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Katrina:
In my opinion carbohydrates have gotten a bad wrap. Diets like the Atkins and South Beach have led people to believe that all carbohydrates are evil and should be eliminated from your diet. In my opinion nothing could be further from the truth.

Part of the problem is that food manufacturers and restaurants have figured out that all they have to do is market low carb products and the brainwashed consumers will automatically buy it. This may be a great way to sell products, but it not necessarily the healthiest thing for you and me.

I believe eating too many carbohydrates can make you fat; however, not all carbohydrates are bad for you. In fact your body depends on carbohydrates to give it the necessary fuel to get a good workout. You should never eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet. Instead cut back on bad carbohydrates and replace them with the carbohydrates that give you most bang for you buck.

Let me begin by explaining what types of carbohydrates you should avoid if your goal is to loose fat. I always tell my clients to stay away from the so called white carbohydrates such as white breads, white potatoes, white rice, white pasta, whole milk and food with white sugar. These foods may taste good but they are not the best choices because they quickly convert to blood sugar causing a spike in your insulin level. The end result is you are more likely to get fat. I like to compare eating these foods to putting the cheap low grade gas in your car. Your car will run but it’s will never perform to its maximum potential.

On the other hand eating good carbohydrates is like filling up your tank with high octane. Much like your car your body will run leaner and more efficiently. In fact these foods can jump start your metabolism and help you burn fat. This is because good carbohydrates are digested more slowly causing blood sugar to be more stable. Examples of good carbohydrates are whole grain products such as old fashioned oatmeal, wheat bread, brown rice and whole grain pasta. They also include fruit and vegetables such as sweat potatoes, broccoli, carrots, asparagus, strawberries and blueberries and apples.

In most cases simply exchanging bad carbohydrates for good carbohydrates will give you the results you are looking for.  In fact most of my clients automatically loose body fat as soon as they make the switch. However every case is different. Some people are more sensitive to carbohydrates and therefore require fewer carbs than others.

It’s also important to take your activity level into consideration. People that are less active can afford to eat fewer carbohydrates because they don’t need the extra energy.   Runners and people with high activity levels will need to consume more carbohydrates in order to fuel them through their grueling workouts.

In my opinion runners can actually eat a combination of both good and bad carbohydrates because their bodies can use both as good sources of fuel without ever having to worry about getting fat.