
Getting rid of all carbs from your diet greatly reduces your overall daily calorie count, but there are benefits to including "healthy complex carbohydrates" each day. They can bring you energy for your workouts, and according to Consumer Reports on Health, studies addressing the effects of low-fat diets versus low-carbohydrate diets on cognition and mood showed "impaired memory" for those who followed a carb-free diet versus the study group utilizing a well-balanced, clean eating diet. In a different study, the two groups (no-carb vs. balanced diet) scored more equal on the cognitive test, but NOT on the mood test.
"Experts say that cutting carbs might impair cognition by reducing the blood level of glucose, which is produced when carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and which serves as the brains primary fuel source."
Healthy carbs are complex carbohydrates including whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, fruits, and vegetables. Find a balance in your clean eating food plan.
01/22/12 - Sunday Workout Diary:
Day off
01/22/12- Sunday Food Diary:
Breakfast-
1 cup egg whites (120 cal)
2 oz. old fashioned oatmeal, cinnamon (187 cal)
A.M. Snack-
1 bowl high fiber organic raison bran breakfast cereal, 1/2 cup non-fat milk (156 cal)
Lunch-
4 oz tuna steak, rare (165 cal)
salad- 10 oz assorted greens: organic spinach, broccoli, pea pods, broccoli slaw,1/2 orange sweet pepper (100 cal)
3 oz brown rice (105 cal)
2 oz fat free feta (45 cal)
P.M. Snack-
5.5 oz bag of spring water packed tuna, 2 tbls. 0% Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp pickle relish, 1/2 whole wheat pita, squeeze of lemon (190 cal)
Dinner-
4.5 oz. pork chop (257 cal)
3/4 quinoa, onions, sliced almonds, crushed tomato, garlic (140 cal)
1/2 cup saute; zucchini, yellow squash in EVOO extra virgin olive oil ( 57 cal)
1 whole wheat baguette dipping sauce of balsamic vinegar and rosemary olive oil (210 cal)
Dessert:
no sugar added chocolate pudding, 1/4 cup blueberries (80 cal)
TOTAL- 1717