The Two Best Time to Eat Carbs

Reader Question: Beautyqueen, if my goal is fatloss, when should I be eating carbs?  Or should I be avoiding carbs altogether? Thank you!

-Mary S., New York

Beautyqueen's Response:  

Hi Mary!  Thanks for your question.  Carb consumption is a topic that many folks are indeed confused about, so I'm happy to clear up the "if" and "when" surrounding your carb intake.

First, NO, you definitely shouldn't be avoiding carbs altogether as there simply ;isn't any good reason to do so.  With the right approach, you can enjoy carbs and still drop flab; in fact, eating carbs can even speed your fatloss along when done strategically, which leads us right in to the second part of your question -- WHEN should you eat carbs?

Well, there are actually TWO times of day in which carbs are an ideal choice.  The first time is in the morning hours.  After an overnight fast your internal carbohydrate stores (known as glycogen) will be somewhat depleted, so carbs eaten in the morning are less likely to spill over into fat storage.  Not only that, but research shows that carbohydrate tolerance and insulin sensitivity are highest in the morning and only get worse as the day progresses.  So, if you want a flat belly, eat carbs in the morning and avoid carbs in the evening, especially in the late evening hours.

The second "best" time to eat carbs is after a workout. The only time that insulin sensitivity and carb tolerance is higher than in the morning is immediately following a workout.  So, choosing carbs after an intense exercise session is a great way to refuel your energy stores while avoiding fat storage.

Now, if you're looking to get even more of an edge on your carb intake, we've got something even better for you today.  You see, at the link below we're going to show you our #1 carb-fighting trick that you can use each and every time you eat carbs.  This simple carb-fighting "ritual" is clinically proven to:

 

*Lower your blood sugar

*Increase insulin sensitivity

*Decrease fat storage

*Increase fat burning

 

Even better, you can perform it in just a few seconds...and it WORKS like gangbusters!!

5 ways to avoid harmful processed foods (without going nuts)

Have you a little freaked out that all of the processed foods you’re eating might be less than wonderful for your health? Do you feel overwhelmed about what on earth to eat instead, so you don’t do anything about it?

Sometimes the hardest thing about making a change is simply deciding where to start and realizing that you don’t have to know everything before you take your first step.

Sure, you could flip your entire diet upside-down all at once and embrace the cold turkey strategy for ditching processed foods. But I’m guessing you don’t find that idea very appealing, so I’m giving you five simpler strategies that will help you start ditching processed foods without losing your sanity.

What are “Real Foods”?

No matter what strategy you choose, you’ll need a way to figure out which foods are “real” and which foods are too processed to keep in your diet. Follow this simple rule: Read the ingredients label on everything you purchase. If you can easily identify every ingredient as having come from a plant or animal in nature, then it’s a keeper. If not, leave it on the shelf.

Sure, you can research even deeper with food additives information and animal welfare issues (which won’t necessarily be represented on food labels), but we’re just taking our first step, remember? So let’s just start with this one simple rule.

Pick Your Strategy

1. One Enemy at a Time

One popular way to start ditching processed foods is to target one food additive or chemical ingredient to avoid. You choose one additive (e.g., MSG, high fructose corn syrup, food coloring, natural flavor), and you stop purchasing anything that contains that ingredient. Once you’ve mastered that ingredient, you move on to another one. You don’t have to know everything about every food additive that exists; you just find one you feel may be harming your family’s health and then refuse to purchase it any more.

2. Weekly Recipe Make-Over

One of the most overwhelming things about ditching processed food is that you likely don’t know how to cook anything. Well, there’s only one way that is going to change—start practicing.

The Skinny on Smart Snacking

Maybe it was the hours of browsing holiday food porn on Pinterest that made your tummy growl. Or it could have been the carb-alicious leftovers staring at you every time you opened the fridge!

Whatever the case, when hunger calls, it calls, but instead of reaching for those Cheetos, there’s a smarter way to satiate your hunger pains. Be sure to pay attention to hunger levels and start eating when you feel hungry as opposed to when you're starving. And stop when you feel satisfied, not when you’re stuffed.

So, how can you feel full without eating a supersized meal? Here are some slim snack meanies under 100 calories that we recommend. 

When you’re in the mood for something quick:

• Vegetables with 2-3 tablespoons of hummus or black bean dip
• One hard-boiled egg
• Non-fat Greek yogurt (6 ounces)

When you’re craving something sweet:

• 1 Vans Light Waffle with 3 sliced strawberries and 2 tablespoons light whip cream
• 1 graham cracker topped with 1/4 cup cottage cheese

When you want a light meal:

• Soy burger patty or soy hot dog wrapped in lettuce
• 1/2 sandwich with 1 slice of light whole wheat bread, 1 1/2 ounces turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard

Cannabis The Next Big Thing in Beauty?

Long gone are the days of Reefer Madness and the concurrent idea that marijuana alone will somehow turn you into a monster or a murderer. First-world society has slowly warmed to the once-vilified drug, first with medical usage, then decriminalization... and now, it's entirely legal for recreational use in Colorado. Progress!

While updates on America's attitude toward marijuana are regularly broadcasted on the news, one less publicized use for the plant is as an ingredient in skincare. Hemp has never been forbidden from use in cosmetics -- in fact, the fatty acid-rich oil is a highly effective emollient that goes great in shampoos and conditioners.

Wait, Pot Can Reduce Skin Cancer Risk?

Publicly-quoted company Medical Marijuana Inc. is taking cosmetic cannabis to the next level with their new anti-aging skincare line, Cannabis Beauty Defined. The brand will use super-concentrated, cannabidiol-rich hemp oil as the star ingredient in its exfoliant, cleanser, eye cream, gel masque, moisturizer, and serum. And as it happens, the use of hemp oil isn't just a stoner gimmick -- clinical research shows that cannabinoids have antioxidant properties and can also help to regulate conditions like dry, irritable skin or acne.

Whether you smoke the stuff or you're firmly against it, there's no stigma attached to using it on your skin. We're just a little curious about the fragrance of the product: the last thing we need is to go around with our faces smelling like a Phish concert.