carbs

EAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CARBS

Oh carbs, they get a bad rap, and unfairly so! It is about time we stop shaming carbs and learn to embrace them! Once we view carbs in a positive light and learn a long term sustainable approach on how to include them in our diet, we will be able to achieve and maintain weight loss. Carbohydrates are essential to our body, which means they are necessary to consume for optimal health and performance. The key though, is that we strive to eat the highest quality carbs (you know those high fiber, no added sugar carbs and preferably gluten free) most of the time (there is always room for an occasional cookie) and eat portions that are appropriate for our body and activity level. Let's keep this week's food skill simple. First, here are the foods that are considered to be an optimal "carb"...

ALL GRAINS SUCH AS RICE, OATS (GLUTEN FREE), RICE BASED PASTA/NOODLES, QUINOA, RICE BASED BREADS, CASSAVA BASED TORTILLAS AND FLOUR, LEGUMES, POTATOES, SQUASH AND FRUIT.

Second, use the hand portion guide of how much carbs to strive for at meal times. For women, strive to eat 1 cupped handful of carbs at meals and for men, strive for 2 cupped handfuls. Remember, this is not a rigid rule. If you notice you are still hungry soon after meals, you can increase carbs by 1/2 cupped handful. Conversely, if you are finding that you are stuffed, then reduce by 1/2 a handful.

While tracking in your app this week, take pictures of your carb selections and pay attention to the quality and portion of carbs you eat. Are most of your carbs from processed high sugar sources? Are you omitting carbs all together? There is no judgement, just simply using the information you gain from your tracking to improve each day. All those baby steps really do add up over time when practiced consistently. Here is to learning to love carbs and how they nourish our bodies!