Carbohydrates are derived from non-animal foods.
1 gram of carbohydrates equals 4 calories.
All carbs when digested are broken down into a simple form of sugar (blood glucose) that is used for energy particularly during high intensity activities.
For the body to function normally blood glucose levels must be between 70 mg/ 100 ml and 110 mg/ 100 ml.
When blood sugar concentrations exceed 110 mg/ 100 ml what happens is that an “storage” hormone is released (insulin) that takes the excess sugar out of the blood and stores it into muscle tissue or fat tissue.
Usually insulin stores excess carbohydrates in the muscles and liver as muscle and liver glycogen (glycogen basically is a storage tank for sugar). But, the capacity to store extra carbs as glycogen is limited and once the limit is reached excess carbs will be stored as body fat.
When levels get close to 70 mg / 100 ml the opposite happens; a “liberating” hormone (glucagon) is released which pulls sugar out of the muscle tissue and back into the blood.
If calorie and carb intake stays low for a period of time, glucagon will start to break down fat cells in order to use fatty acids as fuel (because glycogen stores are depleted).
What you should remember from all of this is that if you could keep blood sugar level stable and close to the bottom limit of normal blood glucose levels you would:
- Minimize insulin release thus minimizing the chance of carbs being stored as fat.
- Promote the break down and use of stored fat (this should be your goal when you are trying to lose fat).
The way to go about managing blood sugar and insulin levels is to choose complex carbs over simple carbs, to limit the amount of carbs eaten at a meal and to always eat carbs with protein. 40% to 55% of your calorie intake should come from carbohydrates.
Simple carbs are sugars known as monosaccharides. The term simple carb is usually used to describe refined sugars and white flour products. The natural simple carbs are fructose (found in fruit) and lactose (found in dairy products).
Complex carbs, also known as polysaccharides are nothing more than multiple chains of simple sugars linked together.
The advantage complex carbs have over simple ones are the speed at which they enter the blood stream as glucose and the amount of insulin that is released.
The speed at which complex carbs enter the blood as glucose is slow because the body must break the long chains of sugar, one by one, into smaller units of sugar before they can be turned into glucose; this translates in a steady flow of glucose into the blood, that cause a minimum insulin response.
Simple carbs, on the other hand, are digested with ease so glucose levels quickly build in the blood and massive amounts of insulin are released.
Even if simple carbs have this effect, it’s not necessary to remove them completely from your diet – you can still enjoy fresh fruits but in moderation if you want to maximize fat loss.
Approved list of simple carbs
| Source | Portion size | Simple carbs/portion |
| Grapefruit | 6.5 oz or 184 g | 15 g |
| Raisins | 2 tbsp or 18.5 g | 15 g |
| | 3.5 oz or 99 g | 15 g |
| Apples | 6 oz 170 g | 15 g |
| Mellon | 8 oz or 226 g | 15 g |
| Strawberries | 10 oz or 283 g | 15 g |
Now let’s get back to complex carbs.
There are 2 types of complex carbs: starchy carbs and fibrous carbs.
The difference is that starchy carbs are more calorie dense than fibrous ones – starches are completely absorbed and digested while fiber is indigestible so only a part of the caloric energy is absorbed.
Because fibrous carbs have low calorie density and at the same time “fill you up” so you don’t feel hungry they help you lose fat, so they should constitute the bulk of your carb intake.
Approved list of starchy carbs
| Source | Portion size | Starchy carbs/portion |
| Baked potato | 2 oz or 57 g | 15 g |
| Sweet potato | 2 oz or 57 g | 15 g |
| Yam | 2 oz or 57 g | 15 g |
| Brown rice | 2.5 oz or 70g | 15 g |
| Pasta | 3 oz or 85 g | 15 g |
| Oatmeal | 1 oz or 28 g | 15 g |
| Beans | 3 oz or 85 g | 15 g |
| Corn | 3.5 oz or 100 g | 15 g |
| Whole wheat bread | 2 pieces | 15 g |
Approved list of fibrous carbs
| Source | Portion size | Fibrous carbs/portion |
| Asparagus | 4 oz or 113 g | 5 g |
| Broccoli | 1/2 cup or 78 g | 5 g |
| Carrots | 1 cup | 5 g |
| Cauliflower | 2.5 cups | 5 g |
| Celery | 2/3 cup or 125 g | 5 g |
| Cucumber | 5.5 oz or 156 g | 5 g |
| Green Beans | ½ cup or 62.5 g | 5 g |
| Green peppers | 1.5 cups | 5 g |
| Mushrooms | 2.5 oz or 78 g | 5 g |
| Onion | 1/3 cup or 53 g | 5 g |
| Peas | ½ cup | 5 g |
| Salad (lettuce, romaine) | 3 cups or 156 g | 5 g |
| Spinach | 2/3 cup or 125 g | 5 g |
| Tomato | ½ cup or 90 g | 5 g |
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