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#165 - The Truth About Carbs: Fuel, Fibre & How to Choose Better
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Carbs have had a seriously bad press — but the science tells a very different story. In this episode, I'm cutting through the noise and giving you the real facts about carbohydrates, why your body needs them, and how to choose the ones that actually work for you.
I cover why carbs don't cause fat gain, why rapid weight loss on low-carb diets is mostly water (not fat), and why when calories and protein are matched, there's no meaningful fat-loss advantage to cutting carbs.
I also break down the three types of carbs — sugars, starches, and fibre — explain why fruit sugar is nothing like sweets sugar, and get into why fibre is honestly one of the most underrated tools for your health. We're talking gut microbiome, blood sugar, satiety, heart health, and digestion. I'll give you the targets to aim for and how to build up gradually without the bloat.
And we finish with simple, practical swaps — what to prioritise, what to limit, and how an 80/20 approach makes this genuinely sustainable.
No fear, no restriction. Just the facts.
Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:32 Do Carbs Cause Fat Gain? 00:54 Low-Carb & Water Weight 03:12 Carbs as Your Body's Preferred Fuel 04:27 The Three Types of Carbs 07:00 Whole vs Refined Carbs 10:37 Refined Carbs & Blood Sugar 12:44 Fibre & Gut Health 15:01 Fibre Targets & Digestion Tips 17:39 Best Carb Sources & Simple Swaps 18:59 The Benefits of Eating Better Carbs 21:03 Key Takeaways
Links & Resources:
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Transcript
Introduction to Carbohydrates
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Kate Hamilton Health Podcast. In today's episode we are going to talk about carbohydrates. We're going to talk about everything you need to know about carbohydrates, all of the myths around it and we're going to look at carbohydrates, why we need them, what type of carbohydrates are the best carbohydrates and we're just going to, we're going to get stuck in and if you're going to leave this episode feeling reassured that you do need carbohydrates in your diet and that they're not making you fat. And they're very much your body's preferred source of fuel. So the biggest myth around carbohydrates is that carbohydrates are bad for you and that carbs are the cause of all weight gain. And people, you know, people getting fat is because of carbs.
00:00:43
Speaker
eating too too many carbs. Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Let me just say that right now. And cutting carbohydrates from your diet does not make you lose fat faster. If you've ever done a low carb diet or ah noticed a dramatic drop on the scales, or you a friend who went on a keto diet or a paleo diet or ah some sort of a low carb diet and they drop loads weight super quick, it's not body fat that they're losing. It's water. And so dropping carbohydrates from your diet will make you lose water quicker.
00:01:16
Speaker
And it's hugely misleading for people because they think that they're because they're losing weight, they're losing body fat and they're not. Any diet that requires you to cut out a whole macronutrient. So any diet that's asking you to cut out protein, to cut out fat or to cut out carbs is not a
The Role of Carbs in Energy and Exercise
00:01:32
Speaker
healthy diet. You need all three macronutrients to be healthy and to thrive. And it's really important.
00:01:39
Speaker
So carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen and each gram of glycogen is stored with three grams of water. So if you cook carbs, you lose water weight fast because for every gram of glycogen, there's three grams of water. Add carbs back in,
00:01:58
Speaker
and it returns ah so this is not fat loss and this is why when people they freak out when they stop doing a low carb diet because suddenly they gain weight super quick again because when they start eating carbohydrates then it's stored as glycogen and then the water is holding on and it's not like bloaty water weight that you're holding on to it's just kind of the way it is and it's not a bad thing and with all of the research that has been done on low carb diets there's no meaningful fat loss advantage to low carb diets when calories and protein are matched okay so this is a particular study that I'm referring to where calories are the same, protein are the same.
00:02:41
Speaker
One diet is low carb, one diet isn't, but the two groups are consuming the same amount of calories, the same amount protein. The only difference is one group is having a low carb diet, one group isn't.
00:02:52
Speaker
And there is no meaningful difference in the fat loss. in either group. So why put yourself through that misery? Why have such low energy levels?
00:03:03
Speaker
Why miss out on all the foods that you enjoy? Why put your health at risk like that for water weight when it's not body fat? So carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel. As I said already, it is your primary energy source, especially for the brain, for your red blood cells. and for high intensity exercise or exercise at all in general.
00:03:28
Speaker
Glucose powers every cell in the body and we get glucose from carbohydrates. Fats can be used as a secondary option for energy, but the process of using fats for energy is slower and less efficient.
00:03:44
Speaker
In general, we just run smoother on carbohydrates.
Understanding Carbohydrate Types
00:03:49
Speaker
And do you know how much I talk about protein and how we need to make sure we're eating enough protein for all of the wonderful reasons that we do.
00:03:55
Speaker
But protein is not for energy. OK, so your high protein diet, you need to make sure you're also getting enough carbohydrates because otherwise you will have an if you're feeling actually that you've increased your protein and your energy seems to have dropped a little bit. Have a look at your carbohydrates. Have the calories that you used to increase your protein come from from your carbohydrates and do we need to get that balance better a little bit because you will not get energy from protein. Protein's job is to build, repair and maintain.
00:04:24
Speaker
We basically just can't get energy from protein. So there are three categories of carbohydrates that I'm going to talk about now. We've got sugars, starches and fiber.
00:04:34
Speaker
So sugars can be simple, simple, So sugars are simple short chain carbohydrates. OK, so we're talking glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose found naturally in fruit and dairy.
00:04:49
Speaker
And then added to processed foods. And these type of sugars are the fastest to digest. I just want to make this point now that the sugar in your fruit is not the same as the sugar in your bag of Haribo. And the sugar in your fruit is going to be much better for your body than the sugar in your bag of Haribo. Just as we're categorizing carbohydrates, I just wanted to make that point in relation to sugars because there's a lot of misinformation out there around the sugar and fruit and how that eating too much fruit is bad for you. As I talk more about fiber and micronutrients and we need to eat a rainbow, we need to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, lots of color. So don't skip fruit for fear of sugar. That's not what we want to do. We're going to be talking much more about
00:05:33
Speaker
processed foods really when it comes to sugars. So the next category of carbohydrates then is starches. So these long chains of glucose molecules break down a little bit slower and more gradual.
00:05:44
Speaker
These are the type of carbohydrates that are found in bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, legumes. It's that slower release energy. And even at that, not all of those are created equally. Obviously, the more whole grain versions, the browner versions of you know bread, pasta, rice are going to be the better option for that slow release energy.
00:06:06
Speaker
And the last category of carbohydrates is fiber.
Importance of Fiber in Diet
00:06:10
Speaker
Fiber is indigestible by the body, but it is vital. So humans can't digest fiber, but the gut bacteria in your digestive system can.
00:06:21
Speaker
And we need to feed this good gut bacteria to keep a healthy gut, which has so much of an influence in our immune system, our overall health, our hormone health, our mental health, our energy levels, everything. So gut health is, i think we're learning more and more about it every day, just about just how important gut health is. And fiber is the key to gut health. And you cannot get fiber from protein, for example. You need to get your fiber,
00:06:51
Speaker
from carbohydrates. It's essential for digestion, blood sugar stability, and just generally feeling full. not all carbs are created equal. Okay. We have whole carbohydrates and we have refined carbohydrates. So what we want to do is fill our diets full of whole carbohydrates as much as possible and limit the amount of refined carbohydrates we have in our diet, not cut out completely, just limit. So, you know, I'm all about that 80, 20 rule. We want at least three healthy meal meals a day, each meal containing protein, carbs, and healthy fats. So when I say carbs, I mean
00:07:28
Speaker
whole carbohydrates as much as possible. Then within reason, we want to be able to enjoy our chocolate or, you know, meeting someone out for a coffee and you want to get a s scone or a pastry. Like there's nothing wrong with that in moderation, but we need to get that moderation right. And we want the foundations of our diet to come from whole foods.
00:07:46
Speaker
And but as we're talking about carbohydrates, we want them to come from whole carbohydrates. So whole carbohydrates are vegetables. Eat a rainbow as much color as you can. Same whole fruits. So we're not talking about like dried fruits. We're talking about whole fruits. OK, we're not talking about fruit juices. It has to be the actual fruit that we consider whole carbohydrates. So as much fruit and vegetables as you like, as much color as you like. These are going to be the foundation of your carbohydrate source. Then we've got oats, whole grains. So whole grains being bread, pasta, rice. as an example, porridge oats as well. So oats hu oat and whole grains, quinoa and barley. Quinoa is a superfood. So quinoa, you can use instead of rice or you can mix it up in with your rice because it's also fantastic and source of protein as well to get your protein up. But it's also extremely high in fiber. and It's got loads of micronutrients in it. So it's fantastic to
00:08:42
Speaker
to add into your diet legumes and beans so that's you know chickpeas lentils any type of beans at all potatoes sweet potatoes don't forget our spuds both sweet potatoes and potatoes are equally as good for you in different ways and they're similar calorie wise so like don't cut them out of your diet they are full of micronutrients as well as obviously plenty of carbohydrates and fiber as well Nuts and seeds, obviously, are also a healthy fat source. There are a certain amount of carbohydrates and fiber in nuts and seeds as well. So obviously, weigh and measure because they can be quite heavy in calories, but they're worth it. They're good calories, calories worth spending. So as you can see, as I kind of go through different areas, that some foods aren't like a specific macronutrient. Nuts are a fat source, but there's also a certain amount of
00:09:28
Speaker
protein um not in nuts not that much but there's a bit of protein in nuts and then nuts are also a carbohydrate source but so when we categorize foods we categorize by it by what it mostly is so you know in general we usually say nuts are a fat source because it's got more fat in it than it does carbohydrates but it does have carbohydrates in it too Refined carbohydrates, then the stuff we want to limit are the sugar sweetened beverages. So fruit juices, fizzy drinks, that kind of thing.
00:09:59
Speaker
White bread, if you can at all, change to whole grain or wholemeal bread. It'll make a huge difference to your good health. and to your blood sugar levels and just to you feeling a bit fuller. Pastries and cakes, foods made with white flour. So any kind of yeah desserts, really. Sweets and chocolate bars and most ultra processed snacks. So it's just, you know, what we're trying to do with the with the building the meals, the three meals a day with protein, carbs and fats and youre having a good foundation and then having a bit of the refined carbohydrates, but in moderation. So it's not it's not affecting our health. and our our energy levels as well.
00:10:37
Speaker
So refined carbohydrates, when you eat refined carbohydrates, it causes a rapid spike in blood glucose, which then causes insulin surge, which then causes a sharp drop in blood sugar, which then causes hunger, fatigue and cravings.
00:10:54
Speaker
And this roller coaster is what drives overeating and it can contribute to insulin resistance and type two diabetes over time. Now, a lot of us can relate to that, you know, that cycle of being starving, eating what whatever it is that you eat and feel better. But then there's a sudden drop and suddenly you're starving again. you have no energy. And that can be a cycle that goes on for years, decades even. And it is by, it's not by taking the refined carbohydrates away, but it's by adding in more whole carbohydrates to replace them where possible. And so that you get to the stage where you don't need your refined carbohydrates. You're choosing to have a bit of chocolate or you're choosing to have two slices of toast every now and again, because you you love it, but not because you need it, because you've got your healthy, balanced meals in place.
00:11:44
Speaker
So with, when it comes to eating whole carbohydrates, It's a slow and steady glucose release. So it doesn't just shoot all that blood glucose. It doesn't shoot that glucose straight into your system. It releases it slowly, and which keeps your blood sugar levels stable, which means that you have sustained energy, which means you then have fewer cravings.
00:12:07
Speaker
Whole carbohydrates are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They're also linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. type 2 diabetes and obesity.
00:12:19
Speaker
So it's not about cutting out carbs. It's not about cutting out everything you enjoy. It's about adding more of these things in that are giving you more fiber, giving you more vitamins, giving you more minerals, giving you more phytonutrients to really have a healthy, vibrant body. And that's what it's about, putting the right carbohydrates in. And you'll find the refined ones will fall away because you will be so full and so satisfied you won't need them the same way.
00:12:44
Speaker
So then with carbohydrates in relation to fiber, gut health and your microbiome. So fiber is what feeds your good bacteria in your gut. So when it comes to gut health, there's a lot of talk about prebiotic foods and probiotic foods, and it can be a bit confusing. And probiotic foods are your ferment fermented foods, like, you know, your kimchi, your kombucha your sauerkraut your sourdough bread if it's you know good quality sourdough bread there's lots of even your live yogurts they're probiotic which means that they're they're bringing more good bacteria into your gut okay and there are some really good probiotic supplements that you can take as well But my point in this lesson is that you don't necessarily need it. in In this episode of the podcast, I want you to know that you don't need to be taking supplements for your good health. It's probably not the first place to start. Some people might need supplements, particularly if they've been very run down. They've been on a few courses of antibiotics like there is, you know, there is a time and a place for probiotic supplements where necessary. But when it comes to gut health, a lot of us can just do that by diet, by prebiotic foods and prebiotic foods. are nothing thing fancy. Prebiotic foods is fiber. So when you hear people talk about prebiotics, it's we're just talking about fruit and vegetables. We're talking about foods that are really high in fiber and then having a good variety of it every day. And it's going to feed the good bacteria in your gut and make it a really, really healthy place, which is going to support everything, your hormone health, your immune health, your mental health. So prebiotic fiber is are found in oats, garlic, onions, leeks, bananas, just to name a few. But you don't need to get too specific about Just eat a rainbow. You should be covered.
00:14:42
Speaker
Fibre is also really important for heart health. And I think a lot of people don't know this, that, you know, we always think about fibre in relation to gut health and digestion. But heart health, so soluble fiber, which can be found in oats, beans, lentils, lowers your LDL cholesterol.
00:14:57
Speaker
And over time, obviously, that's going to make a huge difference to your heart health. So when it comes to fiber, the recommendation is 25 to 38 grams of fiber daily, depending obviously on the size of the adult, whether you're male, you're female, women, at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Men, at least 35 grams of fiber a day and, you know, a little bit more if better. But obviously everyone's different. so you have to listen to your body. And if you're increasing your fiber, do it slowly because it can take a while for your your body to get used to it as well. And make sure you're drinking plenty of water because that is also needed to keep things moving. Which brings me on to the next point about fiber and carbohydrates is digestive regularity. OK, so insoluble fiber bulks your stools and speeds gut transit.
00:15:43
Speaker
So this reduces constipation and lowers your risk of colorectal cancer. OK, so this is really important for, you know, regular stools, regular poos, a regular good sized poo is a really, really good sign of good health. OK, so keeping an eye like, you know, analyzing your your digestion, how often you go, what it looks like. is a really, really worthwhile thing to do.
00:16:10
Speaker
But as you increase your fiber, both soluble and insoluble, make sure that you're drinking at least two liters of water a day, if not moving more towards three, because as you start to change your diet and you might have increased protein and you might suddenly be increasing fiber as well.
00:16:26
Speaker
And sometimes it it can actually have the opposite effect and get you a little bit backed up. So to avoid getting backed up, make sure you're drinking plenty water and do it gradually. And if you do find that you get to the stage that you get backed up and you are constipated, don't continue to put loads more fiber into your system. It is worth just going to your chemist and getting something to help clear constipation. And then get back to your fiber, your water.
Carbs and Weight Management
00:16:51
Speaker
And daily movement always makes a huge difference to your digestive regularity as well. it So like a post-dinner walk. One of my nourisher coaches, Lindsay, she always does a post-dinner digestion walk. Why don't it be 10 minutes? We're getting out in the fresh air and just, you know, having a little bit of movement for a few minutes can make a huge difference to your digestive system.
00:17:09
Speaker
And then weight management as well. So fiber increases your satiety. So you're feeling full, it slows gastric emptying. and reduces calorie absorption.
00:17:20
Speaker
So eating more fiber can actually help you to lose weight. Your body is working harder to break it down. And as your body's working harder to digest and to, you know, to deal with the fiber, you feel full because of it, which obviously helps you to consume less calories. So yeah, super, super, super important.
00:17:40
Speaker
So the best carbohydrate sources, if we're actually to look and be like, right, what am i where do I start? Vegetables. Vegetables as always your go-to first. Aim for variety and colour every day, okay, as much as possible. Spread it out throughout the day. Whole fruits, really important for fibre, vitamins and antioxidants as well. Legumes, so we're thinking lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas. get plenty of them in. They also can pack a little bit of protein as well, which can help. Whole grain. So oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, anything like that. And bread in general as well. Like, you know, bread is so underrated. Like obviously go for good quality bread if you can. Whole grain where possible.
00:18:18
Speaker
And the same with pasta. You know, if you can have brown pasta instead of white pasta is going to make a huge difference as well. Then tubers. So potatoes and sweet potatoes. Don't forget them. They're fantastic. Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, things like that.
00:18:33
Speaker
So making these changes to the carbohydrates that you're consuming, and these are just small little swaps, white pasta to brown pasta, white bread to brown bread, you know, maybe like adding in more vegetables, more fruit, more oats, more brown rice, that kind stuff. You add in more of these carbohydrates, is's going to push out the other stuff a little bit and you'll be eating more whole carbohydrates than refined carbohydrates and what this means for you these are the kind of things that you can expect to experience when you make these small little changes number one more sustained energy throughout the day so that means like no afternoon slump you don't have a sudden energy crash where you need to lie down or you need to have something sugary
00:19:16
Speaker
It means better digestion and a healthier gut microbiome. So your digestion will be better. Everything will become more regular and your gut health will improve, which is therefore going to improve your hormone health, your mental health, your energy levels, your immune health. You'll be sick less often as well.
00:19:33
Speaker
Stable blood sugar levels is also going to be a side effect of this nice little change that you make to your carbohydrates, which means fewer sugar cravings and just an all-around better mood. okay You're not having that constant constant spike and then crash spike and then crash and constantly craving more sugar or more starchy foods that will be much more stable and you will feel so much better and your mood will improve massively because of it More good quality carbohydrates means better performance in your workouts when you are fueled well. So remember what I said, carbohydrates are our body's preferred source of fuels. When you're out for your walks, you'll have an extra spring in your step. If you're into running, you will your runs will feel much easier and you will improve your pace.
00:20:18
Speaker
If you are in the gym lifting weights, you will feel stronger for it. We often think, you know, it all it's all about protein when it comes to lifting weights. It's not. we need our We need our energy. And also, after we work out, whether we're running, whether we're cycling, whether we're lifting weights, whatever we're doing, we're using glycogen you know and from our muscles. Let's say if it's, if it's resist well, it doesn't matter what type of training it is. And then after a workout, we need to replenish our glycogen levels. And how do we do that?
00:20:43
Speaker
By good quality carbohydrates. So it's really important. And With this little change, what it means for you as well in relation to your sugary treat is that you can enjoy it without guilt, without it controlling you. You're choosing to have your chocolate bar with your cup tea because you want it, not because you need it. And that's a huge difference. And that's so freeing.
00:21:03
Speaker
So number one, carbohydrates are your body's preferred and most efficient energy source. Remember that no matter what anyone on the internet tells you. Number two, carbs do not make you fat.
00:21:15
Speaker
excess calories do. So if someone has gained weight, they haven't gained weight because of carbohydrates, they've gained weight because they've eaten too many calories. Cutting carbs and cutting carbs from your diet loses water weight, not body fat.
00:21:31
Speaker
Number three, there are three types of carbohydrates, sugars, starches and fiber, and they all play different roles and they're all super important. Number four, quality matters. So prioritize whole carbohydrates over refined ones as much as you can.
00:21:48
Speaker
Number five, fiber is essential for gut health, blood sugar stability and managing cravings. So make sure that we are getting plenty of fiber into the diet. which comes from carbohydrates.
00:21:59
Speaker
And number six, like I said, you don't have to eliminate refined carbohydrates. Just make whole carbohydrates your foundation and have a little bit of the refined ones in a controlled way that you get to enjoy it. And it doesn't control
Invitation to Nourish Her Coaching
00:22:15
Speaker
you. If you do feel like you want, you're like, you know what? i I want to learn a little bit more how to fuel properly, how to get that right balance in place when it comes to my nutrition so that I can thrive, so I can train well, so I can lose body fat efficiently.
00:22:27
Speaker
I will just direct you to the show notes. There will be a link in the show notes to Nourish Her Coaching, which is my online coaching service, where I will be able to help you to reach your goals in a step-by-step, non-restrictive way that fits into your life. And that's really, really important. So anyway, the link is there in the show notes. Check it out if you think that you're interested. You'll see when our next intake to coaching is. And thank you so much for listening. And I will see you on the next episode.