I can't stress enough the importance of a well balanced diet. To have boundless amounts of energy you need to consume the right amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat as well as vitamins, nutrients and water.
Carbs are your energy source. They are the fuel that feeds your brain (which consumes a ton of calories a day, by the way!) and allows you to work out and perform your daily physical and mental tasks. They also play a major role in the functioning of the immune system, fertilization and blood clotting.
Examples of healthy carbohydrates would be:
-Whole grain pasta
-Brown Rice
-Whole grain bread
-Fresh Fruit
-Vegetables
-Beans
-Whole grain cereals
Examples of bad carbohydrates would be:
-Pop/soda
-Chips
-Cake
-French Fries
-Pizza
-White bread, pasta and rice
Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram.
Let's say you pick up some pasta that has a total of 330 calories per serving with 65 grams of carbohydrates.
65 X 4 = 260
260/330 calories or 79% of this pasta serving is all carbohydrates. Well pasta is known as a carb food!
How Many Carbs Do I need In A Day?
It's recommended that you consume 40-65% of daily calories from healthy carbs. If you are trying to lose weight keep it at 40-50% and if you are gaining 50-65%.
Let's say you are on a meal plan that allows for 2000 calories/day and you are not on an aggressive weight loss plan but you want to watch what you eat.
2000 X .45
900 calories a day from carbohydrates.
I've been trying to drive the point that you must pick healthy carbohydrates to eat because carbohydrates are almost always over-eaten. Ever hear someone call themselves a carb addict?
If you are eating too many carbs in addition to eating white pasta, rice etc you are doing your body more harm than good for a few different reasons.
Eating "white carbs" actually make weight loss harder. White foods digest more quickly than brown and whole grains and you feel hungry again very soon. White foods lack nutrition like protein and fiber and are therefore called, "empty calories." This means you are wasting your daily allowance of calories on food that isn't providing anything beneficial to your body.
Even more importantly too many starchy carbs messes with your blood sugar levels and can contribute to causing diabetes, heart problems and making you tired half way through the day.
Carbohydrates are definitely a good thing for your body. Just make sure to choose the healthy ones and eat them in moderation.
Happy, Healthy Eating!
Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist
http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com
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