The Get Bigger Guys

‘Starchy Carbohydrates’

Alight, so you know all about the fibrous carbohydrates but how about starchy carbohydrates? Well aren’t you lucky, we are going to take a look at them and educate you on them right here.

 Starchy carbohydrates are more finicky!

Unlike the fibrous carbohydrates, starchy carbohydrates are a little bit more finicky. Eating a lot of them probably is not the best. Some people can get away with it and not gain fat, however most can’t.  So just be a little cautious and watch your portions.

 What are they?

Great Starchy Carbohydrates

• Pastas
• Yams
• Squash
• Potatoes (sweet potatoes as well)
• Rice (Basmati, white, jasmine, brown)
• Yogurt (no sugar of course)

So now that you know of the good starchy carbs you might be asking yourself, “How much should I eat?” Well it really depends on whether you are trying to gain weight or trying to lose fat.

 Losing weight!

If you are trying to lose weight I would suggest eating the main amount of starchy carbs in the morning and afternoon. Do not eat them in the evening and definitely not at night. Best rule of thumb; eat them when you know you are going to be active. It’s that simple! If you want carbs at night go for those fibrous, slow digesting, ones.

 Gaining weight!

If you are trying to gain weight you should eat carbs in the morning, afternoon and evening. Try not to have them at night (unless you are super skinny or a “hard gainer”), if you do just cut back on the portion, this won’t hurt as long as you burn them off the next day.

 How quick do they digest??

On of the most confusing things about these starchy carbs is that they don’t fall in the same place on the Glycemic Index; This just refers to how quickly your body can break down the carbohydrates into useable forms of energy/sugars. For losing weight you want to digest slowly, for gaining weight you want to digest quickly (there are exceptions and we’ll cover those later). So how do you make faster digesting foods slower digesting foods? You eat them as close to raw as possible! No that doesn’t mean start eating your potatoes like apples or eating dried pastas. It means don’t over cook them or over work them. Cooking or physically breaking up the food mimics the digesting process. And thus makes it easier for your body to get at that those sugars. Cook your pasta al dente (DON’T BOIL IT TO MUSH!), Don’t mash your potatoes, try baking them or roasting them. This will ensure a longer digestion time and keep those blood sugar levels, well….. level!

Also don’t over eat the starchy carbohydrates this can lead to gaining FAT! Moderation is key!

So there you have it; a list of good starchy carbs and info on when to eat and not to eat them. Remember your goals and follow your nutrition the best way you can to maximize those goals!

Get Big!

-Zee-