I am tired of hearing about all these fad diets. One in particular that bugs me is "paleo" or "low carb"!
Why would you do this to yourself? Why can people not understand that we need carbohydrates, they are our body's main source of fuel!
Ideally, at least 50% of our diet should be carbs. This same feeling is reflected to low fat too. I know there has been a little resurgence lately and more people are understanding that not all fat is bad but it is not enough.
I still have to speak with people daily who choose low fat things that are caked in sugar.
We need to find a balance. Yes, you may see the odd low fat product which isn't a con and if you're looking to reduce calorie intake, I would recommend it due to fat's high calorie content. A great example is Fage Total 0% Yogurt. It is actually genuinely good for you. High in protein and calcium, no fat and more importantly, no added sugar! It is creamy and delicious and you can flavour it how you like. That is the key, that way you know exactly what is going into your food and your body. Skyr is also a good brand FYI.
But this post is not about fat it is about carbohydrates.
Your body turns carbs into glucose or blood sugar which enters your cells, tissues and organs to provide energy. The key is to aim for starchy and fibre based carbs to keep you full and stay away from simple carbs - which is a term I am sure most people have heard of by now.
My other half recently spoke with a friend who told him he did two to three days per week low carb - we're talking 100grams per day max - to help him shred and look more defined and so Matt insisted we did it too. I caved and agreed, more than anything to prove a point. We were both starving all day and all we could think about was naughty foods such as pizza. The next day, carbs were reintroduced, and despite eating what we normally would, it wasn't enough, again we were hungry all day and couldn't be satisfied. Because our stores had been depleted. We had no energy in the gym either. The key thing to remember here is, we are both usually very active. All we wanted to do was sit on the sofa and eat food. I felt this little experiment proved my point.
Here are some top tips for consuming a healthy balanced diet with carbs.
Choose wholegrain (not brown bread, wholegrain!) and start your day with some slow releasing carbs like oats. If you don't fancy hot oats try my Overnight oats
Replace your usual sandwich casing with a wholegrain bread, wrap or pitta alternative. Check the ingredients list to make sure something wholegrain based is the first ingredient. Or move away from the traditional sandwich all together and make a tasty salad using brown rice, quinoa, bulgar wheat or whatever takes your fancy.
Eat whole fruit over fruit juice, less sugar, more fibre and certainly more filling.
Eat more beans and legumes for a good dose of slow releasing carbs and protein.
Don't be afraid of carbs, embrace them and learn which are good and bad. Obviously, we all know cakes, biscuits, chocolate etc.. are "bad" carbs so just limit the amount you eat. Don't cut them out though! Why should you, we all deserve to enjoy something a bit naughty once in a while. It stops us bingeing if we don't restrict ourselves too much. Just learn moderation. Eat well most of the time and exercise. I think I have said before but the 80/20 rule is the best thing I have heard. Eat well 80% of the time, enjoy whatever you want to eat the other 20%. Happiness is the real key to good health!
