I think I am going to dedicate the next month to understanding proper nutrition. I asked what most people struggle with and by far the vast majority struggle with food, what food does for us and how to utilize it for physical changes towards aesthetic goals. Since I just got certified as a FNS (Fitness Nutrition Specialist) I want to break some things down for you: Hold on, this is a long one, but you asked for it! Today, lets focus on carbs. Carbs are the bodies preferred energy source. They yield 4 calories per gram. Our brains run entirely on glucose or sugar (all carbs eventually breakdown into sugar in our system to be used by the body). Carbohydrates that are healthy are going to be the ones that are micronutrient rich or have more vitamins and minerals as well as a quality fiber profile. Bad carbs are the ones stripped of nutrients or refined, these offer little to no nutritional value and are typically loaded with calories. These carbs also tend to rapidly digest, leaving you empty and feeling like you need more food. Candies, cookies, cakes, crackers, fruit snacks, and many other packaged foods. It is my opinion that these foods are okay to have from time to time, provided it is moderate, stays within your calorie needs and that you are getting appropriate micronutrients and fiber in as well. Our best sources of carbs are going to be fruits, sweet potatoes/yams and other root vegetables, Quinoa, Legumes, Buckwheat. Other great sources of starchy carbs are steel cut or rolled oats, Wild or brown rice (white rices like basmati and jasmine are fine, too), Whole wheat breads and pasta. There are many others, but I wanted to keep the list small. Veggies are also classified as a carbohydrate. These are on the opposite end of the spectrum from refined foods. They offer a lot of nutritional value with very little calories associated with them. Green leafy veggies, celery, broccoli, asparagus, cucumbers, to name a few. Here is where the debate lies, how much should we have? Medical standards suggest that we consume 45-65% of our total calories from carbohydrates. 40% or less is considered low carb and not recommended. These recommended ratios have a variance because of activity levels. If you are more sedentary with your career or lifestyle, then a 40-45% carb ratio is more ideal. If you have a higher demanding job or are highly active, then more carbs are recommended. Any time an individual reduces carbs in an effort to lose body fat, they should replace those calories with a bit higher protein and fats to compensate. If proteins and fats stay the same and carbs are pulled, the individual will lose weight more rapidly, but at a nasty cost in the long run. A good portion of that weight lost will be muscle and this will dramatically reduce ones basal metabolism. Essentially, your body adapts to run on less and needs less total calories. Any time you binge eat or over consume because youve been restricted will surely result in fat gain, fat that wont be lost unless you get even more reckless with calories. What I encourage and will use deductive reasoning to emphasize my point- 45% minimum for carbs is my initial recommendation for most people. Carbs provide energy and if you are resistance training (which everyone should) you will have more force because muscles utilize glycogen (carbs) to contract the muscle. With more muscle contracted, you utilize more total energy and burn more total calories. When muscle is broken down from intensity in training, then it needs to be repaired. Once repaired, the muscles require more food to be maintained and will burn more total calories, even while at rest. More muscle results in more power. More power means more energy used. More energy used can result in a body fat loss while keeping basal metabolism the same, if not slightly increasing it, allowing for an increase in total calories without negative effects of fat storage. Taken straight from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Fat is burned in the flame of carbohydrates. All things considered, it is in our best interest to keep carbs as high as possible, while still being able to see aesthetic changes we desire. Each person will be different and have different needs, so you will need to be consistent with a specific level to find out your personal needs. Like tracking finances, we need to track food to get a desired outcome. #factsnotfad #doyourresearch #knowledgeispower
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 18:08:53 +0000