If you’ve ever cut calories hard and felt like your hormones just… quit on you, this one’s for you. New research dug into whether eating more carbs can soften the hormonal hit of eating too little overall — and the answer is a solid “kind of, yes.” 🔬 THE STUDY Researchers took 16 active adults and ran them through two separate 4-day stretches of low energy availability (basically: not eating enough to cover what their body + workouts needed). One stretch had lower carbs, the other had higher carbs — everything else stayed the same. 📉 WHAT HAPPENED • Body weight & muscle mass: Dropped about the same in both groups. More carbs didn’t stop this. • Testosterone: Only dropped significantly in the lower-carb group. Higher carbs seemed to help — but not enough to call it “proven” just yet. • IGF-1 (a hormone tied to muscle & recovery): Dropped in both groups, but way less with more carbs — down 9% vs. 20%. This was the clearest win for carbs. • Leptin (your “I’m full” hormone): Dropped either way, just slightly less with more carbs. • Fuel use: Low-carb group burned more fat for fuel and less carbs — no surprise there. 💡 THE TAKEAWAY Eating more carbs while under-eating didn’t erase the damage — but it did soften some of it, especially for IGF-1. The real lesson? You can’t carb your way out of not eating enough. If you’re in a deficit, keeping carbs adequate (not just protein) may help protect your hormones a little better than slashing everything across the board. And here’s the BIGGER point this study backs up: eat as many calories as you can while still making progress toward your goal. Your body runs better — hormones, energy, recovery, all of it — the closer you are to being properly fueled. Don’t drop calories harder or sooner than you actually need to. Save the bigger cuts for when you truly need them, and even then, keep carbs adequate instead of slashing everything across the board. 📋 This post is for educational purposes only and isn’t medical advice. If you have specific health concerns, talk to your healthcare provider.

Hey Ron and all! What do you know about Frog Fuel and do you recommend their products?

🍌 That Banana on Your Counter Isn’t One Food — It’s Five Green, spotty, mushy… same banana, totally different nutrition depending on when you eat it. Most people just grab whatever’s closest. Let’s fix that. 🟢 GREEN (underripe) Mostly starch, barely any sugar. This is the “slow burn” banana — it feeds your gut bacteria like a prebiotic and barely nudges blood sugar (glycemic index ~30). Less sweet, more filling. 🟡 BARELY RIPE Starch is starting to flip into sugar. A little sweeter, still holding onto some gut-health perks. The best of both worlds. 🟡 RIPE (all yellow, no spots) Starch has almost fully converted to sugar. Blood sugar climbs faster here (glycemic index ~60), but you’re still getting fiber, potassium, and B6. This is THE pre- or post-workout banana. 🟤 VERY RIPE (spotty) Softer, easier to digest, sweetest stage for most people. If your stomach’s picky, this is your friend. 🟤 OVERRIPE (mostly brown) Highest sugar, mushiest texture, zero chill left in it. Don’t throw it out — throw it in a smoothie or banana bread. Nature’s sugar substitute. 💡 The move: Watching blood sugar or chasing gut health? Green or barely ripe. Need fuel fast before/after training, or baking something? Ripe to overripe. Neither one is “better” — just different tools for different jobs. 👇 Drop a comment: what’s YOUR go-to ripeness? Green gang or spotty squad? 📋 Educational only, not medical advice — check with your healthcare provider for specific concerns. Fuel it… train it… own it… that’s how you Outmuscle life by being Forever Strong. 💪