Carbohydrates: Fueling your body the healthy way

Carbohydrates have developed a negative reputation. Low-carb diets, "net carb" products, and messages telling us to avoid bread, pasta, and even fruit can make carbohydrates seem like something we should fear. But carbohydrates serve an important purpose: they provide fuel for the body.

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which the body uses to support normal bodily functions and physical activity. The brain and nervous system also rely heavily on glucose for energy. The question isn't, "Should I eat carbohydrates?", the better question is, "What kind of carbohydrates should I eat?"

Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and fiber and are found in foods ranging from vegetables and beans to soft drinks and cookies. That is why simply labeling something a "carb" tells us very little about its nutritional value and how it supports or impacts the body.

Harvard researchers emphasize that carbohydrate quality matters. Whole or minimally processed sources, including vegetables, fruits, beans, oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, and other whole grains, provide carbohydrates along with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds. Fiber slows digestion and helps produce a more gradual rise in blood glucose.

Highly refined carbohydrates are different. Foods such as sugary drinks, candy, pastries, and many refined grain products often contain less fiber and can be digested more quickly. Many refined carbohydrates provide plenty of calories but low nutritional value. Processing foods removes fiber and some of the nutrients, leaving fewer benefits for the body.

Carbohydrates become particularly useful around physical activity. Your muscles store carbohydrates as glycogen, which can be used as fuel during exercise. Someone preparing for a long run, strenuous workout, athletic competition, or other prolonged activity may need more carbohydrates in their diet than someone who is relatively sedentary.

Before exercise, easily tolerated carbohydrates such as fruit, oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or rice can provide energy. After longer or harder exercise sessions, carbohydrates combined with protein can help replenish energy stores while protein provides amino acids for muscle repair and recovery.

We need energy throughout the day, so healthy carbohydrates can be included across meals rather than reserved for one particular time. Tips for choosing healthier carbohydrates:

- Choose whole foods first like fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains

- Look for fiber filled foods more often than highly refined versions

- Eat the fruits and vegetables instead of drinking it

- Pair your carbohydrates with Greek yogurt, oats with nuts and seeds, or brown rice with vegetables and protein

- Limit added sugars like soft drinks, candy, pastries, and desserts that provide carbohydrates but offer little nutritional value.

- Match carbohydrate intake to your daily activity.

Carbohydrates aren't the enemy. They are fuel. Just as the quality of fuel matters in a vehicle, the quality of the carbohydrates we put into our bodies matters too. Choose carbohydrates that support your goals and provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and nourishment.

Missy Corrigan is the chief executive officer of the YMCA of Sumter. You can email her at mcorrigan@ymcasumter.org.