Carbohydrate (meaning “carbon plus water”) is the most widely eaten food in the world. Along with fat and protein, carbohydrate is an essential nutrient, but what makes carbs different is that they are easily converted to energy by the body. Also, glucose, the simplest carbohydrate, is essential fuel for the brain. Any healthy diet must include carbohydrates.

Choose Good Carb Foods

1. Fruit & Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are generally low in calories and packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. This means they are a healthy addition to any diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Studies show that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk for heart disease and some cancers. For optimum nutrition, eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day – fresh, canned, frozen or cooked.

2. Whole Grains

This group includes pasta, rice and noodles – the starchy carbohydrates – your body’s main source of energy. All these foods begin life as a grain, such as wheat, rye, corn, rice or barley. Potatoes and grains are very healthy and filling, but for optimum health and glycemic benefits choose unrefined whole grain versions of these foods over refined versions.

Unrefined carbohydrates are medium-calorie and because they contain the whole grain, including the bran and the germ, they’re higher in fiber and keep you feeling fuller for longer – great if you’re trying to reduce weight. Examples include basmati or brown rice, Uncle Ben’s Converted long grain rice, wholegrain bread, porridge oats, and whole-wheat pasta.

Curiously, the leanest and longest living people in the industrialized world are the Japanese whose diet contains regular amounts of these healthy wholegrain carbohydrates.

Source

My Experience – When I was 40 lbs over weight and starting from square one of my diet and exercise program I needed to strip a lot of the carbs out of my diet.  It absolutely worked for me, I would eat oatmeal or a high fiber cereal with non fat, lactose free milk for breakfast and a turkey sandwich with alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, tomatoe and mustard on whole wheat square bread and snacked on apples and whole wheat soda crackers when the hunger kicked in.  After 4 pm I was done with carbs dinner was protein and veggies.

I would work out early in the morning on an empty stomach and drank lots of water through out the day.  This stage depending on your weight could last 2 – 4 months.  Once your metabolism kicks in and you begin to excel in your weight training you will feel the loss of energy in the gym and that is when you need to re-introduce carbs more heavily into your diet you will need for fuel throughout your day.  If you are falling asleep at work or need to take naps your blood sugar is low and needs a boost.

You will start to get to know your body inside and out within the first 6 months of working out.  Today I have to be eating carbs all day until 6pm or 7pm pastas, whole grain rice, whole grain breads, lots of fruits and veggies all day long because my body consumes so much of it.

By Omar Pinto

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