Healthful Tips

The best time to have carbs

Carb-loading is a killer to your weight-loss goal, but cutting out carbohydrates all together is a no-no. Your body needs carbohydrates for fuel, so ensure you eat the right kind of carbs - complex carbohydrates (whole grain, fruits, vegetables, legumes and ground provisions) - and at the right time.

The best time to consume carbs is first thing in the morning, when your metabolic rate is higher and insulin sensitivity is peaking 'naturally'. This means there's more room in your energy tank to let the carbs in without any fat storage.

Also perfect is a few hours before your workout and post-workout, which will ensure the carbs you consume are burned off during and after workout.

After a workout, when you use the right type of exercise, your muscles act like a sponge that's been wrung dry, so your body will literally 'soak up' all your favourite carbs.

Add some strength training

Adding strength training to your workout routine builds muscle and helps you burn more calories during and after your workout, says Tom Holland, author of  Beat the Gym.

In fact, researchers found that women who did strength training increased their resting metabolic rate (the calories your body needs to get through the day) for as long as 16 hours post-exercise.

Do 10 reps of each move, going from one exercise to the next with no rest; then take a one-minute break. Do three circuits total. Follow this metabolism-revving, total-body routine two or three times a week as well as a cardio programme.