Carbohydrates are your “instant energy.” Its simplest form is glucose, which is stored in the muscles as glycogen. You use this first when you begin physical activity; it also runs out first, so when exercising for longer bouts, you may need to replenish your carbohydrates. Carbohydrates also spare protein, so getting enough carbs keeps you from burning protein, which you need to repair and build muscle. This is especially important when strength training!
Why does everybody think that carbs are bad? The reason why carbs have gotten a bad reputation is because of increased sugar consumption from processed junk food. Bad carbs are foods that are high in ADDED sugar, or food that is mostly just sugar and doesn’t provide much nutrition. Some good examples of foods that do not provide much nutrition except for sugar are sugary beverages, candy, and desserts.
How do I choose quality carbohydrates? The point of food is to obtain nutrients, and the best forms of carbohydrates for nutrients are from whole foods, like fruits, veggies, legumes, WHOLE grains, and dairy. Whole foods are not processed - generally these foods have only 1 ingredient, and it’s not sugar. Quality carbohydrates usually provide fiber. If the product provides at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, it is a good source of fiber. If it contains 5 or more grams of fiber per serving, it is an excellent source of fiber.
For grain-based foods that may or may not be processed, like bread, oats, rice, pasta, cereals, crackers, and corn tortillas, check the nutrition label. Make sure they are made of the fewest, simplest ingredients, and avoid added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and high sodium. Foods with less than 140 mg sodium per serving can be labeled as low sodium foods. Also, make sure that at least half or more of your grain choices are 100% whole grain - the product should say 100% whole grain, or at least have whole grain as the first ingredient. Also, watch out for misleading labelling! Foods labeled with the words "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products - look for the word ”whole.” Look for “whole wheat,” “brown rice,” “bulgur,” “buckwheat,” “whole-grain cornmeal,” “whole oats,” or “whole rye.”
The next few pages compare carbohydrates, and food products that contain mainly carbohydrates, so that you can choose more nutrient-dense foods in the carbohydrate group. I encourage you to take a look at some of these on your next trip to the supermarket.
In the next article, we’ll explore another one of the three main nutrients that provide energy: protein.
Johnna Paulsen has a BA in Dance from Smith College, and is Certified in Personal Training (ACSM), Senior Strength Conditioning, and Corrective Exercise. She is also a licensed Zumba Gold instructor.
Phone: 413-563-7796, email: johnnadancer@gmail.com, Facebook: @johnnapaulsenpersonaltrainer
