In a previous article here on BroBible, I talked about the importance of counting your macronutrients if you want to burn fat and build muscle. In the first installment of this series we talked about the importance of protein and how it can help you reach your goals. In today’s article, we are going to be discussing carbs…
Carbohydrates have taken a beating in recent years. They have been blamed for everything from the obesity epidemic to Justin Bieber (well maybe not that last one).
When it comes to fat loss, low-carb diets have been touted as the holy grail for dropping body fat. Cut out carbs and BOOM, instant fat loss! But the problem is, carbohydrates actually provide our body with a ton of benefits.
Carbs provide the body with the same amount of energy as protein at 4 calories per gram, but perform very different functions.
When broken down in the body, carbs are converted to glycogen, and stored in the muscles, liver and brain. These stores help fuel the muscles for physical activity and help aid in brain function. In fact, if you are regularly performing strength training activities like we recommend here at BroBible, then your body needs carbs that much more.
There are three types of carbohydrates:
Fibrous Carbs: Otherwise known as vegetables (heard of them?), fibrous carbs are the form of carbs you can really eat as much of as you want and not adversely affect your fat loss. These include foods like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, peppers, cucumber, and zucchini, among others.
Because these veggies are so high in fiber, their calorie content is very low. This means that you can eat a lot…and I mean a lot…of these and you wont be taking in that many calories. The high fiber content also means that they are digested much slower than other forms of carbs, meaning they will keep you fuller longer.
