Prawn Stir-fry & Understanding Carbs
This is a delicious and versatile meal with the option to use courgette or soba noodles. The prawns are high in protein and the courgette noodles are a great option if you’re trying to lose a few pounds or on a non-training day, providing only light and fibrous carbs. The soba noodles are great pre or post-workout or if you’re just feeling really hungry! Made from buckwheat, these noodles contain protein and are gluten free, meaning they will fill you up without feeling bloated. They also contain fewer calories and are more nutritious than alternatives making both options a healthy choice.
I hear so many people talking about how they’re cutting carbs from their diet but we never encourage anyone to do this. It is certainly true that reducing your carb intake can help you lose fat but cutting them too much will likely leave you feeling tired, lacking energy, unable to concentrate and rather grumpy! This is because carbs are broken down to sugar (glucose) which is not only one of our main sources of fuel for exercise but also virtually the sole fuel source that powers our brain cells. The cutting of carbs and start of a new exercise program often coincide so it’s no wonder people often find the exercise element too hard, end up feeling like they’ve failed and give up on the whole thing! This is why a crash diet or extreme approach is not the answer, but a basic understanding of what happens when we consume (or over-consume!) certain foods is.
When we consume carbs our blood sugar levels (glucose) increase, signaling the release of the hormone insulin. The job of insulin is to clear the glucose out of the blood by sending it to your cells and tissues for storage as glycogen. This is first stored in the muscles and liver ready to be used for energy production but space is limited and when those are full the remaining glucose is converted to adipose tissue (fat). While there is glucose present, there is less need for your body to release fat for energy as it is far easier and faster for it to convert the glucose present to energy. This is why carbs are so vitally important for exercise, particularly at high intensities when fast energy production is required. It is also the reason we should watch our carb intake on less active days when we don’t need such fast energy production and want to encourage our body’s to metabolise fat for energy. The body will naturally find the easiest (or laziest!) way to do things so put too much glucose (carbs) into your body and it will have no need to dip into those fat stores!
Post training we want to go for something with a good amount of protein and carbs to replenish glycogen stores in our muscles and keep our body in an anabolic state, where it is building and repairing damaged muscle tissue. Energy is required to do this which is why eating a nutritious meal 1-2 hours after training is so important. If you fail to give your body the appropriate nutrients to do this you risk entering a catabolic state where it may be forced to break down muscle tissue for energy.
So, if you’re looking to shed some fat and look a little leaner try to focus on healthy fats and proteins (lean meat & fish, oily fish, eggs, legumes, avocados, nuts & seeds) on rest days to keep you filled up and promote muscle repair and growth. On training days, throw in a few extra good quality carbs (brown rice, wholegrain bread/pasta, quinoa, buckwheat, sweet potatoes & squashes) to give you energy for your workout and aid recovery and progression.
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
225g raw prawns
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 small onion sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chilli chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pack (8ish stems) tenderstem broccoli, roughly chopped
Big handful chopped kale or spring greens
1 large courgette, thinly chopped or spiralized OR
125g soba noodles
Sauce:
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp almond butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Handful of cashews for topping
Method:
First make your sauce by mixing or blending all the sauce ingredients
Set a pan over a medium heat and toast the cashews until starting to brown – remove and chop
In a wok or large pan heat the oil and stir fry the onions for a few minutes before adding the chilli and garlic
Cook for another minute and then throw in all the veggies except for the courgette
Cover with the sauce and reduce to a simmer for a few minutes
When the vegetables are tender add the prawns and courgette, cooking until the prawns are pink and the courgette heated through
If using soba noodles cook for 4 minutes in boiling water, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop them overcooking. Add to the stir-fry at the end just long enough to heat and combine
Serve in bowls topped with roughly chopped toasted cashews
