Cut the Carbs?
Hi friends! Carbs are NOT the enemy, but it’s important to understand the basics when choosing carbs. There are many “fads” out there and some ask you to cut your carbs daily to extreme lows. These can cause flu like symptoms, headaches, extra grouchiness, and decreased energy levels. In the FASTer Way we teach a science backed method of carb cycling!
Carbohydrate cycling is a powerful way to burn fat by using it for fuel instead of carbs. When carbs are present in the body, they turn to sugar. Sugar, or glucose, is used for fuel because it’s quick energy; hence consistent low carb diets lead to low energy levels not to mention many other effects. But when there’s no glucose in the body to use for fuel, it has to use something else, and that something is FAT! When you practice carb cycling (like we do in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss), you integrate some lower-carb days with regular carb days which effectively turns your body into a fat-burning machine! I understand there are some rare circumstances that a low carb diet is beneficial, but most of us do need the carbs so let’s go a bit further into your types of carbohydrates.
There are three types: refined carbs, simple carbs and complex carb.
Refined Carbs
Refined carbs are simple carbs that come from sugars, as well as grains stripped of their bran, fiber, and nutrients. I like to call these your “quick fix empty carbs”. There are NO HEALTHY refined carbs and eating them regularly is linked to many diseases. Examples include white sugar/ flour, most basic pasta, pastries, and bread.
Simple Carbs
Simple carbs are broken down quickly by the body to be used as energy. Sources of simple carbs include fruit, as well as processed and refined carbs -- including refined sugars. Some simple carbs are healthy (fruits), and some are not (refined sugars and grains). These are more a combination of foods from the group and processed foods.
Complex Carbs
Last and most valuable are complex carbs. They are made up of sugar molecules bound together in long, complex chains. They are also used as energy in the body. Complex carbs are the best choice to provide you with energy and typically have a higher fiber content to assist with digestion. Easiest way to for me to explain: Complex carbohydrates will fill you up, have more fiber and take longer to digest.
I laugh when I think back on my swimming days. Everyone would do “carb loads” for dinner the night before a big meet. We would have TONS of white pasta and a few meatballs if any. I always remember that stuffed, want to roll over and unbutton pants feeling right after the meal. But 2 hours later I was starving!! The reason? It was a simple carb so once your body burned through the sugar those signals were triggered in your body that it was time to eat again. Looking back, it would have been better to choose a chickpea or legume pasta. I would have eaten less and not have had the blood sugar crash a few hours later. Some of the best examples are sweet potatoes, beans, legumes, peas, whole grains (quinoa), and veggies.
Remember, in the Faster Way, we like to say: if it’s from the ground or has a mother it’s safe to eat! Some of my weekly “go to” for carbs are bananas, sweet potatoes, old fashion oatmeal and quinoa. There are even some quinoa or lentil pastas you can buy with single or 2 ingredients that I would approve to use because who doesn’t love a bowl of pasta on occasion??
Quick Tip!
A little tip I utilize is always pair a carb with either fat or protein. I typically don’t eat carbs alone as it can cause a big spike in insulin followed by the dreaded crash. Think things like protein oatmeal, apples with peanut butter, chicken stuffed sweet potato. The pairing can help your body take longer to digest and makes you feel full, longer.
So, have I changed your mind about cutting the carbs??
Want to learn more about carb cycling and how we change our food cycle based on the seasons in our journeys? Push the “Get Started Today” and jump into my next round kicking off on Monday, May 29th.
