As I continue my own health journey, carbs(and sugar) have been the enemy for me losing weight. During these last 30 days, I focused only eating good carbs and eliminating as much processed sugar(and very little fruit) during that time.
Carbohydrates (carbs) are easily the most misunderstood macro-nutrient. With the recent popularity of paleo, gluten-free, and grain-free diets, it's easy to fall into thinking that all grains and grain-based carbs are bad.
That's simply not the case. carbs must be chosen and used strategically. That means choosing the right carbohydrate sources at the proper time.
Cereals, crackers, pretzels, granola bars, and a wide variety of other processed carbs don't make the cut!
Let's classify our carb intake into two distinct types; Vegetables & Fruit sources versus Starchy Carb sources
Vegetables and Fruit
Vegetable and fruit sources are simply that; veggies and fruit. They're extremely powerful carb sources in that they provide a tremendous amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber at a relatively low calorie and sugar ratio.
In other words, for the amount of calories you eat from veggies and fruit, you get a ton of bang for your buck!
How much veggies and how much fruit you ask? Recommend at least 5 servings a day *NOTE: if you are not losing weight, limit the fruit to 1 serving a day*
Starchy Carbs
Starchy carbs still can provide a high fiber, vitamin, and mineral content for your body, but they typically come with a higher ratio of calories.
These are things like pastas, breads, potatoes, oatmeal, quinoa, rice, and other whole grains.