People consume carbohydrates every day without even thinking about it. Carbs have become a staple in the average person’s diet for a number of different reasons, but I really feel that a large portion of the population, especially in western culture, have no idea about the types they SHOULD and SHOULDN’T be eating, especially when trying to lose weight.

In today’s post I want to shed some light on a few things in hopes that even one little piece of information in this blog will help you with your health and fitness goals.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates are converted into glycogen, which is stored energy found mostly in muscle. This is similar to the fuel tank in your car. This was how I was taught about carbs and I feel like it’s a really easy way to learn and explain. You use carbohydrates as fuel the same way a car uses petrol. Your body can tap into these stores when energy is required (such as during exercise). However, most people eat too many carbohydrates. We all need a certain amount of carbohydrates (this varies from person-to-person based on various factors, including activity level). However, these days most people seem to be addicted to bread/grains, sugar and other starchy foods. You need the right type of fuel to get your car to run efficiently, it’s no different with our bodies. You can’t expect to be fit, healthy and exercising at high levels without the right type of fuel.

The body’s storage capacity for carbohydrates is quite limited, so the excess is converted into fat and stored in your body’s fatty tissue. Think of your “carb tank” as a 600ml water bottle. Once you fill that bottle with water, the excess spills out, this is similar to what happens with carbohydrates. Any high-carbohydrate meal or snack generates a rapid rise in blood glucose. To adjust to this rise, the pancreas secretes the hormone insulin into the bloodstream, which lowers the glucose. Insulin is a storage hormone.
If your glycogen stores (energy stores) are always full then there is little reason for the body to dip into its fat stores. So if our glycogen stores are always full and we continue to eat carbohydrates, they are transferred to the body’s fat stores.
To reduce these energy stores, we must create a deficit in the body’s glycogen stores. This can be achieved through exercise and nutrition. Exercising when glycogen stores are low, will result in the body using fat as energy (instead of carbs), leading to a loss of body fat.

There are two types of carbohydrate – starchy and fibrous.
Starchy carbohydrates include breads, pasta, rice and cereals. Fibrous carbohydrates are predominantly green vegetables (e.g. broccoli).
Starchy carbohydrates generally produce longer-lasting energy and are much more calorie-dense than fibrous choices. Most people base their diet purely on starchy carbohydrates, neglecting the importance of fibrous carbohydrates. If we eat high levels of starchy carbohydrates – which is often the case at night when our metabolisms are slowing down – we increase the likelihood that they will be converted to fat. It is often suggested that if fat loss is your goal you should consume starchy carbohydrates in the morning and as the day progresses, change to more fibrous choices.

There is also two classifications of Carbs, Simple and Complex. Simple carbohydrates are quickly converted by the body to blood-sugar. Examples include glucose, fructose, sweets, and some fruits. These generally have a high GI. For the most part, complex carbohydrates are slower to convert to blood-sugar (lower GI) within the blood. These include oats, pasta, some cereals and vegetables.
Glycaemic Index (GI) is a ranking of how quickly carbohydrate foods raise blood glucose levels (BGLs) in the body following ingestion. High GI foods are rapidly digested and absorbed by the body and raise BGLs quickly. Low GI foods, on the other hand, are much slower to be digested and absorbed and result in more gradual rise in blood glucose levels.

So Which Carbs Should I Eat?
When considering eating carbs, opt for a variety of low GI, high fibre carbohydrate-containing foods each day.

Here’s some examples of good and poor choices;

žPoor Choice Carbohydrates (High GI, Simple)

Pastries, Cakes, Chocolate, Chips, Biscuits, Sugar.

žModerate Choice Carbohydrates (Low GI, Complex)

Wholegrain Breads / Rice / Pasta, Oats, Potatoes, Cereals, Dried Fruit.

žBest Choice Carbohydrates (Low GI, Complex)

Raw Fruits and Vegetables such as Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Nectarines, Broccoli, Zucchini, Tomato, Lettuce, Cucumber, Squash, Asparagus, Capsicum, Peas and Beans.

Keep in mind the AMOUNT of carbohydrates you are consuming. You should always read the nutritional information on packaging to see the amount per serve. Also check out www.calorieking.com.au to work out how many carbs are in whatever you are having. You can’t really go wrong with green veggies, but you can definitely be eating too many starchy carbs in one day so keep that in mind.

When Should I Eat Them?

As a general rule I suggest consuming carbs 1-2 hours before / after your workout. You definitely need to start your day off with energy so getting some low GI, complex carbs in at breakfast is important. Morning tea and lunch are fine too while your typically at your most active, but I’d start to opt for more fibrous water based carbs towards the end of the day. Ultimately it’s going to come down to what YOUR personal daily intake is, when you are exercising, the type of exercise you are doing and what your goal is. Majority of my recommendations are based on goals for weight loss typically because that’s what I deal with most of the time.

In summary; It is important to note that carbohydrates aren’t typically the problem in people’s journey to weight loss. I don’t believe at all in these “no carb” diets, but that’s just my personal opinion. For me I think it really comes down to the timing of when we eat them – remembering they are the main form of energy – and the exercise we are doing to use that energy. If you are walking everyday for exercise and that is all you are doing, but are consuming more calories then you are burning, or the bulk of your calories are starchy carbohydrates, you are  minimizing your chance to burn fat. Instead of filling your plate, take out a measuring cup the next time you have rice/pasta/cereal etc and you might realize you are having 2-3x more than what you should be in one serve. You can very easily include carbs in your diet (even if trying to lose weight) as long as you keep in mind the amount, the type and the timing of when you are eating them.

Remember, we eat to live, we don’t live to eat!