CARBS: WHEN + WHY
THIS POST IS FOR GET FIT WITH BRITT MEMBERS ONLY - ENJOY! :)Oh the dreaded carbs...but wait... is that true? NO! Carbs are VERY necessary for our bodies survival! The issue that we face, is the types of carbs that we put into our body...and WHEN!The first source of energy that our body uses is carbs. Our brain also uses carbs as its main energy source. So PLEASE don't ever cut carbs completely. Your brain alone needs 50 grams of carbs per day!Carbohydrates are to make up 45-65% of our daily calorie intake (recommended by ACSM). However I typically recommend (for my weight loss clients especially) that a 40% goal should be obtained. (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats). So, for example, if you are eating a 1500 calorie per day diet, you would need 150 grams of carbs per day! I recommend this because of the increase in Protein needed when in a caloric deficit.Now that we know carbs are a necessary component to our diet, lets discuss the types that we should be including. We want to look for whole grains (not whole wheat), fruit, and lots of vegetables. Some Recommended Whole Grains: brown rice, quinoa, amaranthNow, lets get into the WHEN. This concept is HUGE!!! Carbs made up of grains and sugar have an effect on the body which increase our blood sugar levels. This is a good and bad thing. Good, because it gives us quick energy throughout our day. Bad, because if our blood sugar is higher when we rest/sleep then our fat storage is higher and we end up storing body fat. :(So, what do we need to do in order to fight this battle? We just need to time our carb intake! Basically, our goal is to have our blood sugar in our "baseline" level when we go to sleep. To do this we need to reduce/stop our intake of carbs from grains and sugar about 6-8 hours before we go to bed. This way we will burn off whatever excess blood sugar we have in our body, and then overnight we will not store excess body fat! YAY!! #goals Below you will see a picture of what your typical day could be for timing your carbs.
When you are designing your meal plan, think about this Timing Your Carbs graph and remember WHY this is SO important!This is a BIG TIP that I give to my weight loss clients and it is typically one of the biggest factors when it comes to someone hitting their target goal! It is also great for maintaining a certain body fat percentage, as it will reduce the amount of body fat that is stored over time.***Remember, as always, consult your doctor if you have any health issues that may be affected by changing your diet. Also, your body may feel effects from implementing this into your life. Be aware of your body and always listen when it communicates with you! Please let me know if you have questions! I would love to help!XO, BrittanyBe sure to follow me on social media: Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest - Twitter