Is it the carbs that make us fat?

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Are carbohydrates making us fat?     Low carb eating is big news today. Everywhere we turn, we see low carb food advertised. But is it really the carbs that we need to watch out for?   Naturally occurring carb foods such as rice, wheat, oats, fruit and vegetables are low in calories, fat and sodium. These ingredients helped form the basis of the diet for many of our past relatives, yet they rarely suffered from obesity to the extent our nation does today. If carbs make us fat, why didn’t our ancestors suffer from obesity? They ate plenty of high carb foods because these were more abundant, cheaper to buy and easily stored. So what made the difference?       Is it really those carbs that make us fat or is it simply too many calories?   Food manufacturers today have created a wide choice of convenient foods from the natural carb sources. Because people’s lives are now so busy, with so many things to do each day, it means many of us rely on quick, convenient foods. We just don’t take the time to prepare meals from natural ingredients. The result is these high carb products often form the basis of the average American’s diet. The problem with this is the majority of these packaged and processed products contain added sugars and fats, which load the products with excess energy, i.e. calories.   Many convenience foods are also loaded with salt to add taste and help preserve the food. Salt is partly made up of sodium, which causes the body to retain excess water. It has been estimated that the average person may be retaining up to five pounds of extra weight due to excess sodium intake.   As food technology drives forward, supermarkets offer an increasing array of tasty looking processed foods from which to choose. Research has shown having more food choices often leads to increased consumption. With so many people consuming more processed carb foods it is inevitable that calorie consumption will increase. Unfortunately, many make the mistake of believing it is the carbs that cause them to be overweight, while it is actually the excess calories.   What about The effects of insulin?   It is widely recognized that carbs produce the release of insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels after a meal. It is believed by some that the effects of this hormone is what actually causes us to gain weight because insulin helps shunt fat into fat cells.   To a certain degree this is a good point, insulin is an anabolic hormone that aids in the storage of fat. Because many processed carb foods are loaded with added sugars (carbs) these could be absorbed quickly forcing the body to release greater amounts of insulin necessary to regulate blood sugar levels.   Although we could argue that for this point to be valid it does require that all carb foods are eaten alone at each meal. How does it explain when other foods are consumed at the same meal. Most people select a meal composed of a variety of different food items and products, when foods are mixed it slows the rate of sugar absorption and effects the amount of insulin released.   Maybe the real reason we gain weight is due to the ever increasing number of processed carb products that are loaded with extra sugar and fats, the regular consumption of these foods could easily drive calorie consumption to more than the body requires.           Atkins low carb diet   Complex Carbohydrates   carbohydrate content of different fruit   Carbohydrates in alcohol how many carbohydrates   carbohydrates in the diet - simple and complex carbohydrate   Carbohydrates in vegetables how many carbs in different vegetables

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Further reading on food & nutrition to help lose weight Controlling food intake is an important factor for losing weight Hunger drives the desire to eat food, control hunger effectively Here is a useful food calories list of calorie content of food Basic nutrition help for increased energy to lose weight Learn how to combine different protein sources to produce high quality protein intake Daily Fat intake of saturated fats polyunsaturated fats lose weight List of foods low in calories Carbohydrate intake each day Lists of food high in simple carbohydrates Lists of food high in complex carbs Can carbohydrate make us fat? Nutrition  Facts on different fast  foods Components that make up the balanced diet Foods with the best protein content Alcohol  and losing weight Foods help lose weight effectively List of foods with negative calories Benefits of eating fruit to lose weight Benefits of eating vegetables & losing weight Healthy lowfat recipes to help form healthy diet Potato chips List of recipes low in calories Low Calorie Soup recipes grams ounces weight conversion Best foods for losing weight Questions on food & dieting   NUTRIENTS IN FOODS Nutrition List of food sources rich in iron List of potassium rich food sources Benefits of drinking water for weight loss & energy levels Effects of high sodium intake on body weight Low calorie desserts for the occasional treat Amounts of fat in different Fish Fat content in Chicken sources Fat in common mcdonalds foods Fat content of beef Carbohydrates simple & complex Carbohydrates in alcoholic drinks Carbohydrates in different Fruit Carbohydrates in different Vegetables Carbohydrates in banana Carbohydrates in Wine Carbohydrates in different beer Protein in different Meals High protein content Protein combinations Protein in different Vegetables Protein in Rice Protein Peas Protein in Meat Protein different Fish Protein Steak Protein in Chicken Protein in Tuna Protein Nuts Protein in Eggs Protein in Milk Protein in Cheese Protein in Bread Protein Pasta Protein Tofu Protein Intake   More weight loss articles List topics to lose weight All tools and information on this site are intended as an aid to help healthy adults lose weight and not intended as medical advice. The information presented here is not for pregnant or breast-feeding women or for any person under the age of 18. If you suffer or think you may suffer from any medical condition you should consult your doctor before starting any weight loss exercise regime. Any weight loss exercise programs or diet should be started slowly and we advise you to always consult your doctor or physician beforehand.

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