For many a year now, carbs have been public enemy #1 when it comes to losing weight and staying healthy, but the negative effects of carbs have been blown way out of proportion. Dr Harvey-Berino from the department of nutrition and food sciences from the University of Vermont blows a giant hole in the myth by stating that nothing about carbohydrates will make you fat- eating calories in excess will. This means that all those times you stopped yourself from gorging on that piece of bread or plate of spaghetti, you needn’t have.
It is poor quality carbohydrates and fats that are high in calories that make you put on that extra weight, and so what’s important in your diet is not to cut out carbs but to monitor what types of calories make up your daily intake. For example, eating food which is high in trans fat content is not a good idea, as it makes your cholesterol high and raises the chance of you suffering heart failure. Whereas saturated fats, or generally products made from animals, whilst if you eat too much can damage cholesterol levels, in moderation can reduce your risk of diabetes.
What you really want to consume a healthy amount of is moderated fats and polyunsaturated fats- found in products like walnuts, fish, tofu, almonds and extra virgin olive oil. So the truth is, carbohydrates should NOT be removed from your diet, when consumed carefully and in moderation they are essential to your overall health. Instead to drop that weight you should be looking at your overall calorie consumption.
But what is the difference between calories and carbs?
Calories comes from either fat, protein or carbohydrates, and are essential for the human body to function. So really, a calorie is a measurement of the amount of energy in food. Whereas a carbohydrate is a chemical compound often found in foods. So now that you know the truth, you no longer have to stress over your all-carb diet from Taco Bell.
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