Carbs are your friends, and food!

After having gone through the basics of macros, Beth and I thought it would be nice to go a little more in depth with each one of the macros.  We wanted to start with the one that is often labeled a bad guy, carbohydrates.  While there is a time and a place for low or no carb diets (bodybuilders often use very low carb diets when in the final weeks of show prep) it isn't recommended for day-to-day.  Why?

1. Carbohydrates run your brain! The brain runs solely off of carbohydrate fuel.  It can, in a pinch run off of ketones but it really doesn't want to.  If you have ever been on a low carb diet you might have noticed that you couldn't think as well, and this would be why.

2. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for the body as a whole.  Especially for fast fuel.  Proteins are used mainly for building or repairing things, and fats are used more for storage or exercise that lasts a long time.  Carbohydrates can be broken down more quickly than fats and more efficiently than proteins to create energy for the body. 

Now that we have gone over the two main reasons why carbs are wonderful and you should eat them (in moderation of course!) let us discuss what kinds of carbs should be eaten.  There are two main types of carbs: Simple Carbohydrates and Complex Carbohydrates.  There is a time and a place for both, but complex carbs are the ones you want the majority of your carb calories to come from. 

Simple carbohydrates include things like white bread, sugar, candy, etc.  Things that if you put them in a glass of water they would break down very quickly.  I use that example because that is exactly what happens in your body.  The simple sugars get in, break down very quickly, you have a surge of sugar into your system and thus a surge of insulin which is then followed by a quick drop in blood sugar.  This surge and drop cycle, if repeated for long periods of time can cause problems along with giving you a rush of energy (good!) shortly followed by a feeling of incredible lethargy (bad).

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, include foods like sweet potatoes, brown rice, green vegetables, oatmeal, whole grains, pumpkin, and beans or lentils.  They are called complex carbohydrates because they are strung together in a complex coil.  Because it is strung together like that they take longer to break down which has the effect of giving you sustained energy for longer periods of time.  It also means that your sugar won't spike and drop quite so much, but remain relatively steady until your next meal. 

That is the basics of carbs! If you would like to know anything more please leave a message for us in the comments section.  And remember, they are your friends, and food!