The Ever Confusing Carbohydrate **???** To EAT or NOT To EAT

Hey there,

As a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Coach, keeping up with all the changing trends can be rather exhausting.  Do I eat this? Can I eat that? How much do I eat? And, when do I eat it?  WELL, I am here to try and help with some of the confusion as it pertains to a much needed macronutrient and major source of energy, the Carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are a one of three major macronutrients that the body uses for energy.  When you here about high endurance athletes "carb loading" the night before an event they are in fact filling up their bodies tank(s) to allow for optimal performance.  Keep in  mind "carb loading" does not mean that they are ingesting "twinkies" and cupcakes but, complex carbohydrates that will stick with them for an extended period of time as fuel for their event. 

If your thinking, "why can't I carb load?" " I Love Carbs!"  The reason is that most people carb load at the wrong time of day and with the wrong type(s) of carbs.  Simple carbs are carbohydrates that are burnt off quickly and spike the glycogen strores (blood sugar) providing a quick burst of energy, however, with the possibility of a crash at the end.  Then there are Complex carbs.  These are what fuel you throughout the day. 

So now you're thinking, why don't I just eat bread all day if it gives me so much energy.  Well, because if you're like the majority of Americans the chance that you're going to burn all of that fuel as energy is highly unlikely and unless you're eating breads made from WHOLE GRAINS you are missing the picture.  We as Americans are lazy, and after a long day at work the tendency is to want to come home and veg-out on the couch.  We want food that tastes good and not like cardboard, therefore, we opt for the foods high in sugars and artificial sweeteners. Which in turn causes that unused energy to be stored as "FAT". 

Because we have other energy sources that our bodies draw from at different times for different levels of activities carb loading is not necessary.  Especially if the end goal is to shed unwanted fatty tissues. 

Although it is important to balance your proteins, fats and carbohydrates, if you want to burn unwanted adipose tissue (fat) try to keep your carbohydrates to that of the complex form (whole grains, oatmeal, vegetables) keeping the majority of the carbs in the morning for breakfast and taper your carb intake as the day gets longer.  My recommendation is to try and eliminate "bread" carbohydrates after 2pm.  Vegetables are good to eat anytime.  The more fresh (uncooked) the vegetables the more nutritional value they have.


Also, feel free to check out my new website.  http://www.hummelhealthandfitness.com/

Thank You,
Derek

Side note:  If your workout sessions are later in the day do not be afraid to eat some sort of complex carbohydrate 30-60 minutes prior to your workout.  Small enough to fuel your body but not so big it comes back up mid workout.