Nutrition 101: Part 3 - Carbohydrates

RARW - Evil pancake!

On one hand, we kinda-sorta get the whole “evil carbs” thing….but on the other, more logically-sound hand, we think it is bonkers.

In case you were wondering, carbohydrates are one of the main types of nutrients and one of the most important sources of energy for our body. When we eat carbs, our digestive system changes them into glucose (sugar) which our body then uses for energy for our cells, tissues, and organs.

Yeah Science!

Carbs are either simple or complex, based on their chemical structure. Simple carbs are those sugars found naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, etc. They also include sugars added during food processing and refining (refined = BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD!) Complex carbs include whole grain breads, starchy vegetables, etc., and are often a great source of fiber (GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD!)

Best time to eat carbs: early in the day! This way,  your body has all day long to utilize the energy from the gluclose, and it doesn’t just sit in your body unused (aka stored as fat).

Amount of carbs: We really feel this is individualistic. For example, Timothy doesn’t require a lot of carbs and can still maintain appropriate levels of energy and performance. Lindsay, on the other hand, can be noticeably sluggish without appropriate amounts of complex carbs. Take the time to play with this a little bit....be aware of your body, note how you feel when you up or lower carb intake, and find what works for you!

To K.I.S.S. it: limit/avoid the refined simple carbs (pretty much anything that comes in a box) and enjoy (in moderation) complex carbs, trying to consume mostly earlier in your day!


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In Health, 


Timothy and Lindsay

The Breakfast Cookie

Seriously - does anyone get tired of the recipes?? Hope not because we've got another one for you!!

This marvelous creation comes from the beautiful and fun Gina at The Fitnessista! We spend most of our internet time reading health and fitness blogs - there is SO much good stuff out there, seriously....take a look around sometime! And when a recipe like this is found, your eyeballs tell your tummy "MUST. HAVE. NOW"

The Breakfast Cookie is pretty simple, but after Gina posted the creation, it swept the blogsphere! And after having one this morning, we see why.

First, you start out making this the night before....might we suggest when you are preparing/packing your meals for the next day :-)

In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbs nut butter of choice, and 1/2 scoop protein powder. We used quick oats, no salt natural peanut butter, and chocolate egg white protein powder. Stir to combine and use the spoon to break up the nut butter until you have a nice crumbly mixture. Actually, your hand combines it much better, if you don't mind a little messiness!

Add 1/8 cup milk of your choice (For us, unsweetened plain almond milk) and mix until fully moistened. Then, pick the mix-ins! You can get creative with this one – banana, raisins, pumpkin, chocolate chips, ground espresso beans, etc. We did dark chocolate chips - duh.

Stir together with some seasoning (Cinnamon and a pinch of stevia was in ours). Plop the mixture onto an appetizer-sized plate and with the back of your spoon, flatten it into a round shape with equal thickness throughout. Put the cookie in the fridge overnight. It will harden slightly from the nut butter and the oats will soften from the milk.Next morning, grab ya a spoon and DIG IN! If you want it to be harder, more like an actual cookie texture, Gina recommends putting it in the freezer for 10 minutes before you eat!




Not really too different than regular oatmeal; however, we found it to be much more moist (guessing from the oats having all night to soak up the almond milk). Next time - might do the freezer trick so we could eat this giant cookie with our paws! YEAH!

This is a good meal to start your day - a lot of fiber and good carbs from the oats, which will keep you full. Also, adding in the cinnamon helps regulate your blood sugar. And lastly, a little bit of protein from the protein powder!

In Health,

Lindsay and Timothy