Good morning lovelies and happy May 1st! I am so excited that it is finally May because I am participating the photo a day challenge for the very first time! If you want to participate too click here.
Todays guest post comes from a very good friend of mine who also loves getting a good sweat on in the weight room. The topic she covers today is very important and definitely something everyone should read 
Hey there A Dash of Meg readers! I am Electra and I blog over at http://vanillabeanlean.com about clean eating, fitness as a lifestyle, and the being your best YOU.
Meg is one of my favorite bloggers because she has such a fun personality and always has interesting facts, great food pics, and such honesty that blows me away. She is also one of my favorite people ever and I feel lucky to have gotten to know her. So needless to say, I was completely honored when she asked me to do a guest post for her while she is on vacation. Talk about a LUCKY GIRL! I bet we’d all rather be doing our burpees, running, workouts, and eating on the white sandy beaches with the clear blue ocean waves with Meg, but the least we can do is have some fun here with carbs while she’s enjoying herself in Barbados!
Let’s talk about why carbs are SO essential to have in a healthy nutrition plan as well as why they’re so important for muscle building!
Who here at one point or another did the “no carb” diet? Or has placed rules on themselves, “only carbs post workout,” “no carbs before bed,” sound familiar? I know it does to many of us. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. The key is to know how to differentiate between the “good” and “bad” carbs and how to nutrient time to get the most out of them and cause them to be used for fat loss and muscle gain.
First, let’s look at the difference between “bad” & “good” carbs.
Bad Carbs vs. Good Carbs:
Bad carbs = Simple Carbohydrates
&
Good carbs = Complex Carbohydrates
What is the difference you ask?
Simple carbs break down quickly, spike your blood sugar, which in turn releases a lot of insulin quickly, asking for fat storage. The higher the amount of sugar and the lower the amount of fiber, the worse the carb choice is. Simple carbs create sugar cravings as well. (And we all know the Simple Carb Monster is the one in the back of our heads telling us to reach for that last oreo. Don’t give the Monster any fuel! )
Complex carbs take longer for the body to digest and use, giving you more steady energy for longer, a stable blood sugar, and no insulin spikes. Their glycemic index is usually lower, which is good in terms of sustained energy and no spikes & crashes.
Simple Carb Sources (Stay away from these on a regular basis and have them only as treats once in a while):
Sugar
Corn Syrup
Fruit juice
Candy
Cake
Bread or Pasta made with White Flour
Soda Pop
Packaged Cereals and Baked Goods
Complex Carb Sources (Great Carb Sources!):
Pretty much all Vegetables
Oatmeal (Whole rolled oats/Steel cut oats, not the packaged sugary versions)
Oat Bran
Brown Rice
Whole Wheat Pasta & Bread
Low Glycemic Fruits (Grapefruit, Apples, Prunes, Pears, Plums, Strawberries)
Potatoes (Sweet, White, Red)
Beans (Garbanzo, Kidney)
Lentils
Quinoa
Tips and Tricks to Staying on Track with Carb Choices:
- Try to avoid processed foods, but make sure to read all labels! Avoid the food if the label has sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or white flour.
- Choose whole grain bread/pasta/cereals over white bread/pasta/processed cereals.
- Eat as close to the source as you can – eat foods as natural as you can – fresh food over processed whenever you can!
Now that we know WHICH carbs to eat, WHY are they important?
Carbs for Health:
- From a health perspective, glucose in necessary for our body to complete all of its necessary functions, and the brain cannot function without it. Carbohydrates break down into glucose, which feeds our brain and muscles. This is why those who “low-carb” diet get the “brain fog,” since their brain cells are not receiving adequate energy or nutrition to carry out their jobs.
- Carbohydrates have fiber, which has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and digestive issues.
- Carbs keep you “regular” – if you catch my drift…
- Fiber also increases satiety, so grains fill you up – not out!
- Low-carb diets are not healthy for long term sustainability. In order to maintain energy, prevent hair loss, and maintain adequate hormone levels, it is important to incorporate complex carbohydrates into your plan!
Carbs for Muscle Building:
- Carbs ensure protein (amino acids) is sent to and used by the muscles to repair muscles after lifting!
- Eating carbs right after training is so important, because it shifts the body from a catabolic (breaking down) mode to an anabolic (building up) mode.
- Eating carbs & protein together increase their ability to build muscle by shuttling them to the muscles instead of eating carbs alone, which are more easily stored as fat.
- Eat most of your carbs earlier in the day, before and after your workout, and around the times you’re most active. This will encourage muscle gains and fat loss, not storage!
I hope you’re all thoroughly convinced that good, complex carbohydrates are important for your health, fitness, and energy levels! I hope you all incorporate or are already incorporating some, regardless of whether you’re trying to gain muscle, lose fat, or just get fit!
Thank you ALL for taking the time to read this, and thank you Meg for giving me your stage for a day. I hope you’re having an AMAZING time relaxing on the beach and rockin’ your bathing suit girl!
If you have any other questions about fitness, clean eating, or want to check out some fun recipes, I always love to hear from you, at http://vanillabeanlean.com or vanillabeanlean@gmail.com!
***
Coffee Talk!
What is your favorite carb source?
When do you incorporate carbs into your day?
Thanks for the wonderful post Electra! I couldn’t agree more! Carbohydrates are definitely so important! We need carbohydrates for so many reasons! Our bodies simply can’t function without them!
Well, I am off to stroll the beach now It’s a little tradition my Daddy and I have 
Every vacation we go on, we will wake up early in the morning and go for a walk along the beach It is so peaceful <3
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I was definitely one of those people who used to avoid carbs. I only had carbs at breakfast time (and I had sugar-packed muesli!!) and then did not eat any more throughout the day – even though I was working out 60-90 minutes per day. Now I have about 150g of carbs a day and love it! My body craves carbs and when my intake is low, I certainly feel it.
I think it’s funny how most people equate protein with muscle building, but protein can’t do its job unless you have an adequate amount of carbs too. Great post!
Great post!! It’s really interesting for me to read how carbs affect muscle building. I know I’m a bit of a minority in the healthy-living-blog world, but as an endurance athlete I am allllllll about the carbs. I can’t say I’ve ever gone low-carb or gave them up, because they are obvs the primary fuel for running, cycling, and swimming long distances! I agree with you on the mostly complex carbs, but I will argue that simple carbs do have their place – obviously processed things aren’t the greatest fuel, but immediately before or during a workout, your body just can’t use complex carbs – simple carbs get to your muscles faster. Again this would be, say, in the middle of a 3 hour bike ride, obviously for lifting its different. Anyway its cool to see how different forms of working out require different methods of fueling, BUT carbs are essential no matter what you’re doing!
So true — i made a very similar comment. Great minds think alike
Now only if we could get this good carbs vs bad carbs message out to the rest of America! Ah! I try and eat a little carbs at each meal. I have found that makes me crave the crappy carbs a lot less. This morning, it was grapefruit with my eggs and kale. For lunch today it will be quinoa and dinner… well, I’ll let ya know after tonight!
So true — carbs are huge! Isn’t it “fat burns in a carbohydrate flame?”
One thing to add, however–as an endurance athlete/during recovery I’ve learned that even the “bad carbs” described aren’t bad. Even Dietitians of Canada says to make HALF of your grains whole grain each day, so I think it’s important to leave some of the good/bad thoughts out of the equation. When training for running/biking/swimming, etc. long workouts drain your muscles of glycogen. Eating these “bad carbs” to refuel glycogen rapidly is actually a good thing!
Can’t wait to check this blog out.
Great guest post, I am really glad you shared this because the whole no carb craze has hit so many young females. It is seen as healthy and the only way to be truly fit. I am glad there are facts out there that show otherwise.
Sweet potatoes + quinoa + oatmeal. They’re allllll my favorites!
Great post Electra! You and your blog are such a fabulous inspiration
Great post!! My favorite source of carbs are veggies – mostly kale, but really all veggies.
And Meg, I’ve hugely jealous of your morning walk on the beach!
Great post! I think people get wayyyy to carried away with the low/no barb thing. I like to make an “icing” with my protein powder and spread it over Ezekial bread for a quick fix post-workout.
I LOVE CARBS! Ha who doesn’t right? Some of my favorites are Oatmeal in protein pancakes, Sweet Potates- especially baked into sweet potato fries, Brown Rice in stir fries and Ezekiel Bread and Ezekiel wraps! Those are my 4 basic sources of carbs besides veggies (yum!) and fruit in the mornings!
YESSS! i love this
i used to avoid carbs but now i accept the fact that a) i love them and b) they’re good for me
Great post! I’m a big proponent of trying to explain to people why we need carbs but some people just live in denial! I know that my body needs a steady dose of carbs throughout the day. Even later in the day when I don’t need a ton, I still function better on at least some. I could never do that paleo business. My favorites are sweet potatoes and beans.
Mm
love carbs! Especially oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and quinoa!
I love this post! The eating carbs debate is constantly going on and it’s so nice to read about the true importance of the RIGHT carbs.
AMEN!! I love this-great post! I am a huge fan of complex carbs–because they keep me fueled for longer workouts and they are tasty!
My faves are quinoa, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. YUMM!
great post! very informative stuff, thanks! gotta love carbs!
Amen! I love this post, Electra! For YEARS I made the mistake of avoiding carbs, choosing only to fuel my body with protein powder post-workout. Major whoopsies. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t gaining muscle mass until I started grad school and began taking classes that covered protein and carbohydrate metabolism (sports nutrition 101). It finally clicked, but it wasn’t until recently that I began eating the amount I truly need. Thanks so much for preaching the truth! xoxo
Meg, I hope you’re having a FABULOUS time in Barbados!! Love you! xoxo
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