How To Distribute The Carbohydrates Well?

Getting the right amount of carbohydrates doesn’t mean you have to stop consuming them, as they are essential nutrients for providing the body with energy.

It is essential to distribute carbohydrates well when eating so as not to gain weight. The famous saying “ breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper ” is one of the popular sayings. It dictates how we are to eat throughout the day.

Juan Antonio Madrid, professor at the University of Murcia, says that in order to lose weight and adopt a healthy and balanced diet, it is important to control not only how much and what type of food we eat, but also when we consume them.

How to properly distribute carbohydrates?

The time of day or night we eat influences the way we use and metabolize food. On the one hand, appetite changes throughout the day and night, depending on circadian rhythms.

However, these rhythms are gradual, so that our body does not restart at some point turning unused carbohydrates into fat. For example, the carbohydrates consumed at dinner will replenish the glycogen expended during the day in our daily activity.

This is true as long as we have been participating in physical activity during the day and not supplementing it later with other meals. If we take in excess carbohydrate with half-full reserves, we will keep the excess fat, whether it is overnight or not.

It is therefore very important to know how to distribute the carbohydrates in our meals.

At breakfast, focus on carbohydrate intake

During the day there are two distinct phases: activation and recovery. Both are said to be determined by sunlight and last about 12 hours each.

Rubén Bravo, nutrition expert and spokesperson for the European Medical Institute for Obesity (IMEO), says carbohydrates are best in the morning due to energy demand because they provide more energy and faster than fats or proteins.

In addition, he recommends that carbohydrates come from whole grain products, that is, those that are made from the whole grain of the cereal and are found in the following foods:

• Bread
• Pasta
• Whole grains

On the other hand, he recommends that instead of focusing so much on how to distribute carbohydrates, it is more practical to consider each person’s starting situation.

Distribute carbohydrates for snacking

In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is advisable to adapt what you take in the middle of the morning and mid-afternoon at your own pace.

In the middle of the morning, a good way to distribute carbohydrates correctly would be, for example, to eat fruit with yogurt. The latter contains both carbohydrates and protein, which helps alleviate the sudden surge in insulin due to the sugar spike in the fruit.

Distribute carbohydrates for physical activity

When playing sports, or even while exercising, it is best to eat foods that provide carbohydrates with a good glycemic index. This last point designates the intensity with which they increase the glucose in the blood.

However, it is recommended to do this 30 minutes before starting to train. Some foods that contain carbohydrates with a good glycemic index are fruits, oats, and quinoa, among others.

On the other hand, once the physical exercise is finished, it is suggested to take some protein to facilitate the recovery of the muscle.

From 6 p.m., no simple carbohydrates

Avoiding the consumption of carbohydrates after 6 p.m. is a key measure for a good distribution of carbohydrates. At this time of day, the body enters the recovery phase mentioned above.

From 6 p.m., protein and fat intake is recommended, as they promote cell recovery.

To do this, you can have dried fruit yogurt as a snack. For dinner, you can eat blue fish or lean animal meat, such as chicken or turkey. However, a small amount of carbohydrate can be added to these meals.

However, simple carbohydrates should be avoided because the body quickly converts them to fat.

Conclusion

Regulating carbohydrates doesn’t mean you can’t eat them. These are the essential nutrients that provide the body with energy. Experts therefore suggest increasing their consumption in the morning and reducing it in the evening. By avoiding in any case simple carbohydrates, that is to say those found in industrial baking.