5 Reasons Carbs Are Your BFF

Listen up fam, carbs are not the enemy. I repeat: Carbs are not the enemy!​
 
I don’t care what the social media “fit gurus” want you to believe—if you want a strong body, a healthy mind, curves in the right places, and low body fat, you need carbs. Here’s why: 
 
1. Carbs Give You Energy

Your body breaks down carbs into glucose (sugar) before being absorbed into your bloodstream. That glucose fuels your workouts, feeds your cells, and helps keep you energized throughout the day. 
 
You run into trouble when you consume too many carbs and the glucose goes unused—converting to fat for long-term energy stores. 
 
How can you avoid that? Stick to high-fiber starchy carbs like oatmeal and whole grains as opposed to sugary foods and drinks. And please, skip the fake “food” as much as possible—your body needs good, clean energy. 
 
2. Carbs Increase Happiness

Researchers believe that consuming carbs actually promotes the production of serotonin—your brain’s happiness juice. They found that when people ate an extremely low-carb diet, they experienced higher rates of anxiety and depression.
 
So please, scoop that rice onto your plate and quit weighing your fruit. Eat the damn banana already.
 
3. Carbs Help You Lose Weight
 
Fiber, one type of carb, does incredible things for your body. It keeps you fuller longer—so you naturally eat less, helps reduce your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and can help you lose more weight than low-carb diets. 
 
Great fiber-rich foods include: oatmeal, brown rice, barley, kidney beans, spinach, pears, and apples. Aim for 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day and your waistline will thank you. 
 
4. Carbs Are Nutrient Dense 

There’s plenty of talk about macronutrients: carbs, proteins, and fats, but micronutrients rarely get time in the spotlight. Luckily, when you eat things like whole grains and starchy vegetables, you’re feeding your body plenty of vitamins and minerals. 
 
These micronutrients do things like: improve your eyesight, keep your skin healthy and young, help generate red blood cells, and increase energy levels. 
 
5. Carbs Are Delicious
 
At the end of the day, eating should be enjoyable. And let’s face it, carbs taste good. That on its own is reason enough to eat them every single day. 
 
Next time someone tells you carbs are the enemy, take a big bite of spaghetti and politely tell them they’re canceled—there’s no room for that type of negativity here. 
 
Stay hungry fam, 
David