Some interesting articles I have been reading recently got me thinking about all the commuters getting the train to work.  I'll get to that in more detail in a sec, so bear with me.

Some of us are more designed to tolerate carbohydrates (or 'carbs', for short) better than others - it’s just the way we are.  We think of carbs as our energy source (which it is), but how much should we be having to benefit ourselves and not gain weight? 

I know there is no exact number but I can help you find out if you need them or not.

A way to find out if you need carbs in your daily diet is to have a big, carby breakfast (like pancakes and syrup for example) and see how you feel an hour after eating them.

Do you feel tired or ready to climb mountains?

This is where my opening paragraph now returns to.  I’ve seen or heard from my clients about themselves or some other person asleep on the train to work.  This shouldn’t be happening - if you’re getting sufficient sleep and eating the right foods you should be awake and ready to take on the world!

If you are the sluggish type after carbs then you are more susceptible to putting on weight from carbs.  If you don’t feel sluggish, lucky you!

Now you shouldn’t remove carbs completely from your diet, but you should reduce them. Save carbs for lunchtime - preferably a type of potato or some berries (the more natural the source of carb, the better) or for after training, as your body will suck them up like a sponge and use them as part of your recovery.

How to start your day right

I have said this a few times in past articles, but start the best way to start your day is with meat and nuts.  If you don’t like nuts or think that’s weird, replace the nuts with an avocado or, if you don't eat meat, try an omelette packed full of veg. 

Personally, egg and bacon is my go-to breakfast to start the day, along with a cup of Bondi Coffee Lean-Green, which gives me a nice caffeine boost and a dose of superfoods and vitamins.

If you really can’t stomach heavy food that to start your day, go with natural, greek style or Skyr yogurt with a small amount of berries.  A small amount of carbs from a fruit source won’t give you a massive energy crash later.

The biggest issue is portion size we in the western world tend to overeat and especially on carbs.  If you read my articles on Facebook about the 3 healthiest countries, the one thing they all have in common is they eat small portions and they eat fresh. If you adopt these ways for eating and plan your meals in advance, you can’t lose on your journey for looking and feeling funky, sexy and cool.

- Ben Freeman