April 3, 2025 • 18 mins
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source and an essential macronutrient that provides numerous benefits when consumed in the right forms and quantities. In this myth-busting episode, registered dietitian Leonila Campos explains why carbs aren't the enemy and provides practical guidance for incorporating them into a balanced diet.
• Carbs are one of three main macronutrients that provide essential fuel, especially for the brain which uses 20% of daily calories
• The three types of carbs include simple carbs (fruit, milk, added sugars), complex carbs (whole grains, beans, starchy vegetables), and fiber
• Carbs alone don't cause weight gain - excess calories from any source can lead to weight gain
• Low-carb diets aren't suitable for everyone and can cause low energy, brain fog and muscle loss
• There's a significant difference between naturally occurring sugars in whole foods versus added sugars in processed foods
• Evening carbohydrate consumption doesn't automatically lead to weight gain and can improve sleep quality
• Athletes should not restrict carbohydrates as they're essential for performance, recovery and injury prevention
• Focus on fiber-rich sources like whole grains, fruits and vegetables for optimal health benefits
• Always pair carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats for balanced meals that provide sustained energy
• Be mindful of liquid carbs like sugary drinks which can contain 40-80 grams of sugar per serving
Download my free carbohydrate handout with practical tips on adding more balance to your meals in the show notes. Let me know your biggest takeaway by messaging me on Instagram @nutrition_with_leonila or text me at 559-512-0404.
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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, welcome back to another episode in the
Simple Nutrition InsightsPodcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian.
I feel that it has been aminute since I've done an
episode, probably three weeks,and I had been doing two
episodes a week, so I definitelymiss coming and doing an
(00:22):
episode.
So I definitely miss coming inand doing an episode.
I enjoy these episodes.
I enjoy talking about nutritionand wellness, and so, because
I've been so busy with otherprojects, I haven't had a chance
to record.
So I'm here, I have some timebetween sessions, so I decided
(00:44):
to do an episode right now.
So let's talk about the truthabout carbohydrates myths, facts
and practical tips.
I feel that poor carbs get sucha bad rep all the time and I
still, till this day, I haveclients that say you know, carbs
are bad, we shouldn't havecarbohydrates.
You know keto Ds and carnivoreDs, and so it's really important
(01:09):
to understand the role ofcarbohydrates right, understand
the importance of carbs.
It is one of the macronutrients.
I believe I've done proteinalready, so if you haven't had a
chance to listen to thatepisode, you know, go back to it
.
I have a nice handout that hashigh protein sources,
(01:32):
plant-based and animal-based, socheck it out.
But yes, today we're tackling atopic that has been
misunderstood for way too long.
Right, oftentimes, cars havebeen blamed for weight gain,
cravings and even chronicdiseases, but what's the real
story here?
Are all carbs bad?
(01:53):
Do we really need them, and howdo we balance them in a healthy
nutrition plan?
So let's break down some of thebiggest carb myths, clear out
the confusion and give youpractical tips on how to enjoy
carbs without guilt.
Let's start with basics.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbs are one of the three mainmacronutrients, along with
(02:16):
protein and fat.
I am going to do anotherepisode on fat, because it is
the third macronutrient.
They are the body's preferredsource of energy.
So carbohydrates are the body'spreferred source of energy,
especially for the brain andmuscles.
Do you know that the brain usesabout 20% of your calories?
(02:37):
More specifically,carbohydrates?
Right, our brain usescarbohydrates and we need them.
Right them for our brain andfor other functions.
So there are three main typesof carbohydrates Simple carbs,
which are found in fruit, milkand added sugars.
(02:58):
Complex carbs, which are foundin whole grains, beans and
starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn.
We have fiber, a type of carbthat the body doesn't digest but
plays a huge role in gut healthand blood sugar regulation and
cholesterol management.
Our body needs carbohydrates tofunction, especially for those
(03:19):
who are active, growing orthinking a lot throughout the
day.
If you have a job right, thatrequires a lot of thinking, that
requires, um, you know you touse your brain a lot.
It's important that um, wedon't neglect carbohydrates.
(03:39):
Myth number one carbs make yougain weight.
Carbs alone do not cause weightgain.
Excess calories from any sourcecan.
The problem is often thequality of the carbohydrates and
the portion sizes.
A diet filled with refinedcarbs and sugars without balance
can that can lead to overeatingand blood sugar spikes.
(04:01):
But whole fiber, rich carbs keepyou full and provide essential
nutrients.
So the fiber helps with satiety.
The fiber helps with feelingyou know that we are satiated.
It helps with blood sugarmanagement and blood sugar
regulation.
So we don't have these spikesright, like these blood sugar
roller coasters.
So we have something sugary andthe natural response of your
(04:24):
body is to signal the, thepancreas right to release
insulin so it can take thatsugar out of the blood and take
it into the cells.
But if we do that often right,that's where we have this sugar
roller coaster and so as theblood sugars drop, right, then
that signals your body and yourbrain like, hey, we need to add
more, more food here, right, butnot necessarily sugar.
(04:46):
We need more balanced meals.
We need more complexcarbohydrates, more fiber-rich
carbohydrates, to maintain thatlow sugar regulation and we're
not having these cravings orthis need to want to eat often,
but they're not necessary.
For let me.
I wanted to say here yeah, thewhole fiber and adding more
(05:07):
fiber-rich carbs.
Myth number two low-carb dietsare the best for everyone.
Low-carb diets like keto can behelpful in certain medical
conditions or short-term weightloss, right.
Essentially, the ketogenic dietwas created to help seizures,
right?
Or people that had epilepsy,because essentially, we're
(05:30):
controlling and it's in acontrolled environment right,
and it does help.
There is research that showsthat it does help people that
have these conditions, but ithas to be done under medical
condition or medical supervision, rather.
And so, instead of justdeciding not to have them, right
, the keto diet, it's not foreverybody, even people that say
(05:52):
otherwise, right.
We have to really be strategicand keep in mind is this going
to work for me?
In fact, cutting out carbscompletely can lead to low
energy, brain fog and evenmuscle loss.
So, again, we have to bestrategic.
We have to think aboutlong-term, right?
Yeah, we might want toessentially do a diet because we
(06:14):
want to lose weight right, weknow that diets don't work, and
for a specific reason right,because it is not sustainable.
And so we have to figure out aplan that's going to work for us
, right?
It shouldn't be a one size fitsall.
It should be a you goal, right?
What plan is going to work forme?
So think of it that way, notlike, oh, I'm going to try this
(06:35):
diet and that diet and that diet, because we're going to end up
even more frustrated.
Myth number three all sugar isbad.
Not all sugars are createdequal.
There's a big differencebetween naturally occurring
sugars in fruits and dairy andadded sugars in sodas, pastries
and processed foods.
(06:56):
The key is choosing whole foodswith natural sugars which also
provide fiber, vitamins andminerals, right.
Oftentimes I get asked oh,fruit is bad, right, or carrots
are bad because they have moresugar, but that's.
You know that's inaccurate Ifwe compare how our body responds
eating, let's say, a candy bar,right, or a candy, versus
(07:20):
eating a banana or an apple,that the candy bar is just
giving us that sugar, right, butthe apple or the banana is
giving us fiber and vitamins andminerals nutrients that our
bodies need, right?
So there's not really acomparison, because they're
totally different foods and onefood is going to provide more
nutrients than the other food,but it doesn't mean that we have
(07:41):
to completely eliminate.
Right, if it's something thatwe like, but we have to balance
things out and be mindful ofthose things.
Myth number four you shouldavoid carbs at night.
Oh, I like this one.
Eating carbs at night does notautomatically lead to weight
gain.
In fact, for active individualsor those struggling with sleep,
(08:04):
a balanced evening meal withhealthy carbohydrates can help
regulate blood sugars andpromote better sleep.
I do see these with my clientsthat are really active or that
work out at night and they forsome reason.
You know there is thismisconception that we shouldn't
have carbohydrates at nighttime,and so they're omitting them.
(08:26):
Right, but we need them forrecovering and repairing, along
with protein, and so oftentimesthey're having a hard time
sleeping.
That's either because maybeyour blood sugars are dropping
or because we're hungry, right,and I oftentimes ask my clients
if they're having issues withsleep and they've been active at
nighttime.
It's like do you wake up hungry, right?
(08:47):
Or do you dream about food?
Or do you go to bed hungry?
Right, because that all canaffect our sleep quality.
So, even when we're sleeping,actually our bodies are using
more energy, essentially rightAt that time, because we're
recovering, we're repairing,even if we're not moving.
Your body's doing all that work, right?
(09:10):
Essentially that behind thescenes work to get you ready for
the next day.
Sleep is where we recover andrepair, and so sleep is so
important to make sure thatwe're getting good quality sleep
.
Not only the hours right, butthe quality is what matters too.
Are we getting deep sleep?
Are we getting REM sleep?
Right, and those cycles?
(09:31):
To look into that more deeply.
But also for my athletes rightThroughout the day, right?
Number one, if you're an athlete, you shouldn't restrict
carbohydrates, right?
I've worked with so manyathletes that you know come to
me and they're like oh, I'm noteating a lot of carbs because I
(09:52):
don't want to gain weight, or,you know, I don't need carbs at
nighttime or whatever the casemay be.
And I often ask right, how doyou feel throughout the day?
Right, I'm hungry or my energygoes down, or like there's these
factors, right?
Or when I'm training, I feellike I'm not training at my best
because you're not giving yourbody that fuel that it needs,
(10:14):
right, that extra energy.
We use carbohydrates as thefirst source of energy, right?
And so if we're not gettingenough, our performance is going
to be affected.
Our ability to recover andrepair is going to be affected.
And so, if you're an athlete,don't restrict carbohydrates,
right.
Yeah, we might be strategic asto the types of carbohydrates
(10:36):
that we're adding, but werestrict carbohydrates, right.
Yeah, we might be strategic asto how we are the types of
carbohydrates that we're adding,but we need them, right.
We need them for to be able toperform better, to prevent
injuries and for recovering andrepairing, as well with protein.
Okay, practical tips for healthycarbohydrate choices.
Now that we clear up some myths, right, here are some practical
(10:58):
ways to include healthy carbsin your day-to-day Focus on
fiber-rich carbohydrates.
So choose whole grains likequinoa, brown rice, whole wheat
bread and oats.
Eat plenty of fruits andvegetables to get natural fiber.
Pair carbs with protein andhealthy fats.
This is a balanced meal.
This is essentially my 3-to-onemethod, right?
(11:20):
My nutrition method, where youhave a carbohydrate, you have a
protein and you have a healthyfat and, of course, fiber-rich
sources, fruits and vegetables.
So, instead of just eating aplain piece of toast, right,
avocado and eggs which numberone is going to help you feel
more satiated, but you're alsogetting different nutrients in,
(11:41):
right, that otherwise youwouldn't get if you only had the
toast.
Instead of just fruit, right,pair it with Greek yogurt or
Greek style yogurt or nuts,right, for some balance there.
We do have to be mindful ofportion sizes, right?
So a healthy serving of cookedrice or pasta is about, you know
(12:02):
, half a cup to one cup,depending on your needs, and so
you know.
Work with your dietician tofigure this out, to see you know
what your needs are and adjustbased on that.
A serving of fruit is roughlyabout the size of your fist,
right?
Uh.
Same thing for cookedvegetables, right, about one
(12:22):
fist size, about a cup, um.
So, and about the same.
I think about the same with forcarbs or rice or pasta or
noodles.
Be mindful of liquid carbs.
Sugary drinks like soda, so incoffee drinks and juices can add
up quickly, up for water, herbteas and infused water instead.
(12:43):
I'm going to give you an examplehere.
Not that I'm against thiscompany, but because I've had so
many clients ask me about thisquestion, I'm more aware of the
sugar content of these drinks,right?
So I have a lot of clients thatcome to me and they're like,
yeah, once in a while I get aDutch Bros drink, or it's
(13:04):
something that I do multipletimes during the week, and so
together, right, when my clientasked me that question, together
we look at the menu, we look atthe nutrition facts and you're
able to access that, right, itis public information, so you
can go into the Dutch Broswebsite and look the information
of whatever drink you aretrying to have, and that will
(13:25):
tell you a lot of information.
Most of those drinks have over40 grams of sugar.
I don't think I've seen onethat has less.
There's some that have even 80grams of sugar.
Now, to put it in perspective,right, the recommendation is no
more than 10% of your calories,right?
Coming from sugar, added sugar.
So 40 grams says oh my gosh,that's a lot.
(13:49):
That's almost like what youneed for a day and a half, right
?
And so sometimes, if someone iswanting to make changes, right,
and we're working on weightloss or whatever the case may be
, is looking at the liquid carbs, right, looking at the sugary
drinks that we consume, becausethat alone can make a huge
difference.
(14:10):
When we drink something sugary,it goes, you know, there's not
a lot of digestion happening, soit goes into the bloodstream
really fast and that increasesyour blood sugars and so the
pancreas has to send insulin tobring them down Again.
You have this rollercoaster ofblood sugars, but it's pretty
much what we call empty calories, right?
(14:32):
So, making some adjustments,either, if it's a drink that you
like, okay, what swaps can I do, right to help me decrease that
amount of sugar that I'mconsuming, either, you know,
doing it less sweet, right, orswapping some of the ingredients
, right, or something alongthose lines that can help you
(14:53):
manage those sugary drinks.
Don't fear carbs, because weneed them, right.
I know there's going to be lotsof conversations about we don't
need them, blah, blah, blah.
But it's a macronutrient, right.
There's a reason why it's amacronutrient, because it's a
big molecule.
(15:14):
It's something that we needright, and so it helps.
Again, it has different,different functions.
It has different nutrients thatour bodies need.
So, specifically, if you're anactive person, carbs are your
fuel, right?
Think of a car that it needsfuel to run.
Once you run out and you know,your car doesn't function as
(15:37):
good.
Same thing with carbohydrates,right?
We use that as fuel.
Pre and post-workout mealsshould include a quality
carbohydrate, like bananas, oatsand whole grains, to help
pre-fuel, to give you that pushto be able to do your workouts,
and post-workout, to helpreplenish the glycogen which is
(16:00):
the store form of glucose inyour muscles.
So when you go work out thenext time then you have enough.
But also that will help withmuscle recovering and repairing.
If you have a sedentary day,focus on fiber-rich carbs, right
.
So more of your whole grains,more of your vegetables and your
(16:22):
fruits to still be able to getthose nutrients in.
So, my friend, carbs are notthe enemy.
It is all about choosing theright kinds, right.
Just having that balance,eating them in balanced portions
and pairing them wisely withproteins and healthy fats.
So, essentially, making yourbalanced meals, making your
(16:42):
balanced snacks.
So, instead of fearingcarbohydrates, let's focus on
how they can support our energy,our performance and overall
well-being.
So I'd love to hear from youwhat's your biggest takeaway
from today's episode.
Are you still hesitant aboutcarbs or do you feel more
confident about including themin your day-to-day?
(17:03):
Let me know by sending me amessage on Instagram at
nutrition underscore, withunderscore.
Leonila, you can also send me atext at 559-512-0404.
I have created a nice handoutfor you, as always, so head over
the show notes and you'll beable to download that.
Download that it's all aboutcarbohydrates, and practical
(17:26):
tips on how to add more balanceto your meals.
All right, my friend.
Until next time, take care,fuel your body well and stay
nourished.
Bye-bye for now.
Hey, hey, welcome back to another episode in the
Simple Nutrition InsightsPodcast.
I am your host, leonila Campos,registered dietitian.
I feel that it has been aminute since I've done an
episode, probably three weeks,and I had been doing two
episodes a week, so I definitelymiss coming and doing an
(00:22):
episode.
So I definitely miss coming inand doing an episode.
I enjoy these episodes.
I enjoy talking about nutritionand wellness, and so, because
I've been so busy with otherprojects, I haven't had a chance
to record.
So I'm here, I have some timebetween sessions, so I decided
(00:44):
to do an episode right now.
So let's talk about the truthabout carbohydrates myths, facts
and practical tips.
I feel that poor carbs get sucha bad rep all the time and I
still, till this day, I haveclients that say you know, carbs
are bad, we shouldn't havecarbohydrates.
You know keto Ds and carnivoreDs, and so it's really important
(01:09):
to understand the role ofcarbohydrates right, understand
the importance of carbs.
It is one of the macronutrients.
I believe I've done proteinalready, so if you haven't had a
chance to listen to thatepisode, you know, go back to it
.
I have a nice handout that hashigh protein sources,
(01:32):
plant-based and animal-based, socheck it out.
But yes, today we're tackling atopic that has been
misunderstood for way too long.
Right, oftentimes, cars havebeen blamed for weight gain,
cravings and even chronicdiseases, but what's the real
story here?
Are all carbs bad?
(01:53):
Do we really need them, and howdo we balance them in a healthy
nutrition plan?
So let's break down some of thebiggest carb myths, clear out
the confusion and give youpractical tips on how to enjoy
carbs without guilt.
Let's start with basics.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbs are one of the three mainmacronutrients, along with
(02:16):
protein and fat.
I am going to do anotherepisode on fat, because it is
the third macronutrient.
They are the body's preferredsource of energy.
So carbohydrates are the body'spreferred source of energy,
especially for the brain andmuscles.
Do you know that the brain usesabout 20% of your calories?
(02:37):
More specifically,carbohydrates?
Right, our brain usescarbohydrates and we need them.
Right them for our brain andfor other functions.
So there are three main typesof carbohydrates Simple carbs,
which are found in fruit, milkand added sugars.
(02:58):
Complex carbs, which are foundin whole grains, beans and
starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn.
We have fiber, a type of carbthat the body doesn't digest but
plays a huge role in gut healthand blood sugar regulation and
cholesterol management.
Our body needs carbohydrates tofunction, especially for those
(03:19):
who are active, growing orthinking a lot throughout the
day.
If you have a job right, thatrequires a lot of thinking, that
requires, um, you know you touse your brain a lot.
It's important that um, wedon't neglect carbohydrates.
(03:39):
Myth number one carbs make yougain weight.
Carbs alone do not cause weightgain.
Excess calories from any sourcecan.
The problem is often thequality of the carbohydrates and
the portion sizes.
A diet filled with refinedcarbs and sugars without balance
can that can lead to overeatingand blood sugar spikes.
(04:01):
But whole fiber, rich carbs keepyou full and provide essential
nutrients.
So the fiber helps with satiety.
The fiber helps with feelingyou know that we are satiated.
It helps with blood sugarmanagement and blood sugar
regulation.
So we don't have these spikesright, like these blood sugar
roller coasters.
So we have something sugary andthe natural response of your
(04:24):
body is to signal the, thepancreas right to release
insulin so it can take thatsugar out of the blood and take
it into the cells.
But if we do that often right,that's where we have this sugar
roller coaster and so as theblood sugars drop, right, then
that signals your body and yourbrain like, hey, we need to add
more, more food here, right, butnot necessarily sugar.
(04:46):
We need more balanced meals.
We need more complexcarbohydrates, more fiber-rich
carbohydrates, to maintain thatlow sugar regulation and we're
not having these cravings orthis need to want to eat often,
but they're not necessary.
For let me.
I wanted to say here yeah, thewhole fiber and adding more
(05:07):
fiber-rich carbs.
Myth number two low-carb dietsare the best for everyone.
Low-carb diets like keto can behelpful in certain medical
conditions or short-term weightloss, right.
Essentially, the ketogenic dietwas created to help seizures,
right?
Or people that had epilepsy,because essentially, we're
(05:30):
controlling and it's in acontrolled environment right,
and it does help.
There is research that showsthat it does help people that
have these conditions, but ithas to be done under medical
condition or medical supervision, rather.
And so, instead of justdeciding not to have them, right
, the keto diet, it's not foreverybody, even people that say
(05:52):
otherwise, right.
We have to really be strategicand keep in mind is this going
to work for me?
In fact, cutting out carbscompletely can lead to low
energy, brain fog and evenmuscle loss.
So, again, we have to bestrategic.
We have to think aboutlong-term, right?
Yeah, we might want toessentially do a diet because we
(06:14):
want to lose weight right, weknow that diets don't work, and
for a specific reason right,because it is not sustainable.
And so we have to figure out aplan that's going to work for us
, right?
It shouldn't be a one size fitsall.
It should be a you goal, right?
What plan is going to work forme?
So think of it that way, notlike, oh, I'm going to try this
(06:35):
diet and that diet and that diet, because we're going to end up
even more frustrated.
Myth number three all sugar isbad.
Not all sugars are createdequal.
There's a big differencebetween naturally occurring
sugars in fruits and dairy andadded sugars in sodas, pastries
and processed foods.
(06:56):
The key is choosing whole foodswith natural sugars which also
provide fiber, vitamins andminerals, right.
Oftentimes I get asked oh,fruit is bad, right, or carrots
are bad because they have moresugar, but that's.
You know that's inaccurate Ifwe compare how our body responds
eating, let's say, a candy bar,right, or a candy, versus
(07:20):
eating a banana or an apple,that the candy bar is just
giving us that sugar, right, butthe apple or the banana is
giving us fiber and vitamins andminerals nutrients that our
bodies need, right?
So there's not really acomparison, because they're
totally different foods and onefood is going to provide more
nutrients than the other food,but it doesn't mean that we have
(07:41):
to completely eliminate.
Right, if it's something thatwe like, but we have to balance
things out and be mindful ofthose things.
Myth number four you shouldavoid carbs at night.
Oh, I like this one.
Eating carbs at night does notautomatically lead to weight
gain.
In fact, for active individualsor those struggling with sleep,
(08:04):
a balanced evening meal withhealthy carbohydrates can help
regulate blood sugars andpromote better sleep.
I do see these with my clientsthat are really active or that
work out at night and they forsome reason.
You know there is thismisconception that we shouldn't
have carbohydrates at nighttime,and so they're omitting them.
(08:26):
Right, but we need them forrecovering and repairing, along
with protein, and so oftentimesthey're having a hard time
sleeping.
That's either because maybeyour blood sugars are dropping
or because we're hungry, right,and I oftentimes ask my clients
if they're having issues withsleep and they've been active at
nighttime.
It's like do you wake up hungry, right?
(08:47):
Or do you dream about food?
Or do you go to bed hungry?
Right, because that all canaffect our sleep quality.
So, even when we're sleeping,actually our bodies are using
more energy, essentially rightAt that time, because we're
recovering, we're repairing,even if we're not moving.
Your body's doing all that work, right?
(09:10):
Essentially that behind thescenes work to get you ready for
the next day.
Sleep is where we recover andrepair, and so sleep is so
important to make sure thatwe're getting good quality sleep
.
Not only the hours right, butthe quality is what matters too.
Are we getting deep sleep?
Are we getting REM sleep?
Right, and those cycles?
(09:31):
To look into that more deeply.
But also for my athletes rightThroughout the day, right?
Number one, if you're an athlete, you shouldn't restrict
carbohydrates, right?
I've worked with so manyathletes that you know come to
me and they're like oh, I'm noteating a lot of carbs because I
(09:52):
don't want to gain weight, or,you know, I don't need carbs at
nighttime or whatever the casemay be.
And I often ask right, how doyou feel throughout the day?
Right, I'm hungry or my energygoes down, or like there's these
factors, right?
Or when I'm training, I feellike I'm not training at my best
because you're not giving yourbody that fuel that it needs,
(10:14):
right, that extra energy.
We use carbohydrates as thefirst source of energy, right?
And so if we're not gettingenough, our performance is going
to be affected.
Our ability to recover andrepair is going to be affected.
And so, if you're an athlete,don't restrict carbohydrates,
right.
Yeah, we might be strategic asto the types of carbohydrates
(10:36):
that we're adding, but werestrict carbohydrates, right.
Yeah, we might be strategic asto how we are the types of
carbohydrates that we're adding,but we need them, right.
We need them for to be able toperform better, to prevent
injuries and for recovering andrepairing, as well with protein.
Okay, practical tips for healthycarbohydrate choices.
Now that we clear up some myths, right, here are some practical
(10:58):
ways to include healthy carbsin your day-to-day Focus on
fiber-rich carbohydrates.
So choose whole grains likequinoa, brown rice, whole wheat
bread and oats.
Eat plenty of fruits andvegetables to get natural fiber.
Pair carbs with protein andhealthy fats.
This is a balanced meal.
This is essentially my 3-to-onemethod, right?
(11:20):
My nutrition method, where youhave a carbohydrate, you have a
protein and you have a healthyfat and, of course, fiber-rich
sources, fruits and vegetables.
So, instead of just eating aplain piece of toast, right,
avocado and eggs which numberone is going to help you feel
more satiated, but you're alsogetting different nutrients in,
(11:41):
right, that otherwise youwouldn't get if you only had the
toast.
Instead of just fruit, right,pair it with Greek yogurt or
Greek style yogurt or nuts,right, for some balance there.
We do have to be mindful ofportion sizes, right?
So a healthy serving of cookedrice or pasta is about, you know
(12:02):
, half a cup to one cup,depending on your needs, and so
you know.
Work with your dietician tofigure this out, to see you know
what your needs are and adjustbased on that.
A serving of fruit is roughlyabout the size of your fist,
right?
Uh.
Same thing for cookedvegetables, right, about one
(12:22):
fist size, about a cup, um.
So, and about the same.
I think about the same with forcarbs or rice or pasta or
noodles.
Be mindful of liquid carbs.
Sugary drinks like soda, so incoffee drinks and juices can add
up quickly, up for water, herbteas and infused water instead.
(12:43):
I'm going to give you an examplehere.
Not that I'm against thiscompany, but because I've had so
many clients ask me about thisquestion, I'm more aware of the
sugar content of these drinks,right?
So I have a lot of clients thatcome to me and they're like,
yeah, once in a while I get aDutch Bros drink, or it's
(13:04):
something that I do multipletimes during the week, and so
together, right, when my clientasked me that question, together
we look at the menu, we look atthe nutrition facts and you're
able to access that, right, itis public information, so you
can go into the Dutch Broswebsite and look the information
of whatever drink you aretrying to have, and that will
(13:25):
tell you a lot of information.
Most of those drinks have over40 grams of sugar.
I don't think I've seen onethat has less.
There's some that have even 80grams of sugar.
Now, to put it in perspective,right, the recommendation is no
more than 10% of your calories,right?
Coming from sugar, added sugar.
So 40 grams says oh my gosh,that's a lot.
(13:49):
That's almost like what youneed for a day and a half, right
?
And so sometimes, if someone iswanting to make changes, right,
and we're working on weightloss or whatever the case may be
, is looking at the liquid carbs, right, looking at the sugary
drinks that we consume, becausethat alone can make a huge
difference.
(14:10):
When we drink something sugary,it goes, you know, there's not
a lot of digestion happening, soit goes into the bloodstream
really fast and that increasesyour blood sugars and so the
pancreas has to send insulin tobring them down Again.
You have this rollercoaster ofblood sugars, but it's pretty
much what we call empty calories, right?
(14:32):
So, making some adjustments,either, if it's a drink that you
like, okay, what swaps can I do, right to help me decrease that
amount of sugar that I'mconsuming, either, you know,
doing it less sweet, right, orswapping some of the ingredients
, right, or something alongthose lines that can help you
(14:53):
manage those sugary drinks.
Don't fear carbs, because weneed them, right.
I know there's going to be lotsof conversations about we don't
need them, blah, blah, blah.
But it's a macronutrient, right.
There's a reason why it's amacronutrient, because it's a
big molecule.
(15:14):
It's something that we needright, and so it helps.
Again, it has different,different functions.
It has different nutrients thatour bodies need.
So, specifically, if you're anactive person, carbs are your
fuel, right?
Think of a car that it needsfuel to run.
Once you run out and you know,your car doesn't function as
(15:37):
good.
Same thing with carbohydrates,right?
We use that as fuel.
Pre and post-workout mealsshould include a quality
carbohydrate, like bananas, oatsand whole grains, to help
pre-fuel, to give you that pushto be able to do your workouts,
and post-workout, to helpreplenish the glycogen which is
(16:00):
the store form of glucose inyour muscles.
So when you go work out thenext time then you have enough.
But also that will help withmuscle recovering and repairing.
If you have a sedentary day,focus on fiber-rich carbs, right
.
So more of your whole grains,more of your vegetables and your
(16:22):
fruits to still be able to getthose nutrients in.
So, my friend, carbs are notthe enemy.
It is all about choosing theright kinds, right.
Just having that balance,eating them in balanced portions
and pairing them wisely withproteins and healthy fats.
So, essentially, making yourbalanced meals, making your
(16:42):
balanced snacks.
So, instead of fearingcarbohydrates, let's focus on
how they can support our energy,our performance and overall
well-being.
So I'd love to hear from youwhat's your biggest takeaway
from today's episode.
Are you still hesitant aboutcarbs or do you feel more
confident about including themin your day-to-day?
(17:03):
Let me know by sending me amessage on Instagram at
nutrition underscore, withunderscore.
Leonila, you can also send me atext at 559-512-0404.
I have created a nice handoutfor you, as always, so head over
the show notes and you'll beable to download that.
Download that it's all aboutcarbohydrates, and practical
(17:26):
tips on how to add more balanceto your meals.
All right, my friend.
Until next time, take care,fuel your body well and stay
nourished.
Bye-bye for now.
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