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Carbs
Are You a Carb Queen?
I'm not going to lie to you. I love carbs. Warm bread with olive oil, real macaroni and cheese, and pumpkin chocolate chip scones are a few of my faves.
Carb Quiz
A building block of nutrition, carbohydrates have weathered the Atkins storm and are hopefully back in your daily diet. In our on-again, off-again relationship with carbs, we have lost some of the basic knowledge of the food group. Take this little quiz and see how much you know about carbs.
Carbs: Simple vs. Complex
Hopefully by now you know that no and low carb diets aren't the way to go if you want to lose weight. You may drop pounds at first, but as soon as you start eating carbs again, you'll end up gaining the weight back. Also, let me remind you that not all carbs are bad.
The Magic Ratio For Recovery
Replenishing your body post-workout is just as important as what you eat before you hit the road or gym. If your workout is over an hour, or you run over six miles, you need to refuel your muscles so they will be ready for your next workout.
Thirty to 45 minutes after working out, your body is more responsive to insulin, which helps the muscles pull glucose, made from carbs, out of the bloodstream and into the muscle.
You Asked: Should I Ditch Carbs to Lose Weight Before My Vacation?
Dear Fit,
I'm going to the Bahamas in April and I'm trying to lose some weight so I look good in my bathing suit. Is ditching carbs the best way to go?
—Beach-Bound Brooke
It's that time of year when we really start to think about toning up and losing weight since tank top, shorts, and bathing suit season is coming soon.
Winter and Carb Cravings
If you crave carbs during the short days of Winter, you are not alone. There seem to be a couple of physiological factors involved. Since there is less sunlight, due to shorter days, our bodies make less vitamin D (aka the sunshine vitamin).
Are You Addicted to Refined Carbs?
New research out of New Zealand found that refined carbs, essentially white flour and white sugar, are as addictive as cigarettes. They found that heavily processed foods with a high amount of refined carbohydrates, like sugary cereals and sweet baked goods, quickly raise the amount of sugar in the blood, and that this "sugar rush" activates the same areas of the brain stimulated by nicotine and other addictive drugs. Like other addictions, the refined carbs loses its effectiveness in creating the desired rush forcing folks to eat more refined carbs to capture the high.
No-Carb Diets Could Crash Your Brain's Memory
As far as fad diets go, the low-carbohydrate train has enjoyed a prolonged ride when compared to its more trendy counterparts. Some dieters shun carbs because their bodies respond by shedding pounds, but new research shows they could also be sacrificing some very important brain power.
The brain converts carbohydrates to glucose for proper functionality, and severely restricting carb intake can limit our ability to remember.
Nutrition Quiz: Carbs
Still reeling from the post-Atkins diet demonization, carbs are making their way back into our hearts and bellies. However, not all carbs are created equally.
How much do you really know about this macronutrient?
Chocolate Milk Post Workout?
Nothing beats a tall glass of ice cold water chocolate milk after a long workout. Sounds too good to be true and makes me want to watch The Jetsons, but chocolate milk could be the post exercise "recovery" drink you've been searching for.
After years of promoting carbo loading before exercise, research shows that the body needs and can process carbs post-workout more efficiently.
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