April 8, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, we’re busting one of the biggest nutrition myths out there: that carbs are bad for you.
Carbs have been demonized thanks to trendy diets like keto and years of diet culture telling us to cut, restrict, and fear entire food groups. But the truth? Carbs are not evil. In fact, they’re essential for energy, performance, metabolism, muscle building, and even thyroid health—especially for women over 30.
If you’ve been stuck in the low-carb cycle, constantly tired, and not seeing progress, this episode is for you. We’ll explain the real role carbs play in your health and how to incorporate them in a smart, balanced way.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why diet trends love demonizing one food group at a time (and why carbs became the latest target)
✅ The role of carbs as your body’s fastest and preferred energy source
✅ Why carbs are crucial for building and maintaining muscle
✅ The link between low-carb diets and thyroid issues in women
✅ How carbs impact T3 hormone conversion and overall thyroid function
✅ How many carbs you might actually need per day (hint: it’s probably more than you think)
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed it.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hey there everyone.
It's Joe.
And welcome back to the BoosterMetabolism after age 30 podcast.
I am excited you're here todaybecause I'm gonna be talking
about one of the macronutrientscarbs that I think is very
misunderstood and has beendemonized as of late.
Carbs have gotten such a badreputation in recent years.
This is mostly thanks to lowcarb and keto diets, but today I
(00:25):
am gonna set the record straightabout carbs.
Carbs are not evil, and in fact,they play a vital role in your
energy, your workouts a healthymetabolism, and even your body
composition.
So today I'm gonna break downwhy you shouldn't fear carbs and
how to include them in a waythat supports your fitness and
health goals.
(00:45):
Okay, so issue number one thatI'm gonna discuss is why we keep
demonizing food groups.
So taking a step back, nutritiontrends are always shifting.
And the way the diet industrykeeps going is it loves to have
a villain.
In the nineties, fat was theenemy and we had fat-free
(01:06):
everything.
Fat-free cookies, fat-freeyogurt.
I don't know if you remember theSnack Brand.
It was very popular when I wasin college.
And we believed that if we justcut out fat, we'd be healthy and
lose all the weight that wewanted to and be able to manage
our weight in a very easy way.
Fast forward to today, and fathas been redeemed.
(01:27):
Now it's carbs that are underfire.
This is partly because of therise of low carb and keto diets
and now even carnivore diets.
And those diets have convincedpeople that carbs are what are
keeping them from their goalsand from being healthy.
But the truth is your bodydoesn't really function well
when you cut out an entiremacronutrient group.
(01:49):
Our metabolisms work their bestwhen they have a healthy balance
of protein.
Fats, and carbs in particularserve some very important
purposes, especially if you areactive, if you are over 30, if
you're a woman with a thyroidissue and if you're trying to
build muscle and a strong,healthy body.
The reason that cutting outentire food groups tends to work
(02:11):
is that it just naturally limitsyour calories.
If you cut out entiremacronutrient like fat, it just
limits, some unhealthy foodsthat you can eat that may have
fat.
If you cut out carbs, samething.
It tends to cut out.
Calories.
And so how you're losing weightis really by just reducing your
calories, that's what moststudies have found about diets
(02:33):
that just completely eliminatemacro nutrients or one
macronutrient.
Okay.
So let's talk about the purposeor role that carbs serve.
Carbs are your fast energysource.
They are your body's primary andfastest source of energy.
So when you eat carbs, your bodybreaks them down into glucose
which is used immediately forenergy or it gets stored in your
(02:56):
muscles and liver as glycogenfor later use.
If you are someone who isworking out carbs play a
particularly important role andthat's, whether you're lifting
weights or running or doingorange theory your muscles
generally prefer to use glycogenfor energy.
And so without enough carbs, youmight notice that you feel
sluggish or weak or fo foggy orthat you just hit a wall during
(03:20):
your work workouts or just can'tseem to recover, can't seem to
heal energies or heal injuries.
And so what carbs will do ishelp you have that sustained
energy through a workout, keepyour brain sharp and maintain,
help you maintain stable energyand blood sugar throughout the
day.
They're not really just aboutcarb, bloating to fuel long run.
(03:42):
They really do help you functionand manage your energy all day
long because they are that quicksource of energy that we have
access to.
Okay, so the next thing I wannatalk about is the thermogenic
effect of carbs.
So this sort of relates to yourmetabolism.
And one of the great thingsabout carbs and also about
(04:03):
protein is that you burn somecalories just through the
digestion of carbs.
So this is what we call thethermic effect of food.
We've talked about this inrelation to protein.
Protein has the highestthermogenic effect and that's at
about 20%, meaning 20% of thecalories.
That you ingest from protein isgonna be used up to process
(04:26):
that.
Protein, carbs are themacronutrient that they have.
The next highest thermo effect,which is at about eight to 10%,
meaning that about eight to 10%of calories you eat from carbs.
You use up to just, again,process and digest those carbs.
By comparison, fat has thelowest thermic effect and it is
(04:48):
only at about three or 4%,meaning if you eat a hundred
calories of fat, you're onlyburning three to four calories
of fat to digest that food.
So again, protein has thehighest thermic effect of food,
which is one reason we emphasizeit so much.
But carbs still, do have athermic effect and play.
A supporting role in revving upthat metabolism much, much more
(05:10):
than fats do.
Again, carbs help, keep yourmetabolism running just as
protein does.
Okay, let's talk about carbs andmuscle building.
So if you are strength trainingor doing any kind of resistance
work, which again, we highlyrecommend, especially for.
Boosting your metabolism andkeeping that metabolism fast and
(05:34):
speedy as you age.
You need carbs to perform and torecover and to build muscles.
So carbs help replenish theglycogen that gets depleted
during workouts which meansbetter recovery, reduced
soreness, and more energy foryour next session.
Carbs also support muscleprotein Synthesis, meaning carbs
(05:54):
can help your body use proteinmore efficiently.
So when you aren't eating enoughcarbs and you're trying to
strength train and gain muscle,your body sometimes has to turn.
To a different energy source forfor energy if you're not giving
enough carbs and it will turn tomuscle and break down that
muscle.
So if you, again, if you aretrying to get stronger or build
(06:17):
muscle that's definitely notsomething that you want to do.
You're basically working againstyourself.
So, carbs are a reallyimportant, part of the muscle
building process it makes thatprocess work better and you
absolutely need carbs to buildmuscle.
The other thing about in termsof muscle building is again, if
you have carbs in your system,you're just going to be able to
(06:41):
push harder during thoseworkouts to be able to really do
something and perform well andbuild that muscle.
Okay, the next reason carbs arenot evil is because they have a
lot of fiber and can help youfeel full and do all sorts of
other wonderful things.
So carbs are where we get fiber.
(07:02):
And fiber really is your friendfor feeling full and satisfied
throughout the day.
Fiber does a couple of differentthings.
It helps regulate digestion, ithelps stabilize blood sugar.
It keeps you full longer.
It supports health or supportsyour heart and gut health.
And so fiber, rich carbs, thingslike fruits, vegetables, oats,
(07:24):
lentils, whole grains they'renot only nutrient dense.
They have fiber in, are superfilling.
So what happens when people golow carb is oftentimes.
They remove a big chunk of theirfiber intake.
So this can lead to things likedigestive issues bloating energy
(07:44):
crashes and just like cravings.
So when we say eat carbs, ofcourse we're not talking about,
eating pastries and soda.
We're mostly talking aboutmaking sure to include fiber
rich, whole food, carbs thatsupport your health on every
level.
And if you think about it, likemeat and fat really have almost
(08:05):
no fiber at all.
So if you have a diet that'sjust full of a, the carnivore
diet, for example, with no fibermight work for weight loss, but
it's going to backfire in termsof your digestion and doing all
the other things that fiber doesfor your body.
Okay.
The next thing I wanna talkabout is going low carb or low
(08:27):
carb diets and thyroid healthand what you need to know if you
are a woman with thyroid issues.
So, this is a pattern that wesee over and over again in our
coaching practice is women.
Come to us who have chronicallydieted often since their teens
or early twenties, and once theyhit their forties or fifties
(08:49):
begin dealing with thyroidproblems.
I believe the two are definitelylinked.
I can't give you any science onthat, but we just see it over
and over again.
If you have thyroid issues youprobably do not want to go on a
low carb diet.
Okay, so let's break down thescience of carbs and your
thyroid.
So your thyroid is a smallgland, but it plays a big role
(09:12):
in reg regulating yourmetabolism, your energy, your
mood, digestion, and even yourbody temperature.
And for it to work properly, itneeds a steady supply of
glucose, which is the energy weget from carbs.
So the parts of the brain thatregulate your thyroid, the
hypothalamus and pituitary glandreally depend on glucose to
(09:34):
function properly.
They act as your hormonalcontrol center, and without
glucose, their ability to signalyour thyroid gets impaired.
Also, one of the key hormones inthis process, TSH or thyroid.
Stimulating hormone.
This signals your thyroid toproduce the thyroid hormones, T
(09:54):
three and T four.
TSH itself is partially made upof glucose molecules.
So if you are restricting carbsfor long periods of time, you're
literally removing the fuel thatyour body needs to produce this
important regulatory hormone.
It doesn't stop there.
In addition to these importantroles, carb intake also seems to
(10:14):
influence how much T three isconverted from T four.
So this is a big deal because Tthree is the active form of the
thyroid hormone.
It's the one that actually getsinside your cells and boosts
your metabolism.
And studies suggest that whencar intake is DRA drastically
reduced.
The conversion of T four to Tthree declines.
(10:34):
So that means even if your bodyis making enough T four, you may
not be activating it into usableT three, which again is going to
leave you tired and sluggish andstuck.
And a possible explanation ofthis.
Again, I'm not a doctor or ascientist, but some studies have
suggested that insulin may playa role in ACT activating the
(10:56):
enzymes that convert T four to Tthree.
So if you're not eating verymany carbs and your insulins
levels stay chronically low,that conversion process could
slow down.
So again, we see this all thetime with our clients years of
low carb eating, dietingmetabolic damage and thyroid
(11:16):
issues that don't fully resolveuntil they start fueling their
bodies properly again.
And once they add carbs back instrategically they often see
improvements in energy.
Brain fog.
And sometimes even their thyroidlab numbers improve.
So if you are dealing with athyroid issue or suspect that
you have a thyroid issue, pleaseknow that carbs are not your
(11:38):
enemy.
They can actually be a part ofrestoring your metabolic health
in helping you, your thyroid doits job.
Okay, so now we're gonna getinto some practical, discussion
points.
So how many carbs should you beeating?
Okay, so really, of course itdepends on your body size, your
(11:58):
activity level, and your goals.
We see that most active women dowell with.
At least a hundred grams ofcarbs a day.
Up to 200 grams of carbs perday.
And if you're thinking, oh mygosh, 200 grams of carbs a day,
or even more than a hundredgrams of carbs a day, that seems
like a lot of carbs.
Even what's considered a lowcarb diabetic.
(12:21):
Nutrition plan usually includesat least 120 to 150 grams of
carbs.
So I would say that anythingeven less than 150 grams of
carbs a day is probably, varyinginto that low carb space.
A hundred grams of carbs a day.
I know I only have gone downthat low a few times.
(12:42):
Usually like a few weeks beforea fitness competition to really
just dial everything in.
And I know, like I definitelysee a hit to my energy levels,
my brain function.
I don't get good sleep when I'mthat low carb.
If you are thinking a hundredgrams of carbs a day is a lot
and you're having any symptomsof like brain fog, low energy,
(13:03):
inability to make it throughworkouts.
Then you might want to look atyour carb intake.
So again, if you're liftingconsistently and you're really
looking to build muscle, youprobably wanna be on that higher
end of the range, up to 200grams of carbs or beyond.
And that won't automaticallycause fat gains.
Sometimes the scale goes up whenyou add carbs back into your
(13:24):
body.
But that's usually because whenyou add carbs in, it causes you
to hold onto more water.
But a lot of our clients losefat when they start eating more
carbs because their energyimproves, their workouts get
stronger, they get more activeand again, they wake up that
metabolism and things startworking better.
So just to say, if you aresomeone and you know that you
(13:47):
have thyroid issues or yoususpect that you might have
thyroid issues and you're.
Feeling constantly tired orcraving sugar or not progressing
in the gym.
Looking at your carb intakemight be a good place to start.
Okay.
Last thing to discuss is, whatare smart carb choices?
So not all carbs are createdequal.
(14:10):
Again, the goal isn't to load upon Pop-Tarts and rice crispy
treats and, say, oh good, nowI'm eating carbs again.
So you do definitely want toinclude a variety of whole
unprocessed carbs in your day.
Things that I would turn to arethings like potatoes and sweet
potatoes.
Potatoes are some of the mostsatiating foods that there is.
(14:32):
I know that we've had clientswho come to us and can't believe
they can eat potatoes again.
I don't know why potatoes havegotten such a bad wrap, but they
really are satiating.
They have fiber.
They are lower calorie, like youcan eat more potatoes.
Then other carbs, like a halfcup of potatoes is lower calorie
than a half cup of rice.
Potatoes are a great source ofcarbs.
(14:52):
Brown or white rice is anothergood source of carbs.
Quinoa, oatmeal, beans andlentils have tons of fiber.
They have a little bit ofprotein as well, but are mostly
a carb.
And then things like fruits,apples, bananas, berries,
mangoes, all really good.
Sources of carbs because theyget a lot of fiber comes along
with that.
(15:13):
And then of course, vegetables.
The star, she the vegetable, thehigher the carb content is going
to be.
So things like carrots, squash,and beets.
So again, these are all carbsthat are full of nutrients and
water and fiber and are gonnagive you long lasting energy.
They tend to be very satisfyingand satiating.
They digest slower thansomething like a Pop-Tart.
(15:35):
And they are really going tohelp support your goals.
And so I would be looking for aminimum of four to five servings
of carbs a day just to even hitthat a hundred to 120.
Goal of, carbs a day.
Usually where things go awry iswhat we consider a serving of
carbs.
So that's typically gonna befour ounces or like a half cup.
(15:58):
And make sure you measure yourcarbs if you're, wanting to know
truly how many carbs you'reeating.
A lot of times we're eating.
Maybe more than we realize in aserving.
And that can be the culprit ofnot seeing success versus just
eating carbs.
To pay attention to portionsizes.
But I would say that eating fourto five servings of carbs spread
(16:20):
throughout the day is gonna giveyou really good energy for all
the things that you want to do.
Okay.
So to recap, carbs are not evil.
They are your body's preferredenergy source and they're gonna
help you fuel your workouts,support muscle growth, help
regulate digestion and evenboost that metabolism.
Contrary to popular belief,ditching carbs doesn't make you
(16:41):
healthier.
Usually it just makes us tiredand cranky and sometimes can
lead to horrible binges becausewe just can't function without
them.
If you're not sure how to addcarbs back into your day or if
you're wondering, if yourcurrent low carb or keto diet
might be actually sabotagingyour progress this is something
we help our coaching clientswith every single day, and that
(17:03):
is.
Helping them come up with anutrition plan that contains a
healthy balance of all themacronutrients and incorporating
that into a lifestyle that worksfor them and supports weight
management and all of theirgoals.
We can definitely help you withthat and just help you figure
out, how many carbs to eat andhow to distribute those
(17:24):
throughout the day.
If you're interested in that,feel free to book a discovery
call and check out our coachingprograms.
And other than that, I thinkthat's all I have for you today.
So thanks so much for listeningto the Boost Your Metabolism
after age 30 podcast.
If you found this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend.
Leave us a quick review and hitsubscribe so you don't miss the
(17:44):
next episode.
Okay, see y'all next time.
Hey there everyone.
It's Joe.
And welcome back to the BoosterMetabolism after age 30 podcast.
I am excited you're here todaybecause I'm gonna be talking
about one of the macronutrientscarbs that I think is very
misunderstood and has beendemonized as of late.
Carbs have gotten such a badreputation in recent years.
This is mostly thanks to lowcarb and keto diets, but today I
(00:25):
am gonna set the record straightabout carbs.
Carbs are not evil, and in fact,they play a vital role in your
energy, your workouts a healthymetabolism, and even your body
composition.
So today I'm gonna break downwhy you shouldn't fear carbs and
how to include them in a waythat supports your fitness and
health goals.
(00:45):
Okay, so issue number one thatI'm gonna discuss is why we keep
demonizing food groups.
So taking a step back, nutritiontrends are always shifting.
And the way the diet industrykeeps going is it loves to have
a villain.
In the nineties, fat was theenemy and we had fat-free
(01:06):
everything.
Fat-free cookies, fat-freeyogurt.
I don't know if you remember theSnack Brand.
It was very popular when I wasin college.
And we believed that if we justcut out fat, we'd be healthy and
lose all the weight that wewanted to and be able to manage
our weight in a very easy way.
Fast forward to today, and fathas been redeemed.
(01:27):
Now it's carbs that are underfire.
This is partly because of therise of low carb and keto diets
and now even carnivore diets.
And those diets have convincedpeople that carbs are what are
keeping them from their goalsand from being healthy.
But the truth is your bodydoesn't really function well
when you cut out an entiremacronutrient group.
(01:49):
Our metabolisms work their bestwhen they have a healthy balance
of protein.
Fats, and carbs in particularserve some very important
purposes, especially if you areactive, if you are over 30, if
you're a woman with a thyroidissue and if you're trying to
build muscle and a strong,healthy body.
The reason that cutting outentire food groups tends to work
(02:11):
is that it just naturally limitsyour calories.
If you cut out entiremacronutrient like fat, it just
limits, some unhealthy foodsthat you can eat that may have
fat.
If you cut out carbs, samething.
It tends to cut out.
Calories.
And so how you're losing weightis really by just reducing your
calories, that's what moststudies have found about diets
(02:33):
that just completely eliminatemacro nutrients or one
macronutrient.
Okay.
So let's talk about the purposeor role that carbs serve.
Carbs are your fast energysource.
They are your body's primary andfastest source of energy.
So when you eat carbs, your bodybreaks them down into glucose
which is used immediately forenergy or it gets stored in your
(02:56):
muscles and liver as glycogenfor later use.
If you are someone who isworking out carbs play a
particularly important role andthat's, whether you're lifting
weights or running or doingorange theory your muscles
generally prefer to use glycogenfor energy.
And so without enough carbs, youmight notice that you feel
sluggish or weak or fo foggy orthat you just hit a wall during
(03:20):
your work workouts or just can'tseem to recover, can't seem to
heal energies or heal injuries.
And so what carbs will do ishelp you have that sustained
energy through a workout, keepyour brain sharp and maintain,
help you maintain stable energyand blood sugar throughout the
day.
They're not really just aboutcarb, bloating to fuel long run.
(03:42):
They really do help you functionand manage your energy all day
long because they are that quicksource of energy that we have
access to.
Okay, so the next thing I wannatalk about is the thermogenic
effect of carbs.
So this sort of relates to yourmetabolism.
And one of the great thingsabout carbs and also about
(04:03):
protein is that you burn somecalories just through the
digestion of carbs.
So this is what we call thethermic effect of food.
We've talked about this inrelation to protein.
Protein has the highestthermogenic effect and that's at
about 20%, meaning 20% of thecalories.
That you ingest from protein isgonna be used up to process
(04:26):
that.
Protein, carbs are themacronutrient that they have.
The next highest thermo effect,which is at about eight to 10%,
meaning that about eight to 10%of calories you eat from carbs.
You use up to just, again,process and digest those carbs.
By comparison, fat has thelowest thermic effect and it is
(04:48):
only at about three or 4%,meaning if you eat a hundred
calories of fat, you're onlyburning three to four calories
of fat to digest that food.
So again, protein has thehighest thermic effect of food,
which is one reason we emphasizeit so much.
But carbs still, do have athermic effect and play.
A supporting role in revving upthat metabolism much, much more
(05:10):
than fats do.
Again, carbs help, keep yourmetabolism running just as
protein does.
Okay, let's talk about carbs andmuscle building.
So if you are strength trainingor doing any kind of resistance
work, which again, we highlyrecommend, especially for.
Boosting your metabolism andkeeping that metabolism fast and
(05:34):
speedy as you age.
You need carbs to perform and torecover and to build muscles.
So carbs help replenish theglycogen that gets depleted
during workouts which meansbetter recovery, reduced
soreness, and more energy foryour next session.
Carbs also support muscleprotein Synthesis, meaning carbs
(05:54):
can help your body use proteinmore efficiently.
So when you aren't eating enoughcarbs and you're trying to
strength train and gain muscle,your body sometimes has to turn.
To a different energy source forfor energy if you're not giving
enough carbs and it will turn tomuscle and break down that
muscle.
So if you, again, if you aretrying to get stronger or build
(06:17):
muscle that's definitely notsomething that you want to do.
You're basically working againstyourself.
So, carbs are a reallyimportant, part of the muscle
building process it makes thatprocess work better and you
absolutely need carbs to buildmuscle.
The other thing about in termsof muscle building is again, if
you have carbs in your system,you're just going to be able to
(06:41):
push harder during thoseworkouts to be able to really do
something and perform well andbuild that muscle.
Okay, the next reason carbs arenot evil is because they have a
lot of fiber and can help youfeel full and do all sorts of
other wonderful things.
So carbs are where we get fiber.
(07:02):
And fiber really is your friendfor feeling full and satisfied
throughout the day.
Fiber does a couple of differentthings.
It helps regulate digestion, ithelps stabilize blood sugar.
It keeps you full longer.
It supports health or supportsyour heart and gut health.
And so fiber, rich carbs, thingslike fruits, vegetables, oats,
(07:24):
lentils, whole grains they'renot only nutrient dense.
They have fiber in, are superfilling.
So what happens when people golow carb is oftentimes.
They remove a big chunk of theirfiber intake.
So this can lead to things likedigestive issues bloating energy
(07:44):
crashes and just like cravings.
So when we say eat carbs, ofcourse we're not talking about,
eating pastries and soda.
We're mostly talking aboutmaking sure to include fiber
rich, whole food, carbs thatsupport your health on every
level.
And if you think about it, likemeat and fat really have almost
(08:05):
no fiber at all.
So if you have a diet that'sjust full of a, the carnivore
diet, for example, with no fibermight work for weight loss, but
it's going to backfire in termsof your digestion and doing all
the other things that fiber doesfor your body.
Okay.
The next thing I wanna talkabout is going low carb or low
(08:27):
carb diets and thyroid healthand what you need to know if you
are a woman with thyroid issues.
So, this is a pattern that wesee over and over again in our
coaching practice is women.
Come to us who have chronicallydieted often since their teens
or early twenties, and once theyhit their forties or fifties
(08:49):
begin dealing with thyroidproblems.
I believe the two are definitelylinked.
I can't give you any science onthat, but we just see it over
and over again.
If you have thyroid issues youprobably do not want to go on a
low carb diet.
Okay, so let's break down thescience of carbs and your
thyroid.
So your thyroid is a smallgland, but it plays a big role
(09:12):
in reg regulating yourmetabolism, your energy, your
mood, digestion, and even yourbody temperature.
And for it to work properly, itneeds a steady supply of
glucose, which is the energy weget from carbs.
So the parts of the brain thatregulate your thyroid, the
hypothalamus and pituitary glandreally depend on glucose to
(09:34):
function properly.
They act as your hormonalcontrol center, and without
glucose, their ability to signalyour thyroid gets impaired.
Also, one of the key hormones inthis process, TSH or thyroid.
Stimulating hormone.
This signals your thyroid toproduce the thyroid hormones, T
(09:54):
three and T four.
TSH itself is partially made upof glucose molecules.
So if you are restricting carbsfor long periods of time, you're
literally removing the fuel thatyour body needs to produce this
important regulatory hormone.
It doesn't stop there.
In addition to these importantroles, carb intake also seems to
(10:14):
influence how much T three isconverted from T four.
So this is a big deal because Tthree is the active form of the
thyroid hormone.
It's the one that actually getsinside your cells and boosts
your metabolism.
And studies suggest that whencar intake is DRA drastically
reduced.
The conversion of T four to Tthree declines.
(10:34):
So that means even if your bodyis making enough T four, you may
not be activating it into usableT three, which again is going to
leave you tired and sluggish andstuck.
And a possible explanation ofthis.
Again, I'm not a doctor or ascientist, but some studies have
suggested that insulin may playa role in ACT activating the
(10:56):
enzymes that convert T four to Tthree.
So if you're not eating verymany carbs and your insulins
levels stay chronically low,that conversion process could
slow down.
So again, we see this all thetime with our clients years of
low carb eating, dietingmetabolic damage and thyroid
(11:16):
issues that don't fully resolveuntil they start fueling their
bodies properly again.
And once they add carbs back instrategically they often see
improvements in energy.
Brain fog.
And sometimes even their thyroidlab numbers improve.
So if you are dealing with athyroid issue or suspect that
you have a thyroid issue, pleaseknow that carbs are not your
(11:38):
enemy.
They can actually be a part ofrestoring your metabolic health
in helping you, your thyroid doits job.
Okay, so now we're gonna getinto some practical, discussion
points.
So how many carbs should you beeating?
Okay, so really, of course itdepends on your body size, your
(11:58):
activity level, and your goals.
We see that most active women dowell with.
At least a hundred grams ofcarbs a day.
Up to 200 grams of carbs perday.
And if you're thinking, oh mygosh, 200 grams of carbs a day,
or even more than a hundredgrams of carbs a day, that seems
like a lot of carbs.
Even what's considered a lowcarb diabetic.
(12:21):
Nutrition plan usually includesat least 120 to 150 grams of
carbs.
So I would say that anythingeven less than 150 grams of
carbs a day is probably, varyinginto that low carb space.
A hundred grams of carbs a day.
I know I only have gone downthat low a few times.
(12:42):
Usually like a few weeks beforea fitness competition to really
just dial everything in.
And I know, like I definitelysee a hit to my energy levels,
my brain function.
I don't get good sleep when I'mthat low carb.
If you are thinking a hundredgrams of carbs a day is a lot
and you're having any symptomsof like brain fog, low energy,
(13:03):
inability to make it throughworkouts.
Then you might want to look atyour carb intake.
So again, if you're liftingconsistently and you're really
looking to build muscle, youprobably wanna be on that higher
end of the range, up to 200grams of carbs or beyond.
And that won't automaticallycause fat gains.
Sometimes the scale goes up whenyou add carbs back into your
(13:24):
body.
But that's usually because whenyou add carbs in, it causes you
to hold onto more water.
But a lot of our clients losefat when they start eating more
carbs because their energyimproves, their workouts get
stronger, they get more activeand again, they wake up that
metabolism and things startworking better.
So just to say, if you aresomeone and you know that you
(13:47):
have thyroid issues or yoususpect that you might have
thyroid issues and you're.
Feeling constantly tired orcraving sugar or not progressing
in the gym.
Looking at your carb intakemight be a good place to start.
Okay.
Last thing to discuss is, whatare smart carb choices?
So not all carbs are createdequal.
(14:10):
Again, the goal isn't to load upon Pop-Tarts and rice crispy
treats and, say, oh good, nowI'm eating carbs again.
So you do definitely want toinclude a variety of whole
unprocessed carbs in your day.
Things that I would turn to arethings like potatoes and sweet
potatoes.
Potatoes are some of the mostsatiating foods that there is.
(14:32):
I know that we've had clientswho come to us and can't believe
they can eat potatoes again.
I don't know why potatoes havegotten such a bad wrap, but they
really are satiating.
They have fiber.
They are lower calorie, like youcan eat more potatoes.
Then other carbs, like a halfcup of potatoes is lower calorie
than a half cup of rice.
Potatoes are a great source ofcarbs.
(14:52):
Brown or white rice is anothergood source of carbs.
Quinoa, oatmeal, beans andlentils have tons of fiber.
They have a little bit ofprotein as well, but are mostly
a carb.
And then things like fruits,apples, bananas, berries,
mangoes, all really good.
Sources of carbs because theyget a lot of fiber comes along
with that.
(15:13):
And then of course, vegetables.
The star, she the vegetable, thehigher the carb content is going
to be.
So things like carrots, squash,and beets.
So again, these are all carbsthat are full of nutrients and
water and fiber and are gonnagive you long lasting energy.
They tend to be very satisfyingand satiating.
They digest slower thansomething like a Pop-Tart.
(15:35):
And they are really going tohelp support your goals.
And so I would be looking for aminimum of four to five servings
of carbs a day just to even hitthat a hundred to 120.
Goal of, carbs a day.
Usually where things go awry iswhat we consider a serving of
carbs.
So that's typically gonna befour ounces or like a half cup.
(15:58):
And make sure you measure yourcarbs if you're, wanting to know
truly how many carbs you'reeating.
A lot of times we're eating.
Maybe more than we realize in aserving.
And that can be the culprit ofnot seeing success versus just
eating carbs.
To pay attention to portionsizes.
But I would say that eating fourto five servings of carbs spread
(16:20):
throughout the day is gonna giveyou really good energy for all
the things that you want to do.
Okay.
So to recap, carbs are not evil.
They are your body's preferredenergy source and they're gonna
help you fuel your workouts,support muscle growth, help
regulate digestion and evenboost that metabolism.
Contrary to popular belief,ditching carbs doesn't make you
(16:41):
healthier.
Usually it just makes us tiredand cranky and sometimes can
lead to horrible binges becausewe just can't function without
them.
If you're not sure how to addcarbs back into your day or if
you're wondering, if yourcurrent low carb or keto diet
might be actually sabotagingyour progress this is something
we help our coaching clientswith every single day, and that
(17:03):
is.
Helping them come up with anutrition plan that contains a
healthy balance of all themacronutrients and incorporating
that into a lifestyle that worksfor them and supports weight
management and all of theirgoals.
We can definitely help you withthat and just help you figure
out, how many carbs to eat andhow to distribute those
(17:24):
throughout the day.
If you're interested in that,feel free to book a discovery
call and check out our coachingprograms.
And other than that, I thinkthat's all I have for you today.
So thanks so much for listeningto the Boost Your Metabolism
after age 30 podcast.
If you found this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend.
Leave us a quick review and hitsubscribe so you don't miss the
(17:44):
next episode.
Okay, see y'all next time.
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