Carbs, your enemy?

"When you feel good,

you look good" 

~ Carbs after workout ~

So, now is the time when it all becomes just a little bit challenging According to PN (Precision Nutrition) we should get ALL our energy from food, which means no milk, no juices, no lemonades...they suggest only to drink water and green tea.

Last week friday I started with that new habit, no hot cacao, no juice. I'm trying to simply drink water, which I've done so far about 2l a day but drinking green tea is a struggle as I think it's horrible. I'm trying to learn to like it. hehe

This week PN gave us a new habit to learn in two weeks. The title says it all, carbs only after workout. Any other times we should eat lot's of protein and vegetables,fruits; eat only lower-carb meals.

Now this is very difficult for many as we ALL LOVE CARBS. However it's a kind of good motivation tool I think. Try to think that if you go train hard you can reward yourself with carbs. You go home after a good workout and start preparing a really nice pasta meal with meat and sallad, or rice and chicken. YUMMY.

Now there are basically three different types of carb foods:

1) Fibre-rich carbs
These include vegetables, fruits and legumes. These foods have a slow rate of absorption and will balance out blood sugar and hunger. They are loaded with nutrients, promote health and have low caloric density. Having these foods at the base of your "food pyramid" is a great idea.

2) Starchy carbs
These include eg. Quinoa, amaranth, sprouted and whole grain breads and pastas, potatoes, yams, acorn squash, oats, cereals. They are slightly lower in nutrients and higher in carbohydrates and energy (ie. calories) than fibre-rich carb foods.


Starchy carbs are best consumed after exercise. It's during this time that your muscles are like big sponges - they'll soak up the carbs and use them efficiently to restore and repair the muscle. At other times, when activity has been lower, the muscles aren't quite as receptive to carbs. This means they're more likely to be stored as body fat. Bottom line for fat loss: eat starchy carbs during the 3 hours after exercise only.

3) Refined sugary carbs
These foods are empty calories and don't do much for health. Still, eating them during and immediately after exercise may give your body a quick energy boost and accelerate recovery. You could take advantage of refined sugary carb foods by using nutrient dense sources like dates, raisins, figs and nutrition bars.   
Bottom line for fat loss: eat sugary carbs rarely, and only after exercise.

Just keep in mind, EXERCISE and you can eat without too many restrictions.

- Sara