Are you still avoiding carbs?

Guess what? There's a reason we love them! Carbohydrates are actually needed in order for your brain to produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy. Carbs are the body's preferred fuel source, and are absolutely necessary when it comes to pushing your body to the next level in your athletic training. This is why athletes ✨need✨ to be eating carbs. When it comes to sprints, heavy lifting, and intense training, your body is burning through carbs to make it happen. Carbs are also the brain, red blood cell, and central nervous system's ONLY available fuel source besides ketones.

So what happens when you don't eat enough carbs?

If you're an athlete, you'll really be spinning your wheels struggling to reach that next level that you're training for. If you're trying to build muscle, it won't happen without enough carbs. Generally speaking, diets that are too low in carbs will make you feel tired, moody, and unmotivated. Women in their child bearing years will often have hormone imbalances and irregular cycles coupled with nasty and painful periods (FTR intense cramping and feeling miserable during that time of month is NOT normal and is NOT something you have to just accept). And if you're trying to lose weight? The fat burning process requires a metabolite from the metabolism of carbohydrates to keep it fueling, ie. if you aren't getting enough carbs your body will literally slow down its fat burning process.

The catch is that your body CAN make carbs and it CAN switch to using ketones for fuel when carb intake is inadequate. However, when your body is making carbs for fuel, it uses amino acids from protein or muscle tissue to do so. This process is less efficient for fueling your body and brain than just eating carbs. Which means you won't experience the same athletic performance edge as if you just ate some carbs. And, it typically results in much slower athletic gains, less energy, and a crummier mood. Plus, eating carbs is more fun. To experience the full benefits of using ketones for fuel, you really do need to go full keto with your diet, which eliminates a lot of really healthful disease fighting foods, and is very difficult to stick to. Eating that much fat has been shown to elevate triglyceride levels, even when coming from heart healthy unsaturated sources. I also don't believe that keto is the healthiest diet for most people over a long time period.

So are carbs not bad for you? Where did carbs get their bad reputation?

Well, we can store about 4 lbs of glycogen, which is carbohydrate to be used at a later time, along with water in our liver and muscle tissue. When we cut carbs, we can lose that 4 lbs overnight. So cutting carbs is a quick way to lose a few lbs quickly. Also, when you limit an entire food group, of course you will lose some weight. But it's better to cut carbs and fat when trying to burn through excess body fat so that you aren't missing out on the much needed benefits of a diet that contains some carbs.

Glycogen is extremely important for athletes! These fuel stores allow athletes to train hard and push. When these stores are empty, the athlete will literally feel like they are training or playing on an empty tank.

Bonus for the aesthetic focused athlete: glycogen stores fill up your muscle tissue giving you the look of nice full muscles and a leaner physique.

When it comes to carbs, quality matters! Simple carbs like white rice, white pasta, and sports drinks or juice can be helpful for athletic performance before training, and for athletic recovery after training. Otherwise, you want to be choosing complex carbs in their whole form which means they will be coming with fiber. Think white rice vs brown rice, white pasta vs whole grain pasta, fruit juice vs fruit when we're talking about simple vs complex carbs. Fiber helps keep you satisfied between meals, helps keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range, and fuels your good gut bacteria (which further boosts serotonin and good mood production, PLUS boosts immune system).

So what are some complex carbs? Think foods you would find growing in nature!

• Fruit; especially berries which have lots of fiber!

• Whole grains including:

  • Oats

  • Whole wheat products

  • Barley

  • Millet

  • Brown, black, red, and wild rice

  • Corn (yes popped counts!)

  • Quinoa

  • Bulgur

  • Millet

  • Buckwheat

  • Amaranth

  • Rye

  • Sorghum

  • Freekeh

The key here is that the grain is "whole."

• Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes

• Beans

• Lentils

In addition to providing carbs for fuel, these foods also provide antioxidants and an array of vitamins and minerals.

You may thinking, "How much carbs do I need?"

Individual carbohydrate needs vary GREATLY depending on activity level, body composition, and fitness and athletic goals. For help figuring out what your carbohydrate target should be, book a session so we can discuss your specific needs in more detail!

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