Choosing better Carbs

We need glucose to live. Our brain needs about 130 g of glucose a day. We can get this from our diet, or when carb intake is low (for example if you were fasting) we can get it from gluconeogenesis or ketosis, as long as we have enough protein and fat to process.


This is important to understand that while our body needs a certain amount of glucose, that glucose can come from several sources.


Just like there is no single “best diet”. There is no “correct” amount of carbohydrates that is the same for everyone all the time.

Carb intake will depend on factors like:

• How big or small someone is
• How big or small someone IS;
• How much lean mass or body fat they have;
• How active they are;
• How intense, long-lasting, and / or frequent that activity is;
• How old they are, and what stage of life they are at;
• Intake levels of other macronutrients;
• Genetics;
• What they want to do.

For example
The carbohydrate needs of a young muscular male athlete who trains twice a day will need a lot more carbohydrates than a sedentary 68 year old woman who does tai chi 3 times a week.


When it comes to carb intake, there is a distribution of how intake will vary. Most people will be somewhere in the middle, doing best with a moderate portion of carbs, especially from higher fibre, nutrient rich slow digesting sources such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Simple and complex carbs

Simple Carbohydrates:
simple refined and highly processed carbohydrates digest quickly but tend to leave us unsatisfied. they've been stripped of nutrients, their passengers are often high amounts of sodium along with industrial chemicals like flavourings, trans fats or preservatives, they stimulate our appetite and leave us wanting more. they can cause fluctuations in our blood sugar and insulin levels.

Complex Carbohydrates:
complex carbohydrates that come from whole food sources like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains tend to keep us feeling fuller for longer they also travel with passengers: micronutrients phytonutrients, fiber and water. they keep our blood sugar and insulin levels stand and release their energy gradually.

Keep carbs simple but complex

When it comes to carbs we suggest as often as possible stick to less processed, whole foods with slow digesting carbohydrates. keep it complex,but when thinking about nutrition as a whole, try to keep it simple.

Make sure you are eating the right foods, in the right amounts, for the right reasons.
1. how much food are you eating each day? are you eating the right amount for your goals?
2. how are you eating each day? are you slowing down to savor and digest?
3. why are you eating each day? are you truly hungry when-you eat?
4. what are you eating each day? are you sticking to mostly whole foods?
5. are you going #1 to #4 consistently? are you doing this 75-90% of the time?