Are Carbs Really the Devil

The commonly perpetuated idea that carbohydrates (aka Carbs) are evil can be put to rest with one simple fact:

ALL VEGETABLES AND FRUIT ARE SOME FORM OF CARBOHYDRATE!

So any form of diet that attempts to completely exclude carbs is in fact EVIL. The thinking that carbs are evil is filled with dogma, and that is what needs to be expelled.

So why is it that carbs get such a bad reputation? Rarely will you come across any widely popular diet that encourages you to eat more carbs. There appears to be a huge gap between understanding foods that have healthy, nutritional value and those that play a big role in weight loss…This is a gap that needs to be bridged.

It is possible to include any food in a weight loss diet. The biggest problem is the expectation of instant and dramatic weight loss. The need for this instant gratification has fuelled many a diet plan that excludes entire food groups. I truly believe that with the exclusion of medical or ethical reasons, there is no valid reason for any food group to be excluded completely. Every food group has a role in maintaining our health and wellbeing.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, FOOD IS FUEL!!!

All foods are digested differently and create different reactions in our body. To be realistic, not all carbs are bad. But by the same token, they’re not all good either! There are certain types of carbs that can make it harder for us to look and feel the way we want. So while some foods have more healthful qualities in the micronutrients, macronutrients and fibre they contain, any food can be successfully incorporated into a weight loss plan. This is the basis of the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) protocol. Now while I’m not advocating a diet of predominantly ‘Twinkies’ (or the like), which has been scientifically tested and to some extent successful for weight loss, it does prove that such foods can be included as a framework to finding a balance between the foods we enjoy and the foods we need to be healthy. This I believe is the key to long-term success and life long lifestyle change.

CARB RESISTANCE

We’ve all known someone who complains that their body just hates carbs. So often we think they’re hypochondriacs, but in reality they probably have a genuine sensitivity or intolerance to some carbs…foods like grains, breads and cakes often being the most common culprits. This ‘overreaction’ of our bodies to carbs is often simply a by-product of a long-term poor diet.

Here’s a common approach many dieters take…and it often starts in adolescent years!

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CAN WE SOLVE THE CARB SENSITIVITY ISSUE?

Let’s take a look…

After a period of Carb elimination, many things happen in the body when they are reintroduced. The most basic thing that happens is the body replenishes its depleted carb stores and gains back its water weight (again, that’s not a bad thing – think about hydration!). The psychological result?

Many people at this point will do one of two things:

< >Refer back to flowchart! Go on an expedition of eating every different carb under the sun to try and figure out exactly which carb is in fact the ‘Devil’ and which ones they can eat comfortably. The problem here is they often eat far more carbs than they otherwise would, but additionally it is usually all for nothing as there is rarely a window between the different carb intakes long enough to eliminate the effects of the previous ones, thus exacerbating the situation. Often this leads people back into the carb elimination spiral.

SAD BUT TRUE… Lean people tend to be able to eat more carbs

How much Carbs should you eat? How much carbs can you eat and tolerate is a very individual thing. Frustratingly there is no magic formula.

We all know people that can eat donuts every day and still struggle to put on weight, yet if I look at one I can feel the scales move (and not in the right direction!)

No single diet, be it high-carb, high-protein or high-fat is necessarily bad. Different diets work for different bodies, and within that different ratios (or Macros) will work for different people. The success of any diet not only depends on how your body responds (the physiological response) but also and more dependently how your mind responds (the psychological response).

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL REPONSE

The reactions of the body to food are many, varied and extremely complex. Here we will touch on the most basic and probably most easily manipulated response – INSULIN.

The physiological response is predominantly controlled by insulin. One of it’s roles in the body is energy storage. Yep, you got it, this also means fat storage! Fat is one of the most hormonally active tissues of the body.

Typically if you have less bodyfat, you’ll have better insulin sensitivity. This means that your body responds very well to the insulin it produces. This normally means that your body won’t have an aggressive response to a big influx of carbs or blood sugar. These naturally lean people tend to respond better to higher carb diets.

On the other hand, insulin resistance where your body doesn’t respond as well to the insulin can make it very difficult to lose weight as more and more insulin is produced to counteract the influx. But it doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight! However, Insulin resistance does impact on the type of diet that will be more successful, normally a higher protein diet.

It’s frustrating and hard to try and determine what’s best for you. It so often means the foods we love, we need to limit. But if you can find that right balance, you can still enjoy a few of life’s little gastronomical luxuries.

THE PSYCHOLOGY

The biggest problem with the NO-CARB approaches is the fact that this typically excludes so many of the foods we love. The problem here is that completely eliminating these foods works so aggressively against personal preference…a recipe for disaster!

I believe that every individual needs to draw a line in the sand. This is that fine line between how badly we want something and what we are prepared to do to get it.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF CARBS ARE FOR YOU?

Not all carbs were created equal… This is a fact!

It’s interesting that the cuisines of some of the healthiest nations of the world (eg. Japan, Italy, Singapore) consist of diets based around carbohydrates (ie. Rice, pasta, Noodles). The top 10 countries of the world with regard to obesity and chronic disease (“Longevity hotspots”) all consume carbohydrate dense diets.

Now this doesn’t mean we need to rush out and eat a bucket-load of carbs. The important message to take from this is while not all carbs are bad, they’re not all good either. Taking note of the types of carbs that these countries base their cuisine around, along with the fact that ,any of these cultures don’t consume a lot of fast foods, we need to be smart about where our carbs come from. It’s always best to eat a diet filled with whole foods that are minimally processed and refined. Eat more whole, healthy foods and less of the empty calories contained in heavily processed and sugary foods and beverages. These can still be consumed, just not make up the basis of our food intake.

SO…..ARE CARBS REALLY THE DEVIL?????

NO, you simple needs to be smart about when you consume them, what type you consume, and what you consume them with!!!

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#Carbs #food #devil #nutrition #fuel #sensitivity