WHAT CARBS SHOULD YOU PERSONALLY EAT?

Important Fact - Carbs are NOT the enemy, calories are.

That being said, different types of carbs you consume can have different effects on you personally so it's worth taking notes of what effects they are if you'd like to optimise your energy levels at specific times.

A nice by-product of that is tat choosing the right carbs for you can also decrease overeating and this weight loss as well.

Win x 2.

While 1 person may pile on weight eating rice, another can barely maintain weight with it - and the same for almost any food you can think up.

Culturally, some populations have eaten specific foods for their entire existence and have biologically progressed to be able to handle these types of foods over thousands of years.

Introduce them to newer food/carb types that their bodies aren't great at processing and the story can be very different.

Finding out your blood sugar response to various carb sources can help you greatly in determining what exactly happens when you eat.

Food is highly addictive and we are biased towards foods thus we can rationalise with ourselves on what foods are good for us or not, but a blood sugar tester gives you the absolute truth.

If you register a high blood sugar reading then you might hit the dreaded carb coma where you wanna take a nap but you'll also feel hungry again pretty soon after which will break whatever weight loss or maintenance aspirations you have right in it's tracks.

There are no good carbs or bad carbs - it all depends on the person eating them and we're not sure yet why this is but there's a feeling it's got a lot to do with our individual genetics  and how they work with our gut bacteria.

Blood sugar levels are measured in millimoles of glucose per litre (mmol/l) and our levels fluctuate throughout the day, with a normal reading being between 4.4 - 6.4 mmol/l.

If you go the tester route (a quick online search found them for $40 at Chemist Warehouse) then eat different carb sources each morning for breakfast and see how they test.

You can have a drink with breakfast as well but keep it the same each morning you test so there''s no interference with the carb food source.

If you go without the tester then simply note how you feel in the 20 - 60mins after that meal in regards to energy and satiety and also note how long after it you start to feel hungry again and then analyse the results of each carb source where you'll find some maintain satiety right up until lunchtime while others barely make it through your commute to work.

Also be aware that energy levels and blood sugar readings may not match up perfectly where something might provide you with long lasting energy but it also spikes a high blood sugar level and doesn't fill you up for very long.

As we all pile into chocolate this weekend (I have a giant bunny in the fridge from my son as we speak), give this a little trial and see what you find yourself doing.