How many times have you thought about eliminating carbohydrates from your diet in order to look good with a few kilos less?
From hearing about it or reading about it on the web, in newspapers or simply following a do-it-yourself diet without any scientific basis and thinking it is good for you.
Yes, it is true that one can lose a few kilos, but after such an exhausting and stressful period, we are back to square one because we stop the 'momentary diet' and regain the lost weight by observing the famous accordion yo-yo effect without having achieved anything. And we are punctually faced with failure, with another unsuccessful attempt.
Deprivation of this valuable nutrient cannot last long because carbohydrates are our body's main source of immediate energy. They are indispensable for the energy functions of the brain and red blood cells.
In fact, this is not at all the eating style envisaged by the Mediterranean model with a solid scientific basis. On the contrary, it leaves plenty of room for carbohydrates, which occupy the very first place at the base of the food pyramid. And they represent the main foods of the Mediterranean Diet.
This means that the consumption of carbohydrates is allowed on a daily basis in the right amount for each individual according to his or her specific needs and requirements.
Carbohydrates are divided into simple and complex. The former, represented by sweets, jam, table sugar, sugary drinks, fruit, vegetables, honey and milk, have such a high absorption rate that the indicated proportion is 10%. While the latter, contained mainly in bread, pasta, rice, barley, spelt, oats, tubers, legumes, etc., have a much lower absorption rate due to the longer digestive processes and for this reason do not cause sharp glycaemic rises unlike the former. And the body through the digestive processes transforms all carbohydrates into glucose, the main source of energy.
Therefore, thinking of completely eliminating carbohydrates from our diet is a big mistake. Rather, let us favour 'wholegrain' ones instead of refined ones, which are subjected to an industrial refining process and therefore deprived of the precious nutrients contained in bran and germ, i.e. vitamins, minerals and fibre, all contained in the 'whole' grain and therefore more satiating.
In conclusion, let us make room at the table and welcome mainly complex, preferably whole-grain carbohydrates, i.e. bread, pasta and all cereal grains brown rice, red rice, black rice, spelt, barley, quinoa, kamut, millet, rye, buckwheat and oats, but also simple carbohydrates in a lower percentage.
Giovanna Nolè - Biologist Nutritionist
