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Should you be carb cycling? Also, what is carb cycling?
No, it’s not a new spin class or bicycle-and-pasta-based fitness fad.
Carb cycling is one of those low-key wellness trends that has been gaining momentum over the last few years.
It’s a bit like intermittent fasting in that you are creating periods of time when you eat more and periods of time when you eat less (or not at all).
The gist is cycling through higher to lower amounts of carbs during the week or over specific periods of the month to feed fluctuating metabolic demands.
Wait, huh?
Ok, here’s an example:
For those 10 days, she would increase her carbohydrate intake to support these metabolic and hormonal demands.
(Changes in energy levels, hormone balance and mood are often what get described as PMS.)
Following the Luteal phase, she could decrease back down to a lower carb diet for the rest of the month OR cycle down to a moderate amount of carbs during menstruation then back to low carb for the rest of the month.
So, basically, you are cycling through higher to lower amounts of carbohydrate intake to support energy and hormonal needs.
But carb cycling isn’t just for women. Guys, we cycle through phases of hormonal and metabolic highs and lows, too. Hormonal fluctuations for men are a little more straightforward, but carb cycling can benefit guys as well.
There are big benefits to carb cycling beyond keeping hormones balanced, as well.
For both men and women, carb cycling can help to replenish glycogen stores in the liver and muscle, which get depleted with low-carb diets, intermittent fasting and lots of exercise.
So pumping those blood sugar stores back up again can actually help boost your athletic performance.
The switch between higher to lower carb days actually gets your body to switch to burning fat more easily once you have used up that stored glycogen from higher carb days.
Carb cycling is also quite helpful for balancing insulin and blood sugar, and keeping your cells insulin sensitive and away from that dreaded Insulin Resistance.
How do I try carb cycling?
Like intermittent fasting, there are probably a dozen different ways to carb cycle, but honestly it is up to you, your body and your schedule.
Some popular setups are:
High carb during Luteal phase, low carb for the rest of the month (women)
The 5:2 model - 5 days of lower carb eating with 2 days of higher carb eating
The 1:2 model - 2 days of high carb eating for every 1 day of low carb eating
Low carb during training days, higher carb on “off days” to replenish glycogen stores
High carb during training days, lower carb on “off days” to fuel heavy workouts
Now, obviously, those “higher carb” days don’t equal cheat days; this isn’t permission to pig out on donuts and huge bowls of pasta or drink all the beer.
What do I eat when I am carb cycling?
Again, this isn’t about eating a bunch of cake and pastries and pasta on the weekend and calling that “carb cycling”.
We’re starting from a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet. Leafy green veggies, fruit, plenty of eggs, meat and fish, legumes and tubers, limited grains.
Your regular carbohydrate intake is unique to you. Many people feel great on a very low carb diet, others need a bit more.
The question is, what do you eat more of, and when do you eat it?
First, start with starchy sources of carbohydrates that you already enjoy, like:
Baked sweet potato, russet or red potato
White rice
Roasted carrots
Homemade sourdough bread
Hummus
So this might look like adding a baked sweet potato or steamed white rice to your dinners on the weekend, or including some hummus or a slice of sourdough to your lunch.
Deciding how much to add will be something for you to play with. If you already eat a very low carb diet, you may not need to add much to notice the benefits.
Try adding one thing like a baked potato or white rice to one meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner, over the weekend for four weeks.
How do you feel? Did your energy improve? Do you feel less tired and moody?
What if I already eat plenty of carbs?
Finally, if you already eat a moderate or even relatively high amount of carbohydrates now, the trick is planning a few low carb days in your week.
Strategically pulling back your carb intake a few days a week or month brings all the blood sugar and metabolic benefits we discussed above.
Whether you’re cycling up to higher carb or cycling down to lower carb, creating a schedule will definitely help keep you on track.
It can be something as simple as a blank monthly calendar on your refrigerator marked with “high carb” and “low carb” days, or as complex as meal plans for each week depending on your carb intake.
If you’re a woman who tracks her cycle using a smartphone app, you can use that data to know when to increase your carb intake during the month and when you can cycle back down again and create a plan from there.
Basically, you need a plan.
Y’all, I can help you make that plan, set up that schedule, and even come up with that meal plan.
Carb cycling is just one of the many tools we use in my 6-month 1-on-1 and 8 week group programs.
Every bit of that work is meant to give you the support and accountability you need to build positive habits so you look and feel your best.
I’ve got spots in my 1-on-1 program now, ready when you are.
Ready? Let’s go!
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