My Top Five....

....carbohydrate rules. Carbs get a bad rap and they probably should. But it doesn't mean you have to drop carbs all together if you're looking to shed some pounds or drop some bodyfat. If you're looking for a drastic reduction in weight or bodyfat, yeah, you might have to. But if you're looking more at sustained weight loss it's more about where your carbs are coming from and at what times you're ingesting them. So some rules to go by:

1. Get the majority of your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.
2. Outside of fruits and vegetables ingest all other carbs when your insulin sensitivity is highest, in the morning hours and post workout. Yes, you do not need bread with every single meal.
3. Stay away from high fat/high carb foods. These are basically all your processed foods, a lot of your bagged and boxed foods. In this situation the carbs are basically serving as a transit system for the high amount of fatt that was just taken in.
4. Stay away from low fat foods. Low in fat just usually means higher in carbohydrates. Don't fear the fat. Fear the carbs.
5. Days where you're getting a good amount of activity in be a little more lenient with your carb intake. Days where you're going to be a couch potato, watch your carb intake.

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach. Just know where your carbs are coming from and know times are best for them. They can be your friend or they can be your worst enemy.

Too many carbs perhaps?