Whose The Real Enemy Fats or Carbohydrates?

For as long as I can remember we have been told that fats are bad for us and should be reduced and the majority of our dietary intake should be from complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. Government guild lines inform us that half of our intake should come from these carbohydrates and 35% from fats, of which no more than 10% should come from saturated fat. The final 10-15% needs to come from protein sources, in order to have a balanced diet. These guild lines are fine if you are a healthy weight, however there is an increasing amount of scientific evidence to prove that if you are obese (BMI of 30 or more), than this advice will only make matters worse. As carbohydrates are consumed they are broken down into glycogen, the body's preferred energy source. The body will then produce insulin to help transport the glycogen into the muscles for use or storage. However over time there maybe too much glycogen and insulin in the body and the muscles can become more resistant. Although lean muscle becomes resistant, fatty tissue is much slower in becoming resistant and so the excess glycogen is pushed easily into this tissue and is stored as fat. Other macronutrients such as protein and fats do not cause such a high insulin response and as there is a reduced amount of glucose in the system, the body is encouraged to burn energy from its fat stores rather than the glycogen. Foods that have naturally occurring fats in them such as meats, chicken, oily fish, nuts and dairy products, tend to have a higher amount of protein in them too and together they will make you feel fuller quicker and for longer. Foods which are processed will be high in saturated fat, such as pies, sausage rolls, crisps, cakes, french fries and pizzas and these tend to have a low amount of protein but a high amount of carbohydrates. This will cause too much insulin to be produced and further lean muscle resistance and increased fat storage. These foods will also not keep you fuller for longer and therefore will encourage you to eat more later on. So if your BMI is about 27 or more and you are struggling with getting your weight down then try lowering your carbohydrates intake by having 1-2 carbohydrates free meals a day to encourage your body to burn energy from your fat cells instead. Combine this with exercise, which also helps decrease muscle resistance and you may be surprised by the results. Have a go and let me know how you get on as I would love to hear from you. Good luck.