Never be afraid
of carbohydrates

‘No way, I’m skipping those crackers from now on,’ whispers Adeline as she looks hungrily at her meager plate of salad. Carbohydrates, aren’t they what give you those hip bumpers?

You’re bombarded with news articles about food and diets. Today we must all jump on the superfoods bandwagon and tomorrow quinoa is bad for you again. And carbohydrates are a particularly popular topic. One moment it’s shouted that you should avoid carbohydrates, and then it’s said that our body is indeed happy with carbohydrates. Besides the fact that carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the body, we also need them for the brain and red blood cells. The Health Council advises to get 40 to 70% of your required energy from, yes, good carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, they are the fuel for our body. If you eat too little, you can become deficient in nutrients because you rely too much on fats and proteins. If you eat too much, you end up getting too little protein and fat. Not great either. It’s all about balance, friend.

Now I hear you thinking: nice, a white roll for lunch thickly spread with peanut butter (our Theo’s absolute favorite). Or you’ve already opened the Foodora app, ready to order that delicious pizza with a thin crust and an extra load of cheese. Sorry friends, our body only thanks us for carbohydrates that not only fill us up but primarily nourish us.

Carbohydrates, aren’t they what give you those hip bumpers?

We all know the ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ carbohydrates. The glycemic index (just to use the right terms) of these carbohydrates is a measure of the speed at which the carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood and distributed to the body cells. Slow carbohydrates lead to a less high blood sugar level and keep you full longer than fast carbohydrates. Fast and thus empty carbohydrates cause a high level and thus very quickly lead to a growling stomach. So leave them out. Fill your shopping basket with hearty sourdough bread rich in seeds and nuts, sweet potatoes, brown rice, buckwheat noodles, legumes, vegetables, and fruit. Those are the carbohydrates that our body needs and that give us a long and satisfied feeling. The fastest way to a bikini-proof body.

Fast vs. slow carbohydrates

White pasta – Whole grain pasta, buckwheat pasta or zucchini pasta

White rice – Brown rice

Couscous – Quinoa

Potatoes – Sweet potatoes

Cruesli – Homemade granola

White bread – Sourdough bread

Crackers – Homemade seed crackers

Nodding, I place my now-famous cracker on Adeline’s now empty plate. A bit of hummus on top, a dollop of alfalfa, and you’ll be satisfied for at least a few hours. Don’t leave it behind, okay?