The Carbs You Should Never, Ever Cut from Your Diet

Sorry, bread lovers.

carbsNatasha Breen

Carbohydrates are complex. Well, some carbohydrates are complex, some are not. Carbohydrates, generally speaking, have a complex relationship with healthy eating and maintaining a balanced diet. (These are the nine times you should absolutely avoid carbs.) Your diet should be one of moderation on the fat front and on the carbohydrate front, but when working on curbing consumption of the latter, be careful.

According to Women’s Health, there are two types of carbohydrate staples that you should keep constant in your diet. (This is the role that carbohydrates can play in keeping your skin clear.) They aren’t the first ones that will pop up on a Google image search for “carbohydrates,” but they are the most crucial; never cut back on your high carbohydrate fruit and vegetable consumption.

This may seem like the sort of healthy-eating advice a parent would give to their child, but it has plenty of science to back it up. When you get your carbs from certain plants, you enjoy additional nutritional benefits that you just won’t get when you pick up a slice of a simple carbohydrate like a slice of Wonder bread. Carb-heavy fruits and vegetables contain key phytonutrients (beta-carotene in carrots, lycopene in tomatoes) that you just won’t find in even the most lauded carbohydrates (see: whole grains and dairy).

The phytonutrients play a key role in boosting the body’s antioxidant defense and increasing its ability to fight off inflammation. These carb-rich fruits and vegetables also serve as a key source of potassium, vitamin C, and fiber.

[Source: Women’s Health]