Blog Posts From Active Expert: Nancy Clark RD CSSD Tagged With carbs

Toast at breakfast AND a sandwich for lunch???

Nancy Clark RD CSSD — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:34:47 GMT

“Can I really eat toast for breakfast and then have a sandwich for lunch???” my weight-conscious client asked me with fear in her eyes.
“Why not?” I responded.

“Because carbs are fattening, aren’t they? … Shouldn’t I be limiting my bread intake?”

“Carbs are NOT fattening; fatty foods are fattening,” I assured her and suggested she limit fats -- butter on the toast, mayo on the sandwich. “The conversion of carb into body fat is a tough conversion,” I explained and sent her home to experiment with a higher-carb eating plan.

When she came back a week later, she reported she was really enjoying eating a sandwich instead of a salad for lunch; she felt more satisfied and her workouts were better because her muscles were better fueled. The carbs in the bread got converted into glycogen, an important source of energy for active people. Oil in salad dressing, in comparison, had been leaving her muscles unfueled.

If you are bread-phobic, think again. Experiment with swapping some protein- or fat-calories for some bread, and then observe the benefits:

-You enjoy the bread.

-Your workouts are better.

-You don’t “get fat”!

If you need help with taking the fear out of foods such as bread, bagels. and pasta, I suggest you meet with a sports dietitian (use the referral network at www.SCANdpg.org). The section on weight management in my Sports Nutrition Guidebook can also be helpful.

Happy fueling!

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD

www.nancyclarkrd.com

www.sportsnutritionoworkshop.com

Staying away from carbs????

Nancy Clark RD CSSD — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:17:42 GMT

Just about every day, I counsel a client who is trying to stay away from carbs. That is, they try not to eat bagels, sandwiches or a starch with dinner (pasta, rice, potato). When I ask why, they report carbs are “fattening” or a “waste of calories”. False.

Carbs are not fattening; excess calories are fattening. In fact, the conversion of carbs into body fat is a tough conversion; your body preferentially burns carbs for fuel. (Fatty foods, in comparison, easily convert into body fat.) Carbs offer the fuel you need to enjoy exercise. Active people who fail to eat carbs as the foundation of each meal end up fatigued and failing to enjoy their exercise program.

Wholesome carbs like oatmeal, whole what bread, and brown rice offer important nutrients, but so do refined carbs like white bagels and pasta that are enriched with b-vitamins and iron. The government guidelines suggest half your daily grains be whole grains, but half can be refined, if desired. That is, if you have white bread for lunch, you can balance it with brown rice for dinner.

My Sports Nutrition Guidebook offers more information about carbs and can help put an end to carbohydrate confusion.

Enjoy your sandwich!

Nancy

Reducing muscle soreness

Nancy Clark RD CSSD — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:17:02 GMT

Question: Should I use L-glutamine to reduce muscle soreness after a hard workout?

Answer: Supplementing with L-glutamine is an expensive way to get an amino acid .... you can get it in any protein-rich food. While L-glutamine might enhance recovery of patients in the hospital who have cancer, AIDS, or bowel problems and are not eating, the chances are that you, as a healthy athlete, can consume a multitude of amino acids (not just L-glutamine) through your diet.

Certainly, the best way to enhance recovery is to fuel up before exercise with a carb-protein snack (recovery can actually start pre-exercise, so the "tools" to recover are already in your system) and then to refuel afterwards, again with some carbs + protein. The carbs provide fuel and the protein heals and builds.

Some popular pre- and/or post-exercise options include yogurt, a little cereal/milk, half a sandwich, or lowfat chocolate milk--all in portions that settles well. You really don't need to buy engineered foods. Simply pay more attention to having the right foods readily available; don't let nutrition be your missing link.

What you eat pre-exercise should last you about 60 to 90 minutes, and then you want to target about 200 to 300 calories per hour. Some athletes choose gels because they are convenient, but you need not spend your money on engineered foods. They are more about convenience than necessity. Other athletes enjoy banana, gummy candy, dried fruit, rice crispie treats, twizzlers ... and carb-based food that tastes good and settles well. Experiment to figure out what foods and fluids work best for your body. By staying well fueled, you will be able to recover more easily.

My Sports Nutrition Guidebook offers abundant information and food tips about how to best fuel before, during and after exercise, so you can get the most from your workouts.

Eat wisely and well, and enjoy less muscle soreness and better workouts.

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD

Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics

For athletes who try to "stay away from carbs"

Nancy Clark RD CSSD — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:59:40 GMT

When I counsel either casual exercisers or competitive athletes, I ask them what they typically eat in a day. I then do a more thorough food intake, gathering details of all that they eat, More often then not, they “try to stay away from” bagels, crackers, pasta, juice and other “carbs.” I ask them “Why?” With embarrassment, they mumble, “Because they’re fattening.” The athletes know in their intelligent minds this is not true, but somehow they have fallen victim to fad diets.

If you are among those who “try to stay away from carbs”, think again. Remember that carbs are NOT fattening (excess calories are fattening) and that carbs should be the foundation of each meal because they fuel your workouts. I invite you to enjoy bagels, sandwiches and pasta – and also enjoy higher energy during your workouts.

If you want more information about carbs/weight, please read the chapter on how to lose weight and have energy to exercise in my new 2008 Sports Nutrition Guidebook (www.nancyclarkrd.com). Do you really want to never enjoy potato or pasta again???