CARB CRAZY! Part #1

After writing the Calorie Curious post on march 24th, a question was raised: "What about Carbs?" Great question eh?!? So more research commenced and WOW did I ever find some cool tools! However, lets first start with some Q & A...

What is a carbohydrate or "carb"?

Carbohydrate - "any of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissue and including starch, sugar, and cellulose."

What is the role of a Carbohydrate?

As explained at RawFoodsExplained.com "there is actually only one basic role of carbohydrates in the human diet: to supply energy." So can one survive on Carbs alone? No. An "organism is not capable of living long or well on bare carbohydrates alone...we must have our carbohydrates in combination with other needs, such as proteins, water, vitamins, minerals, fats, etc."

Now if you are anything like me, by now you are probably wondering...so how many carbs do I need a day? Well its finally cool tool time! On freedieting.com I found a calorie counter that breaks down the amount of nutrient required from Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat. (Illustrated in the picture below)

Those were the results for a 2000 calorie diet based on moderate diet ratios(45%carbs, 30%protein, 25%fat) and 5 daily meals. Your Caloric needs will vary depending on your fitness goals. In Calorie Curious I posted a chart from the American Heart Association depicting typical caloric needs. Check that chart out, or if you would like to use a tool providing more detailed results, as seen in the picture below, click here

Ultimately, keep one thing in mind...If you burn more fat then you consume, you will lose weight...If you consume more fat then you burn, you will gain weight. Listen to your body and consume a well rounded and balanced diet. Carbs alone do not cut it!

In part 2 of carb crazy we will delve into the different types of carbs:-)

Make it a great Saturday and eat well!

Sending love,

Suchie

SUBSCRIBE its Saturday!