dear carb lovers: love these, not those.

As a personal trainer and a self-acclaimed health nut, I am often consulted by clients, family and friends on the sure way to lose weight quick and easily. While I cannot guarantee that losing weight is ever easy, when accounting for the self-control and willpower that this entails, I can give you one major piece of advice.

Carbs are not the enemy. Yet unfortunately, most of the carbs we are surrounded by in grocery stores and restaurants are the enemy.

Let me make this as simple as possible in order to avoid me boring you, driving you to reach for a bag of potato chips or a slice of Wonder Bread. White, processed, refined grains, or even seemingly healthy wheat breads do not retain the nutrients which exist in a true whole grain. The mass-manufacturing of food items has caused the processing process to destroy exactly what makes grains good for us, leaving nothing left but overly-refined carbs. These carbs cause our metabolisms to go completely nuts, sending our blood sugar levels through the roof only to suddenly crash back down to the ground. Furthermore, these carbs are more “bioavailable” than real, whole grains, contributing to that little epidemic known today as diabetes. The moral of the story? Only eat sprouted sources of carbs, completely whole grain (must be the first and only ingredient on the list, with the word whole first. No exceptions.) sources of carbs, brown rice, quinoa, or pastas made from brown rice or quinoa.

For an easy reference guide and more information, check out my pro-carb article in Sweet Lemon Magazine

The easiest way to swap out your sub-par bread for a personal trainer approved bread is to try Food For Life’s Ezekiel Bread – it is just as delicious as the fake whole wheat breads and is amazingly good for you and your waistline. Try the cinnamon raisin for an indulgent (yet nutritious!) treat with natural peanut butter or almond butter.

Also, for you fellow health nut nerds who want to learn more about exactly why unprocessed grains are better for your health, check out Food For Life’s “Sprouted Grain Difference” info page.

So feel free to eat those comforting carbs, just love the right ones, and they will love you back.