CARBS: They aren't going to make you fat...well, sort of.

In a world so hyper focused on the consumption of protein, I’ve found that far too many people fail to introduce other important nutrition components in their diet, particularly carbohydrates. I get that the health world has spent years capitalizing on the whole no carb/low carb diet craze. But let me tell you this, it’s a bunch of shit. I’m not advocating by any means that eating an entire basket of dinner rolls before dinner is in your best interest, but you absolutely need carbs in your diet. The truth is, that carbohydrates are just as important as protein is. So why are so many people neglecting this? I’ll tell you why…because for nearly two decades people (women in particular) have been told that eating carbohydrates will make them fat. Although there may be some truth backed behind that statement, it’s mostly false. Instead of listening to that propaganda bullshit, I’m going to lay out the entire truth for you. 

Before going in to detail about why your body needs carbohydrates, you should understand the difference between certain carbohydrates. There are two types of carbs; simple and complex. Simple carbs are those found in processed flours and sugary products like white bread, donuts, cakes, cookies, pasta, etc. So they provide absolutely ZERO nutritional value. When you eat these types of carbs, you will get a short lived burst of energy. Your cells only need a certain amount of glucose at any given time, in which case, the glucose that is created by these simple carbs turns into stored glycogen in the liver and/or converted into fat soon after consumption…which I’m sure is less than ideal for many of you. Complex carbs however; are generally lower in calories, higher in fiber and packed full of nutrients that are incredibly favorable to your body. Vegetables, oats, grains, quinoa, etc are all types of food with complex carbs. These types of carbs are digested slowly and aids in a more gradual release of energy. So because your body isn’t jammed with a ton of glucose at one time, your body’s cells use what it absolutely needs and only leaves a far smaller amount that will be stored as fat. As an end result, you’ll end up being fuller for longer and most likely will prevent you from overeating or craving more unhealthy treats.

Now that you understand the distinction between the types of carbohydrates, you can fully understand WHY they are so beneficial to your body. As I’ve described above, when carbohydrates are consumed they are broken down into glucose, which fuels your body with the energy it needs to make it through the day…especially when it comes time for your to hit the gym. When you are either doing some form of cardio or weight training, your carbohydrate stores run out very quickly. This is critical to understand because carbohydrates fuel your muscles and prevent your body from breaking down muscle tissue. As important as carbohydrates are for your muscles, they also aid in fueling your brain, nerve and red blood cells. Without this energy, I promise you will feel mentally sluggish and tired, and let’s face it…nobody likes feeling that way. So now I’d like you to picture yourself either playing some sort of sport or working out while your body and mind are entirely depleted of any type of energy source. How well do you think you’re going to perform? You’re muscle tissues aren’t receiving the fuel it needs and your brain is feeling quite fuzzy. So to answer my own question to you…you’re going to perform like shit.

There’s also an abundance of misinformation as to when you should consume carbohydrates. Like I’ve covered in previous posts, when you eat certain things is just as important as what you eat. I like to eat some form of complex carb with almost every meal, unless it’s late at night before bed. Who needs a burst of energy while you’re lying in bed trying to sleep? Certainly not me. The timing of your carb intake is more crucial after your workout though. During your workout, your muscles are using glucose (which is usable energy) and glycogen (which is stored energy). There will be a point when these levels are so low that exercise simply can’t continue. As such, a hormone cortisol is secreted and has incredibly catabolic effects. The cortisol eats muscle tissue for protein and converts it into glucose. This produces glucose from these amino acids into the liver and results in a loss of muscle tissue. So the 60 minutes you just spent lifting weights, really didn’t do any good if you aren’t replenishing the proper amount of carbs. Post workout your body is severely depleted of liquids, glycogen and glucose, of which you need to replenish. It is critical that you get both carbs and protein to your muscle cells as quickly as possible (within 30 minutes of exercise). The elevated insulin levels you are creating will help drive nutrients directly to the muscle cells…and what’s better than a direct route of nutrients to your muscles? Nothing.

 How much carbs to protein should you be consuming post workout? You should be following a carb to protein ratio of 2:1. The amount of which you should be consuming also is indicative of whether you are looking to remain lean or gain mass. If you are cutting, most sources suggest you factor .25 per pound of body mass and if you are looking to gain mass then factor .50. For example; I am approximately 125 pounds. So I need to consume 45 grams of carbs and 23 grams of protein per meal.

I know this is a lot of information, and can be difficult to explain and fully understand because it is so scientific. So I’ll try to conclude in as simple of a way as possible. There are good (complex) carbs and bad (simple) carbs. It’s easy to determine really, if the food has been processed in any way or has been stripped from its original form, that automatically isn’t good for you and you can be safe to assume it is packed with simple carbs. However, if you are consuming food natural from its original state and is healthy/clean food, you absolutely should be eating it. Your body needs fuel, it’s as simple as that, especially when you are highly active. It’s even more imperative to replenish any depleted levels of energy so your muscles can grow and recover as effectively as possible. So please, do your body some justice and don’t give in to the low/no carb fad. Instead, eat them (the right kind of course) and your body will thank you.