Carbs have gotten such a bad rap lately. Waists have increased, but why? So the real question is, do carbs make you fat?
What is a carbohydrate?
A carbohydrate is one of the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Basically, they are very important and indispensable for a healthy, balanced diet.
Based on online culture, it appears that protein is the most important macronutrient. Protein is important and needed to meet certain goals, but your daily intake should only be around 15% of your calories. Around 45-65% of the calories you eat in a day should come from carbohydrates!
In comparison, you need a whole lot more carbs than your protein.
You may be wondering, “I don’t eat that many carbs.” Well, you may not know which foods actually count as carbohydrates.
Some carbs you probably think of right away:
- Bread
- pasta
- Grain
- pizza crust
- bananas
- oatmeal
The thing is, there are other foods that you might not have considered carbohydrates:
- Sugar
- Most fruits
- breakfast syrup
- Honey
Aside from the foods that you know are carbs that you may not have known are carbs, there are also compound foods. These are foods that don’t easily fit into one macronutrient category. This could be lenses, for example. Lentils have a good amount of protein and carbohydrates!
If you want to learn more, read my article Why carbohydrates are beneficial.
Why is it believed that carbohydrates make you fat?
There are many reasons why carbohydrates have taken the blame for weight gain for so many years.
One reason carbs are thought to be fattening is because of their general abundance. Most people love pasta, bread and sweets; all foods that consist mainly of carbohydrates. Because of this, these foods are eaten in larger than reasonable portions.
What about low carb diets?
According to the Physical Culture Study, the low-carb diet has its origins in the 19th century. Basically there was an obese man named William Banting. He struggled with losing weight until he found Dr. met Hervey.
dr Harvey was an ear, nose and throat doctor but suggested that Banting omit the bread, butter, milk, beer, sugar and potatoes. The thought behind this was that they were starchy foods and were the cause of the weight gain. After giving up these foods, he lost about 1 pound a week.
He then self-published this diet authorizing it Letter about obesity. That started the low carb diet.
The carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis
The never-proven carb-insulin hypothesis is the idea that eating carbs increases your insulin levels, which in turn increases your body’s fat storage.
Basically, when you eat carbohydrates, they are used as glucose, and as glucose rises, your body releases the hormone insulin so the carbohydrates can be utilized. Then fat storage is not used for energy since glucose is the preferred form of energy.
The problem? There is no good data to back this up.
If you’re trying to lose weight, this is unlikely to be the cause. However, always talk to a doctor about any concerns you may have!
Then what makes you gain weight?
There are so many reasons that can lead to weight gain. Some possible reasons could be overeating, lack of exercise, illness, etc.
Overeating looks different from person to person. When I say overeating, it doesn’t mean you had a double cheeseburger instead of your regular single. This probably won’t affect you noticeably. Overeating is really too much for your body and lifestyle often.
Lack of exercise is also relative. You don’t have to run a half marathon every day to maintain a healthy height, but it’s also a good idea not to leave your bed every day. Exercise is great for your health as it can help maintain bone and cardiovascular health, but you don’t have to daily. Remember walking around the supermarket and doing chores is exercise!
Diseases can also be a cause of weight gain. If you gain weight I’m not saying you have a disease. Some diseases that can cause weight gain are: PCOS, insomnia, Cushing’s, depression, anxiety, hypothyroidism, GERD, prolactinoma, irritable bowel syndrome. Always talk to your doctor about your health and any concerns you may have.
Essentially there is MANY reasons for weight gain. It’s very unlikely that it’s the carbs that are making you fat. If you are trying to lose weight I would suggest that you speak to a registered dietitian. You can get a referral from your doctor or find a local nutritionist in private practice using this link: eatright.org. Only qualified nutritionists can be on this list so you can be sure they have the training to help you.
So should you be eating carbs?
Yes! you should eat all carbohydrates!
As you now know, carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet and should continue to be consumed.
If you’re thinking, “Maybe I could try a low-fat diet then,” read my article Do Diets Really Work? You will see how diets work and why they tend to do so fail. Here are 12 healthy eating tips to get you started. These tips will help you change your eating habits instead of this to start a diet!
Do carbohydrates make you fat? snack
Essentially, carbohydrates have an unfortunate reputation for being the cause of weight gain, when in fact they’re only a small part of the problem.
- Carbohydrates form a ton of different foods
- The low-carb diet started when a normal person consulted an ear, nose and throat doctor (someone with extremely little nutritional knowledge).
- No, carbs don’t make you fat
- There are various reasons for weight gain
- You should eat a lot of carbohydrates every day
Pen NOW To SAVE ON COMPUTER for later!
Share!
Related