What Carbs Should You Eat?

There are no right or wrong carbs, but there is a little simple common sense we can apply to most carbs, everything in moderation is ok, but when you have goals to lose weight and/or gain muscle then there should be more intention around what you eat and perhaps a little ‘when’ you eat it.

There are a lot of fad diets and social media influencers pushing that ‘carbs are bad’, but put simply, an excess in over-all consuming of calories can cause weight gain, not one individual nutritional group. Fact!!!

Carbs are the main source of fuel for your body and are essential for life—especially if you live an active life! They are also the preferred source of fuel for your nervous system, body and your brain which needs about 130g of glucose every day.

When an active person does not eat enough carbohydrate, their body will break down muscle for fuel—not a good idea for an person wanting to get stronger, or burn excess body fat . Put simply, humans NEED carbs! 

Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple carbs and complex carbs; we will dive deeper into these in the up-coming post, but for now lets get the highlighted version.

Simple carbs, Quickly replenish your body’s ready-to-use energy supply because they are metabolized (broken down) quickly, causing a spike in your blood sugar and delivering a fast boost of energy (some may refer to as a sugar high?). Great for pre and post workout.

Complex carbohydrates—generally thought to be the more nutritious carb— complex carbs include starch and fibre, and take longer for your body to break down, and because they take longer to break down during digestion, they provide a controlled release of energy throughout the day, rather than a huge spike and subsequent drop like ‘simple carbs’.

But while their effects on the body are different, simple and complex carbohydrates both have a place in an active persons life.

But which kind of Carbohydrates do you need and how does your body use them? Ultimately that depends on your lifestyle. There is no ’correct’ amount of carbohydrate that is the same for everyone, all the time, factors such as;

·       How big or small someone is (ie height);

·       How much lean muscle or body fat they have;

·       How active they are;

·       How intense/long lasting/frequent their activity is;

·       Their age, what stage of life they are at; intake of other macronutrients (fats and proteins)

·       Genetics

So many factors can play a-part, it is important to do what makes you feel and function the best way possible, getting a recommendation from a trained Nutrition coach or Dietitian is highly recommended. Spend a consistent period working with one program, re-asses and adjust as needed.

Rule of thumb;

Fill up on complex, nutrient-dense carbs throughout the day, and reserve simple carbs for just before, during, and immediately after exercise and remember …

Carbs in and by themselves do not cause weight gain—but eating more calories each day than your body will use, does.

Fuel your body with the energy it needs, and stay active

Coming up next:

·       The relationship between Carbohydrates and Fibre – and why you ‘need’  to know this.

·       A list of complex and simple carb