The Great Carb Panic

The Great Carb Panic

Carbohydrates aren’t automatically the enemy

When I started seriously paying attention to my A1C, I became suspicious of carbohydrates. Very suspicious. I would look at a food label, find the carbohydrate number and immediately think:

CARBS.

🚨 WE HAVE CARBS. 🚨

Put the package down.

Back away slowly.

Nobody make any sudden movements.

Except there was a problem with this system.

Carbohydrates are in an awful lot of perfectly nutritious foods.

Fruit has carbohydrates.

Beans have carbohydrates.

Milk and yogurt have carbohydrates.

Whole grains have carbohydrates.

Some vegetables have more carbohydrates than others.

So unless I planned to spend the rest of my life eating chicken and staring suspiciously at a strawberry, I needed to learn a little more.

Something a Nurse Told Me

Years ago, when I was getting weight-loss shots, one of the nurses told me something I’ve never forgotten:

“Carbs aren’t the enemy. Your body uses them for energy.”

At the time, I understood what she was saying. But I don’t think I fully appreciated it until I started dealing with my blood sugar. Because when your A1C is high, carbohydrates suddenly feel dangerous.

Carbohydrates affect blood glucose.

That’s true. But that doesn’t mean:

CARBOHYDRATE = BAD FOOD.

Our bodies break carbohydrates down into glucose, and glucose is a primary source of energy for the body.

So the goal isn’t necessarily to hunt down every carbohydrate and remove it from my kitchen.

The goal is to become a little smarter about which carbohydrates I’m eating, how much I’m eating, and what I’m eating with them.

An Apple and a Cookie Both Have Carbohydrates

And this is where things started clicking for me. An apple contains carbohydrates. A cookie contains carbohydrates. That doesn’t make them nutritionally identical. The apple brings fiber, vitamins, minerals and water along with its carbohydrates. The cookie may contain refined flour, added sugar and saturated fat while providing much less fiber and nutrition.

My body doesn’t look at them and say:

“Twelve grams? Fifteen grams? Whatever. Same thing.”

The entire food matters. That’s why simply saying:

“It has carbs!”

doesn’t tell me nearly enough.

Beans Are Carbs?! This one nearly offended me. I’d been adding beans to meals because they’re filling, nutritious and delicious. Then I looked at the label.

CARBOHYDRATES.

Excuse me, Bean? We need to talk. But beans are a wonderful example of why carb panic doesn’t make much sense. Beans contain carbohydrates. They also contain fiber and plant protein.

Fiber slows digestion and can help make the rise in blood glucose steadier than what may happen with highly refined carbohydrates.

So yes, Bean. You’re a carbohydrate-containing food. You’re also invited to dinner.

Bean: “I knew you’d come around.”

Don’t get cocky.

Fruit Is Another Carb

We’ve already had this discussion with Banana.

Fruit contains naturally occurring sugar and carbohydrates. But whole fruit also provides fiber, water, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds.

That doesn’t mean I should eat six bananas and announce that fruit is healthy.

Portions still matter. But it also doesn’t mean I need to panic because a peach contains sugar.

Peach: “Can I come in?”

Me: “Yes.”

Peach: “Banana said he’s on parole.”

Me: “Banana talks too much.”

What About Vegetables?

Here’s another interesting thing.

Vegetables contain carbohydrates too. But there’s an important distinction between non-starchy vegetables and starchy vegetables.

Things like cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans and leafy greens generally contain fewer carbohydrates per serving.

Potatoes, corn, peas and winter squash contain more.

That doesn’t make potatoes evil. It means potatoes belong in a different part of the meal than cauliflower. One is a more concentrated carbohydrate source. The other isn’t. Apparently vegetables have departments.

Whole Grains Versus Refined Grains

This is another place where the type of carbohydrate matters. Whole grains retain the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain. That means they retain more of their natural fiber and nutrients. Refined grains have had parts of the grain removed during processing, which removes much of that fiber and some nutrients.

So brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa and whole-grain breads or pastas bring something different to the table than highly refined grain products.

Again: Both contain carbohydrates.

But “contains carbohydrates” isn’t the end of the nutritional conversation.

And Then There Are the Carbs That Know Exactly What They’ve Done

Hello, cake.

Hello, cookies.

Hello, brownies.

Hello, candy.

Hello, regular soda.

We meet again. These foods often contain a lot of refined carbohydrates and added sugar without much fiber to slow things down. They can raise blood glucose more quickly. And in my particular case, some of them can also wake up my trigger-food brain. That’s a double feature I don’t particularly need.

But even here, I’m trying not to say:

BAD FOOD. FORBIDDEN FOREVER.

I’m trying to say:

This food affects my body differently, and I know something about how I personally respond to it.

That’s information.

Information helps me make a decision.

Pasta Has Entered the Chat

Oh, pasta. We knew we’d eventually have to talk. Pasta is a carbohydrate-rich food. That doesn’t mean pasta has been banished from civilization.

Portion matters. The type of pasta can matter.  What else is on the plate matters. A giant restaurant bowl containing enough pasta to feed a small Italian village is very different from a reasonable portion alongside chicken and vegetables.

Whole-grain pasta can also provide more fiber than traditional refined pasta.

I’m trying to stop thinking:

Can I eat pasta: YES or NO?

and start thinking:

How much? What kind? And what am I eating with it?

That’s a much more useful conversation.

The Plate Makes This Easier

One of the things I like about the American Diabetes Association’s Plate Method is that it doesn’t require me to perform advanced mathematics while holding a chicken breast. The basic idea is beautifully simple:

Half the plate: non-starchy vegetables.

One quarter: lean protein.

One quarter: quality carbohydrate.

That carbohydrate might be beans. Whole grains. A starchy vegetable.

Fruit or another carbohydrate-containing food can also fit into the overall meal.

The carbohydrate has a seat at the table. It just doesn’t get the entire table.

That’s a concept I can work with. Protein, Fiber and Fat Can Be Friends With Carbs

I’m also learning that I don’t necessarily want my carbohydrate wandering around by itself. Combining a quality carbohydrate with protein, fiber and healthy fat can make a meal more satisfying and can slow digestion.

So instead of:

CARB DETECTED — ABORT!

I’m beginning to think:

Okay. What’s traveling with it?

Fruit with cottage cheese.

Beans with chicken and vegetables.

Whole grain with protein and vegetables.

A small potato with chicken and asparagus.

That’s a completely different way of looking at food.

Quantity Still Matters

I don’t want this post to swing so far in the other direction that it becomes:

CARBS ARE ENERGY! RELEASE THE PASTA!

😂

No.

Carbohydrates have the biggest direct effect on blood glucose of the three major macronutrients.

How much I eat matters.

My individual blood-sugar response matters.

My medication matters.

My activity matters.

And the amount that’s appropriate for me may be different from what’s appropriate for someone else.

So I’m not giving carbohydrates a free pass. I’m giving them a fair trial.

What I’m Trying to Learn

This whole experience is slowly changing the questions I ask about food. Instead of:

Does this have carbohydrates?

I’m learning to ask:

What kind of carbohydrate is this?

Does it have fiber?

What nutrients come with it?

What’s my portion?

What am I eating with it?

How does this food affect me?

Those questions tell me much more than one number on a nutrition label.

Carbs Have Been Cleared of All Charges

Okay. Maybe not all charges. We’ve got our eye on Brownie. But carbohydrates as an entire category? They’re staying. My body needs fuel.

Fruit stays.

Beans stay.

Vegetables stay.

Quality whole grains can stay.

And yes, even some foods containing refined carbohydrates may occasionally have a place in my life.

I’m just learning that they aren’t all interchangeable. So the next time I turn over a package and see:

TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE

I’m going to resist sounding the alarm. I’ll keep reading.

Because:

“It has carbs!” isn’t enough information.

Carbohydrate: “So we’re friends again?”

Me: “We’re working on our relationship.”

Carbohydrate: “Can I bring Pasta?”

Me: “How much Pasta?”

Look at me.

I’m learning.