Carbs and why you need them!

70% of what we do in the gym comes from good clean eating.  I want to cover with you the importance of a balanced diet with the proper Macros! (Carbs, Protein and Fats)

Let’s start with Carbs and why you need them!

Quality Carbs like whole grains provide energy for our body and fuel for the brain and muscles. It’s the processed carbs, like white rice, enriched flour, that give carbs a bad rap by causing spikes in our blood sugar, which can contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health risks.

When you eat carbs your body breaks them down into sugar (glucose) causing your blood sugar to rise and releasing the hormone insulin, which tells the body to use glucose for energy. When you have an abundance of glucose, your body will store what isn’t needed for energy as fat. But when you combine quality GOOD carbs with protein, it takes longer for the digestive system to break it down into sugar providing a slower stream of energy and regulating blood sugar levels.

So the gist is…good carbs provide the body with the energy it needs without sabotaging your fats loss efforts.

1. How many carbs per day should I consume? 1 – 1.5 grams per bodyweight, If you are a hard – training female carbs should comprise 30 – 40% of your daily caloric intake. Skimping on them can actually cause you to lose muscle.

2. Choose slow digesting carbs for most meals. By eating low glycemic carbs you keep blood sugar levels in check preventing insulin spikes. Choose Complex Carbs such as brown rice, vegetables, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and whole grains.

3. Never eat a carb without a protein. Carbs leave your stomach in 1 hour, causing then you blood sugars to drop. So when you add protein, protein has some fat in it and protein leaves in 2 -3 hours and fat in 4 hours. This will keep your insulin levels in check.

4. Taper your carbs as the day progresses. As the most readily available source of energy, carbs are necessary early in the day when your body primed to use them for fuel. Later in the day, you need less energy from carbs. So by using your carbs up for the day it will decrease the chance they are stored as body fat.

5. Follow the 20% Rule when choosing your Starchy Carb. . Look at the label, if the Carb count is 30, the sugar has to be less than 20% of the total carbs or less. So no more than 6 grams of sugar. A great example of this is Cheerios. Plain will pass the 20%…but Honey Nut will not. Too much sugar.

You will Love Your Body when you follow these carb rules!

Stay Fit and Stay Strong!