The Carb Myth

CARBS MAKE YOU FAT! 

~ A lie told to you by the dieting industry disguised as health professionals, only to rip you off of your money, happiness, and health.

As a species, not only do we thrive off of carbohydrates, but we, biologically need them. Evolution has allowed us to come so far, only as a result of our carb-based diet. Carbohydrates are often misunderstood. When someone exclaims they are on 'a diet', one typically would think that involves calorie restriction, limited carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. Another ever-popular idea is the insane increase of protein, notably, animal product protein. The saddest part of it all, aside from acquiring all the protein from genetically modified, mass produced, and poisoned meat and dairy, is that the entire effort may as well be useless for long-term aspects. If you limit the amount of carbohydrates taken in, the protein is actually rendered USELESS. 

Carbohydrates are the fundamental part of the muscle building process. They fuel the cells to do the work you are stressing on them, and if you cut out carbohydrates, the protein you consume is only used as that fuel, or stored as body fat. By consuming excess protein, you will not see result as the rate that protein can be synthesized is limited, thus, it will be either used as fuel or stored as fat.

Another important concept is that carbohydrates are usually nutrient-rich foods, giving you sufficient calories to fuel your body's cells to FUNCTION. If carbs are cut and calories are restricted, the body goes into starvation mode. In starvation mode, it is nearly impossible to build muscle, as your body grasps anything it can to feed itself: its own muscle.

THAT IS AS UNAPPEALING AS IT SOUNDS.

Not only that, but the brain does not function properly without sufficient energy supplied, especially since our bodies were meant to run on glucose. 

Glucose is the body's main energy source, it is a sugar that is mechanizable for energy purposes, either on demand, or for later. Without it, we cannot function AT ALL.

Glucose stores in the body as glycogen and is used to power the brain as well as the muscles. The glycogen relationship to performance is collaborative; the more glycogen, the more energy for the performance activity. That goes hand-in-hand with glucose, meaning, the more CARBOHYDRATES put in = the more energy. In an evolutionary and survival standpoint, the more energy the better.

Unfortunately, nowadays, people waste away on the couch, hour upon hour and never see the outside world or the potential energy they can use. Not everyone is an athlete, but the human species, like many other species, was biologically made to MOVE. To optimize this, carbohydrates are available and ideal. 

Back to glucose, glycogen not only stores in the muscle, but also in the liver. This glycogen is known as the 'brain food'. The brain works quite differently than regular muscles, as it cannot store glycogen or use the excess fat as fuel. If inadequate glucose is provided, this can lead to many downfalls such as fogginess, lightheadedness, inability to concentrate, depression, anxiety, and many other mental health problems. Not only do low-carb diets result in muscle loss, but they result in a number of brain-related adverse effects. For example, when someone depletes their carbs, cohesively, depleting calories, the amount of glucose is shortened, meaning the amount of glycogen is limited. If this is so, the brain begins to tell the body it needs quick energy. Rash decisions are made as cravings heighten. Deprivation leads to bad decisions and binges occur. This sends the brain false information that the body is being nourished, as it was that desperate for sufficient energy. 

This is the perfect downward spiral and cycle for dieting companies. 

In short, listen to what your body needs and do not deprive yourself. By nourishing the body, the mind is also calmed and nourished, leading to a happy, healthy, whole life. Carbohydrates do not make a person fat, it is the deprivation or the poor judgement in food choices that lead to obesity and dissatisfaction, the secret formula of the dieting industry. Everyone deserves to be happy with their body, and since the beginning of human existence, carbohydrates have been the key to living a healthy life. It is so crucial to replenish the cells that have worked so hard to aid in daily tasks, and by living a nourishing lifestyle, with a diet of rich, abundant, earthy, natural, wholesome foods in balance with activity, the only outcome includes positive results.