Carbs Talk

We need carbs, as we need protein and fat. Don’t take it drastically out of your diet but choose carbs with more fibers that will help you to digest better and also will give you the sensation of being satisfied for longer.

Many people see "carbs" as the villains of every diet - and actually, they can be - but if you choose well, control your portions and timing of eating, carbs can still be part of your healthy life.

“The problem is that overeating carbohydrates can prevent a higher percentage of fats from being used for energy, and lead to an increase in fat production and storage. It also raises your insulin levels, which in short order can cause insulin resistance, followed by diabetes”.

Why do carbohydrates need to be controlled?

1. In very easy words, carbohydrates are the “favorite fuel” of our body to generate energy. It’s simple (and faster) for our body to convert sugar (carbs) into energy than it is to convert fat, for example. So, if your goal is to lose weight and get leaner, what you want is to make your body to use its own fat to generate energy, but it will only happen if carbohydrates are not available.

Of course, the usage of carbs and fat depend also on what type of activity you are doing, but in general, to burn body fat, you need to “create a demand for energy”.

2. Carbohydrates are stored in our liver and muscles in the form of glycogen but this storage is limited. When the intake of carbs exceeds this limit, it goes to our bloodstream. Although we do need some blood sugar, the excess of it works similar to a poison, so when sugar is released into our bloodstream, it triggers the production of insulin. Insulin takes the sugar from our blood and carries it all the way through our cells, where it can be stored as FAT - and as you might guess, for fat storage there is not a limit.

3. Carbohydrates with high glycemic index (candies, sugar, white bread, white potato, etc) can raise blood sugar levels very quickly leading to a large spike in blood insulin. Excess of insulin secretion may cause insulin resistance by the body - which can lead to diabetes type II. Besides, increased insulin levels make it virtually impossible for you to use your own stored body fat for energy.

Here are some tips on how to get the most of carbohydrates:

Go for whole grains and legumes, vegetables and fruits, which are rich in fibers and vitamins. Avoid all "white" things: rice, bread, pasta, white potatoes - and most important: AVOID PROCESSED FOOD!!!

2. Control your portions. You don't need to eat grains every meal and you don't need to eat 100g of pasta. Make half of it and complement your meal with veggies and protein.

3. Especially if you are trying to lose weight/burn fat - leave your grains to be eaten 1-2 hours after your workout. This is when our body can better metabolize carbs - and won't store it as fat!

So, keep in mind that carbohydrates are essential for life. Indeed, the brain and central nervous system require a continuous supply of glucose. The problem starts when the ingestion of carbohydrates go way beyond what the body needs and when these carbohydrates come from processed food (rich in sugar, low in fibers and other micronutrients)

#carbs #sugar #bodyfat #nutrition #glycemicindex