Nutrition for Today: Are Carbs public enemy No. 1? Absolutely not. They're really important

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Dieters love to hate carbs.

Whether its Keto, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, Whole30, The Dukan Diet, Wheat Belly, Carb Cycling, or whatever the new diet of the month is, it seems that every new diet that comes out is some version of a low-carb regimen.

As a result, we’ve become a carbo-phobic nation. Is this fear of carbohydrates really warranted? The answer is a definite “No!”

As much as dieters shun carbs, dietitians love them!

I cringe every time someone tells me, “I’m cutting out carbs.”

Carbohydrate is the primary fuel that powers the human body. Would you put your car on a “low gasoline” diet, and try to force it to run on oil and brake fluid? Of course not!

Likewise, it’s unhealthy to starve our bodies of its most needed fuel. We need carbohydrate, and we need a lot of it.

Susie's previous three columns:

Mental help: Want your brain to age well? Take these dietary suggestions

Just go to bed: Night snacking can lead to weight gain because of food choices

Fructose: Is this controversial simple sugar good or bad?

Despite this fact, carbo-phobia persists. Let’s examine some popular myths about carbohydrate, so that once and for all, we can lay this nonsense to rest.

Myth No. 1: Carbs are fattening. Many people believe low carb, high protein diets are best for weight loss. But if you look at the calorie content of each, you’ll see that doesn’t make any sense.

Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram; protein contains 4 calories per gram.

See? No difference at all! What makes the difference is portion size. If you scarf down a half a loaf of bread in one sitting, sure you’ll probably gain weight.

Myth No. 2: Avoid anything white. True, white bread, white pasta and white rice are not-so-good choices. But don’t shun cauliflower, garlic, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, apples, bananas, milk and yogurt — these are all rich in carbohydrates, but also contain lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Myth No. 3: Avoid fruit because it has a lot of sugar. Sugars found in fruit are different from the sugars that are added to foods and beverages. Fruit sugar is packaged up with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Added sugars don’t contain any of these healthful things.

Besides, you get a whole lot less sugar in a piece of fruit compared to a serving of candy or soda. I’ve never seen a study that linked fruit intake with weight gain.

Myth No. 4: Don’t eat wheat because it contains gluten. Gluten is only harmful to people who have a gluten allergy (much like fish is good for most people, but not for those who are allergic to it.) Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and is part of the nutritious make-up of these grains.

Myth No. 5: White sugar is bad, but natural sugars are okay. The bottom line is “sugar is sugar.”

Whether it’s white table sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup or agave nectar, they are all concentrated sugars that convert to glucose in the body. From a health perspective, there’s no difference at all.

Myth No. 6: Don’t eat carbs late in the day — they’ll turn to fat. Some people think we should eat our carbs in the morning and avoid them later in the day. True, carbs in the morning energize us for the day. But we need energy all day long. Carbohydrates increase serotonin levels in the brain, which produces calmness and helps us sleep better at night.

Just remember, the important thing is to feed our body high quality fuel rather than low quality junk.

Limit low-quality carbohydrates like sweets, sodas, white bread, bagels, white pasta and white rice.

Choose healthful carbs such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, nuts and legumes. These are all good wholesome sources of carbohydrate. They supply our body with much-needed fuel along with an abundance of nutrition.

Look for carbs that conform to the 10:1 rule. The best ones have 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrate.

Don’t fall for the next low-carb fad diet that comes along. Besides, if you don’t eat carbs, you’re left with only meat and fat, and what fun is that?

Susie Bond is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist in private practice. Contact her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Don't cut carbs, they are the primary fuel that powers the human body