Why cutting out carbs is SO last year!

Want us to tell you how to be happier on your diet? Eat carbs. Here’s why cutting out carbs is SO last year!

Don’t recoil in horror. Carbs are no longer the bad guys we thought they were. We need them to be happy and healthy, and to keep nagging hunger pangs at bay, as cutting them out has been found to make people miserable and irritable.

Research from Italian restaurant group Vapiano found that 76 per cent of the people they surveyed who said they ate a low carb diet, also said they were hungry all day. And a shocking 53 per cent admitted to arguing with their friends or partners because they were in a bad mood. So this is evidence that being ‘grungry’ (grumpy and hungry) is real. While the 62 per cent who had abandoned low carb eating reported feeling much happier.

Vikki O’Neill, marketing director for Vapiano said: ‘It’s good to see that people are finally wising up to eating good quality fresh food and understanding that carbs can be good for them, rather than starving themselves in the hope of slimming down.’

Carbohydrates are an energy source that helps to fuel your brain and other muscles. So if you are in a blur or a muddle, it could be because you are lacking vital carbohydrates. They are your body’s main source of energy, so without it your body will use other stores such as protein and fat to get energy.

While that might sound like the answer to getting rid of all of your fat, living on a low carb diet can come with an array of health issues. According to NHS UK, headaches, weakness, nausea, dehydration, dizziness and irritability can all be side effects of cutting out carbs.

Making sensible carb swaps will leave you feeling satisfied and can have health benefits. Wholegrains have lots of vitamins and minerals, which we need in our everyday lives to keep out bodies functioning properly, and they can even help you lose weight. Research in the Journal of Nutrition studied adults who ate three servings of wholegrains a day and found they had roughly 2.4 per cent less body fat and 3.6 per cent less abdominal fat than those who ate less than a quarter of a serving. Music to our ears!

Wholegrain carbs are essential for overall good health and happiness. These magical ‘good’ ones are unprocessed or minimally processed, for example: wholegrain bread, wholegrain cereals, wholegrain pastas, potatoes, vegetables, oats, brown rice, seeds, nuts and even popcorn.

It’s all about eating everything in moderation. Eat that delicious sandwich that is calling your name, have pasta for dinner if you fancy it and just chill out. Let’s celebrate carbs!