{"id":200,"date":"2026-05-18T16:31:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T16:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/?p=200"},"modified":"2026-05-20T18:33:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:33:44","slug":"carbohydrates-friend-or-foe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/carbohydrates-friend-or-foe","title":{"rendered":"Carbohydrates: Friend or Foe?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why Not All Carbs Affect Your Body the Same Way<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people hear the word carbohydrates, they often think of bread, pasta, sugar, and weight gain rather than fibre-rich foods that support health. Over the years, carbs have been blamed for obesity, diabetes, and poor health, leading many people to avoid them altogether. But nutrition is far more complex than simply labelling carbohydrates as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all carbohydrates behave the same way in the body. Some support energy levels, digestion, hormonal balance, and weight management, while others may contribute to blood sugar spikes and increased hunger. Understanding the difference is key to making informed dietary choices without unnecessarily restricting entire food groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re struggling with weight management, hormonal symptoms, or period pain and feel confused about what to eat, visit Viki Healthy Living<\/mark><\/a> <\/mark>to learn how personalised nutrition support can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Should You Really Avoid Carbohydrates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Foods that contain carbohydrates \u2014 including grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes \u2014 are important sources of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and other nutrients. This is one reason carbohydrates became a major part of dietary recommendations (Griel et al. 2006).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is not carbohydrates themselves, but the type and quality of carbohydrates consumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthy Carbohydrates vs Refined Carbs: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Complex carbohydrates are generally considered healthier than refined carbohydrates because they are found in whole or minimally processed plant foods. These carbohydrates digest more slowly, helping provide more stable energy levels and greater satiety. Examples include oats, legumes, vegetables, brown rice, and whole grains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, are highly processed foods that are typically lower in fibre and nutrients. These include white bread, pastries, sugary drinks, sweets, and many ultra-processed snack foods. (Ferretti et al. 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While refined carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed and can negatively affect glucose and lipid metabolism, complex carbohydrates tend to support better metabolic health and appetite regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn more about complex carbohydrates and try an easy homemade bagel recipe? Click here<\/a> <\/mark>to read more, and click here<\/mark><\/a> for a gluten free version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Fibre Is Different From Other Carbohydrates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most misunderstood facts about carbohydrates is that fibre is also a carbohydrate. However, unlike simple sugars and refined starches, fibre behaves very differently in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fibres are polysaccharides \u2014 meaning they are made of many sugar units \u2014 but they largely escape digestion in the gut (Brownlee et al.2017).Rather than being absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, fibre moves through the digestive tract and provides a wide range of health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Fibre Supports Weight Loss and Blood Sugar Balance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many observational studies show that diets rich in fibre from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contribute to maintaining a healthy body weight (Brownlee et al. 2017). Fibre-rich foods generally have a lower energy density and remain in the stomach for longer periods, which may help improve fullness and reduce overall calorie intake (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research also suggests that fibre helps stimulate hormones such as GLP-1 and peptide YY, which promote satiety and support blood sugar regulation. Fibre may additionally help lower cholesterol levels by binding to bile acids and reducing fat absorption (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all fibre is the same<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fibre is usually grouped into two main types: soluble and insoluble fibre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soluble fibre dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in the gut. This slows digestion and the absorption of nutrients, which can help manage blood sugar levels after meals as well as cholesterol and insulin levels. You\u2019ll find soluble fibre in foods like oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables (Brownlee et al. 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insoluble fibre works differently. It helps add bulk and softness to stools, supporting regular bowel movements and overall digestive health. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are great sources of insoluble fibre (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How fibre benefits the body?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lot of the fibre we eat isn\u2019t fully digested and ends up reaching the colon, where it becomes food for our gut bacteria. During this process, the bacteria produce substances called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These SCFAs do a lot of good for the body. They help support gut health, keep the colon functioning properly, improve mineral absorption, and create an environment that makes it harder for harmful bacteria to grow (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Getting enough fibre may also help reduce the risk of conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes (Kumar et al. 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resistant Starch: A Different Kind of Carbohydrate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another type of carbohydrate that deserves more attention is resistant starch. Although starch is technically a carbohydrate, resistant starch behaves more like fibre because it is not fully broken down in the small intestine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, resistant starch reaches the large intestine where it is fermented by the gut microbiome, producing beneficial short-chain fatty acids in the same way fibre does. Research suggests resistant starch may support fat metabolism, glucose balance, mineral absorption, and healthy cholesterol levels (Han et al. 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foods containing resistant starch include cooled potatoes, green bananas, legumes, oats, and cooked-and-cooled rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbohydrates, Weight Loss, and Hormonal Balance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fear surrounding carbohydrates often comes from the assumption that all carbs automatically lead to weight gain. However, eliminating carbohydrates completely is not always beneficial or sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whole-food carbohydrate sources that contain fibre, resistant starch, vitamins, and minerals can support healthy weight management by improving satiety, stabilising energy levels, and supporting metabolic health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources instead of highly refined sugars may therefore support both metabolic and hormonal health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What type of carbs should I choose?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Carbohydrates are far more complex than simply \u201cbread and sugar.\u201d While highly refined carbohydrates may negatively affect health when consumed excessively, many carbohydrate-rich foods provide essential nutrients, fibre, and compounds that support digestion, metabolism, and overall wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than fearing carbohydrates, the focus should be on choosing minimally processed, fibre-rich sources that nourish the body and support long-term health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like personalised support with nutrition, weight loss, hormonal balance, or period pain, click here<\/a> <\/mark>to visit my website to learn more about how I can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brownlee, I.A. et al<\/em>. (2017). \u2018Dietary fibre and weight loss: Where are we now?\u2019 Food Hydrocolloyds<\/em>, (68), pp. 186-191<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ferretti, F. et al. (2017). \u2018Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrate Dietary Patterns and the Global Overweight and Obesity Pandemic\u2019, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health<\/em>, 14<\/em>(10), p. 1174<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Griel, A.E. (2006). \u2018The Changing Roles of Dietary Carbohydrates: From Simple to Complex\u2019, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, <\/em>26(9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Han, J. et al. (2023). \u2018Physiological effects of resistant starch and its applications in food: a review\u2019, Food Production, Processing and Nutrition, <\/em>(5)48<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kumar, V. et al. (2014). Fibre and Gastrointestinal Health In M. Lomer (Ed.) Advanced Nutrition and Dietetics in Gastroenterology, <\/em>pp.57-58<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why Not All Carbs Affect Your Body the Same Way When people hear the word carbohydrates, they often think of bread, pasta, sugar, and weight gain rather than fibre-rich foods that support health. Over the years, carbs have been blamed for obesity, diabetes, and poor health, leading many people to avoid them altogether. But nutrition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200\/revisions\/211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vikihealthyliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}