Why You Should Eat Protiens As Well As Carbs

“While some believe high protein diets aid weight loss and cutting down carbs prevent weight gain, the hidden truth is that there should be a correct balance between carbs and proteins”

Though it is true that proteins burn comparatively more calories than other energy sources when they are digested, but cutting carbohydrates completely from your diet could be detrimental to your health. Carbs are a preferred source of energy and our brain, in particular needs carbs to maintain alertness and concentration.

While some believe high protein diets aid weight loss and cutting down carbs prevent weight gain, the hidden truth is that there should be a correct balance between carbs and proteins. And a moderate consumption of both is the key to weight loss because carbohydrates burn and proteins build!

Types Of Carbohydrates

These are an important part of our daily diet, but the question is ‘which should be included more in our daily diet and which are healthier?’ Though carbohydrates are an integral part of our diet, it is important to know that not all the carbs are the same.

There are complex carbs – better known as the good carbs’ and there are simple carbs – better known as the ‘bad carbs.’

Complex/Good Carbs

The better and health-friendly carbs between the two is definitely the ‘complex carbs.’ The only reason being, they contain longer chains of sugar molecules that usually take long time for the body to break and use, thus avoiding an increase in blood sugar levels.

Lower glycaemic load in this type of carbs ensure that sugars are released at lower amounts and at a more consistent rate to keep one going throughout the day. They are higher in fibre too compared to simple carbs. Thus, by making some simple substitutions you make your diet rich in good carbs.

Here is a list of some of the sources of complex carbs.

Cereals and whole grains – oats, jowar, bajra, whole wheat, broken wheat, buckwheat, whole grain breads and pastas, rye bread, muesli and high fibre breakfast cereals.
Fruits
Vegetables
Beans and lentils

Simple/Bad Carbs

These are the carbs which are composed of easy-to-digest basic sugars and are of little value to the body. These are higher in sugar and lower in fibre, shooting up one’s sugar levels at a faster rate over complex carbs. Here are the sources of simple carbs:

Soft drinks
Fruit juices
Sweetened syrups such as high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, etc.
Natural sweeteners
Foods made with refined flour such as white bread, white pasta, cakes, pastries, other bakery items and packaged cereals.

Proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of life and every cell in the human body contains proteins. Though proteins are important in the diet to constantly repair cells and build new ones, carbohydrates are needed to break down these proteins and get utilized by the body. Here are the main sources of proteins:

Pulses and beans
Nuts and seeds
Milk and milk products
Fish and poultry
Eggs

Carbs And Proteins Need To Be Balanced

When it comes to weight loss or building muscle mass for body builders, a magic combination of the complex carbs and proteins help yield positive results. A typical healthy plan should contain 55- 60 per cent of the calories coming from carbohydrates and about 15-20 per cent coming from proteins.

Satiety, that feeling of fullness is also a particularly important factor in weight loss because it can impact cravings, eating frequency as well as how much one eats. Since carbohydrates and proteins are the most satiating type of nutrients, having the potential to keep one fuller for a longer time, they go hand in hand and thus need to be balanced well.

Advantages Of Balance

Boost in metabolism
Builds body muscle
Maintains a balance in body fluids
Heals and fights infections

Avoid Disturbing The Balance

A diet very low in carbs results in low libre intake, thus increasing the risk of digestive cancers, cardiovascular diseases, constipation and other bowel issues
A diet low in protein causes muscle or joint pain, low energy and stress, skin rashes, changes in hair texture and other protein deficiencies
A diet high in carbs, especially simple carbs, raises insulin levels in the body, thus increasing blood sugar levels and leading to diabetes mellitus
A diet extremely high in proteins is totally unsafe as it may create a load on the kidneys, thus affecting proper kidney function by preventing the elimination of wastes from the body