Carbohydrates always have been and should always remain to be the highest percentage of macronutrient in your diet. The comment ‘pasta makes you fat’ was taken entirely too far. In fact, any food item eaten in excess will make you fat. Pasta is okay to eat, in moderation (unless you have a wheat or gluten allergy). Remember, pasta is not the only carbohydrate out there.

What are carbohydrates ?
There are 2 categories, simple carbohydrates (a.k.a. sugar) and complex carbohydrates (a.k.a. various grains you are probably not familiar with, but should be eating).

Simple carbohydrates are basically sugar and are found in any food known to be ‘non-nutritious’. This does not mean you should never eat simple carbohydrates. Just that you should limit them. Simple carbohydrates should be treats instead of staples in the diet. Sugary cereals, candy bars, gummy candies, pop tarts, and the list goes on. These foods should be eaten only after you eat real food – not instead of.

Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains. What’s a whole grain? Funny you should ask. Sad too. Unfortunately most of the carbohydrates in today’s society come in the form of processed breads, cereals, and packaged, fake foods (ie. potatoes made out of a box…ugh!). Complex carbohydrates should be eaten in their whole, natural form, before processing. This means they have more protein, more fiber, more B vitamins, and other essential minerals. In this form, carbohydrates are less likely to be stored as fat. Instead of bread-y carbohydrates, count beans and low-fat dairy as your carbohydrate sources!

What about high carbohydrate diets – do they make you fat?
Unless you are an elite athlete or training for a marathon or event longer than 90 minutes, you DO NOT need to overload on carbohydrates. Eating a diet that includes carbohydrates will prevent sugar cravings later in the day, but this does not mean to go and eat a bowl of pasta for lunch and dinner. Just eat a small amount (about the size of your fist) at lunch and dinner and that is usually enough.
Including carbohydrates as about 50-60% of your total calories is sufficient for most.

Why do we need carbohydrates?
We need carbohydrates for immediate energy, for fiber and for B vitamins. When you feel lethargic, a very small amount of carbohydrate will raise your blood sugar, helping you to have a quick burst of energy. A shot of orange juice is the quickest and least amount of calories. We also get fiber from eating whole grains. B vitamins are important to convert the food you eat into energy. If you are deficient in B vitamins, your digestive system (glycolysis) may not be functioning optimally. If you feel you do not eat enough complex carbs to get adequate B vitamins, you should try our B complex + C supplement. It provides a complete spectrum of the B vitamins in the correct ratios. You will notice a difference in one day!

When is the best time to eat carbohydrates?
Within the first 30 minutes after exercise – carbohydrates are essential. If you eat them now, you will store the energy in your muscle rather than in fat cells. So, don’t miss this window of opportunity! If you do not feel the need to eat carbohydrates at dinner, don’t. Carbohydrates are energy food – what do you need energy for late at night? Not much. So, cut out some of those late nite carbohydrate (and sugar) treats.

Try this: Choose whole, natural grains. Cooking grains is similar to cooking pasta. Next time you go to the store, pick up one or two of the following grains: buckwheat, millet, rye, oats, wheatberries, rice (brown, jasmine, or other), spelt, quinoa, or others you are interested in checking out. You’ll open up a whole new world of eating for yourself!