Don't believe the hype!! Carbohydrates are great for you!!

Yes, I said it. Carbohydrates are great! Don't believe the hype that carbohydrates are bad for you. In fact, it's the most important macro-nutrient in our diet. Our primary source of fuel comes from carbohydrates. At least 1/2 of our daily caloric needs should consist of carbohydrates. That is why carbohydrate rich foods (fruits, veggies, whole grains) take up about 2/3 of the food guide pyramid. The reason why we hear that carbohydrates are bad is mainly because many of the foods are processed and it's also very easy to over consume. Here are some tips that will help you become more conscious about carbohydrates and why we need it as part of our daily eating habits.

- Choose whole grain products: According to the Food Guide Pyramid, we need around 8-12 servings of carbohydrates per day, in which at least 2/3 of it should be whole grains, although I recommend it should all be whole grains. The best way to find out if a food is whole grain is to look at the ingredients. The first and/or second ingredient should be whole wheat flour.

- Keep your carbohydrates as natural as possible: Try not to incorporate too much packaged foods in your diet and add more fresh produce, whole grain pastas, and rice. You get a better source of vitamins/minerals and minimize processed ingredients.

- Learn to read ingredients in packaged goods: Some good foods do come packaged, such as cereals and breads. The first 3 to 4 ingredients are very important, and are listed as the most abundant to the least abundant. Focus on main ingredients like whole wheat flour and keep away from ones that say "enriched flour". That's another word for processed flour. Also, if the first 3 ingredients contain sugar, the product is too sugary.

- Daily carbohydrate needs should be 45-55% of total calories: At least 1/2 of calories should be carbs. The brain alone needs about 120 grams of carbs in order to do it's normal function. When you choose the low carb way, the brain will be affected and you can lose focus, become moody, and increase any future risk of brain related disease ( ex: dementia, Alzheimers). That's why I do not recommend these fad diets, like Atkins. The most important time to have carbs is breakfast, pre-workout, and post-workout. It's your main source of fuel and it will help jump start your work day. It will also help you fuel before and after a workout. Think of your energy stores as a fuel tank. When you wake up in the morning, it was probably 10-12 hrs since your last meal. Therefore, your fuel tank is about 1/3 full. That's why breakfast is the most important meal, because if you skip it, you're starting your day with an almost empty fuel tank. So, that could mean a sluggish, tired day and more than likely you can overeat. If you want to lighten up on the carbs, eliminate it at dinner time. We do not use much energy in our "down time", but get your carbs in when you wake up on the next morning.

- Keep you carbohydrates low in refined sugar and high in fiber: Refined sugars are only found in packaged products and sweets, like pastries and other desserts. Although cereals are important in our diet, many of them have way too much sugar. When you look at the food label, the sugar amount should be no higher than 10 grams per serving. The lower the better. If you like it sweet, add fruit (berries, banana) with your low sugar cereal. Keep refined sugar to as low as possible and no higher than 30 grams per day. If you have a sweet tooth, get your sugars from fruits. With regard to fiber, keep all foods with at least 2 grams of fiber. Normally foods containing whole wheat flour as the first ingredient will contain a high amount of fiber. We should have at least 30-35 grams of fiber per day. However, if you are going to increase your fiber intake, do it slowly. If you increase too fast, it will cause discomfort to your stomach. Increase a few grams per day. A high fiber diet promote healthy bowel movement and lower risks of colon cancer.

- Watch the serving size!! It is very easy to over consume on carbohydrates, especially pastas and rice. One cup of cooked pasta is about 180 calories and one cup of rice is 220 calories. Remember, one cup is only 8 oz!! It is very easy to consume twice the amount in one sitting. So, if you're watching your weight, use a measuring cup.



If you follow these rules, you can incorporate carbohydrates in your diet, in a healthy way. Remember, the more natural the food, the better. If you have questions, feel free to ask on my facebook page or email me at shadi@getfitwithshadi.com.

An active lifestyle is more than just a workout

Having an active lifestyle doesn't just involve your daily workout. In fact, you're workout should be a part of your active lifestyle. You can still have a somewhat sedentary lifestyle if you sit around all day, when your not doing your workout routine. Now of course, it's much better than not working out at all, but the key to maintaining a healthy weight is your overall calorie burn for the day.

If you have a sedentary job, there's nothing you can do about it until the clock strikes 5 pm. However, you do have control on the weekends. Therefore, take advantage of the warmer weather by doing some outdoor activities. You can go for a hike, or perhaps take a bike and tear up the roads. You can also take on gardening and grow your own organic veggies (one of my favorites). There are many things to do to burn additional calories, aside from your gym workout. For people who like sports, there are countless leagues that you can sign up for and play. Aside from my personal workouts and endurance training, I also play in a baseball league. I got to admit, I'm not that good in baseball, but it breaks the monotony of my normal routine, it's a good workout, and it's a great social time, especially when you're in a team with great people.

Bottom line, if you want to maintain your weight loss that you worked so hard for to get to that point, keep yourself active. Leave the couch for the end of the night when it's that down time before sleep. It's amazing how much energy you will always have when you keep yourself active, and more importantly, if you have kids, it will teach them that being active is a normal part of life. After all, they do emulate their parents. Stay active and GET FIT!!

Key safety tips when exercising outdoors in hot temperatures

Since this is the time of year where the weather is normally warm and humid, I thought I'd talk about some important safety tips to consider when working out outdoors. It's one thing if the temperature is high, but if it's also high in humidity, that's a whole new ball game. If your not prepared, that could mean a decrease in performance and more importantly, pose a very dangerous health risk. Here are some key tips that will help you perform your workout at a high level while being safe:

- Drink PLENTY of fluids, particularly water!!! Not only during your workout but at least an hour before your workout and hours after your workout. Drink an extra 24 oz before your workout, 6oz every 15 minutes during, and 24 oz after workout. If your exercising at a high intensity for longer than an hour, drink some fluid with electrolytes and carbs, such as Gatorade.

- Try to wear bright or white clothing. Wearing dark clothes will absorb sunlight and make you hotter. White is the best color to wear because it reflects the most sunlight. DO NOT wear cotton clothes!!! Keep the clothes thin with a "dry fit" type of fabric. It will wick away the moisture, when you sweat, and keep you cool. Wearing a cap also helps too, but not absolutely necessary.

- Use sunblock too. It is summer and you do not have to be at the beach to get a sunburn. All it takes is 15 to 20 minutes outside, before you get burned.

- If your into endurance sports (running, triathlon, cycling, etc) and you're participating in an event or have a long training day, have a bowl of soup the night before. You may think "huh? Soup in the summer?" It may not make sense, but soup has the extra sodium needed to prevent possible cramps. When you get a cramp in a race, or training regimen, water is not the main reason. It's the salt that when deficient, will cause cramps. If you're not into soup, add a little salt to your dinner that night.

- Do not perform on an empty stomach. Even though you should never exercise on an empty stomach, it's more important when the weather is hot. The body requires more energy in hotter temperatures. If you eat about 150 calories of high carbohydrates, low fat, and minimal protein (ex: cereal, energy bar) about an hour before workout, that should be perfect.


These safety tips will help you go through your workout in the outdoor, and not affect your health. If you have questions, you can email me at shadi@getfitwithshadi.com or you can find me on facebook by going to my website www.getfitwithshadi.com and click on the facebook icon. Stay hydrated and GET FIT!!