Why You Need Carbs To Burn Fat!

Don't cut the carbs... time them correctly to burn that fat! Muscles need carbs after a workout to replenish energy stores and prevent further muscle breakdown. Carbs post workout stimulate an insulin response that shuttle nutrients into your muscle cells, causing them to grow. These starchy foods replenish glycogen stores that fuel your muscles and make you feel good and energized. Carbs are an important as part of a healthy diet. Another thing to keep in mind, if you are not on a weight cutting phase, you want simple carbs such as rice cakes in that post workout window. The simple sugars go straight to your muscles helping them to grow! The rest of the day stick with carbs like oatmeal and sweet potatoes. Fruits and veggies have lots of healthy carbs too. So if you eat a huge plate of yellow squash you are getting in tons of nutrients while replenishing those glycogen stores and building lean muscle. Remember the more muscle you have the faster your metabolism gets. Gone are the days of no carb dieting. Timing is key! Knowing when to eat your carbs will help you in your fat loss and muscle building journeys!

 

EAT THIS, NOT THAT (starchy food list for carb options)

EAT THIS: NUTRIENT-DENSE CARBS

• sweet or purple potato
 
• oatmeal
 
• quinoa
 
• whole wheat pasta or tortillas
 
• fruit (especially berries, apples, grapefruit, lower sugar fruits)

• Veggies, colored veggies have more carbs

• Rice cakes, plain

• Brown rice

• White rice

• whole grain bread

DON’T EAT THAT: JUNK CARBS

• Doughnuts and other pastries
 
• Cakes, cookies, and other desserts
 
• Pizza (store-bought or delivery)
 
• Muffins or croissants
 
• Sugar-packed instant oatmeal packets

These are some pictures of our favorite carbs... yes we are obsessed with sweet potatoes, and always have some prepared and ready to go. And yes, we do eat tons of veggies! MMMMM asparagus!