Hello all!
Sorry for the *brief* hiatus last week… it was a LONG week. Between preparing for my second show (The Oklahoman), working, no carbs, traveling to Tulsa, etc, etc etc…. sometimes life just gets in the way, right? O, and don’t worry… second show, I’ll be posting pictures of myself again! Quite an experience, like they always are, but it’s always an adventure 
Speaking of no carbs (which is killer let me tell you) let’s bring up my *Tuesday Fun Food Trivia* game for today. Carbs- True or False- Carbs make you gain weight… Why or why not do u believe/don’t believe this?
Carbs are one of the most misunderstood food groups (thanks Atkins Diet) and it’s time that the story is set straight on them. First of all, did you all know that carbs, by weight, have as much calories/energy as proteins do? Yup, it’s true! 1 gram of carbs has 4 calories, same as protein (1g= 4 calories). In fact, the only macronutrient that is more than this is fats, which is 9 calories per gram, or alcohols, which is 7 calories per gram. So, if protein and carbs have the same calorie content, then why does this high protein-low carb diet have any followers? It just doesn’t make sense!
While it’s true that proteins and carbs have the same calorie content, the difference between the two is that proteins have no way to be stored in your body if your body doesn’t require them right at that moment. I.e., if your body only needs 10 grams of protein, but you eat 30 grams of protein, your body will not store the protein for later. However, since carbohydrates and what they present to the body is so important, our body can stores excess amounts of carbs, which can go onto your body as fat. Hence the bad wrap. BUT, obviously, if you eat too much of any one nutrient, there’s going to be a problem- your body was made to work on a perfect balance of all the macronutrients, and to deprive your body of any one of them for an extended amount of time can lead to disastrous results. I can speak first hand- what happens when you don’t get carbs? Well, you’re not the nicest, most enthusiastic person- let me tell you that. Your energy levels drop rapidly, and- if your excess fat stores get depleted enough- you can start to lose brain function. Your brain runs off of glucose after all! So, hey, there is an actual reason that *meatheads* may not be the brightest crayons in the box- they’re lacking brain power!
So, how much carbs should one have in a day, and where should these carbs come from? An average human needs 130g of carbs PER DAY. If you’re an athlete, your carb levels will exceed this. And, as expected, not every carb is equal. Carbohydrates taken from processed food sources- i.e. pastas, breads, cookies, etc.- are going to do more bad then good for your body and your ultimate health goals. Even if its *whole wheat*. Why? Because most of these items contain sugar, and a lot of it. And, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about sugar from my blog, it’s that you want to minimize it as much as possible.
Good sources of carbohydrates include whole plant sources and unprocessed grains. Examples of these include brown rice, sweet potato, couscous, oatmeal, and quinoa. Also, people forget this, but vegetables and fruits are sort of glucose and carbohydrates too! Make sure to get enough of these in your diet! And, ideally, try to get them in earlier on in the day. Let’s be honest, your body just doesn’t have that much need for a large burst of energy right before you’re about to go to sleep.
Hope you all are a little bit more *carb conscious* now!
Happi Living,
- Petra
