CARBS! A word that invokes both pleasure and pain in a woman’s mind! So many delicious things, but we’ve been told over and over DON’T EAT CARBS!! They will make you fat, and ugly, and then you will diiiieeeee! Ok, definitely an exaggeration, but it’s not too far off. What I do know is that most people that do low-to-no carb/high protein diets are usually hangry and feel like crap!
The percentage of people that gain back the weight lost on these diets is also astronomical! I’m sure many of you reading this are in that group. The truth is that these diets make big bucks because they do get results quickly, but their focus is on that one time weight loss, they don’t care about YOU or the long-term. Physiologically when you limit or eliminate carbs you are actually losing muscle, decreasing your metabolism, and depleting healthy fluids. Deprivation is always a setup for failure!
There’s a reason why eliminating carbs makes you grumpy and tired! They are the building blocks for ENERGY! I could go into all of the scientific mumbo jumbo, but what you really need to know is that they are the first source that your body uses to supply energy for chasing your kids, that shopping trip to target, or that workout you’ve been too tired to get too, and they protect your muscles (that you’re still hanging on to). Without carbs in your diet, your body will turn to the protein stored in your muscles for energy, basically eating your muscles like pacman!
Carbs do several other things for your body as well like providing nutrients for the good bacteria in your digestive tract (aiding digestion), contain dietary fiber that help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure, and assist in calcium absorption.
You may have heard it before, but not all carbs are created equal. When you consistently overeat, or eat the “bad” (simple) carbs, they will stick to all the wrong places! You should be eating complex carbs in order to get all the benefits without the extra weight. There are several reasons, the first is that complex carbs take longer to digest in your system providing a more steady stream of energy instead of a spike and crash, you know…like in the afternoon when you had a salad for lunch with zero carbs and now you want to sleep at your desk. The slow release also can help you lose weight by keeping you full longer, preventing you from eating more. Complex carbs also contain more fiber and nutrients, while simple carbs usually have little to no nutritional value. Carbs are metabolic primers, they actually HELP you BURN FAT and regulate blood sugar. Essentials!!!
So what the heck is a simple vs. complex carb…there are some obvious simple carbs you know aren’t great for you like cake, cookies, candy, soda, but others aren’t as obvious.
Things you should avoid:
White bread and white pasta (anything made with white flour)
White rice
Most cereals
Fruit juice
Healthy carbs you should incorporate into your diet:
Sweet potato
Beans
Quinoa
Lentils
Oatmeal
Brown rice
Whole wheat bread (Ezekiel, Dave’s Killer bread, or Eureka are the best)
Whole wheat pasta
Unlike those diet companies that are just looking to collect your cash and then ditch you…I DO care about YOU! I want you to be the healthy, happy mom that you’re meant to be, and to do that you need energy. So eat those carbs and reach your goals!
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