5 Nutrition Worsts: #5. The Worst Habit by Joan Kent, PhD

The worst nutrition habit is no doubt directly linked to the anti-carb trend of the past several years. It would be avoiding carbs after exercise — when the body probably needs them most.

Carbs (meaning starches, not sugars or fruit) replace glycogen most effectively. Glycogen needs to be replaced so we can continue training effectively. This is true for recreational fitness enthusiasts, not just elite athletes.

Avoiding carbs, especially in the key 30 minutes after a workout, will make the muscles temporarily insulin resistant. That insulin resistance can make it harder to replace glycogen, even if you eat perfectly the rest of the day.

To oversimplify, the idea is to eat after today’s workout so you can train well tomorrow. Carbs plus protein in a 3-to-1 ratio right after training will help you do that. Skipping carbs will not.

Difficulties with glycogen replacement become even more exaggerated if you also avoid carbs before exercise. If you work out regularly — especially if you train hard — you need carbs both before and after your workout. Be sure to make that happen!

So this concludes the 5 Nutrition ‘Worsts.’ The best plan would be to avoid the foods, habits, and behaviors covered in the past several days.

If you’d like help with any of these ‘worsts’ – or if you have a list of your own – I’d love to help you. Just visit LastResortNutrition and request your free Power Eating Consult. (You don’t have to be a power athlete or struggling with food addictions to benefit from it.) Find out how easy it can be to make small changes that yield big results – in your health, your energy, your moods. You got this!

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.