With all the talk about carbs being evil and more and more people jumping on the carb free bandwagon, no wonder people are nixing any form of bread for the promise of being thin.  But did you know that you need carbs?  Did you know it is also an effective way to stay slim?  And did you know that carbs (that evil thing people blame for being squishy) should make up the majority of your diet especially if you’re active?  No carbs are off limits, but lets just say some are better than others so lets break them down with what you should be eating daily.  Starches and whole grains (6 servings):  1/2 c. corn or peas, 1 potato, 1/2 c. chickpeas or lentils, 1/2 c. brown or whole grain rice or pasta, 1 slice whole wheat bread.  Veggies (3-5 servings): 1/2 c. broccoli, 1 cup leafy greens, 12 baby carrots.  Fruit (3-4 servings): 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 c. berries.  Dairy (2-3 servings): 1 c. low-fat yogurt, 1 c. skim milk, 1 1/2 oz. reduced fat cheddar.  Refined grains (no more than 2 and they count toward your starches):  1 c. white rice, 1 flour tortilla, 1 plain bagel.  Treats (1 serving :(, yup just a nibble):  2 squares dark chocolate, 1 small cookie.  It is all about keeping track of things either writing them down or in your head, but be honest as we all kind of think we are eating a serving, but in reality are eating several.  If you keep track by writing it down, pretty soon it will become second nature, but the way I remember how to keep track of serving sizes is balling my hand in a fist and that generally is my serving size (obviously if you have massive hands this won’t work).

Carbs are necessary to keeping our brain working and our heart pumping, they break down into glucose, your body’s primary source of energy, and loads of foods contain them.  Not all carbs are equal though and that is where they get their bad rap.  Natural sugars like fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy, sugars that are added to foods and refined grains like white rice are broken down quickly by our bodies.  They provide almost instant energy, but it fizzles out fast, and unless they are eaten with an apple for the fiber and the protein in yogurt then they are empty calories.  So bundling is key.  Whole grains, veggies, legumes take longer to digest and you get a steadier supply of energy.  Carb-rich foods like bread are high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals, but fruits and veggies are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals.  Whole grains have lots of nutrients, but lots of calories.  Dairy has a medium amount of both.  Just cut down on added sugar and refined grains, the rest are the carbs (whole foods) are fair game.  Carbs release insulin which helps your body regulate an increase in blood sugar, but your body being this amazing machine processes refined sugars so quickly it may cause your blood sugar to dip and send “eat more” to the brain.  If you cut out all carbs when you are active (your primary source of energy during exercise) you won’t get the same level of intensity during your workouts.  You need 130g/day for your brain to function, 200-300g/day if you are active.  You can miss out on important nutrients if you cut carbs out of your diet, many come from fruit and veggies and this can in turn lead to deficiencies.  Cutting out carbs messes with your moods, it has been studied and reported that people on low-carb diets felt angrier and depressed.  Which makes sense since carbs help produce serotonin which helps regulate that “I want to kill you or cry” feeling.  What it boils down to is moderation, keep it in your diet and don’t overindulge and you can enjoy it without guilt and adding to your waistline.