Truth About Carbs

Many people assume that in order to lose weight, you need to ditch the carbs. Just not true. While I don't condone eating bread or pasta on a regular basis, you still need carbohydrates (for my paleo peeps, this comes in forms of sweet potatoes, fruits and veggies). The truth is, our bodies need carbs for energy, oxidation of fat, and protein sparing (so our body doesn't break down protein for energy). On average, adults need 50-100g of carbs daily to avoid ketosis. Well the typical Amercian takes in 200-300g daily. A bit too much.

So how do you figure out what to eat, and what not to eat? It's fairly simple. One, skip the breads. Opt for nutrient dense carbs such as sweet potatoes, fruit, brown rice, or quinoa. If you must have bread, at least turn to whole grains (sprouted grains are a great option) for the nutrients. If you've read my other posts, you'll see that refined grains like white bread actually deplete your body of nutrients, which you don't want. Your goal is to eat carbs with a low to medium glycemic index...this will maintain your blood sugar, keep you full longer, and can help lower your body fat levels overall.

Here's a quick "cheat sheet" to help you figure out some carbohydrates with high, medium, and low glycemic indexes:

High                                          Medium                                          Low
sugar                                         banana                                           apple
maple syrup                              grapes                                            cherries
bagels                                       oatmeal                                          chick-peas
honey                                       white rice                                       lentils (and most beans)
cereal                                        rye bread                                       dates
carrots                                      yams/sweet potatoes                     vegetables (other than roots)
potatoes                                    couscous                                       steel-cut oatmeal
raisins                                                                                             pasta (although it offers no nutrients)
bread
soda
sports drinks
chips
cakes/cookies/etc

So my opinion? Eat those carbs (especially if you're working out regularly), but keep the carbs to healthy, low glycemic options :)  Happy eating!