How many carbs should i eat in a day? Most men are confused.
It’s never been more difficult to plan our your nutrition as a man. Most of the men who come into our services at Miller & Everton are no strangers nutrition and quite often they’re listening to other podcasts, like ours The Miller & Everton Podcast. Yet no question comes up more often than ‘how many carbs should I eat in a day?’ We get it, there’s so much information out there. But fear not, because we’ll break down everything you need to know about carbohydrates and provide recommendations for optimising your fitness and health.
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates can be one of the body’s primary sources of energy, providing fuel for both normal body function and even intense workouts. They come in two main forms: ‘simple’ carbohydrates, found in foods like fruits, honey and syrups, sweets/candy and also the sugars found in dairy products (lactose); and complex carbohydrates, found in foods like grains and baked goods, starchy vegetables (eg. potatoes) and other vegetables. We recommend our men follow an animal-based, seasonal diet which often contains both types to optimise fuelling the body.
How Carbohydrates are metabolised
Now, let’s talk about how carbohydrates are specifically used in the body. All macronutrients from food, protein, carbohydrates and fats need to be processed by your mitochondria, the tiny ‘cell batteries’ which generate energy as a compound called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), proteins are used only under rare circumstances for energy so it’s mostly, carbohydrates and fats. Now the difference between breaking down carbohydrates for energy (glycolysis) and fats (beta-oxidation) is the amount of energy they provide. See this video below:
Mitochondrial health affects how many carbs you need per day
When men say to us they have a slow metabolism, what they are really saying is they have dysfunctional mitochondria.
“Carbohydrates provide less energy per gram than fats and so for the majority of the time, your body prefers fat for fuel. Your cells and mitochondria want safety in their fuel supply. More energy = safety signal for the cell.“ Rick Miller, RD
Mitochondria prefer fat for fuel but their ability to process that fat and get the most energy is primarily dictated by their health. If mitochondria become damaged, dysfunctional or there are just fewer of them overall then the fuel emphasis in the cell shifts to carbohydrate oxidation and it gets stuck there. We term this losing metabolic flexibility, which can lead to the development of diabetes and heart disease as your mitochondria get stuck in using carbohydrates for fuel.
What affects Mitochondria health?
We test mitochondria health using our Explore package where, alongside our metabolic test we also look at bloodwork and use a DEXA scan to check total body fat, visceral fat (organ fat), bone and muscle mass. We then round it off with a comprehensive report and 30 minute consultation to explain to our men where things are going well or not so well with their mitochondria metabolism.
Here’s some of the factors that cause mitochondria dysfunction.
Age: As we age, our mitochondria undergo something called heteroplasmy. They undergo mutations and don’t tend to work as well. This is why men over 40 often struggle to shift belly fat and the weight doesn’t seem to come off as easily anymore. With the right approach you can slow this down.
Body Composition: We tend to see that as men become leaner, between 10-15% body fat, their metabolic test scores improve and importantly their metabolic flexibility. This is why our Engage online personal trainer package is so amazing as we can plan our mens’ transformation into phases and shift their nutrition as their metabolism improves.
Activity Level: If you’re hitting the gym regularly or engaging in other physically demanding activities, you’ll likely need more carbohydrates to fuel your workouts and promote muscle recovery. On the other hand, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, your carbohydrate needs may be lower.
Watch: Quantum Biology will boost your mitochondria health fast
How many carbs should I eat in a day? It’s easy.
Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter: How many carbohydrates should you be eating? While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, here are some general guidelines to consider:
For men who are more than 10kg (20lbs) above their ideal weight or holding a lot of body fat, you should aim for less than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day based on a 2000-calorie diet and some may need even less than this. In our Explore package, we’d tell you exactly how many you’ll need (CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT EXPLORE).
If you’re lean, less than 15% body fat and trying to build muscle, you may benefit from a higher carbohydrate intake, closer to above 150g per day and from seasonal and local carbohydrate sources.
We’d recommend using this handy tool from the European Food Information Council to show you what’s in season where you are, just click on the image below to access the free tool.
That means that if you live in London, UK and it’s summer (July) then choose from the fruits and vegetables below:
Watermelon
Blackberries
Redcurrants
Raspberries
Strawberries
Gooseberries
Greengage
Blueberries
Honey
Potatoes
Turnips
What about carbohydrates from grains?
We recommend our men follow an animal-based, seasonal and local diet that reflects the optimal human diet of our ancestors before the agricultural revolution. Whilst some grains might be tolerated most of the grain supply is now sprayed with various herbicides such as glyphosate.
We covered this in an eye-opening podcast with Dr Stephanie Seneff, author of the book “Toxic Legacy”, you can order the book directly from Dr Seneff’s publishers by clicking on the image below and help support her work.
So unless you grow your own grains and can certify that they are glyphosate free, we say to most men to avoid them entirely.
Conclusion and your Next Step
In conclusion, carbohydrates can play a vital role in supporting men’s fitness and overall health but understanding your individual carbohydrate needs and making smart dietary choices, you can optimize your energy levels, fuel your workouts, and achieve your fitness goals.
If you’re still asking yourself the question, how many carbs should I eat in a day? Don’t hesitate to contact us at Miller & Everton for a FREE STRATEGY CALL
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