At SBG Montana Keto is King.
Many of our students have found success with Keto and low carb diets to shed excess weight.
Plus, with so many martial arts competitors, a lot of our athletes rely on low carb, high protein diets to maintain weight for their weight class.
But does that mean that carbs are BAD for you?
The answer: it depends.
Saying that “carbs are evil” oversimplifies something that is not at all simple. There are 3 different types of carbs, and depending on your diet, your training regimen, and your goals, some carbs may be a vital part of your nutrition.
Simple Sugars
These are the carbohydrates that you find in most processed food such as refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Served in the most simplified form, your digestive system does a minimal amount of work to process this food, so is immediately available as a source of energy.
This type of carb is tricky because if you don’t use the energy immediately, then it is stored as excess fat. Once that happens it becomes harder for your body to access that source of energy, and you get hungry again, consuming more food.
Should you eat them? As little as possible. This carb is not a reliable source of energy or nutrition. If you have weight loss goals, then it will make maintaining your weight much harder.
Complex Carbs
These carbs are structurally more complex and take longer for your body to break them down and digest them such as pasta. They enter the bloodstream gradually, trigger a moderate rise in insulin levels, and stabilize your appetite that results in fewer carbs stored as fat.
Unrefined or whole grain carbs in foods like brown rice, whole wheat, and whole oats are digested slowly. They contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber which promotes health.
Should you eat them? That depends! Women need carbs to produce estrogen, so a small portion in your diet is necessary. Also, if you have an endurance workout, such as open mat, a long bike ride, or a ski day on Big Mountain, then complex carbs will give you the fuel you need for your adventures.
Fiber
These carbs are indigestible, so the body is unable to break down fiber into parts small enough for absorption.
Whole oats, vegetables, and some fruits are great sources of fiber, which maintains a healthy digestive tract.
Should you eat them? YES! Not matter your who you are or your level of training, you need a certain amount of fiber to maintain heart and digestive health.
If you’re looking to make some healthy carb cutting and still get the fuel and fiber your body needs, here are a few ideas that have been helpful to our students!
Photo by Irina Grigoraş on Unsplash