Image: Jean Tuttle
I spent years avoiding bread and pasta—now, I’m done with the carb guilt.
Carbohydrates: the nutritional villain of an entire generation and, for a while, my personal nemesis. For far too long, I lived in fear of bagels, avoided potatoes like they owed me money, and treated pasta as though it were illegal contraband. But before you judge (or start nodding in solidarity), you need to understand the times.
Carbs were public enemy number one, and I bought into the hype … hard.
It wasn’t just me. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the rise of the Atkins and the South Beach Diets, and with it, a cultural obsession with low-carb living. Bread bowls became extinct, doughnuts were replaced with a sad pile of bacon, and the medical community didn’t just endorse it, they practically doubled down. Heroin chic was in (seriously, somebody named it that), and if you weren’t teetering on barely nourished, you weren’t paying attention. We’ve come a long way since then, but oh, the missteps we took.
I’m a registered dietitian who feared carbs.
This is my confession.
But I’ve since seen the light. And spoiler alert for anyone still stuck in the carb-fearing abyss: I actually lost weight when I reintroduced them. Here’s why I stopped running scared, started eating carbs, and haven’t regretted a piece of bread since.
The Atkins Era and Heroin Chic Fiasco
First, we need to set the scene. We just got over the paranoia that was associated with Y2K. Bread was evil. And as The Devil Wears Prada so gracefully put it:
“You don’t deserve them. I mean, you eat carbs, for Chrissake!”
We laughed—but we also nodded. Because yeah, that’s how it felt.
Fewer carbs meant fewer calories, and fewer calories got you … well, you probably remember the pictures from that time. Thinness wasn’t just a goal; it was an obsession.
Being skinny was in. As a result, that meant carbs were vilified, whether they came from a loaf of whole grain bread or (gasp) fruit. The message was clear: no spiking your blood sugar, no insulin surges, and definitely no “cheating” with spaghetti unless you wanted to balloon into oblivion. The media rolled with it, the medical community nodded along, and the rest of us ditched cupcakes faster than you could say “glycemic index.”
Why Avoiding Carbs Is a Terrible Idea (Especially for Women Over 50)
Fast-forward a couple of decades, and we now know better. Sure, cutting carbs works in the short term, but it’s unsustainable, miserable, and, honestly, pretty bad for your health, especially as we age. As a dietitian, I’m here to tell you why entirely avoiding carbs is the nutritional equivalent of texting your ex.
Goodbye Energy, Hello Fatigue
Carbs aren’t just there to sabotage your waistline. They provide your body with its most basic, preferred energy source, which is glucose. When you dramatically cut them out, your body has to scrape together whatever energy it can, leaving you feeling sluggish, cranky, and moments away from snapping at whoever left their dirty glass in the sink instead of in the dishwasher. Women over 50, whose energy levels naturally shift with age, need carbs even more to keep that pep in their step.
The Hormone Havoc
Low-carb diets can impact everything from insulin release to cortisol, potentially sending your hormones into chaos. For women navigating menopause or perimenopause, this becomes extra tricky. Your body’s already juggling so much hormone-wise. The last thing you need is a diet that makes things worse by stripping away vital nutrients.
Metabolism Meltdown
Muscle mass naturally declines as we age, and carbs are pretty great at helping us preserve it. When you go low carb, your body can start using protein (i.e., your muscles) for energy, which only slows your metabolism down further. Ironically, this makes weight loss harder in the long run.
Brain Fog, Anyone?
Here’s the thing about your brain: It loves carbs. Living in a low-carb fog isn’t sustainable because your brain literally runs on glucose. Cutting carbs can leave your mind feeling foggy and unfocused, which is a pretty steep price to pay for the privilege of skipping pasta night. Brain fog becomes more of a concern as we age, so the last thing we want to do is set ourselves up for even more reasons to feel fuzzy.
Bringing Carbs Back and Feeling Better Than Ever
Eventually, I hit a wall. The endless cycle of feeling deprived, fatigued, and defeated got old. I missed real mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving instead of telling myself that mashed cauliflower tasted “just like the real thing.” And sometimes, I simply wanted to enjoy a banana. A banana, folks!
One day, I did the unthinkable. I ate a sweet potato. Not just any sweet potato, either. This thing was roasted, caramelized, and topped with butter and a sprinkle of—gasp—brown sugar. And you know what? I didn’t instantly gain 10 pounds. I felt good.
It started slowly for me, a slice of toast here, a bowl of oatmeal there, but the impact was almost immediate. My energy skyrocketed, my mood improved, and (surprise!) my clothes actually fit better. Yep, it turns out that fueling your body properly doesn’t just keep you happy; it gets you healthy.
The best part? Carbs brought me freedom to eat, to enjoy, and to live without fear of sabotaging myself with a single bite.
Oh, and for the record? My weight didn’t balloon the way I’d feared. If anything, the scale became much kinder once I traded guilt for grains.
What Are We Missing on a Low-Carb Diet?
If you’re still clutching that cauliflower rice with white-knuckled fear, here’s a reality check for you. Low-carb diets aren’t just restrictive, they’re depriving you of some seriously important nutrients. Now, I’m not saying we should be downing copious amounts of regular soda and entire birthday cakes. I’m talking about carbs in the form of whole grains, fruit, and other nutrient-dense options. In reasonable portions and as a part of a balanced and healthy diet, of course.
Happy Hormones
Your body needs carbs to produce serotonin, aka the happiness hormone. Skip the carbs, and suddenly you’re tired, cranky, and glaring at everyone who crosses your path. Does that sound like someone living their best life? Nope.
Balanced Blood Sugar
Low-carb diets promise blood sugar balance, but the extremism often backfires. Healthy carbs (think whole grains and fruits, not ultra-processed choices) keep your blood sugar levels steady. No spikes, no crashes, no hangry-induced meltdowns.
Fiber for Days
Guess where most of your fiber comes from? Carbs! Whole grains, fruits, and veggies are all sources of fiber, which is essential for a happy gut, steady blood sugar, and avoiding … ahem, digestive drama.
Vitamins and Minerals
Banishing carbs often means saying goodbye to nutrient-dense choices like quinoa, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas. These foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that keep your skin glowing, your energy high, and your body functioning like the well-oiled machine it’s meant to be.
And let’s not forget that real milk—the quintessential bone health-supporting drink—contains carbs too. Skipping milk may mean skipping calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and other key nutrients that help stave off osteoporosis.
The Verdict
Carbs aren’t the enemy. The fear, the demonization, the endless guilt trips? That’s the real problem. Women over 40, over 50, just over it in general—your body deserves better than keto cults and carb hysteria.
Next time someone tries to shame you for eating bread, serve yourself a second slice (preferably with butter) and enjoy every bite. After all, life’s too short to waste it worrying about a dinner roll.
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