Body by Mal Group

Popular opinion: Carbs make you fat

Guys- the primary goal of carbohydrates is….ENERGY for our body to function through daily life!!! They are also utilized for digestive health and blood sugar control.

Body weight is dictated by the number of CALORIES you consume versus the number of calories we expend each day (we will come back to this topic on another TED talk). Weight gain is NOT due to carbs themselves. Over-eating anything (including healthy foods) WILL lead to weight gain.

What we all need to focus on is the QUANTITY and QUALITY of the carbohydrates we are consuming.

Say goodbye to the simple carbohydrates and hello to the complex carbs.

Simple carbs, or sugar, are so easy to grab. They also are full of empty calories, meaning they may be low in calories, but they do not provide any nutritional value. What does that lead to? WEIGHT GAIN.

I know some of you are saying heck no to saying goodbye to those snacks that taste so good. Hi, my name is Mal, and I LOVE sweets. Some mornings I eat my kid’s leftover bites of donuts on the way to the gym or “accidentally” order those tasty donut holes as I am headed to the gym. We are all human. I am 100% not saying to throw it all out of your diet but use them as a reward for implementing healthy changes within your diet.

Hack for me is fruit when I need something sweet or need to hit my carbohydrate goal for the day. Yes, they have sugar, but natural sugar is so different from additives.

Complex carbohydrates are just that, more complex. They take longer for our bodies to break down, but are full of the important stuff (fiber, vitamins, minerals and so much more)!

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend our diets to be made of 45% to 65% of total daily CALORIES. (There is that word again!!)

Some easy swaps for me AND my kiddo (because, Lord, help us getting those kiddos to try the healthy stuff) : Protein or whole grain pasta, mixing in veggies with the pasta (Warren never notices), mixing in some fruit with sugar free pudding and sugar-free cool whip (also a winner for me), and the NUMBER ONE snack for me is chocolate rice cakes topped with sugar-free whipped cream and almond butter!

Also- download the FREE APP- My Fitness Pal to help track your calories and carbohydrate intake.

**I am not a licensed healthcare provider. Contact a professional if you have any dietary requirements. My advice should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

“I’ve got 99 problems, and they all involve carbs”

-Mal