Nutrition Basics: Carbs - Friends or Foe?

Nutrition Basics: Carbs – Friend or Foe?

 

I’m not a big logo t-shirt gal, but I have to say, if I was going to spend money on one, it would be this:  “I ♥ Carbs”.

 

Carbohydrates have been given a seriously bad rap. Really, since the Atkins diet exploded in popularity on the nutrition scene, and it has been generally assumed that sugar and starch – simple carbs – were more responsible for fat production and storage in the body than dietary fat. The Atkins diet, which works in phases, heavily restricts carbohydrate intake in the first phase, and much of the weight loss experienced in this phase is water loss from carb stores being depleted. Severe carb depletion over time, however, is not healthy, and can have serious, lasting negative side effects, and you should be sensible about your body type, your genetic/hereditary history, your activity levels, and how you include carbohydrates (amounts and types), in your daily diet to become a lean, mean, healthy machine.

 

I’ll try to keep this next part simple. Carbs are used by the body for energy. When muscles need immediate energy, they look for a substance called glycogen; glycogen, simply put, is sugar that has been broken down from certain foods we ingest. These foods range from oatmeal to oranges, from potatoes to pretzels, from bread to berries, and much more. These foods, called carbohydrates, are rated on a scale called the Glycemic Index, which basically tells us how fast they can be broken down and fed to the muscles and organs of the body – or, if they are “simple” or more “complex”. Complex carbs take longer for the body to break down; simple carbs go much faster. Both types play an important role in our bodies’ energy management system. When a muscle becomes depleted of energy, as with any intense exercise or endurance training, it is important to replace the glycogen that will allow the muscle to recover and become re-energized. The fastest way to get immediate glycogen replacement is to ingest simple carbohydrates. This is why long-distance runners eat Gu and gels during their events, or why football teams have buckets of Gatorade on hand to slurp down between plays; these supplements are packed with simple sugar, which will give the athlete immediate energy to continue their play. For more long-term recovery and repair in the muscle, and to build up stores of energy in the muscle cells to be used in future activities, complex carbohydrates are needed – things like oatmeal, potatoes, rice, beans and whole grains.

 

For the average exercise enthusiast, it is important to note that needs for simpler carbohydrates are much less than a high-end athlete. Unless you’re running a marathon, or doing high-intensity training, there is no need to take in a lot of sugary or starchy carbs. Unfortunately, a common challenge in today’s world is that many of the foods consumed are packed with simple, sugary and starchy carbs; pretty much anything that is packaged has added sugar and/or processed and refined flour. The same goes for fast food, the “grab-n-go” stuff. When a body ingests these simpler carbs, with no way to really use them, they essentially get stored as fat, and cause blood-sugar levels to become imbalanced, which, over time, can lead to serious health problems down the road, like Insulin Resistance and Type 11 Diabetes. So, even though you’re thinking you’re eating “right”, take a look at the list of ingredients, and at the amount of carbohydrates, especially sugar – you might be sorry. However, this is not an indication to cut carbohydrates from your diet entirely! Carb are very critical to the functioning of your entire system, and they work hand-in-hand with protein to build lean, strong, healthy muscles and burn unwanted bodyfat. It is important to try to keep your carb intake based on more complex, slower-absorbing whole foods, prepared fresh, at home, by YOU!

 

So, before you throw the carbs out completely, you might want to do a little more examination of how your body can get the most benefit from them, and what the proper amounts are to fit YOUR nutritional and fitness needs. You will find that carbs can be your friend as much as your foe!

 

 

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Results may vary. Exercise and proper diet are necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss and muscle definition.
Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program or using any exercise equipment.

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