Love Carbohydrates

Is your love for carbs killing your diet?

If you are one of those people who answered yes to the age old question "Is your love for carbs killing your diet?" then let us show you a few simple steps to outsmart the carbs. First you must understand that carbs or carbohydrates are an essential part of any healthy diet. Second we will look at good carbs verses bad carbs.

Now we know there is a lot of misinformation out there and even some popular fad diets that eliminate carbs from your diet altogether in favor of protein in massive amounts. Let's talk about carbohydrates and their function, carbs are a means of storing energy in the body and when done properly and in moderation we feel good. When we eat more carbs than we can burn we gain weight and feel lousy. The reason the fad diets allow you to lose weight rapidly is they eliminate the energy storage device which leaves only fat and muscle tissue to fuel your energy needs. These types of energy can sustain the body but they do not offer the same things good carbs offer and are therefore detrimental to your long term health.

Now when we talk about good carbs verses bad carbs the essential differences are where the carbs come from and what they do in your body. Good carbs come from things like whole wheat breads and pastas, vegetables, fruit and beans. These are all great sources of vitamins and natural fiber. Bad carbs come from white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary sodas and highly processed foods. Bad carbs are not a good source of energy and they can cause things like weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.

If you are like most people you probably answered "yes" when asked "Is your love for carbs killing your diet?" When all you need to do is change the types of carbs you are eating. A few simple changes along with your new understanding of carbs can make a huge difference in the way you look and feel.