We’ve all heard of marathon runners eating heavy pasta meals the night before a 26-mile race in what’s commonly called “carb loading.” It’s an effort to supply the body with energy-efficient carbohydrates that will be a race-ready fuel source the next morning. But for the average person who engages in modest physical activity for weight loss or control, such carbohydrate loading is detrimental to our efforts. In fact, there are very few times when one will require the energy to physically accomplish what a carbohydrate-laden meal warrants.
Weight loss surgery (WLS) patients who follow your bariatric guidelines know that they must exercise daily to lose weight and maintain that weight loss. As they lose weight, their endurance and intensity of physical activity will naturally increase. Often, traditional physical activity enthusiasts will encourage WLS patients to eat high-energy carbohydrate-rich snack bars before exercise. These can negate the caloric benefits of exercise for the patient and lead to discouragement when weight loss stalls or weight gain occurs.
For many WLS patients, a better solution is to eat a nutrient-dense apple about 30 minutes before exercise. Apples are low glycemic*, which means eating one instead of a high glycemic energy bar will reduce the amount of insulin needed to digest it. That makes it easier for the body to burn fat, and when the low-glycemic snack is followed by exercise, the body will continue to burn body fat for hours to come. Our goal in weight loss is to lose body fat, not muscle, so combining a low-glycemic snack with exercise is beneficial in achieving this goal.
Apples are available year-round and are affordable. They are exceptionally high in antioxidants, which can help offset damage caused by free radicals, an unfortunate byproduct of daily exercise. They are also rich in vitamin C and potassium. A medium apple provides about 81 calories and nearly 4 grams of fiber. Some of the fiber in apples is pectin, which can help lower blood cholesterol. Before exercising, try cutting up a tart apple and spreading the slices with peanut or almond butter (2 teaspoons). This will add a perfect balance of protein and fat to your healthy, low-glycemic snack before exercise.
At the market look for apples that are firm and without bruises. Most of our best supermarkets now carry less common apples along with the familiar Golden Delicious and Red Delicious varieties. Try Empire, Fuji, Jonagold or Crispin apples. But don’t forget the old favorites, including the tart and juicy Granny Smith.
*Foods with a low glycemic index have less effect on blood glucose than foods with a high glycemic index. High GI foods tend to cause spikes in glucose levels, while low GI foods tend to cause mild spikes. Different carbohydrate foods can behave very differently in the body. Some break down quickly during digestion and quickly release glucose into the bloodstream; others gradually break down and slowly leak glucose into the bloodstream.