Now, I give you...a carb's story.

Now we can learn all about carbohydrates.

If you do the chemistry on proteins and fats, you will find you do not really need the carbs.  The body can produce energy from these types of intake.

"YAY!  Jerky and pork rinds for everyone!"  Yeah, um NO!

Carbs range from simple (fruits and vegies) up to complex (starches and grains.)  Classifications are confusing since scientist rewrite the definitions constantly.  No wonder diets are all screwy.

Best way to understand is to learn about Monosaccharides,  Disaccharides, Damn-imissedmyride, and Oligosaccharides.  Yeah, I'll stick to the small words thank you very much.

Immortal Peach

In my world, I think of simple carbs as items easier to digest and convert energy from; apples, bananas etc.  Complex carbs take longer to digest and hold more vitamins, minerals and good stuff for you.  Yes, I know you say alcohol is a simple carb, but I do not include this or refined sugars as a simple carb.  These items may give you a great sugar buzz, but are not helpful for training purposes.

So, what and when do I eat?  Good question.

Fruits, Vegetables and grains.  I tend toward more fruit and grains due to ease of use, but vegetables when I can.  This is another chemistry challenge for you.  Start with fruits in the morning (or vegetables) and then add in grains and then more protein toward night.

Also, depends on what is coming up in your training.  Easy workout, then fruits.  If you are running a marathon, maybe carb up with some heavy pasta two days before to prepare.  Heavy pastas or refined carbs take more energy to process, but will fully saturate your system for heavy workouts.  Down side is the coma effect of so much processing.

The best way to figure out why carbs to eat, is make a list of all your favorite carbohydrates (sans beer, soda pop, fruit loops) and check out the stats on these foods. There are many calorie counters out there, but I found www.livestrong.com to be a better source.

As for how much, use carbs to fill in around protein and fat.  You may even find yourself reducing fat and adding carbs for a particular belt test coming up.  That is okay.

Through constant diligence, you will become your own best judge and learn to effective modify your diet for the days ahead.

Good luck,

DarkArashi