Carbs

Why Carbs Actually Rock

Let's focus on the positives here. According to science, we got this going for us if we eat carbs:

• They help us fall asleep and stay asleep.
• They fuel us through busy days and heart-pumping workouts.
• They make us feel satiated and even alert. (Hello, power breakfast.)
• Complex carbohydrates, which are comprised of starches and dietary fibers, help keep the digestive track movin’ and groovin’.
• The body needs them—hence why they’re one of three macronutrients.

We hear it time and again, but the most important thing to remember when it comes to nutrition is that every body is different. While you may feel kickass riding the low-carb train, I don’t—which is why I will never cut them from my diet again.

That said, I am a big believer in moderation. And while I’m pro-eating that serving of grains, I’m not starting my day with a bagel, digging into pasta for lunch, and topping things off with pizza for dinner. Quality is incredibly important, as is making sure I’m eating a balanced diet, i.e. getting those greens and that protein too.

It’s easy to overdo it and overthink it—especially if you love eating like I do.

How I Make Carbs Work for Me

• Switch grain intake from the morning to the evening.
  I’m a big fan of low-carb breakfasts and high-protein dinnerswith a serving of quinoa, farro, or brown rice. It helps me sleep like a baby, and when I wake up, my stomach is ready to go. We may be snoozing, but our bodies work incredibly hard overnight.
• Try to stick to the good stuff.
  This means focusing on whole grains, like oats, brown rice, and quinoa. While I love bread, I know that gluten is difficult for me to digest, so I limit it much as I can. Another gluten-free favorite: sweet potato.
• Go lighter on low-activity days and heavier on the days you need some serious fuel. 
  On the days I don’t work out and am glued to my computer, I limit myself to one serving of fruit and 1/2 cup of grains (or a half of a sweet potato). On days where I’m running around town or powering through an actual run, I have a 1/2 cup of grains or sweet potato (or both) at lunch and dinner—and sometimes even breakfast! I feel better eating grains at night, but sometimes, I just can’t resist oatmeal.

I hate to be a broken record, but it’s all about finding out what works for you. If that’s eating low-carb, great! If that’s embracing the oat, great! Do you. Just make sure what you’re doing is actually you, and making you feel good.

And don’t believe everything you read. I continue to learn (the hard way) that what works for celebrities and the individuals writing their success stories doesn’t work for me. While it’s fun to try new things, ease into changes instead of going cold turkey on entire food groups. It’s easier to learn from trial and error when you’re taking baby steps as opposed to leaps of faith.

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