Seeing the words 'healthy' and 'carbohydrates' can be rare these days - depending on where you're getting your nutrition info. I see a lot of critiques of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs), set by the Institute of Medicine. So let's take a look at those:
AMDRs (1):
Carbohydrates, males/females, 9-70: 45-65% of total calories
Fat, males/females, 19-70: 25-35% of total calories
Protein, males/female, 19-70: 10-35%
My challenge, to myself, is to incorporate a variety of carbohydrate sources. It's very easy to get stuck in a carbohydrate rut... one might say a carbohydrut (okay i'll stop). But seriously, it seems like you say carbohydrate and people automatically think, "grains"! There's so much more to carbohydrates and the reasons behind the AMDR values.
Carbohydrates are pretty unique to plants - besides muscle glycogen and dairy sugars - and with plants come an array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. This isn't to put animal products down, but rather to acknowledge the benefits of basing your diets around plants. I also don't want to come off as a grain-hater or to say that there aren't all of the above in grains as well, but the nutrient profiles of carbohydrates vary with the source, and just sticking to grains, even whole grains, isn't necessarily optimal.
The advice to eat low-fat years ago was supposed to lead to increased intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and lean meats. This was distorted by the food industry and now people love to overly demonize carbohydrates - do they deserve that reputation though?
So my challenge? To diversify, and stick to the recommended ranges! Well i'm a runner/swimmer, and mix in some yoga and lifting. On days I do more intense cardio, I stick closer to 55-60% carbohydrates. On a yoga day, I'll drop to 45% and swap in a serving of nuts/seeds for a higher glycemic load carb - for my thought on glycemic response, see here. I vary it only slightly, and focus mainly on the # of calories I'm eating. How am I going to source those carbohydrates?
Lentils/chickpeas - great source of protein and iron as well
*Tempeh - loaded with fiber, healthy fats, protein, + iron/calcium
Quinoa - great source of lysine (which most grains are low in) and iron/protein
Sweet potato - great source of beta carotene
Squash
Mushrooms
Peppers
Beets
Carrots
Farro
Ezekiel Bread - cinnamon raisin ezekiel bread with almond butter +flax/hemp is the best breakfast
Peas (jk I hate peas but you can try them!)
Tomatoes - sun dried and tomato sauce
Fruits - I go for frozen mangoes and berries myself
*I choose fermented beans/grains wherever possible
This is by no means an exhaustive list - but I hope it exemplifies the variety of carbohydrate-dense sources there are out there. No research suggests carbs or whole grains in and of themselves are bad (given you don't have a medical condition that limits/excludes some of these products) ; the bigger issue is that a single bagel has gone from a 3'' to 6'' diameter in the past 20 years, and 1 serving of grains to about 3 (2). Portion distortion is a real and present danger.
Which carbohydrate sources do you choose?
1. http://www.iom.edu/Global/News%20Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
2. https://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/themes/the-food-system
AMDRs (1):
Carbohydrates, males/females, 9-70: 45-65% of total calories
Fat, males/females, 19-70: 25-35% of total calories
Protein, males/female, 19-70: 10-35%
My challenge, to myself, is to incorporate a variety of carbohydrate sources. It's very easy to get stuck in a carbohydrate rut... one might say a carbohydrut (okay i'll stop). But seriously, it seems like you say carbohydrate and people automatically think, "grains"! There's so much more to carbohydrates and the reasons behind the AMDR values.
Carbohydrates are pretty unique to plants - besides muscle glycogen and dairy sugars - and with plants come an array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. This isn't to put animal products down, but rather to acknowledge the benefits of basing your diets around plants. I also don't want to come off as a grain-hater or to say that there aren't all of the above in grains as well, but the nutrient profiles of carbohydrates vary with the source, and just sticking to grains, even whole grains, isn't necessarily optimal.
The advice to eat low-fat years ago was supposed to lead to increased intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and lean meats. This was distorted by the food industry and now people love to overly demonize carbohydrates - do they deserve that reputation though?
So my challenge? To diversify, and stick to the recommended ranges! Well i'm a runner/swimmer, and mix in some yoga and lifting. On days I do more intense cardio, I stick closer to 55-60% carbohydrates. On a yoga day, I'll drop to 45% and swap in a serving of nuts/seeds for a higher glycemic load carb - for my thought on glycemic response, see here. I vary it only slightly, and focus mainly on the # of calories I'm eating. How am I going to source those carbohydrates?
Lentils/chickpeas - great source of protein and iron as well
*Tempeh - loaded with fiber, healthy fats, protein, + iron/calcium
Quinoa - great source of lysine (which most grains are low in) and iron/protein
Sweet potato - great source of beta carotene
Squash
Mushrooms
Peppers
Beets
Carrots
Farro
Ezekiel Bread - cinnamon raisin ezekiel bread with almond butter +flax/hemp is the best breakfast
Peas (jk I hate peas but you can try them!)
Tomatoes - sun dried and tomato sauce
Fruits - I go for frozen mangoes and berries myself
*I choose fermented beans/grains wherever possible
This is by no means an exhaustive list - but I hope it exemplifies the variety of carbohydrate-dense sources there are out there. No research suggests carbs or whole grains in and of themselves are bad (given you don't have a medical condition that limits/excludes some of these products) ; the bigger issue is that a single bagel has gone from a 3'' to 6'' diameter in the past 20 years, and 1 serving of grains to about 3 (2). Portion distortion is a real and present danger.
Which carbohydrate sources do you choose?
1. http://www.iom.edu/Global/News%20Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
2. https://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/themes/the-food-system
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