A startling fact is that carbohydrates are not responsible for making people fat. Don't feel too badly though, you are not the only person who was sold on the idea that a high protein, low carb diet was the only way to lose weight.
Here is a simple way to demonstrate this fact. Think about the vegetarians you know, are there any overweight problems among them? The high protein diets rely on a lot of animal fats and proteins, but these vegetarians don't eat them. Startling indeed, isn't it?
Maybe you don't know any vegetarians. They certainly are hard to find, especially in the Midwest, where I live.
You may wonder about the science involved here. After all, many of those folks promoting the low carb diets are well educated, aren't they? Being well educated doesn't mean that you are infallible. Besides, the same science that supports the low carb diet also supports the high carb diet. They didn't get it wrong, they just didn't consider the whole story.
That might sound like a contradiction, but it isn't. I'm going to explain why in just a moment. Fist, let me give you the science on this. You most likely are not a biochemist or a physiologist and neither am I. But I have studied the subjects a bit. Don't focus on the technical jargon in the next paragraph,just try to grasp the overall point. You don't need to be a scientist to use common sense and basic reasoning skills. Ready?
Consider this bit of biochemistry. Malonyl -CoA exists in high amounts when there is plenty of metabolic fuel present. Thus,carnitine acyltransferase is inhibited and this in turn prevents acyl-CoA from crossing into the cell's mitochondria. Another enzyme is inhibited by the presence of NADH and Thiolase is also inhibited by the presence of Acetyl-COA. In short, when a lot of glucose is present, fatty acid metabolism is inhibited.
It is the last sentence that clues us in here. Basically, a cell will not convert fat into energy if there is glucose present. When the cell has carbs and sugar to work on, it will not convert the fat to energy, thus the fat gets stored.
This is why the low carb diets work, with little to zero carbohydrates and subsequently glucose to work on, the fat will be used for energy. This is exactly why the high carb diet works too. When no or little fat is present, it won't be stored as fat.
In addition to this, it is important to realize that it costs the body quite a bit of energy to take carbs and store them as fat. This alone is actually a positive. There really needs to be some form of fat present to make it easier.
This should help you understand that whatever your diet consistsof, if you want to remain or get thin, you need to avoid mixing fats and carbs together. A fat consists of a fatty acid head and a carbohydrate tail. This means when you mix your fat andcarbs together you are asking for trouble, assuming you care about weight, that is.
So now it should be clear why so many people in North America have a weight problem as the NIH was happy to point out a few weeks ago. Think about the typical American diet.It generally consists of lots of combinations of fat and carbs.
As Dr. Neal Barnard points out in his book, "Foods That Cause You To Lose Weight", It is fat that makes people fat.
Don't want to be a vegetarian? I don't blame you. Really, you don't have to be one. Just quit mixing your proteins/fats and carbohydrates together.
Don't overlook the obvious, there is ton of candy and desserts out there that are a mixture of fat and sugar. Meat and potatoes - perhaps this classic is a serious blunder in seperating fats and carbs. Armed with this knowledge,you can probably come up with dozens of examples of potentially fattening mixtures of food on your own.
This article is for information only. It is not intended to prescribe, treat or diagnose any health problem. Consult your physician before changing your diet.
Dave Snape is a health, fitness and wellness enthusiast. His website is http://tobeinformed.com
tidy up service Glenview ..You have been on diets before. You probably have lost... Read More
Don't get discouraged. I, too, have found myself in this... Read More
Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always... Read More
To lose weight and get in shape you must have... Read More
Spring is here and swimsuit weather is just around the... Read More
Are you just exploding with the presence of light all... Read More
If you are trying to lose weight you may find... Read More
The Atkins Diet Seems To Never Go AwayFad diets come... Read More
Weight loss information is often confusing and misleading. The more... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More
The diary is an essential help in reaching your weight... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
Just about every one of us struggles with our weight... Read More
Well we're at it again, trying to honor our promise... Read More
Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk,... Read More
Plan to eat two to three hours and pack health... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Be Prepared. For the Boy Scouts it means you are... Read More
Once there were these two Nuns and they...just kidding! Do... Read More
Is it easy to lose weight? Yes. Losing weight is... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
LivingAfterWLS reader feedback indicates snacking is the single biggest problem... Read More
Dear BMTers,Low carb this and low carb that?that's all you... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..In the last 12 months or so, low carbohydrate diets... Read More
As many of us know, it's the first few days... Read More
Many people are under the impression that gastric bypass surgery... Read More
Weight Loss Red Flag GuideDespite claims to the contrary, there... Read More
As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru"... Read More
It's really difficult for a person to socialise if he... Read More
Did you know that being successful with losing weight starts... Read More
Hold the onions! Let's talk "liver". No, not beef liver,... Read More
If you are committed to the low carb way of... Read More
"The kind of thoughts that you plant in your mind,... Read More
At its most basic, dieting is about burning more calories... Read More
My responsibility as a high profile fitness expert lies not... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
FACT: Obesity accounts for 300,000 deaths a year in the... Read More
Living a powerful, healthy, fit and trim life is a... Read More
Recently, I won a family cruise on the Regis and... Read More
One of the most important things you can do for... Read More
When we discover that we are heavier than we want... Read More
The government, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians implore us to eat... Read More
Looking to avoid the dieting mistakes many of our weight... Read More
Any food that we take into our bodies is composed... Read More
There Is A Right Way to Chew!Chewing your food is... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
Are you or your family members amongst the 65%?To help... Read More
Weight Loss |