We've all heard the saying, "Man cannot live on bread alone". Not only is this true, one could even modify it to say "Man SHOULD not live on bread alone"!
It's true, carbalicious potatoes, pasta and rolls raise levels of seratonin - the "feel-good" brain chemical. But the catch is, these refined carbs are usually full of EMPTY calories and even worse, can SLOW your metabolism. Ouch!
What to do? Power-up your diet! Protein requires more energy to digest than carbs do AND it builds lean muscle, which burns a lot more calories than fat - even when you are just sitting! Fill 3/4 of your plate with protein (lean meat, eggs, skinless poultry) and vegetables (leafy greens, colored bell peppers, fresh green beans, broccoli, zucchini, etc.) and the rest with healthy carbs (fresh fruit, sweet potatoes, whole grains, quinoa, bulgur wheat, oatmeal). The bonus of some grains such as quinoa is that they are also a good source of protein.
Another trick...time it right. Help yourself to whole-grain toast (without a slab of butter!) or oatmeal in the morningm or a whole grain wrap at lunch and scale back the carbs at dinner. You'll have the energy you need during the day from those fiber-packed, healthy carbs, as well as have more time to burn off the calories during the day. Then pile on the protein and veggies for supper. A couple of times a week limit your carb intake to fresh fruit - a great, healthy source of carbs.
One thing to note...if you are planning a long run or a hard workout one morning, a few healthy carbs at supper the night before isn't a bad idea :).
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