There are a lot of diets out there and it can be very hard to decide which one is the best for each individual. Is it Atkins? Is it low carb? Is it zone? It can be very confusing. One diet which I believe has many great benefits is carb cycling. So what is carb cycling? As a personal trainer here is my best advice.
Carb cycling at its simplest form is where you utilize carbohydrate only when needed. For instance, if one is at home watching TV it is not important to be taking in carbohydrate to fuel that type of activity. However if one is getting ready to engage in exercise it might not be a bad idea to take in some carbohydrate. So what is the best time to take in carbohydrates?
In a diet such as carbohydrate cycling, it is important to take in carbohydrates at the right time of day to utilize the benefits that carbohydrates can deploy. In my opinion, it can be very beneficial to take in carbohydrates early in the morning when one is breaking their fast. Another good time is prior to workout to boost your blood sugar for that intense workload. And finally, post-workout is another very important I'm a taken carbohydrate. Now, why is post-workout important?
When we work out we are breaking down our body's glycogen which is our storage form of carbohydrate. As a result, after we work out it's important to refuel those stores for the next bout of exercise. So carbohydrate post workout becomes very important.
So as you can see taking in carbohydrates can actually be beneficial and worthwhile to a diet plan. I don't feel that one should be afraid of carbohydrates yet be sure to use them in the proper way. Give this diet a shot and see if it works for you.