The markets and the media have been flooded with low-carb food products. These food products are springing up in everything trom low-carb breads and cakes to low-carb beers and marshmallows. The problem with low-carb diets is that people are just eating too many calories, most of which came from the excess fat in these unhealthy diets. Remember, that for each gram of fat you consume, you are piling up 9 calories compared with only 4 calories contained in a gram of carbohydrate or a gram of protein. It’s the total number of calories that you eat daily, plus the total number of calories that you bum daily through exercise, that will make you thin or fat.
The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine’s 2002 report on Healthy Eating recommended adults consume 45-65% of their calories from carbohydrates. This amounts to approximately 520 calories of carbohydrate daily, based on a 1,200 calorie diet.
Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, a simple sugar that is the body and brain’s preferred source of fuel. If you severely restrict the carbohydrates, then the stored carbohydrates in your muscles and liver get depleted also, and your body has to make glucose out of protein, which is an inefficient way to produce energy. This can lead to fatigue, depression, mineral imbalances, and protein loss from your body. As we have previously seen, these imbalances put a strain on the kidneys, liver, and other internal organs, and can cause damage to these organs if this type of diet is left unchecked.
The body needs carbohydrates to function properly; however, what it doesn’t need is excess calories in the form of refined sugars, starches, and saturated fats. So, if you limit refined sugars, starches, and fatty foods, you will naturally cut calories from your diet and lose weight in a healthy fashion. What low-carbohydrate diets don’t realize is that your body needs complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) to function properly. These complex carbohydrates(whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables) are packed with nutrients and have far fewer calories than refined grains and sugar foods. These nutritionally empty carbs are not only packed with sugar, but also contain considerable amounts of fat. So, if you are eating cookies, pastries, cakes, ice cream, and the like, you are getting 4 calories for each gram of carbohydrate they contain and 9 calories for each gram of fat they contain, and if you are eating lots of meat on these ridiculous low-carb diets, then you are getting 4 calories for each gram of protein and 9 calories for each gram of fat contained in the meat. That equals a lot of extra calories in a food that really is bad for you to start with.
So, the formula is easy. Cut back on sugar and fat calories. Limit portion sizes. Eat one half now and one half later. Share food with a friend in restaurants because of the large portion sizes they serve. And most importantly, walk every day. Remember, for permanent weight loss, you have to decrease your total calorie intake and increase your physical activity. This is really the only way to lose weight permanently and to boost energy and stay healthy.
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