Last week, we talked about carbs and the myth that you don’t eat carbs on keto. We just pick and choose which carbs we eat. To really identify which ones are good for keto and which ones are a no-go, we need to talk about the kinds of carbs – simple and complex. The simple vs. complex carbs have to do with molecules, and all kinds of scientific stuff. We won’t get into that. We’ll just talk about what each is and what you can have on keto.
Simple Carbs
Simple carbs are sugar. Some simple carbs are in milk, but mostly they are sugar that food producers add. It would include refined sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fruit juice concentrate. All those ingredients you find in things like sodas, candy, baked goods, and packaged and processed foods.
Simple carbs get broken down really quickly in our system. That’s why you have the sugar highs and the crashes. They also don’t have any essential nutrients or vitamins, so there really aren’t any benefits to eating them. Yet they are in so many of our packaged foods. You don’t have to eat candy to fill your diet with simple carbs. Why are these carbs in so much of our food?
The Conspiracy of Sugar
I did a series on the many names of sugar, and talked about the evils of added sugar. Surely they aren’t all bad, right? Nope, they’re pretty bad. There’s really only one upside of added sugar, and that’s taste. As humans, we enjoy sweetness. But, eating the amount of sugar we do is a relatively recent thing. So, what happened?
Well, in the 1950’s, the American government funded some research and the findings that got the publicity said that fat was bad for us and caused us to have chronic illnesses. So began the fight against fat. The problem is that fat makes things taste good. Food producers had to replace the taste with something other than fat, so they turned to sugar. And, here we are, putting added sugar into our low fat yogurt.
Complex Carbs on Keto – The Starches
Okay, okay, moving on to the complex carbs. These take longer to digest and break down, so you don’t have the huge ups and downs the simple carbs produce. Because of this, it keeps you feeling full for longer. There are two main types of complex carbs – starch and fiber. Many complex carbs contain both, but they fall under the category of the majority of what they are.
If you are on a regular glucose-based diet (i.e. not keto), starches should be your main source of energy. There are slowly digestible starches as well as resistant starches. Both of these take much longer to digest, and some just pass through your system without breaking down. These are foods that are healthy for you, but are not keto. It would include brown rice, beans, whole grain bread, grains and pasta.
Complex Carbs on Keto – Fiber
Fiber is similar to resistant starches in that it does not get broken down by your body for energy. It is a nondigestible carb. Because it just pushes through your body, it slows down digestion and offers your system water to keep your stool soft and regular. It also feeds the good bacteria in your digestive system to keep your gut healthy.
Because it doesn’t get broken down, fiber is often not counted in the carb count for keto. You take the total number of carbs and subtract the amount of fiber to get net carbs. That’s what you count for tracking purposes.
Some of the foods that are high in fiber and things you will find on most keto menus. This includes strawberries, almonds, broccoli, and cauliflower. Fiber is a very important part of everyone’s diet – no matter where you get your energy.
A Final Thought On Carbs on Keto
Complex carbs, and in particular fiber, is an important part of the keto diet. Sure, you aren’t going to have a big helping of potato salad, rice, or pasta with your steak. You are going to have some broccoli, cauliflower, or salad with it though. It will keep your body working properly and make sure you get your vitamins and nutrients.
It’s important to remember that complex carbs are not bad – most of them are just not keto. If you are eating a traditional, glucose-based diet, they are essential for your health and energy levels. It’s the simple carbs – the added sugar – that will steer you wrong. I’m not saying they’re bad – you’re not supposed to label food good or bad – but they have absolutely no health benefits or purpose for your body.
Wendy
