Should Men Cut Down on Carbs?
Many Americans set resolutions to lose weight, improve nutritional wellness, and increase overall energy. If you are currently scaling your diet plan to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you may want to consider cutting back on carbohydrates, but is this the right approach to healthy men’s weight loss?
Read on to learn more about the importance of carbohydrates and whether or not cutting back on this macronutrient is the best solution.
Carbs 101
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients (along with proteins and fats) that we need to survive. They break down food into glucose to help fuel our bodies and give us more energy.
But here things get interesting . Before cutting carbs from your diet, you need to know the two types of carbohydrates we consume every day: simple and complex.
Our bodies digest simple carbohydrates much faster than complex carbohydrates, which can lead to spikes in blood sugar. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest. the reason? Complex carbs contain fiber, which the body cannot break down into glucose. Therefore, the digestion process is very slow and generally will not affect blood sugar.
foods that contain simple carbohydrates
- Frozen processed foods (eg, pizza, bagels, pretzels, lasagna, etc.)
- Baked goods (i.e., muffins, cupcakes, pies, pastries, etc.)
- candy
- cold drink
- Sports drink
- syrup
- Ice Cream
foods that contain complex carbohydrates
- vegetables
- Fruit
- beans
- Whole grains
simple vs complex carbohydrates
One of the easiest ways to differentiate simple versus complex carbohydrates is to consider the nutritional value of each food product.
For example, you already know that a cup of broccoli is healthier than a cup of ice cream because broccoli is low in calories, high in fiber, and contains essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium. There are
On the other hand, ice cream is high in sugar, fat and calories, with little fiber or nutritional value.
So, this brings us back to the question of cutting carbs: should you or shouldn’t you?
The answer may be a little of both. Simply put, instead of thinking about how to cut down on carbs, consider how to reduce carbs from your diet in a way that provides minimal nutritional impact.
To do this, you’ll need to focus on foods that are high in fiber.
Why Nutrient Density?
Nutrient density refers to the contribution of nutrients and food components per calorie. Broadly speaking, the more nutrients per calorie serving, the more nutrient-dense a food is.
So, when choosing foods with carbs, stick with those that provide other essential nutrients and are high in fiber and low in sugar per calorie. For example, instead of drinking a glass of orange juice, eat a whole orange. Although fruit still contains carbohydrates, it has 2x the fiber and half the sugar .
how many carbs per day for men
Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates should make up 45% to 65% of total daily calories, which equates to about 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates a day. Is.
However, metabolism, lifestyle, and activity levels vary from person to person; Therefore, talk to a men’s health professional to understand the right amount of carb intake that’s best for you — especially if you’re looking to lose weight .
best time to eat carbs
Remember that carbs give us energy, so the best time of day to eat carbs would be earlier in the day versus later, as you’ll burn more calories and energy than at night. Therefore, try to avoid carb-heavy meals in the evening, when you’ll be less active and more sedentary.
In fact, reducing carbohydrates from your diet may aid in weight loss, improve athletic performance and reduce your risk of developing serious medical conditions such as high cholesterol and diabetes. But it’s essential to remove some carbs from your diet and still get the important macro-nutrients your body needs to thrive.
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