Carbs - Energy, Muscle-Building and Brain Power......PLUS WIN £500 CASH!!!

A few top tips to help guide you on your carb intake....

Boost your brain power

Low blood sugar deprives your brain of glucose, leaving you fluffy-headed and weak. The good news? Mental stimulation is packaged in punnets: scientists have linked carb-rich berries to reduced oxidative damage in the brain, which follows earlier research that a blueberry smoothie maintains concentration for up to five hours.

Maintain healthy hair

All that extra energy gives your follicles a boost, too: of two groups who spent six months on either a low-carb or a low-fat diet, the latter were 24% less likely to report hair loss, say Philadelphia University researchers. It could be down to the nutrients in fortified cereals: just 50g of cornflakes gives you your full RDA of cell growth-promoter folic acid.

Increase your endurance

For intense exercise, forget the low GI rule – temporarily. “Sugary carbs deliver an instant hit of energy,” says ultra-running GP Dr Andrew Murray. “For any activity longer than 60 minutes, you need between 30-60g of carbs per hour.” A banana packs 36g.

Fight cancer

Your protein-rich diet may be getting you stacked but it could also be putting you at risk of lung and bowel cancer, according the Annals of International Medicine. Combat it with super-carb broccoli, and boost the green stuff’s cancer-fighting abilities with a probiotic yoghurt. A University of Illinois study found good gut bacteria up your intake of broccoli’s big ‘C’ fighting compound sulforaphane.

Get the balance right

Eat too many carbs, though, and you could find your waistline expanding. Sports nutritionist Becky Stevenson reveals how much is enough...

Light activity (less than one hour per day) 4-5 grams of carbs per kg of weight

Light to moderate (one hour per day) 5-6g

Moderate (1-2 hours per day) 6-7g

Moderate to heavy (2-4 hours per day) 7-8g

Heavy (more than four hours per day) 8-10g

And that's about it for the carb blog post and the benefits they include. But remember, too much can be bad, so make sure you follow the above advice.

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