More and more people started to realize that if they want to lose fat, they need to watch their carbohydrate intake. Very important to have the right carbs at the right time. Carbs give you energy and they have 4 kcal in 1 gr. For example: 100 gr of rice is ~70 gr of carbs, which is 280 kcal (70 x 4).

• The simple carbs (monosaccharides and disaccharides) have simple chemical structures composed of only one sugar or 2 sugars. They are easily and quickly utalized for energy, often leading to a faster rise in blood sugar and insulin secretion. Glucose is commonly found in fruits, sweet corn and honey. Fructose is found together with glucose and sucrose in honey and fruit. Sweets/sugars can cause fluctuation in blood sugar levels and these fluctuation increase appetite and sugar cravings.

• Complex carbs have more complex chemical structures and many complex carb foods contain fiber, vitamins and minerals, and they take longer to digest, which means they have less of an immediate impact on blood sugar, causing it to rise more slowly.

• Fibers are a type of carbs that the body cannot digest. They cannot be broken down into sugar, and instead they pass through the body undigested. Fiber helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

Try and choose wholegrain food over refined food: wholegrain rice, oats or sweet potato are the best sources for carbs. Now the other questions is: when to eat carbs? Eating carbs for breakfast is a good idea because you’ve been fasting all night and you also need the energy for the day. The other best time to have carbs is straight after your resistance training: the carbs you eat after training get utilised straight away by replenishing the glycogen in your muscles.