June 6, 2025 • 29 mins
Registered dietitian Leonila Campos and dietetic intern Anna Kwon, M.S. tackle the persistent myths about carbohydrates that plague social media and harm athletic performance. They break down the science of how our bodies use energy during exercise and why cutting carbs can damage both health and performance.
• Macronutrients explained: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats all play essential roles in keeping our bodies functioning optimally
• Your brain and central nervous system run almost exclusively on glucose from carbohydrates
• The body uses three energy systems during exercise – phosphagen (immediate energy), anaerobic (carb-dependent), and aerobic (uses all macros but carbs remain most efficient)
• When carbohydrate stores run low during exercise, the body breaks down muscle protein through gluconeogenesis
• Weight loss from low-carb diets while exercising often comes from muscle loss and water weight, not fat
• General recommendations include getting 45-65% of calories from carbs, 10-35% from protein, and 20-35% from fat
• Pre-workout nutrition should focus on carbohydrates (60-70% of calories) to fully stock glycogen
• Post-workout recovery requires both protein AND carbohydrates within 2 hours (ideally immediately)
• Excessive protein intake can cause kidney strain, dehydration, and leaves less room for nutrient-dense carbs
• Food has no moral value – all foods fit into a balanced, sustainable approach to eating
For nutrition questions or personalized guidance, contact Leo at 559-512-0404, fueledbyleo@gmail.com, or on Instagram @nutrition_with_leonila.
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast and share with a friend. If you would like to know more about my services, please message at fueledbyleo@gmail.com
My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SqBP44jMNYSzlcJjOKJdg
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, hey, everybody.
Welcome back to another episodein the Simple Nutrition
Insights podcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian, and today
I am excited to have a dieteticintern with me, ana.
We're going to have a reallygood conversation about carbs
and metabolism and all thingsthat you probably don't hear
(00:22):
often in social media, so I'mreally excited to have this
conversation, anna, welcome tothe show.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Thank you so much for having me, Leo.
I'm really excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So I'll give you an opportunity to introduce
yourself and just let thelisteners know more about you.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Great.
Thank you so much.
My name is Anna and a littleabout my background.
I studied sports nutrition atBoston University.
I then got my master's innutritional sciences at San
Diego State University and I'mnow completing my dietetic
internship with SodexoHealthcare, which is how I got
to work with Leo during mycommunity rotation.
So, as someone who's beenactive my entire life, I've
(00:57):
always been fascinated by thescience of fueling our bodies
properly, and I have to say Icouldn't wait to tackle
carbohydrate myths today,because this hits close to home
for me our bodies properly.
And I have to say I couldn'twait to tackle carbohydrate
myths today because this hitsclose to home for me.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Thank you for sharing about yourself, about your
background, even though we think, oh, dietetic, intern right,
like it's a student, goes beyondthat right, obviously, your
education, your bachelor's, yourmaster's, and just getting a
lot of exposure into theinternship.
Yeah, I'm excited that you'rehere and that we're going to
talk about this.
So can you tell us a bit moreabout the myths and carbs around
(01:32):
this?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Absolutely so.
For starters, whenever someonefinds out that I study nutrition
, the first thing they ask iseither how many carbs should I
eat?
Or they tell me I'm cuttingcarbs.
And they tell me that they'reso confused by all the
conflicting information outthere and it breaks my heart
because I see this everywhereInfluencers and even
well-meaning healthcarepractitioners with little to no
(01:55):
formal nutrition educationpushing restrictive keto diets
or intermittent fasts, peoplecasually throwing around terms
like carbs are bad and, worst ofall, I see active individuals
and athletes falling for theseharmful trends.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, I mean, I could probably be a billionaire by
now if I could count all thetimes that someone tells me oh,
carbs are bad, like you said,specifically your athletes.
I've had some clients that areathletes or endurance athletes,
and they're like oh, I just, youknow, try not to eat carbs.
And my first reaction is weneed carbs and of course we're
going to go into it as to why weneed them.
(02:31):
But you know, it's so harmfulnot only to their performance
but overall health.
And so I get a lot of clientsto that come to me and say you
know, there's so much conflictand information as to why I
should follow right.
Some say don't eat fruit,others, you know, eat fruit or
don't eat carrots, or you knowthis just bogus information that
(02:52):
as nutrition experts, we arefrustrated in a way to think
that, okay, all this informationis making it to the masses.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Definitely.
Thank you so much for sharingthat.
And here's the thing thisinformation that's being spread
on social media or people justtalk about these things very
loosely isn't just harmlessinformation.
They are conflicting messagesthat damage people's
performances, their relationshipwith food and their overall
(03:22):
health.
Growing up as a girl in theearly 2000s, I fell for every
fad diet out there.
I restricted calories, I cutcarbs, I feared fats and I
completely bought into thattoxic good food, bad food
mentality.
That was, and still is,everywhere, and because of this
I got really sick for a longtime and it took me years to
undo that damage and trulyunderstand how to properly
(03:44):
nourish my body so I could dothe things I love and actually
feel good while doing them.
And that's why this work meansso much to me.
I don't want anyone else to gothrough what I went through,
especially when the science isso unequivocally clear about how
our bodies actually work andwhat they need to thrive.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, thank you for sharing that.
It's such a topic that is soclose to you, right, and just
being vulnerable and open totalk about that.
You know you are correct.
Sometimes we see all thesemisinformation and I'm fearful
now with social media and kidssuch a young age being exposed
to it, and we're already seeingthat, and I saw that more
(04:24):
specifically around COVID times.
You know there was a lot ofpatients calling my office for
eating disorders or disordereating because the parents were
so concerned about it and so,yeah, misinformation can really
really damage somebody or likesomeone that is an influencer
that says, oh, just eat this way, you're going to be like me and
we know that it's absolutelyincorrect and so we're going to
(04:45):
talk about where to get yourinformation from down the line.
But, yeah, thank you, anna, forsharing that.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I'm so excited to get into it.
And just to let everyone know,the good news is that learning
about the science and mechanismsof why our bodies need the food
that they do is an incrediblyeffective and critical part of
our healing with ourrelationships with food.
So that's exactly what we'rehere to do today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, amazing.
Okay, let's start with thefoundation.
For listeners who might be newto Nutrition Talk what exactly
are macronutrients?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So macronutrients, or macros as everyone calls them,
are the nutrients that ourbodies need in large amounts,
and there are three of them.
So we have our carbohydrates,proteins and fats, and each one
plays a unique and importantrole in keeping us live and
functioning.
So let's start with carbs.
When you eat carbs, they breakdown into glucose, and that
(05:37):
glucose is what every singlecell in your body uses for
energy.
What's important to keep inmind is that your brain and your
central nervous system runalmost exclusively on glucose.
Unless your body's in a stateof actual starvation, they
really can't use anything elseeffectively.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, and we're not going to leave you here hanging.
We're going to give you moreinformation about these shortly,
but what about the other two?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
macronutrients.
Yeah, so protein is essentiallyyour body's building material,
and it's crucial for musclerepair, building new tissue,
making hormones and enzymes,supporting your immune system.
The list goes on.
Now, while protein cantechnically be used for energy,
it's like using a hammer as ascrewdriver it might work, but
(06:22):
it's not what it's designed forand it's not very efficient.
And then we have our fats,which are actually our most
concentrated energy source.
So we're talking nine caloriesper gram, compared to just four
calories per gram for both carbsand protein.
Now, fats do much more thanjust provide energy, though.
They cushion and protect yourorgans.
They help regulate your bodytemperature, they're absolutely
(06:46):
essential for absorbing fatsoluble vitamins, like vitamins
A, d, e and K, and they provideessential fatty acids that your
body can't make on its own.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Amazing.
So all three macros areessential.
If someone says, you know, cutdown a whole macron group, be
wary of that, because you havelearned that each macronutrient
is so essential for survival andfor overall well-being.
And so if someone is tellingyou that, run away.
Now here's where it getsinteresting for our active
listeners.
Anna, can you break down howour bodies actually use these
nutrients during exercise?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Great question.
So before we dive into how thebody breaks down nutrients for
fuel, it's important tounderstand that your body
actually has three differentenergy systems, working like
gears in a car, andinterestingly, the first system
doesn't even need to break downany macronutrients at all.
So your first gear is called aphosphagen system, which uses
your body's already existingstores of a high energy molecule
(07:45):
called adenosine triphosphateor ATP to supply its energy, and
this is your pure power system.
That kicks in for really shortbursts, so we're talking about
10 seconds of maximal exertion.
So when you're sprinting offthe starting line or, say,
lifting a heavy weight, thatimmediate burst of power comes
from ATP and another moleculecalled creatine phosphate that's
(08:09):
already stored in the muscle.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I'm sure some years per step automation of creatine.
So could you dive into that fora brief moment?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, sure thing.
So we can think of ATP like arechargeable battery that powers
everything in your body.
But the problem is that yourmuscles only store enough ATP to
last about two to three secondsof all-out effort, and that's
where creatine phosphate stepsin.
So creatine phosphate is storedin your muscles and when ATP
loses one phosphate group forenergy, it goes from adenosine
(08:40):
triphosphate to adenosinediphosphate or ADP, so that
phosphate group needs to bereplenished.
Creatine phosphate is there todonate one of its phosphate
groups to regenerate ADP back toATP, basically recharging your
spent battery in milliseconds.
So again, the system keeps yougoing at maximal energy for 10
(09:03):
seconds, and this is exactly whycreatine monohydrate
supplements are so popular andwell-studied.
Supplementing with creatineincrease your muscle stores of
creatine phosphate.
But the biggest misconception isthat people think creatine
directly builds muscle, andthat's not quite accurate.
So what it actually does ishelp you push harder during
(09:25):
those short bursts of highintensity activity.
So maybe you squeeze out anextra rep in your lift or spend
a few seconds longer before youstart to fatigue.
So the key thing to understandis that, while this boost can be
helpful, the phosphagen systemis only active during the
beginning of intense activity.
Phosphagen system is onlyactive during the beginning of
(09:47):
intense activity.
Those first 10 seconds it'syour body's first gear and it
burns out quickly.
So, yes, creatine can helpmaximize performance in that
brief window of explosive effort, but it's not a magic muscle
building supplement on its own.
It just gives you a little morefuel when you need it most.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Yeah, thank you for explaining that and making that
distinction.
The creatine supplement is notgoing to automatically create
muscle, right?
Sometimes they do hear thatit's just like protein, right?
That you automatically aregoing to build muscle.
There is that progression.
You have to still be able toexercise those muscles, but at
the same time, creatine can alsohelp you to perform better, to
(10:24):
get that extra sprint or justget that extra rep or whatever
the case may be, and so it isimportant to make sure that you
are understanding that asupplement is not going to do
the job for you.
The other important thing, too,is that you want to work with a
registered dietitian, a sportsdietitian, to help you figure
out the specific goals that youhave, as well as, if you need
(10:47):
supplementation, that you andyour dietitian are working
together to get you where youneed to be.
Don't start just adding a bunchof things without really
understanding how they are goingto help you.
Your dietitian has to work withyou to make sure that you are
doing it in a safe way.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That is so, so important.
Now we're exercising past those10, 15 seconds of maximal
energy, and then you shift intosecond gear, which is your
anaerobic system, and this fuelshigh intensity activities that
last anywhere from one to threeminutes.
Here's what's really importantfor people to know Only
(11:24):
carbohydrates can fuel thesystem.
Your body is working so hard,so quickly, that there isn't
enough oxygen available forother processes to break down
glucose without oxygen andproduces lactate as a byproduct.
So if you don't have enoughglucose available, the result is
early fatigue, loss of powerand decreased performance.
(11:46):
And finally, we have our thirdgear, which is the aerobic
system, which gives you steadyenergy for longer activities, so
anywhere from several minutesto hours and this system can
technically use all threemacronutrients.
But here's the crucial pointthat people miss Carbs are still
your most efficient fuel source, even during longer exercise.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah.
So when people say, well, burnfat instead, what's the problem
with that?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
So the problem is that relying on fat for energy
during exercise is kind of liketrying to start a fire with wet
wood.
So it will eventually burn, butit's going to take a lot more
time and effort.
Fat needs oxygen to bemetabolized and it has to go
through these really complexbiochemical pathways to produce
energy.
So while fat is fantastic forfueling you during rest and low
(12:37):
intensity activities, when youneed energy quickly for and to
sustain high intensity exercise,it's just not going to cut it.
So what most people don'trealize is that stored body fat
doesn't just magically turn intoenergy when you need it.
Those fat stores have to bereleased from your fat cells,
then they have to travel throughyour bloodstream to get to your
(12:58):
working muscles and then theyhave to be processed through
multiple metabolic pathways.
Meanwhile, muscle glycogen,which is your stored
carbohydrates, is sitting rightthere in your muscles, ready to
be used immediately.
It's like having kindling rightnext to your fireplace versus
having to go out to the forestchop wood every time you want to
start a fire.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, I love the analogies.
You're painting this picture ofhow these systems work and how
important glucose is right, howimportant our carbs are and not
to fear them.
And this is the part thatreally surprises people.
And I explained what happenswhen someone cuts carbs but
keeps exercising hard.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yeah.
So this is where somethingcalled gluconeogenesis comes
into play.
So gluconeogenesis literallymeans making new glucose.
Gluco refers to glucose, neomeans new and genesis means
creation.
So when your carbohydratestores are running low during
intense exercise, your bodydoesn't just politely switch
(13:58):
over to burning fat, like peoplethink it should.
Instead, it starts breakingdown your muscle protein to
create that glucose that yourbrain and working muscles
desperately need.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
So when people think they're losing fat on a low carb
diet while working out hard,they might actually just be
losing the muscle that they'retrying to build.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Exactly, and this is one of the biggest
misconceptions out there.
When people lose weight quicklyon low carb diets while
exercising, a significantportion of that weight loss is
actually muscle mass andsubsequently water weight, not
fat.
And losing muscle means you'regoing to have weaker performance
, a slower metabolism andrecovery is going to be
(14:39):
compromised.
So if we're still using thefire analogy, it's like tearing
down the walls of your house tokeep your fireplace going
instead of just going to buysome firewood.
It'll keep the fire going, butyou're destroying the very thing
you're trying to build up.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, such a powerful analogy and this affects
performance immediately, right?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Absolutely so.
When glycogen, or storedglucose, in muscles and the
liver runs low, everything getsharder.
Workouts feel more difficult,you fatigue faster, mental focus
drops.
Your body is trying to protectitself from completely using up
its ATP stores, which you needto stay alive.
So studies show that carbavailability directly impacts
(15:22):
how long you can exercise, howhard it feels and even your
mental sharpness.
So this is why enduranceathletes carb load before races.
It's not so that they can befaster, but to maintain their
pace longer without crashing.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah so carbs are essential, but not all carbs are
created equal, right.
What should people focus on?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
So carbs are in more foods than people realize Grains
like rice and oats, fruits,vegetables, especially starchy
ones like potatoes, legumes likebeans and lentils, dairy
products like milk and yogurtand, yes, sweet and processed
foods too.
So for most people, includingactive folks, focusing on
(16:04):
complex, high fiber carbs is agreat way to fill your body.
They give you steady energy,plus vitamins, minerals and
fiber that help with digestionand satiety.
So you want to primarily choosefoods like whole grains, a wide
variety of fruits andvegetables and legumes.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
And we're not saying here that you should never have
this food right, or you shouldnever have sweets, or you should
never have XYZ.
What we're saying is that themajority of your meals when you
think about performance and justbeing able to give your body
those nutrients that it needs torecover, repair and continue to
perform really well has to comefrom your wholesome foods.
But hey, if you want a piece ofchocolate or a piece of cake,
(16:44):
go for it.
You're creating this balance.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yes.
So as dietitians and futuredietitians, it's really
important for us to spread thisidea that there is no such thing
as bad foods.
Your body doesn't assign moralvalue to what you eat.
Food is just food, and there'sroom for the treats you love in
a healthy diet.
So, when you think about it,your body breaks down all foods
(17:08):
using the same digestiveprocesses.
So, whether you're eating anapple or a cookie, your stomach
acid, enzymes and intestines aredoing their job to extract
nutrients and energy and get ridof waste.
And what's amazing is that yourbody is essentially a
sophisticated detox anddigestion machine, so your liver
, kidneys and other organs areconstantly working to filter out
(17:29):
anything that doesn't serveyour body.
As long as you're consumingthings in moderation, your body
is remarkably equipped to handlethe occasional processed snack
or dessert, and that's whatthese organs are designed to do.
So if you enjoy ice cream orchips or whatever your favorite
indulgence is, you can andshould include these foods in
your life.
The key is balance andmoderation.
(17:51):
When you focus on getting yournutrition foundation in first so
eating plenty of whole foodslike fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, lean proteins, healthyfats throughout the day, you're
giving your body all theessential nutrients it needs to
function optimally.
What's really interesting isthat when people stop
restricting and startapproaching food from this
(18:11):
balanced perspective, they oftenfind that they naturally want
less of those treat foods thanthey thought they would, because
your body is remarkablyintelligent and knows what it
needs.
So when your body is in anenergy restricted state, it
sends urgent signals to yourbrain saying I need something
high calorie, high sugar and Ineed a lot of it right now.
So what does that mean?
(18:33):
If you're constantly on diets,you're cutting out important
nutrients and energy.
It's not that you don't have alack of willpower, it's just
your body desperately trying toget the energy and nutrients
it's been deprived of.
It's when we swing to extremeswhether that's severe
restriction or consistentovereating that we start to feel
terrible, both physically andmentally.
So instead of labeling food asgood or bad, try to think about
(18:56):
how different foods servedifferent purposes.
Some foods are nutrient denseand fill your body efficiently,
while others are more about funand pleasure, and both have a
place in a healthy, sustainableway of eating.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Thank you so much for mentioning that, and you are
correct.
I get a lot of clients thatcome to me and say I need to not
eat bad food, right, or whenI'm good.
You know, I work with myclients to understand the words
that they're using, because theypaint a story, but also how we
describe ourselves or how wedescribe the food choices that
(19:28):
we make.
It can impact our progress, andso if oftentimes we say, oh,
that's a bad food, or Ishouldn't have ice cream because
I'm being bad, it's the foodthat we really enjoy, and so
then we create this negativeemotion about it when we do eat
it and it shouldn't be that way.
Right, we should be able tocreate balance and still enjoy
those foods without feeling sorestrictive or that you know we
(19:50):
need to eliminate them.
So it is definitely aboutbalance and all foods fit.
I do have one tip for activelisteners.
High fiber foods can cause somebloating if you consume it too
close to workouts, right?
So if you are an active person,definitely experiment with the
timing and just make sure that,whatever you try, never try it
on your day of racing or whenyou're going to compete.
(20:13):
That's another time toexperiment.
You want to add thesemodifications when you're
training, just to make sure thatyour body is going to respond
properly.
And just make sure to alwaysstay hydrated when increasing
your fiber intake, because itpulls some water, so you need
some increasing water as well,especially if you're an active
person.
Make sure that you are stayinghydrated in general.
(20:33):
Okay, let's talk a little bitabout how much carbs people in
general need and what aboutprotein, especially around
exercise.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, the truth is there is no one size fits all
answer.
But for anyone exercisingintensely for over an hour every
day, we strongly recommendworking with a registered
dietitian, so specifically asports dietitian, for that
personalized guidance.
When you're highly active everyday, your calorie and
macronutrient needs are going tobe higher than those of the
(21:03):
general population, so adietitian can help you develop a
personalized plan that supportsyour goals as well as your
nutrient and recovery needs.
But in general, the acceptablemacronutrient distribution range
, or AMDR, is pretty broad forindividualization purposes.
In general, carbs should makeup about 45 to 65% of your total
(21:27):
daily calories, proteinanywhere between 10 to 35% and
fat between 20 to 35%.
And endurance athletes do needthe same macronutrients as
anyone else who's active.
They just need more of them tokeep up with the demands of
their sport.
So we won't go into exactnumbers that people should be
(21:47):
eating in this episode becausewe don't want to provide a
nutrition prescription.
This, again, should be donewith a dietician.
But there are some keyprinciples for feeling well.
So in the day leading up to atough workout so anywhere from
four to 24 hours before it's agood idea to focus on eating
plenty of carbs.
Aim for around 60 to 70% ofyour total calories, to make
(22:12):
sure your glycogen stores arefully stocked.
Then, during exercise,especially if it's lasting
longer than an hour, it'simportant to take in some carbs
to help maintain your energylevels.
And staying hydrated, of course, is also crucial, and we won't
get into full details ofhydrating here, since it could
be its own episode.
(22:32):
But I do want to quicklymention that regular sports
drinks can be really helpful inthis context.
While you're exercising, theyprovide fluids, electrolytes and
glucose, which your musclesneed to keep going.
But, as a side note, if you'resweating a lot and working out
for a long time, sugar-freeelectrolytes electrolyte drinks
might not be the best choice.
(22:53):
So they don't have the carbsyour body needs during prolonged
exercise and for some peoplethe sugar substitutes can cause
stomach issues.
Everyone's different, so it'sall about testing what works
best for your body.
And after exercise, your bodyis primed to replenish glycogen
stores immediately post-workout.
This is crucial and oftenmissed.
(23:14):
It's important to eat carbswithin two hours of a workout,
but ideally right away.
Waiting more than four hourssignificantly impairs recovery.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Yeah and thank you for really explaining that and
making sure that listeners aretaking note of that, and so this
is where the carb proteincombination matters, right?
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Absolutely.
Protein post-workout enhancesmuscle repair, but it works best
with carbohydrates.
Together they speed up glycogenreplenishment and support
recovery.
Many people focus only onprotein and they end up missing
this important synergy Right andwe are learning that we need
(23:53):
our carbs.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So, speaking of protein, many people believe
eating more protein than theother nutrient is always better,
but that isn't true.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Is that right?
Yeah, while eating enoughprotein is important, more isn't
always better.
Remember, the acceptable rangeis 10 to 35% of your total
calories, but many people go waybeyond that and it is simply
not beneficial to your body toconsume more than this.
There are actual problems thatcan occur with excessive protein
(24:23):
intake, including kidney strainfor those with any underlying
kidney issues, and there's alsoincreased risk of dehydration,
since the breakdown of proteinin your body requires water, and
then this increases water lossthrough the urine.
Many high protein foods alsohave higher saturated fat levels
, which is linked to increasedrisk of heart disease and
(24:45):
certain cancers.
And one of the biggest problemswith overemphasizing protein
intake is that there's less roomfor carb-rich, nutrient-dense
foods like fruits, vegetables,whole grains and legumes.
And when you overemphasize thatprotein intake, you often
under-eat carbs, which leads tofatigue, poor recovery,
(25:06):
disrupted sleep and, ironically,potential muscle loss through
gluconeogenesis.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah, so balance is definitely the key for all
macronutrients.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Exactly so.
When it comes to fats, you wantto aim for about 20 to 35% of
your total daily calories, butthe key is focusing on nuts,
seeds, olive oil, avocado andfatty fish especially fatty fish
because they're packed withanti-inflammatory omega-3s, such
as salmon.
When you're getting qualityfats like these, your body can
(25:38):
properly absorb and transportthose fat-soluble vitamins we
talked about.
You're reducing inflammationafter a workout, you're giving
your brain the nourishment itneeds to function optimally and
you're supporting all thoseother critical roles that fats
play in keeping your bodyrunning smoothly.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Thank you for making all the analogies and help us
understand the important role ofall the macronutrients, because
we need all of them.
This is why diets don't workwell, because our bodies need
these nutrients.
It's just important that weunderstand that specifically, if
you're an athlete, you need allthese nutrients to help you
recover, to help you repair andto help you perform better.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, thank you Absolutely.
It's so important to keep thisinformation in mind and remember
that if any diet touts cuttingout entire food groups, that
that diet is not only not goingto be sustainable, but it's
going to harm your body in someway, shape or form.
This leads into a veryimportant question Before we
wrap up, leo where should peopleactually get their nutrition
(26:41):
advice?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, amazing question.
This is so important.
Social media is just floodedwith influencers, nutrition
coaches and even well-meaninghealthcare professionals without
formal nutrition educationgiving advice that can cause
real harm, especially for activepeople.
So registered dietitians arethe only professionals
specifically trained inevidence-based, individualized
(27:03):
nutrition care.
We understand the science, theindividual variations and how to
optimize both performance andhealth.
You know, if you haven't workedwith a dietitian and you're an
active person, you need adietitian in your life.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Thank you so much, leo.
If you're experiencing lowenergy, you're not performing
well and you just don't know howto meet your needs.
See a registered dietitian.
So, leo, where can yourlisteners contact you if they
want some advice?
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, I do have an Instagram.
You can follow me if you like.
Nutrition underscore withunderscore Leonila L-E-O-N-I-L-A
.
If you want to send me a text,this might be faster
559-512-0404.
Or my email fueledbyleo atgmailcom.
I'll make sure to add all thisinformation in the show notes so
(27:50):
you don't have to scramble andwrite it.
I'll make sure to add all thisinformation in the show notes so
you don't have to scramble andwrite it, and this has been such
an incredible, enlighteningepisode.
Any final thoughts for ourlisteners.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yes, I hope this episode informs and empowers
people to fuel themselves welland to ditch the diet myths once
and for all.
Carbs are not the enemy.
They're your body's preferredfuel source.
Embrace them, choose themwisely, time them well and watch
your performance excel.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Amazing Mic drop.
Nothing else to say.
But yeah, thank you so much,Anna.
That is it, my friends.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
I appreciate you.
We'll talk to you and see youin another episode.
Bye-bye for now.
Hey, hey, everybody.
Welcome back to another episodein the Simple Nutrition
Insights podcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian, and today
I am excited to have a dieteticintern with me, ana.
We're going to have a reallygood conversation about carbs
and metabolism and all thingsthat you probably don't hear
(00:22):
often in social media, so I'mreally excited to have this
conversation, anna, welcome tothe show.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Thank you so much for having me, Leo.
I'm really excited to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So I'll give you an opportunity to introduce
yourself and just let thelisteners know more about you.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Great.
Thank you so much.
My name is Anna and a littleabout my background.
I studied sports nutrition atBoston University.
I then got my master's innutritional sciences at San
Diego State University and I'mnow completing my dietetic
internship with SodexoHealthcare, which is how I got
to work with Leo during mycommunity rotation.
So, as someone who's beenactive my entire life, I've
(00:57):
always been fascinated by thescience of fueling our bodies
properly, and I have to say Icouldn't wait to tackle
carbohydrate myths today,because this hits close to home
for me our bodies properly.
And I have to say I couldn'twait to tackle carbohydrate
myths today because this hitsclose to home for me.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Thank you for sharing about yourself, about your
background, even though we think, oh, dietetic, intern right,
like it's a student, goes beyondthat right, obviously, your
education, your bachelor's, yourmaster's, and just getting a
lot of exposure into theinternship.
Yeah, I'm excited that you'rehere and that we're going to
talk about this.
So can you tell us a bit moreabout the myths and carbs around
(01:32):
this?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Absolutely so.
For starters, whenever someonefinds out that I study nutrition
, the first thing they ask iseither how many carbs should I
eat?
Or they tell me I'm cuttingcarbs.
And they tell me that they'reso confused by all the
conflicting information outthere and it breaks my heart
because I see this everywhereInfluencers and even
well-meaning healthcarepractitioners with little to no
(01:55):
formal nutrition educationpushing restrictive keto diets
or intermittent fasts, peoplecasually throwing around terms
like carbs are bad and, worst ofall, I see active individuals
and athletes falling for theseharmful trends.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, I mean, I could probably be a billionaire by
now if I could count all thetimes that someone tells me oh,
carbs are bad, like you said,specifically your athletes.
I've had some clients that areathletes or endurance athletes,
and they're like oh, I just, youknow, try not to eat carbs.
And my first reaction is weneed carbs and of course we're
going to go into it as to why weneed them.
(02:31):
But you know, it's so harmfulnot only to their performance
but overall health.
And so I get a lot of clientsto that come to me and say you
know, there's so much conflictand information as to why I
should follow right.
Some say don't eat fruit,others, you know, eat fruit or
don't eat carrots, or you knowthis just bogus information that
(02:52):
as nutrition experts, we arefrustrated in a way to think
that, okay, all this informationis making it to the masses.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Definitely.
Thank you so much for sharingthat.
And here's the thing thisinformation that's being spread
on social media or people justtalk about these things very
loosely isn't just harmlessinformation.
They are conflicting messagesthat damage people's
performances, their relationshipwith food and their overall
(03:22):
health.
Growing up as a girl in theearly 2000s, I fell for every
fad diet out there.
I restricted calories, I cutcarbs, I feared fats and I
completely bought into thattoxic good food, bad food
mentality.
That was, and still is,everywhere, and because of this
I got really sick for a longtime and it took me years to
undo that damage and trulyunderstand how to properly
(03:44):
nourish my body so I could dothe things I love and actually
feel good while doing them.
And that's why this work meansso much to me.
I don't want anyone else to gothrough what I went through,
especially when the science isso unequivocally clear about how
our bodies actually work andwhat they need to thrive.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, thank you for sharing that.
It's such a topic that is soclose to you, right, and just
being vulnerable and open totalk about that.
You know you are correct.
Sometimes we see all thesemisinformation and I'm fearful
now with social media and kidssuch a young age being exposed
to it, and we're already seeingthat, and I saw that more
(04:24):
specifically around COVID times.
You know there was a lot ofpatients calling my office for
eating disorders or disordereating because the parents were
so concerned about it and so,yeah, misinformation can really
really damage somebody or likesomeone that is an influencer
that says, oh, just eat this way, you're going to be like me and
we know that it's absolutelyincorrect and so we're going to
(04:45):
talk about where to get yourinformation from down the line.
But, yeah, thank you, anna, forsharing that.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I'm so excited to get into it.
And just to let everyone know,the good news is that learning
about the science and mechanismsof why our bodies need the food
that they do is an incrediblyeffective and critical part of
our healing with ourrelationships with food.
So that's exactly what we'rehere to do today.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, amazing.
Okay, let's start with thefoundation.
For listeners who might be newto Nutrition Talk what exactly
are macronutrients?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So macronutrients, or macros as everyone calls them,
are the nutrients that ourbodies need in large amounts,
and there are three of them.
So we have our carbohydrates,proteins and fats, and each one
plays a unique and importantrole in keeping us live and
functioning.
So let's start with carbs.
When you eat carbs, they breakdown into glucose, and that
(05:37):
glucose is what every singlecell in your body uses for
energy.
What's important to keep inmind is that your brain and your
central nervous system runalmost exclusively on glucose.
Unless your body's in a stateof actual starvation, they
really can't use anything elseeffectively.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, and we're not going to leave you here hanging.
We're going to give you moreinformation about these shortly,
but what about the other two?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
macronutrients.
Yeah, so protein is essentiallyyour body's building material,
and it's crucial for musclerepair, building new tissue,
making hormones and enzymes,supporting your immune system.
The list goes on.
Now, while protein cantechnically be used for energy,
it's like using a hammer as ascrewdriver it might work, but
(06:22):
it's not what it's designed forand it's not very efficient.
And then we have our fats,which are actually our most
concentrated energy source.
So we're talking nine caloriesper gram, compared to just four
calories per gram for both carbsand protein.
Now, fats do much more thanjust provide energy, though.
They cushion and protect yourorgans.
They help regulate your bodytemperature, they're absolutely
(06:46):
essential for absorbing fatsoluble vitamins, like vitamins
A, d, e and K, and they provideessential fatty acids that your
body can't make on its own.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Amazing.
So all three macros areessential.
If someone says, you know, cutdown a whole macron group, be
wary of that, because you havelearned that each macronutrient
is so essential for survival andfor overall well-being.
And so if someone is tellingyou that, run away.
Now here's where it getsinteresting for our active
listeners.
Anna, can you break down howour bodies actually use these
nutrients during exercise?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Great question.
So before we dive into how thebody breaks down nutrients for
fuel, it's important tounderstand that your body
actually has three differentenergy systems, working like
gears in a car, andinterestingly, the first system
doesn't even need to break downany macronutrients at all.
So your first gear is called aphosphagen system, which uses
your body's already existingstores of a high energy molecule
(07:45):
called adenosine triphosphateor ATP to supply its energy, and
this is your pure power system.
That kicks in for really shortbursts, so we're talking about
10 seconds of maximal exertion.
So when you're sprinting offthe starting line or, say,
lifting a heavy weight, thatimmediate burst of power comes
from ATP and another moleculecalled creatine phosphate that's
(08:09):
already stored in the muscle.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I'm sure some years per step automation of creatine.
So could you dive into that fora brief moment?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, sure thing.
So we can think of ATP like arechargeable battery that powers
everything in your body.
But the problem is that yourmuscles only store enough ATP to
last about two to three secondsof all-out effort, and that's
where creatine phosphate stepsin.
So creatine phosphate is storedin your muscles and when ATP
loses one phosphate group forenergy, it goes from adenosine
(08:40):
triphosphate to adenosinediphosphate or ADP, so that
phosphate group needs to bereplenished.
Creatine phosphate is there todonate one of its phosphate
groups to regenerate ADP back toATP, basically recharging your
spent battery in milliseconds.
So again, the system keeps yougoing at maximal energy for 10
(09:03):
seconds, and this is exactly whycreatine monohydrate
supplements are so popular andwell-studied.
Supplementing with creatineincrease your muscle stores of
creatine phosphate.
But the biggest misconception isthat people think creatine
directly builds muscle, andthat's not quite accurate.
So what it actually does ishelp you push harder during
(09:25):
those short bursts of highintensity activity.
So maybe you squeeze out anextra rep in your lift or spend
a few seconds longer before youstart to fatigue.
So the key thing to understandis that, while this boost can be
helpful, the phosphagen systemis only active during the
beginning of intense activity.
Phosphagen system is onlyactive during the beginning of
(09:47):
intense activity.
Those first 10 seconds it'syour body's first gear and it
burns out quickly.
So, yes, creatine can helpmaximize performance in that
brief window of explosive effort, but it's not a magic muscle
building supplement on its own.
It just gives you a little morefuel when you need it most.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Yeah, thank you for explaining that and making that
distinction.
The creatine supplement is notgoing to automatically create
muscle, right?
Sometimes they do hear thatit's just like protein, right?
That you automatically aregoing to build muscle.
There is that progression.
You have to still be able toexercise those muscles, but at
the same time, creatine can alsohelp you to perform better, to
(10:24):
get that extra sprint or justget that extra rep or whatever
the case may be, and so it isimportant to make sure that you
are understanding that asupplement is not going to do
the job for you.
The other important thing, too,is that you want to work with a
registered dietitian, a sportsdietitian, to help you figure
out the specific goals that youhave, as well as, if you need
(10:47):
supplementation, that you andyour dietitian are working
together to get you where youneed to be.
Don't start just adding a bunchof things without really
understanding how they are goingto help you.
Your dietitian has to work withyou to make sure that you are
doing it in a safe way.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
That is so, so important.
Now we're exercising past those10, 15 seconds of maximal
energy, and then you shift intosecond gear, which is your
anaerobic system, and this fuelshigh intensity activities that
last anywhere from one to threeminutes.
Here's what's really importantfor people to know Only
(11:24):
carbohydrates can fuel thesystem.
Your body is working so hard,so quickly, that there isn't
enough oxygen available forother processes to break down
glucose without oxygen andproduces lactate as a byproduct.
So if you don't have enoughglucose available, the result is
early fatigue, loss of powerand decreased performance.
(11:46):
And finally, we have our thirdgear, which is the aerobic
system, which gives you steadyenergy for longer activities, so
anywhere from several minutesto hours and this system can
technically use all threemacronutrients.
But here's the crucial pointthat people miss Carbs are still
your most efficient fuel source, even during longer exercise.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah.
So when people say, well, burnfat instead, what's the problem
with that?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
So the problem is that relying on fat for energy
during exercise is kind of liketrying to start a fire with wet
wood.
So it will eventually burn, butit's going to take a lot more
time and effort.
Fat needs oxygen to bemetabolized and it has to go
through these really complexbiochemical pathways to produce
energy.
So while fat is fantastic forfueling you during rest and low
(12:37):
intensity activities, when youneed energy quickly for and to
sustain high intensity exercise,it's just not going to cut it.
So what most people don'trealize is that stored body fat
doesn't just magically turn intoenergy when you need it.
Those fat stores have to bereleased from your fat cells,
then they have to travel throughyour bloodstream to get to your
(12:58):
working muscles and then theyhave to be processed through
multiple metabolic pathways.
Meanwhile, muscle glycogen,which is your stored
carbohydrates, is sitting rightthere in your muscles, ready to
be used immediately.
It's like having kindling rightnext to your fireplace versus
having to go out to the forestchop wood every time you want to
start a fire.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, I love the analogies.
You're painting this picture ofhow these systems work and how
important glucose is right, howimportant our carbs are and not
to fear them.
And this is the part thatreally surprises people.
And I explained what happenswhen someone cuts carbs but
keeps exercising hard.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yeah.
So this is where somethingcalled gluconeogenesis comes
into play.
So gluconeogenesis literallymeans making new glucose.
Gluco refers to glucose, neomeans new and genesis means
creation.
So when your carbohydratestores are running low during
intense exercise, your bodydoesn't just politely switch
(13:58):
over to burning fat, like peoplethink it should.
Instead, it starts breakingdown your muscle protein to
create that glucose that yourbrain and working muscles
desperately need.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
So when people think they're losing fat on a low carb
diet while working out hard,they might actually just be
losing the muscle that they'retrying to build.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Exactly, and this is one of the biggest
misconceptions out there.
When people lose weight quicklyon low carb diets while
exercising, a significantportion of that weight loss is
actually muscle mass andsubsequently water weight, not
fat.
And losing muscle means you'regoing to have weaker performance
, a slower metabolism andrecovery is going to be
(14:39):
compromised.
So if we're still using thefire analogy, it's like tearing
down the walls of your house tokeep your fireplace going
instead of just going to buysome firewood.
It'll keep the fire going, butyou're destroying the very thing
you're trying to build up.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, such a powerful analogy and this affects
performance immediately, right?
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Absolutely so.
When glycogen, or storedglucose, in muscles and the
liver runs low, everything getsharder.
Workouts feel more difficult,you fatigue faster, mental focus
drops.
Your body is trying to protectitself from completely using up
its ATP stores, which you needto stay alive.
So studies show that carbavailability directly impacts
(15:22):
how long you can exercise, howhard it feels and even your
mental sharpness.
So this is why enduranceathletes carb load before races.
It's not so that they can befaster, but to maintain their
pace longer without crashing.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah so carbs are essential, but not all carbs are
created equal, right.
What should people focus on?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
So carbs are in more foods than people realize Grains
like rice and oats, fruits,vegetables, especially starchy
ones like potatoes, legumes likebeans and lentils, dairy
products like milk and yogurtand, yes, sweet and processed
foods too.
So for most people, includingactive folks, focusing on
(16:04):
complex, high fiber carbs is agreat way to fill your body.
They give you steady energy,plus vitamins, minerals and
fiber that help with digestionand satiety.
So you want to primarily choosefoods like whole grains, a wide
variety of fruits andvegetables and legumes.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
And we're not saying here that you should never have
this food right, or you shouldnever have sweets, or you should
never have XYZ.
What we're saying is that themajority of your meals when you
think about performance and justbeing able to give your body
those nutrients that it needs torecover, repair and continue to
perform really well has to comefrom your wholesome foods.
But hey, if you want a piece ofchocolate or a piece of cake,
(16:44):
go for it.
You're creating this balance.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yes.
So as dietitians and futuredietitians, it's really
important for us to spread thisidea that there is no such thing
as bad foods.
Your body doesn't assign moralvalue to what you eat.
Food is just food, and there'sroom for the treats you love in
a healthy diet.
So, when you think about it,your body breaks down all foods
(17:08):
using the same digestiveprocesses.
So, whether you're eating anapple or a cookie, your stomach
acid, enzymes and intestines aredoing their job to extract
nutrients and energy and get ridof waste.
And what's amazing is that yourbody is essentially a
sophisticated detox anddigestion machine, so your liver
, kidneys and other organs areconstantly working to filter out
(17:29):
anything that doesn't serveyour body.
As long as you're consumingthings in moderation, your body
is remarkably equipped to handlethe occasional processed snack
or dessert, and that's whatthese organs are designed to do.
So if you enjoy ice cream orchips or whatever your favorite
indulgence is, you can andshould include these foods in
your life.
The key is balance andmoderation.
(17:51):
When you focus on getting yournutrition foundation in first so
eating plenty of whole foodslike fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, lean proteins, healthyfats throughout the day, you're
giving your body all theessential nutrients it needs to
function optimally.
What's really interesting isthat when people stop
restricting and startapproaching food from this
(18:11):
balanced perspective, they oftenfind that they naturally want
less of those treat foods thanthey thought they would, because
your body is remarkablyintelligent and knows what it
needs.
So when your body is in anenergy restricted state, it
sends urgent signals to yourbrain saying I need something
high calorie, high sugar and Ineed a lot of it right now.
So what does that mean?
(18:33):
If you're constantly on diets,you're cutting out important
nutrients and energy.
It's not that you don't have alack of willpower, it's just
your body desperately trying toget the energy and nutrients
it's been deprived of.
It's when we swing to extremeswhether that's severe
restriction or consistentovereating that we start to feel
terrible, both physically andmentally.
So instead of labeling food asgood or bad, try to think about
(18:56):
how different foods servedifferent purposes.
Some foods are nutrient denseand fill your body efficiently,
while others are more about funand pleasure, and both have a
place in a healthy, sustainableway of eating.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Thank you so much for mentioning that, and you are
correct.
I get a lot of clients thatcome to me and say I need to not
eat bad food, right, or whenI'm good.
You know, I work with myclients to understand the words
that they're using, because theypaint a story, but also how we
describe ourselves or how wedescribe the food choices that
(19:28):
we make.
It can impact our progress, andso if oftentimes we say, oh,
that's a bad food, or Ishouldn't have ice cream because
I'm being bad, it's the foodthat we really enjoy, and so
then we create this negativeemotion about it when we do eat
it and it shouldn't be that way.
Right, we should be able tocreate balance and still enjoy
those foods without feeling sorestrictive or that you know we
(19:50):
need to eliminate them.
So it is definitely aboutbalance and all foods fit.
I do have one tip for activelisteners.
High fiber foods can cause somebloating if you consume it too
close to workouts, right?
So if you are an active person,definitely experiment with the
timing and just make sure that,whatever you try, never try it
on your day of racing or whenyou're going to compete.
(20:13):
That's another time toexperiment.
You want to add thesemodifications when you're
training, just to make sure thatyour body is going to respond
properly.
And just make sure to alwaysstay hydrated when increasing
your fiber intake, because itpulls some water, so you need
some increasing water as well,especially if you're an active
person.
Make sure that you are stayinghydrated in general.
(20:33):
Okay, let's talk a little bitabout how much carbs people in
general need and what aboutprotein, especially around
exercise.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, the truth is there is no one size fits all
answer.
But for anyone exercisingintensely for over an hour every
day, we strongly recommendworking with a registered
dietitian, so specifically asports dietitian, for that
personalized guidance.
When you're highly active everyday, your calorie and
macronutrient needs are going tobe higher than those of the
(21:03):
general population, so adietitian can help you develop a
personalized plan that supportsyour goals as well as your
nutrient and recovery needs.
But in general, the acceptablemacronutrient distribution range
, or AMDR, is pretty broad forindividualization purposes.
In general, carbs should makeup about 45 to 65% of your total
(21:27):
daily calories, proteinanywhere between 10 to 35% and
fat between 20 to 35%.
And endurance athletes do needthe same macronutrients as
anyone else who's active.
They just need more of them tokeep up with the demands of
their sport.
So we won't go into exactnumbers that people should be
(21:47):
eating in this episode becausewe don't want to provide a
nutrition prescription.
This, again, should be donewith a dietician.
But there are some keyprinciples for feeling well.
So in the day leading up to atough workout so anywhere from
four to 24 hours before it's agood idea to focus on eating
plenty of carbs.
Aim for around 60 to 70% ofyour total calories, to make
(22:12):
sure your glycogen stores arefully stocked.
Then, during exercise,especially if it's lasting
longer than an hour, it'simportant to take in some carbs
to help maintain your energylevels.
And staying hydrated, of course, is also crucial, and we won't
get into full details ofhydrating here, since it could
be its own episode.
(22:32):
But I do want to quicklymention that regular sports
drinks can be really helpful inthis context.
While you're exercising, theyprovide fluids, electrolytes and
glucose, which your musclesneed to keep going.
But, as a side note, if you'resweating a lot and working out
for a long time, sugar-freeelectrolytes electrolyte drinks
might not be the best choice.
(22:53):
So they don't have the carbsyour body needs during prolonged
exercise and for some peoplethe sugar substitutes can cause
stomach issues.
Everyone's different, so it'sall about testing what works
best for your body.
And after exercise, your bodyis primed to replenish glycogen
stores immediately post-workout.
This is crucial and oftenmissed.
(23:14):
It's important to eat carbswithin two hours of a workout,
but ideally right away.
Waiting more than four hourssignificantly impairs recovery.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Yeah and thank you for really explaining that and
making sure that listeners aretaking note of that, and so this
is where the carb proteincombination matters, right?
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Absolutely.
Protein post-workout enhancesmuscle repair, but it works best
with carbohydrates.
Together they speed up glycogenreplenishment and support
recovery.
Many people focus only onprotein and they end up missing
this important synergy Right andwe are learning that we need
(23:53):
our carbs.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So, speaking of protein, many people believe
eating more protein than theother nutrient is always better,
but that isn't true.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Is that right?
Yeah, while eating enoughprotein is important, more isn't
always better.
Remember, the acceptable rangeis 10 to 35% of your total
calories, but many people go waybeyond that and it is simply
not beneficial to your body toconsume more than this.
There are actual problems thatcan occur with excessive protein
(24:23):
intake, including kidney strainfor those with any underlying
kidney issues, and there's alsoincreased risk of dehydration,
since the breakdown of proteinin your body requires water, and
then this increases water lossthrough the urine.
Many high protein foods alsohave higher saturated fat levels
, which is linked to increasedrisk of heart disease and
(24:45):
certain cancers.
And one of the biggest problemswith overemphasizing protein
intake is that there's less roomfor carb-rich, nutrient-dense
foods like fruits, vegetables,whole grains and legumes.
And when you overemphasize thatprotein intake, you often
under-eat carbs, which leads tofatigue, poor recovery,
(25:06):
disrupted sleep and, ironically,potential muscle loss through
gluconeogenesis.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah, so balance is definitely the key for all
macronutrients.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Exactly so.
When it comes to fats, you wantto aim for about 20 to 35% of
your total daily calories, butthe key is focusing on nuts,
seeds, olive oil, avocado andfatty fish especially fatty fish
because they're packed withanti-inflammatory omega-3s, such
as salmon.
When you're getting qualityfats like these, your body can
(25:38):
properly absorb and transportthose fat-soluble vitamins we
talked about.
You're reducing inflammationafter a workout, you're giving
your brain the nourishment itneeds to function optimally and
you're supporting all thoseother critical roles that fats
play in keeping your bodyrunning smoothly.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Thank you for making all the analogies and help us
understand the important role ofall the macronutrients, because
we need all of them.
This is why diets don't workwell, because our bodies need
these nutrients.
It's just important that weunderstand that specifically, if
you're an athlete, you need allthese nutrients to help you
recover, to help you repair andto help you perform better.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, thank you Absolutely.
It's so important to keep thisinformation in mind and remember
that if any diet touts cuttingout entire food groups, that
that diet is not only not goingto be sustainable, but it's
going to harm your body in someway, shape or form.
This leads into a veryimportant question Before we
wrap up, leo where should peopleactually get their nutrition
(26:41):
advice?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Yeah, amazing question.
This is so important.
Social media is just floodedwith influencers, nutrition
coaches and even well-meaninghealthcare professionals without
formal nutrition educationgiving advice that can cause
real harm, especially for activepeople.
So registered dietitians arethe only professionals
specifically trained inevidence-based, individualized
(27:03):
nutrition care.
We understand the science, theindividual variations and how to
optimize both performance andhealth.
You know, if you haven't workedwith a dietitian and you're an
active person, you need adietitian in your life.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Thank you so much, leo.
If you're experiencing lowenergy, you're not performing
well and you just don't know howto meet your needs.
See a registered dietitian.
So, leo, where can yourlisteners contact you if they
want some advice?
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, I do have an Instagram.
You can follow me if you like.
Nutrition underscore withunderscore Leonila L-E-O-N-I-L-A
.
If you want to send me a text,this might be faster
559-512-0404.
Or my email fueledbyleo atgmailcom.
I'll make sure to add all thisinformation in the show notes so
(27:50):
you don't have to scramble andwrite it.
I'll make sure to add all thisinformation in the show notes so
you don't have to scramble andwrite it, and this has been such
an incredible, enlighteningepisode.
Any final thoughts for ourlisteners.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yes, I hope this episode informs and empowers
people to fuel themselves welland to ditch the diet myths once
and for all.
Carbs are not the enemy.
They're your body's preferredfuel source.
Embrace them, choose themwisely, time them well and watch
your performance excel.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Amazing Mic drop.
Nothing else to say.
But yeah, thank you so much,Anna.
That is it, my friends.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
I appreciate you.
We'll talk to you and see youin another episode.
Bye-bye for now.
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