Stay Away from CARBS!
Have you been fooled into thinking that carbohydrates are “evil”? That you should avoid these nutrients at any expense so you don’t experience unwanted fat gain? Have low-carb diets taken over your life?
Well, think again. Carbohydrates are in fact a nutrient; something that is required for the normal functioning of the human body. By eliminating carbohydrates altogether from your dietary intake, you significantly increase the risks of problems such as:
- Malnourishment
- Initiation of ketosis, a potentially dangerous condition resulting in breakdown of bone, damage to organs, amongst other things
- Lack of energy
- Constipation
- Bad breath
- Loss of concentration
- Kidney stones
- Kidney infections
- Reduced kidney function
- Gout
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer
- Irritable bowel syndrome, severe abdominal pain or cramps
- Vertigo, dizziness or light-headedness
- Nausea
- Severe menstrual problems
- Diarrhoea
I could continue, but I think you get the idea. Carbohydrates are in fact a requirement for a healthy body!
But how did carbs become associated with such a negative stigma of being the nutrient that makes everyone fat? Here’s an extract from our free weight loss course:
Carbohydrates, commonly referred to as “carbs” have been assigned a very negative connotation over the past couple of decades. One could trace this back to the Atkins Diet which gained significant exposure in the early 1990’s following it’s revitalisation as a result of the Robert Atkins’ (M.D.) best selling book, “Dr. Atkins”. This diet is an extremely low carbohydrate diet. In actual fact, the Atkins Diet was developed in the 1960’s – so it’s nearly 50 years old! (And here I was saying that the food pyramid was outdated!)
Many people have lost a significant amount of weight as a result of a carbohydrate depleted diet. This then paved the way for many new “low-carb” diets and products to be marketed successfully, promising weight loss in a short period of time. But unfortunately the health, wellbeing and long-term sustainability of such low-carb diets are often not contemplated when the words “FAST WEIGHT LOSS” are flashed in front of consumers eyes. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, many low-carb dieters have experienced problems [such as those listed above].
Especially if you want to lose weight, build muscle or improve your fitness in a healthy and sustainable manner, it is imperative to balance your nutrition! I highly recommend that you sign up to our free weight loss course for more information!