Eliminating Carbs: You are in deep trouble my friend!

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Tech '&' Nutrition! Your one stop solution for Gadget Reviews and Nutrition education. This is my very first blog post on Nutrition and I would like to start with one of the most under-rated Macronutrient, Carbohydrate. I hope you all will not only like it but this will also turn out to be helpful for you. So let's get started!!

Power House Nutrition (India)- Eliminating Carbs

Carbohydrate, or carbs, as we call them, is one of the most important Macronutrient. It is the primary source of energy and re-fuels your body after extensive training. When you eat carbohydrates, it gets converted into glucose, gets mixed in your blood and absorbed by your body. The carbohydrates can be simplified as follows:

- Simple Carbohydrates

- Complex Carbohydrates

The Simple carbohydrates are those carbohydrates that quickly gets converted into Glucose and further absorbed by the body. These carbohydrates are usually categorised under ‘High Glycemic Index’ table (or High GI). This carbohydrate helps in the instant restoration (15 to 20 per cent) of muscle glycogen level after training. The examples are Table Sugar, White Rice, White Bread, Glucose, Refined Wheat Flour (Maida), etc.

The Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are those that are not instantly digested by the human body and categorised under ‘Low Glycemic Index’ table (or Low GI). These carbohydrates must be consumed through out the day as it helps in restoring the muscle glycogen level slowly and are high in fibre. The examples are Brown Bread, Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Bread (Chapatti or Roti), Fructose, etc.

As a Nutritionist, I meet people on the daily basis who are not satisfied with their body weight or with their body fat percentage. I see them eliminating carbs completely from their diet or eat just 10 to 20 per cent of this extremely important macronutrient. What surprises me even more is they do not do this on their own but their so-called “Trainer” advices them to go off carbohydrates. Remember, if you workout on daily basis you need carbohydrates, but the intake depends on the intensity of your workout. The simple Input-Output rule applies here. If you follow a low-to-moderate intensity workout schedule and wants to loose weight, then you must have complex carbohydrates and that to in somewhat equal proportion to your protein intake. I personally prefer the ratio of 4.5: 3.5: 2 (Protein: Carbohydrate: Dietary Fat). 

If you are into Bodybuilding, you must have Bodybuilders going off carbohydrates a week before their stage performance. They eat only protein during that period and in some cases reduce their water intake to just 200-300 ml per day! This is freaking crazy and must not be followed by anyone in daily life. They are able to do this because they are on anabolic substances or steroids. Their body is in the state of ‘Maximum Absorption’ and utilises protein more than any normal training individual. But there is a catch here! Most people don’t know that these Bodybuilders also ‘load’ carbohydrates few hours before their stage performance. This is the thing that makes their muscles look fuller and muscular while flexing on stage.

If you want to improve your performance, be that in any sport, just consume right amount of carbohydrates and you are right on top. I recommend taking a carbohydrate-fructose drink while working out and Simple carbohydrates like white rice or white bread, 30 minutes after workout. For the rest of your day, you can have Complex carbohydrates and you are good to go. By this process, you will be able to restore muscle glycogen level and you are ready to workout the next day. 

If you are already on an extremely low carbohydrate intake, then you must be feeling dizziness and you will notice a different kind of muscle soreness in some cases. This is the problem when your body needs carbohydrates for its proper functioning but you are not providing it. This will lead to decrease in the level of concentration too and thus affects your professional life. 

Hence, I will advice you to take your carbohydrate intake very seriously if you want to achieve your long term goals. I hope you liked this informative post. If you did, then please share with your friends and family. There will be the review of the best smartphone of the year (until now), coming to your way shortly. So stay tuned!