*As a Forewarning: I am not a doctor, nutritionist,
dietician, health guru or what have you. I am just a dude with some experience
and a little obsessive research under my belt. *
*Second Forewarning: I follow a Primal Lifestyle and have a
bias against grains; I am going to try my darndest to be fair to those who eat
grains.*
Carbohydrates: A huge topic on the lips of everyone who is
trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Everyone has their own opinion and
each is different. So some questions that can arise about carbohydrates: What
kind of carbohydrates should I eat? How many grams of carbohydrates should I be
getting in a day? Low carb versus high
carb; which one is best for weight loss and health? There are many more, and if
there is any other question that is burning in your skull to be answered, post
a comment and I will answer it to the best of my ability (which is vast and
great).
What kind of
Carbohydrates should I eat?
Well, the short answer to that question is Low Glycemic
Index carbohydrates. What is the Glycemic Index? The Glycemic Index (GI) is a
system of numerical values given to food; it ranks them from low to high by how
much of an effect the food has on the glucose levels in the body. Plainly put,
the higher the number on the GI, the higher your blood sugar will be. For
example, a carrot has a GI of 16, and white rice a GI of 80, therefore white
rice effects blood sugar levels 4 times more than a carrot. (Wow, I fell asleep
writing that.) Keep the Glycemic Index in mind when choosing foods to eat. Need
a guide? Go to http://www.glycemicindex.com/index.php
for a helpful guide as well as for more information on the Glycemic Index.
What foods do you think of when you hear the word
carbohydrates? I know what you are thinking. Bread, Pasta, Rice, Grains. Yes, you are right,
but you are forgetting two big categories: Fruits and Vegetables. Deep breath - is your mind blown? You are probably saying to yourself, “but I
thought I could eat as many fruits and vegetables as I wanted. I don’t like
this guy making me think more, dang it.” And for the most part, with vegetables
yes you can eat them until the cows come home and then eat the cow for protein,
mmmm protein. Sorry. Going back to the point, fruits and vegetables are
carbohydrates and range on the GI just like your bread and pastas. Let’s go
back to my previous example. Carrots have a GI of 16, and watermelon can range
from 75-90. What? Watermelon has the same or higher GI than white rice? Lies!
Burn him, he is a witch! And yes, I did turn you into a newt the other day but
you got better (Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a great one, wasn’t it?). It is true, the watermelon not the newt part,
so while you are eating a whole watermelon and wondering why you aren’t losing
weight you now know. If you make good choices with carbohydrates, meaning the
majority of them being low GI and vegetables then you should be on your way to
losing weight.
How many grams of
carbohydrates should I be getting in a day?
Meh, I don’t know. (Oh, at least I find myself funny.) The
real answer depends on a lot of factors like: Are you active? What are your
stress levels? Age, weight, gender, body fat percentage, Political Stance (how
did that get there, oh yeah it is election season!). You get my point; there
are a lot of things to consider before eating that bowl of pasta (that’s right,
I see it sitting in front of you). I would say do some trial and error
experimenting with them. My suggestion is to keep a carb journal of when, what
time, what kind, and how you felt after eating them (bloated, lethargic,
energized etc…). Do this for a week or two and try to get a variety of carbs in,
to really see what works with your body. You might find that veggies and fruit
energize you and fuel you more than bread and pasta - dang, sorry for going
Primal for a second. My point really is that everybody’s body responds
differently to carbs, and each person has to find out for themselves what they
should take in, but with a little effort (yes, you will have to make an effort
to lose weight and be healthy) you will be able to determine a “sweet spot”
with carbs for yourself. I know I didn’t answer the question with an arbitrary
number, say 75, but if I did, would you have read through anything else in this
blog?
Alright, I know that I didn’t answer the other question Low Carb versus High Carb? That is a
big one and I want to give it an entire post all by itself. Come on people, it
is called a tease! Until next time, be healthy and keep striving for the best
you!
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