Diet and Nutrition

Did I trick you with the title? We’ve gotten so used to seeing “cut out carbs” in the last decade, you might think this post is about low-carb eating. Quite the contrary. People are often misled about carbohydrates and as a result don’t know where to place them in their eating plan, especially if they are dieting. If that sounds like you, read on because just in case you don’t know, carbs are necessary for health.

1. You need carbs. Our brains thrive on simple carbohydrates – glucose to be specific. That’s why the body breaks down carbs into glucose – so the brain can eat. So why in the world would you cut out carbs? Don’t do it. The problem people run into is that quality counts and they don’t always focus on quality when it comes to carb intake. I’ll cover that later on in this article.

2. Estimate your good carb range. The brain alone needs about 135 grams of carbohydrates a day, which you can easily get through healthy carbohydrate foods (more on that later). You then need carbs to help support your daily activities. The more active you are engaged in, the more carbs you need. Roughly, everyone fits into a 40-65% of calories range, with the exception of endurance athletes in a carbo load phase. If you’re trying to lose weight, calculate about 45%-50% carbs and go in that range. (more…)