A satisfying breakfast should include at least one protein-rich food, such as Greek yogurt, and low-glycemic carbohydrates, such as oatmeal and fruit. Getty Images/iStockphoto

I don't remember that in my career as a dietitian, carbohydrates were not slandered for some reason. They are accused of making you gain weight, hindering weight loss, and even causing diabetes.

The notion that eating carbohydrates will hinder certain health goals leads many people to eat less carbohydrates, and in some cases, even drastically.

Although certain types of carbohydrates should definitely be restricted, such as added sugars and refined grains, excluding other types of carbohydrates will deprive your body of nutrients, consume your energy, worsen your mood, and may affect your long-term health .

The following are knowledge about carbohydrates (or carbohydrates) and clues that you may need to eat more carbohydrates.

The term carbohydrate includes starch, sugar and fiber.

Starch is found in wheat, barley, rye, rice, oats, corn, beans (such as chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils) and starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, winter melon, radishes, green beans).

Sugar can be found naturally in fruits (fructose) and dairy products (lactose), or it can be produced commercially, such as sugar, molasses, and high-fructose corn syrup. Other sugars include honey, maple syrup and concentrated fruit juice.

Eventually, starch and sugar will appear in your blood in the form of glucose, which is the only form of energy that the body can use immediately.

Unlike starch and sugar, the human body cannot digest the fiber in whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Fiber promotes satiety and nourishes intestinal microbes, which is believed to be beneficial to health.

A diet high in fiber and whole grains is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.

Eating too few carbohydrates can also have more direct side effects.

The following symptoms may be warning signs that you need to add healthy carbohydrates to your diet. If you experience any of these symptoms frequently, consult your doctor to rule out other possible causes.

Too little sugar in the blood, called hypoglycemia, can cause tremors, weakness, irritability, and headaches. This may be a problem for people with diabetes who take certain medications, but it can also affect people without diabetes.

Changing your diet can help prevent blood sugar from falling too low. Add low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrate foods to meals and snacks. These foods slowly release glucose into the blood. (It is also important to include protein in the diet.)

Examples include steel cut oats, whole wheat yeast bread, whole wheat pasta, yogurt, apples, pears, oranges, dried apricots, beans, and lentils. Unlike added sugar and refined grains, these foods do not cause a sharp rise in glucose and insulin, which can lead to a premature drop in blood sugar.

The combination of eating small amounts of food and reducing carbohydrates to lose weight may make your stomach growl in the early afternoon-and food cravings later.

A common mistake: Eat less for breakfast, then eat a salad and protein lunch.

The solution is usually to add a moderate amount of carbohydrates to lunch, such as whole grains, chickpeas, lentils, and/or whole fruits. Ensuring that breakfast includes carbohydrates and protein also helps.

Indeed, you can lose weight without giving up carbohydrates.

Glucose in the blood that is not immediately used as energy is converted to glycogen in muscles (and liver) for future use.

Muscle glycogen is the main fuel for all types of exercise-aerobic exercise, strength training, and stop-and-go exercise. Low glycogen storage can lead to premature fatigue and poor training results.

Add nutritious carbohydrate-rich foods to meals and snacks to keep muscle glycogen sufficient. The harder you exercise or the longer you exercise, the more carbohydrates you need.

Medically speaking, constipation is defined as having fewer than 3 bowel movements per week. A low-fiber diet is usually one reason, and adding more fiber to your diet can treat and prevent this condition.

Whole grains, nuts, and many fruits and vegetables contain insoluble fiber, which retains water and increases stool volume, helping it pass the colon faster.

Excellent sources of insoluble fiber include wheat bran, wheat bran cereal, whole wheat rye bread, whole wheat pasta, freekeh and quinoa. Apples, berries, figs, kiwi, mango, and avocado are also good sources. Carrots, parsnips, green beans, spinach, pinto beans, chickpeas and navy beans are also good sources.

Leslie Beck is a private practice nutritionist in Toronto and the food and nutrition director of Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD

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