Good Carbs, Bad Carbs?

I have conversations about nutrition with my clients on a regular basis. The initial thoughts when it comes to carbohydrate intake is that, "I need to stay away from carbs". This arises from the thought that carbs are only bread, rice and potatoes. This is only partially true because fruits and vegetables are also carbohydrates. The total amount of carbohydrate intake for someone that is sedentary is about 45-65% of the total calories you consume in a day. Ok, lets just put it at 50% When you start adding consistent exercise, that number increases to 55-60%. If you view this on a per meal basis, your plate should consist of 1/2 carbohydrates. Now, if you originally thought carbs were only bread, rice and potatoes - I can understand the alarm. Take a look at www.mypyramid.gov and click on Inside the Pyramid. This is the governments assistance on proper nutrition where you can get a better understanding of the food groups and assess your food intake and physical activity. In MyPyramid Menu Planner, input your height, weight, age and level of physical activity to find how many calories you need to consume in a day. It will also provide suggestions on the amounts of each food group you should consume and the portions. Final thought, if you are not eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, one should increase the amounts but maintain a consumption of whole grains, as well. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, so they must be consumed . . but in a smart way.