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Nonstarchy vegetables: leafy greens, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini and mushrooms

Nuts and seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts and pistachios

Soy milk and tofu

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Sliced all carbs out of your diet? Die hard carb-fans needn't lose all hope of a lean physique. Browse our list to taste the brighter side of beige food.

1. You can stay lean on high-carbs

Buns don't kill people... To illustrate the point, health researchers nod to the people of pre-industrialised Asia, who stayed lean on what we'd consider a high-carb diet. Blame can instead be attributed to our sedentary modern lifestyles. Or your Greggs loyalty card.

2. Zero foods contain zero carbs

Celery contains just 2g of carbs per stalk, while milk carries 10g per 200ml glass. Most foods contain at least low levels of carbs. Any snacks claiming 'zero carbs' will have required more processing than the average Christopher Nolan plot.

3. Indulge in morning maple syrup

Scientists at Tel Aviv Uni found that caving in to sugar cravings early in the day can curb the urge to binge later. Researchers advise including protein too, so if it's pastry you desire, best wash it down with a shake. Not the McDonald's variety.
(Related: should I be worried about eating bacon?)
4. Carbs are brain food

Our cave-dwelling ancestors' ability to cook starchy foods helped fuel our powers of cognition, according to The Quarterly Review of Biology. Your brain uses up 60% of the body's blood-glucose, and carbs make this energy more readily available.

5. Low-carb diets don't kill kidneys

A review in Nutrition & Metabolism concluded that a high protein intake has no adverse effects in healthy people. In fact, a PLOS One study suggests that going easy on the carbs can actually help your kidneys heal.

6. Sugar addiction is real

Food can be a drug, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In a study of overweight men, those who consumed high-GI carbs experienced activation in their 'nucleus accumbens' - a brain region triggered by narcotics and compulsive behaviours such as gambling. It's time to start weaning yourself off the white powder.

7. Low-carb diets take time to work

Glucose is your brain's primary fuel source, reports Tufts Uni, so dropping carbs plugs its supply. It takes the brain three weeks to adapt to using alternative fuel sources. If you have a big work presentation coming up, think less egghead, more potato head.

8. Carb-loading wins races

Here's how you can justify your extra-large sub: a study conducted by Loughborough University scientists found that men who hit the good stuff before a 30K treadmill time trial were 10% faster than those who stuck to carb-light fare. However, if you're looking to cut fat rather than seconds, consider abstaining: you'll run slower, but burn off far more stodge from your waistline.
(Related: 10 of the best foods for pre-race fuel)
9. Opt for a protein/carb post-workout split

While a banana will stop you keeling over, you want a snack that will help you rehydrate, while also sending amino acids to your muscles, says UT Austin. Your body's ability to absorb protein increases by 50% after a workout - don't waste this opportunity on honey-coated oats.

10. Occasional carb-cutting beats cancer

Intermittent carb-cutting is the best route to take if you want to reduce both your weight and cancer-causing insulin spikes, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Eating your eggs without soldiers and fish without chips two days a week is enough to see a difference. Consider it the 5:2 diet for realists.

11. Probiotics banish binges

If you've woken up next to the carcass of a stuffed-crust disaster, a dose of probiotics will help your gut cope, reports Science Translational Medicine. No supplements to hand? Pick up a tub of live yoghurt on your walk of shame.

12. Carbs help you live longer

Despite the myth that a carb-centric diet is carcinogenic, those who live in the world's 'Blue Zones' - such as Sardinia, where the population have a longer-than-average lifespan - traditionally eat carb-heavy diets. They tend to focus on starchy veg and grains. We doubt the cronut is 'a thing' in Mediterranean fishing villages.
(Related: how to fight off ageing)
13. Carb-cutting doesn't lose weight

There's no benefit to cutting your carbs to 5% of your total calories, compared with 40%, says Arizona State Uni. In their study, weightloss of high and low-carbers was similar, but the less puritanical of them reported having more energy - and being less 'hangry'.

14. Timing isn't everything

Though many preach that the later in the day you eat carbs, the more fat your body will store, there's not a single scientific paper to back this up. Setting yourself a curfew can deter late-night bingeing, though.

15. Carbs are an immunity booster

Eating carbs before a workout cuts your odds of sickness, reports Loma Linda Uni, supercharging your levels of cytokines: signalling molecules that regulate immunity. Slow- burning carbs such as oats are your medicine.

16. Sweeteners aren't the solution

Artificial sugars impair your brain's ability to gauge how many calories are in the food you're eating, Harvard School of Public Health found. You might be swerving the carbs, but your body will still be craving those calories. So drop the Diet Coke if you want to look more like the guy in the ads.

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Sliced all carbs out of your diet? Die hard carb-fans needn't lose all hope of a lean physique. Browse our list to taste the brighter side of beige food. Buns don't kill people... To illustrate the point, health researchers nod to the people of pre-industrialised Asia, who stayed lean on what we'd consider a high-carb diet.

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How do carbohydrates impact your health?

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The things we eat and drink on a daily basis can impact our health in big ways. Too many carbohydrates, for instance, can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. But what are carbs, exactly? And what do they do to our bodies? Richard J.…

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Whole grains: quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta and whole-grain breakfast cereals

Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, bananas and kiwifruit

Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, yams, corn. peas and carrots

Legumes: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, chick peas and soybeans

Milk products: low-fat milk, plain yogurt and soy yogurt

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While most foods contain carbohydrates, the primary sources of carbs in Western diets are pasta, bread, rice, milk, potatoes, baked goods, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and sugar added by manufacturers.

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- the brain is the only carbohydrate-dependent organ in the body
- The dramatic weight loss at the outset of a low-carb diet is usually water weight
- our body can use glucose immediately or store it in your liver and muscles, if you eat too much of any food (even healthy foods) your body will store the excess as fat

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- provides energy for muscles and central nervous system
-  if there is insufficient carbohydrates for energy body can break down muscle for energy which is not ideal
- can be used to create macromolecules such as NADPH
- can be stored for later use as glycogen or fat

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- 45-65% of daily calories comes from carbs
- eg. if consuming 2000 cal, 900-1300 cal should be carbs which equals 225-325 grams of carbs