Carbohydrate Timing

Carbohydrates are always in the discussion when it comes to nutrition. Some people swear by them and some people swear them off. There’s good carbs and bad carbs. There is simple carbs and complex carbs. No wonder so many people say aw screw it I’ll just eat anything that comes along!!!! Well, that’s what most of our society does regardless. Carbohydrates have a specific role for us and learning what that role is how to efficiently use them is key to not only weight management but also energy efficiency. Simply put, Carbohydrates are energy for us. Muscles love carbs, and use them internally as storage called glycogen.  During anaerobic work or exercise we exhaust these tiny storage units in our muscles and liver. This is where Carbs come in. After depletion of glycogen in muscle tissue, we are in prime time to take in carbohydrates in a big way. So lets back up a bit, When we take in carbohydrates the body releases insulin to transport ingested nuttients to their proper places. Now if all those places are full of the nutrients they store then the excess nutrients have to go somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate_metabolism

That somewhere is Adipose tissue or Fat. That means that if you sit at a desk job and are generally sedentary, guess what?! You don’t need a lot of carbs!!!!!! On days that you workout, work in the yard, or go playing you can obviously use a little more carbs in your diet. Its literally that simple. Gauging your activity level and applying appropriate carbohydrate timing there after is a key to health, balance, and weight management. Timing your carbs after fitness workouts and also timing your carbs towards the end of your work day has many benefits. Restricting carbohydrates during lower activity level points, and eating healthy fats and moderate proteins trains your body to consume fat (whether your eating fat or burning it) . Then after a strenuous work day or  decent workout, taking in some clean carbs (my favorites is rice or potatoes) helps muscles recover, build, and refuel for later. It’s an awesome process that once you figure out, makes all the difference in shedding excess fat and inflammation and cultivating lean muscle. The main idea i want to get across is this : Don’t eat carbs with reckless abandon! Know why you are eating them while your eating them!  When making food choices as you go through your day ask yourself – What have I done activity-wise lately, and do I really need the bun on this burger, or the croutons on this salad, or the rice with these veggies? For great ideas on the ratios of carbs to eat daily for what your goals are check this link out: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz3oF0xotEg