s because carbs are protein sparing. This means that instead of breaking down your existing muscles to get energy, your body turns to the glycogen available in carbs. So, if you’re hoping to get some serious gains, chow down on healthy carbs like bananas, sweet potatoes, quinoa, or fruit after every workout.
Increases Energy
Since your body breaks down carbs into energy-producing sugar, they’re valuable for making sure you have enough energy. If you find yourself feeling sleepy or sluggish throughout the day, try snacking on trail mix, fruit with nut butter, toast, or cheese and crackers. The blend of protein and carbs will keep you feeling both satiated and energized.
Maintains Healthy Weight
Popular wisdom would have you think that cutting carbs is necessary for losing weight, but did you know that the opposite is actually true? That’s because when people cut carbs, they typically increase their protein and fat intake, which can actually lead to more weight gain. On the flip side, consuming plenty of carbs can help you maintain muscle and weight if you’re trying to maintain your weight or add a few pounds.
Mood-Boosting
According to new research at the MIT Clinical Research Center, there’s a scientific explanation for why diets can leave you feeling “hangry”! Reducing carbs in particular can negatively impact your brain’s chemistry, because carbs help your body regulate serotonin. Since serotonin is necessary to help your body regulate moods and appetite, you never have to feel guilty about reaching for that mid-afternoon snack!
Promotes Heart Health
If you’re concerned about heart disease, healthy carbs should make up a substantial part of your diet. That’s because not only do they satisfy your appetite more effectively, leading you to eat less, they also decrease inflammation in your body. Plus, they can reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries, which directly impacts your heart’s health.
We hope this inspired you to add some more carbs to your diet! There’s a huge variety of healthy, complex carbs out there, so get ready for some good eating!
