These are the healthy carbohydrates that help you lose weight

These macronutrients are essential for the proper functioning of the body and are indispensable in any healthy and balanced diet.

There is a widespread misconception that a weight loss diet should not include fats and carbohydrates. This is wrong because these two macronutrients, together with proteins, are essential for the functioning of the human body. As Marina Domine, nutritionist at SHA Wellness Clinic, explains, ‘Carbohydrates are glucides that break down into sugar and are the best source of energy for the body. That is why in SHA’s Optimal Weight programme, we do not eliminate carbohydrates, nor proteins or fats, which are mostly plant-based. I would only recommend a low-carbohydrate diet, such as a ketogenic one, for people with insulin resistance or poor carbohydrate assimilation, but, as a general rule, they should never be completely cut out’.

Carbohydrates are particularly important for everyone who does any kind of physical activity. As Marina says, ‘consuming carbohydrates is the best and healthiest way to improve sports performance because they allow muscle glycogen, which is the body’s main store of glucose, to be in perfect condition for all kinds of efforts, from sprinting to longer runs or increasing the number of repetitions in strength training’.

You will find healthy carbohydrates in cereals such as brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet, which, as Marina adds, ‘are great allies for weight loss because they provide fibre, are satiating, and the carbohydrates they contain help us to control our cravings for sweets. Diets that are very low in carbohydrates or those that eliminate them completely tend to create greater stress and anxiousness for this type of food and cause the opposite effect; that is to say, they are consumed in excess. Another good source of carbohydrates is legumes, which are also a source of fibre, minerals, and vitamins. Of course, if you are trying to lose weight, a lentil stew with vegetables is better than one cooked with bacon or chorizo’.

As we can see, despite their unfair bad reputation, carbohydrates are not only necessary but also very useful for keeping our scales in check. ‘The problem is that we associate them with flour and that is incorrect. For example, bread is a carbohydrate, but eating a slice of rye sourdough toast, which is very satiating, is not the same as a slice of white bread, which is pure sugar and is metabolised very quickly, so after a short time, you feel hungry again’, Marina concludes.