Davina McCall - Davina’s Smart Carbs: Eat Carbs and Still Lose Weight With My Amazing 5 Week Smart Carb Plan!

Carbs the low-down

I admit it I often crave carbs. I LOVE bread and couldnt bear to give it up so Ive never liked the idea of a very low-carb diet. But when I started to think about the whole carb thing, I realised I needed to know more about carbs, why I long for them sometimes and how to tell the smart from the dumb.

To help me and you I fired lots of questions to my trusted nutrition expert to find out the truth about carbs. Are low-carb diets safe? Can I still eat bread? And why is it that sometimes I would swap everything I own for a doorstep slice of white toast with lashings of butter? Aargghhh! Its a minefield, but working out some great recipes to help us all choose the right kind of carbs and lose weight seemed just the right way to go. So heres the low-down.

Q: Some of my friends run screaming from carbs, but are they really that scary?

A: Not at all. Carbs are one of the three main food groups the others are fat and protein and they are important fuel for the body. Carbohydrates are contained in many types of food and our body uses them for energy not only for the energy for running around and exercising but also the energy needed by our organs, including the brain, in order to work properly. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugar glucose which circulates in the bloodstream and is used by all the cells in the body.

Q: I guess that means its not good to go too low-carb?

A: Its not. If you go too low you are depriving your body of important nutrients. Its never a good idea to cut out a whole food group. Its fine to cut down to a sensible level (see the 5 Week Plan ) but instead of going low-carb, go SMART CARB!

Q: So some carbs are better for us than others?

A: Yes, there are different types of carbs: simple carbohydrates, such as table sugar, and complex carbohydrates, such as those found in grains, pulses and vegetables. Those are the ones to have.

Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white pasta and white rice, are digested quickly so they give us a rush of energy and a blood sugar spike. Youre likely to get an equally speedy dip and youll soon feel hungry again. Most of the good stuff, like dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, has been stripped away from refined carbs, and sugar doesnt contain any nutrients at all.

What we need are complex carbs, as these are packaged with other nutrients. Complex carbs, such as unrefined wholegrains, pulses and vegetables, are digested more slowly, and so keep your blood sugar steady. And they contain plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Complex carbs contain fibre too, which makes you feel full for longer. When you are dieting you need to focus on foods like these that really pack a nutritional punch to help make sure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. And it goes without saying that anything that helps you feel full and reduces the urge to snack has got to be a good thing.

Did you hear that people?