Do Carbs Make You Fat? The Stunning Truth About Insulin!

Fact: In fact, research shows that it makes no difference whether we eat butter or wholemeal bread. The main thing is the amount of food eaten. An example of this is overweight American women who eat dietary, low-fat biscuits. In fact, you shouldn’t deny yourself a small amount of fat - thanks to it, we will be filled much better than from a ton of dry biscuits.

Myth 2: Fat turns into fat.

Fact: This statement, just like the fact that you can’t eat fatty foods at all, is not entirely true. Our body is programmed in such a way that it is always configured for the worst, and therefore has the habit of stocking up “for a rainy day.” Every unspent and unburned gram of fat in the human body is packed into bins: at the waist, hips, back and arms. However, it is impossible to impose a strict taboo on fatty foods: the absence of fats in food leads to metabolic disorders, failure to absorb vitamins A and E and stop the production of sex hormones. Ideally, the percentage of fat in the daily diet should be about 30% - in the form of butter, sour cream, cheese and meat. But it is better to avoid questionable fats in factory-made sausages, mayonnaise, cookies and cakes.

Myth 3: Carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels, which in turn leads to the appearance of fat in the body, that is, obesity.

Fact: They raise it, but this is the norm. Glucose is necessary primarily for the functioning of the brain, and indeed all organs. If you don't put sugar into the blood, the body will extract glucose from proteins, depriving the organs that need them of these important building blocks. Let's repeat again: excess weight is a consequence of excessive consumption of any of the substances - be it carbohydrates or fats - if the extra calories are not burned through exercise.

Myth 4: Cutting calories is the best way to lose weight.

Fact: Reducing calories is just the first step to losing weight. To achieve the best results, you need to combine a well-balanced diet (about which it is best to consult a specialist first) and exercise. It is also advisable to add variety to your life - travel, communicate with friends, improve your mood in every possible way, enjoy good things and avoid stress. In a word, love yourself and surround yourself with joy.

We live in interesting times: a time of active research into health and the factors influencing it - in particular, food. Literally every day (and this is not a figure of speech) we receive information that changes our ideas about what we are accustomed to consider the truth.

With this article, I open a series of articles on a topic very close to me, my understanding of which has changed significantly over the past couple of months - the topic of metabolism, metabolic health and weight regulation.

It seemed that I already knew a lot, and suddenly, with a sinking heart, I realized that I had experienced another revolution in my ideas, which I prematurely began to consider as the truth.

This experience once again reminded:

• how important it is to be open and prepared for the fact that many things can turn upside down. BUT! This is one of the delights of our time!
• that you and I are different, so there is no one truth for everyone. The optimal format of nutrition, physical activity and relationship with stress for us can be determined in the process of experiments, observing the sensations in the process

In particular, today I see my role in cooperation with clients as providing them with the highest quality information and moral support in THEIR search for the optimal diet and lifestyle format for them.

And now to the topic of the article.

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Phobias and radicalism in nutrition: why is fat back in fashion?

Over the past 60 years, the paradigm of our nutrition has undergone significant changes at least twice.

Our parents' generation, and to some extent our generation, went through the era of fatphobia - the fear of fat and the reign of its energy rival - sugar in all forms (carbohydrates).

This era is slowly but surely passing, but the radical nature of the changes is alarming.

Some were seized not even by saccharophobia (largely justified), but by carbohydrate phobia (fear of even whole foods containing starch and glucose).

At the heart of these fears is a metabolic model that places carbohydrates—and their supposedly unique ability to stimulate excess insulin production—as the main enemy in the obesity and diabetes epidemic.

The fear of stimulating the insulin response has extended to protein. In its most radical form, the worship of fat is expressed in nutrition, the basis of which is fats and oils in their pure form - even such healthy ones as olive and ghee.

All for the sake of the desire to protect yourself from the “villain insulin.”

At the same time, such extreme formats often do not solve the problems for which they are often used and for which they are loudly proclaimed as a panacea - insulin resistance and excess weight.

If you follow the popular theory today, then everything would seem simple: cut out sugar, reduce carbohydrates, eat plenty of fat, and in a month or two you’ll be ready for bikini season.

In practice, everything is not so simple. I often encounter women who futilely stuff themselves with oil and lose sleep without starchy carbohydrates. The weight stands still, and, what’s most interesting, often the insulin level does too.

But just like with calorie-restrictive diets, constant breakdowns become part of their life. Breakdowns into the “carbohydrate abyss” from the “peak” called “keto”.

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Causes of extra pounds

During menstruation, women overeat and consume large amounts of high-calorie foods. You can gain excess weight during stressful situations and experiences. It is clear that you need to control yourself, but this is not always possible when you want something special and tasty.

During what periods, even low-calorie foods can lead to fat deposition:

• Often, people wait until the diet ends so they can eat their favorite treats. However, after the diet, if you overeat again, the kilograms will return in a short period.
• Many people gain extra pounds during the holidays when the table is filled with a variety of goodies. Such food is not only high in calories, but also harmful to our body.
• A strong feeling of hunger occurs after parting with a loved one.
• Women gain weight during pregnancy. After all, during this period it doesn’t matter what foods make you fat, the main thing is to satisfy the needs inside the growing baby.
• While the food is cooking, housewives can eat to their heart's content, which is where the extra pounds come from.

Controversies – how to eat for weight loss?

Meanwhile, many researchers shrug their shoulders looking for correlations between carbohydrate intake and weight gain/loss.

Thus, one of the widely cited recent studies, DIETFITS, surprised the organizers and concluded that a low-fat diet was as effective for weight loss as a low-carb diet after 12 months of adherence.

At the same time, in both groups, the spread of weight loss was surprising for the researchers - more than 36 kg! Among the participants in both groups, the results were radically different - from losing 25 kg to gaining 9 kg!

And the most successful, according to the researchers’ observations, were those to whom their new diet brought satiation and pleasure!

Following such results, slowly but surely for a couple of decades another paradigm has been emerging, in which the relationship between insulin and carbohydrates and fats has changed, and other important players and concepts have appeared (I will talk about them later). And many inexplicable phenomena suddenly fell into place.

Let's look at the very complex relationship between insulin and the two major macronutrients, fat and sugar, and the concept of insulin resistance itself.

Medium calorie foods

There are also foods that do not have such a high calorie content, but you should not abuse them, as they can also cause you to gain extra pounds.

Any product can cause weight gain if consumed in excess. If you follow the measure, then you can include the fattest and highest-calorie foods in your diet when losing weight, although their portion will be tiny.

For the health of our body, it is important to have a varied diet. This means that you need to eat foods that make you fat in moderation. Food must be properly prepared; the preservation of useful and nutritional elements depends on this. For example, it is not recommended to overuse fried foods, smoked and confectionery products. The cutlets can be steamed and the fish can be baked with vegetables in the oven.

Medium-calorie foods that can make you gain weight:

• duck;
• sour cream 15% fat;
• chicken meat, namely broilers;
• horsemeat;
• rabbit meat;
• chicken and quail eggs;
• Pasta with cheese;
• lamb meat;
• soups;
• bananas.

The most harmful of all the products that make you fat are margarine and spread oils of artificial origin. Abuse of fatty foods leads to increased cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is also necessary to give up smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Does fat really help overcome insulin resistance and excess weight?

Insulin is a hormone essential for health. Many people know about it solely because of its connection with carbohydrates. And about its function as a “manager” of excess energy that we received from food.

We ate something carbohydrate - in response to the food, the sugar level increased, the pancreas produced insulin, and the insulin performed one of three actions - delivered glucose into the cell, stored the excess as glycogen, or converted it into fat.

The more carbohydrates we eat, the more insulin must be produced and the higher its levels become over time. The higher its level, the less sensitive cells become to its signals.

And now we reach a certain point called insulin resistance. The widely accepted theory is that this is a condition in which cellular receptors become defensive and stop responding to insulin.

This theory has many problems and contradictions, including the name, which reflects the opposite state (more on this later). And one of the contradictions, as I said above, is the central role of sugar and digestible carbohydrates in the development of insulin resistance.

Not everyone, in response to their (carbohydrate) removal/reduction, receives results in the form of optimal weight and insulin levels.

To understand why this happens, let's turn again to insulin - in particular, to its no less important function than the first, but much less discussed.

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Sweet sugar

On the other hand, in developed countries, the average consumer of highly processed processed foods and sodas consumes 350–600 kcal of added sugars daily. With low physical activity and an inability to detect satiety signals, this can contribute to weight gain. The contribution of “liquid calories” is especially significant, because they do not allow you to fully feel full. As for fruit juices, even freshly squeezed ones, they should also be consumed in moderation. It is difficult to eat four oranges in one sitting, but the juice from them, which contains a significant amount of sugars but an order of magnitude less fiber, is much easier to drink.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and a number of official nutritional experts recommend a simple carbohydrate intake of ten percent or less of daily caloric intake. This way, your food will not only be healthy, but also tasty. Since glucose is the main source of energy for our brain, we perceive sweet tastes positively from birth. However, it will be better if you choose sweet foods rather than sweets. Thus, homemade oatmeal cookies with second-grade flour or fruit pie are preferable to an industrial chocolate bar. The main message is that refined carbohydrates found in foods with added sugars and/or white flour should be consumed in moderation.

The Little-Known Role of Insulin

Basal insulin is our “glue”, manager, dam

When we take a blood test for insulin, we measure it on an empty stomach. That is, insulin is present in our blood, even if we haven’t eaten anything for a long time. This is the so-called basal insulin (if you know type 1 diabetics, then you probably know that they use different insulin - basal, for the whole day, and also insulin after each meal).

The function of basal insulin is the long-term regulation of energy sources in the blood, be it glucose, ketones or fatty acids.

Somewhere I heard an excellent comparison of basal insulin to glue, which allows you and me to literally keep our shape and not dissolve into an “energy puddle” of fat, protein and sugar.

This function of insulin is also illustrated very clearly by people with type 1 diabetes - who do not have insulin.

Before the invention of insulin drugs, people with type 1 diabetes died from exhaustion. These are people whose reserves - in the form of fat or sugar (glycogen) - are not retained and cannot be stored, since there is no insulin, which can be called their manager.

The picture shows a boy with type 1 diabetes before and after starting insulin therapy.

Insulin can be compared to a thrifty owner: it closely monitors energy status and only releases energy sources into the blood when necessary. At other times, it stores them in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles, as well as in the form of fat reserves.

And its absence is real chaos, when all reserves rush into the bloodstream like an avalanche. As you may know, type 1 diabetics have very high levels of glucose, fatty acids, and ketones in their blood at the same time. This is a very life-threatening condition.

Why doesn't basal insulin decrease with just a low-carb diet?

It depends on how much energy reserves you have. The more reserves - in the form of adipose tissue - the more resources are needed to maintain shape.

That is, our basal insulin levels are proportional to the amount of fat we store, which in turn is proportional to the amount of energy we take in through food.

This function of insulin is perfectly illustrated by the meme (as he calls it) of Dr. Ted Neumann. Here, basal insulin is like a dam that holds back all the energy we have accumulated.

The more of this energy (stored fat), the higher your dam (basal insulin level) must be to keep it from overflowing.

Now let's imagine a very overweight person on a low-carbohydrate diet. By reducing carbohydrates, his insulin responses to meals decreased.

But until fat stores decrease (weight loss occurs), basal insulin levels will need to be maintained at a high enough level to support the avalanche of energy in the form of stored fat mass.

The positive effect of low-carbohydrate diets is explained by many experts as a decrease in hunger and its important consequence: we naturally begin to eat less.

True, not all. Since fat is sometimes perceived as an indulgence to consume as much food as you can fit.

And here we move on to other news about insulin.

Rules for proper nutrition

Red wine is also a high-calorie food; it should not be consumed in excess. Fruits, on the contrary, are low-calorie, but you shouldn’t eat kilograms of them in one day. To lose weight, eat in moderation and at certain times. Doing sports, aerobics or will allow you to achieve better results. You can reduce your appetite and hunger by eating a few almonds.

Sometimes you really want to treat yourself to sweets. Often these are the very foods that make you fat. You cannot completely abandon them; it is important to create the right menu so that the food is healthy and varied, since they contain useful essential microelements that are so necessary for the body.

Healthy replacement for harmful products

Insulin responds not to what we eat, but to the total amount of energy received

Which macronutrient produces the insulin response? The answer is most often: “Sugar!” (in the sense of carbohydrates). Yes, indeed, the highest and fastest insulin response occurs to carbohydrates.

However, we also know that an insulin response also occurs to protein intake. This is one of the reasons why many followers of the ketogenic diet are afraid to overeat protein (not justified, perhaps I’ll write more later)).

And here's the news! (although it turns out that she is already quite many years old)

Experts say that the insulin response also occurs when eating fat! Fat as a source of energy. But we don’t see it because we measure insulin levels only within a few hours after eating.

According to their estimates, this answer comes later - simply because the breakdown of fats begins later.

Late breakdown of fat is a consequence of the so-called oxidative priority of the body (also a very important topic).

First of all, we break down what we cannot store. Like with ice cream: it will quickly melt in the heat if you don’t eat it right away.

Protein has the first priority for breakdown of the three main macroelements; its storage is minimal; excess must be excreted by the kidneys.

The insulin response to protein allows the body to use the resulting amino acids for actual purposes - as building material or for other metabolic functions. Another good illustration of the role of insulin as an energy manager.

Carbohydrates are the next in line to be burned; we can store them in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. Burning carbohydrates does not require large energy resources, so our response to carbohydrates is high and fast.

Fats are the last to be broken down, since we can store them in unlimited quantities (a sad fact in modern life). Therefore, the insulin response comes later.

Here's what one of the researchers says: "If we were to look at insulin secretion in response to food intake over a 24-hour period, we would most likely see that it is proportional to the total amount of energy we took in from food, rather than the volume just one of the macronutrients.”

A researcher I highly respect, Chris Masterjohn, talks about this with all the details at the level of biochemistry for the most inquisitive.

Bottom line: Yes, the strength and timing of the insulin response differs, but all three macronutrients, including fat, lead to an insulin response!

Diet with two hundred years of experience

But few people know that such a diet was popular 200 years ago. In 1797, Scottish military surgeon John Rollo successfully cured a diabetic by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the patient's diet.

Jean Savarin, a gastronomic expert and private practitioner, published the book “Physiology of Taste” in 1825. In it, he talked about the dissatisfaction of some patients due to the fact that they had to give up such tasty foods as sugar, flour, bread, potatoes and cookies to lose weight. In 1844, physiologist Jean Dancel published a book called Obesity or Excessive Fatness, Various Causes and Rational Treatments, in which he recommended eliminating carbohydrates from the diet and eating meat instead.

Over two hundred years, enough recommendations of this kind have accumulated. The turning point came in 1977. If you look at obesity statistics, that's when the big spike happened. What happened? It was in that year that WHO published new dietary recommendations: reduce fat intake and replace them with long-lasting carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.). Not surprisingly, when a method for weight control and diabetes treatment that had worked for two hundred years was replaced by the complete opposite, obesity rates more than tripled.

How to restore metabolism and return weight and insulin to normal

That is, it is not enough to remove sugar and carbohydrates - you need a sustainable energy deficit, which will reduce overall energy reserves.

A very striking example of the insulin response to fat was the recent experiment of famous keto blogger Jimmy Moore, who in JUST 7 DAYS of a high-protein diet with an energy deficit lowered insulin levels by 7 units.

AND!!! After just one day of actively eating fat bombs, his insulin levels returned to their previous levels.

A low-carb or ketogenic diet is a great start to optimizing carbohydrate metabolism.

Many have learned through painful experience that simply going on lchf or keto is not a solution to the problem of excess weight and insulin resistance.

Yes, reducing sugar and carbohydrates is a good strategy for restoring metabolism and hormonal regulation of hunger and satiety. However, for many it is effective only at the first stage - optimizing carbohydrate metabolism.

Complex carbohydrates

This group is characterized by a large number of structural units - among which are glycogen, fiber and starch. Moreover, the last element is a set of simple saccharides, and the first is responsible for energy production. Fiber or cellulose is required for saturation and is a slowly digestible element, and is not completely digested. Complex carbohydrates can be eaten frequently because they do not stimulate sharp fluctuations in insulin, and their constituent units additionally help reduce overall sugar levels. This is their most useful type.

Reasonable restriction of fat will help you lose excess weight

Another important and sometimes missing part is the regulation of the total amount of incoming energy (as well as microelements - their role is also a whole story).

We need to reduce the amount of energy coming from outside in order to, in addition to reducing insulin responses, also reduce “insulin platinum”.

And it is advisable to create an energy deficit by reducing the amount of fat - primarily added. (Reducing its volume, not abandoning it. Just in case, I’ll emphasize that fat is a very important macronutrient for our health!)

Why it is more effective to achieve weight loss through reasonable fat restriction:

• When your basal insulin levels are elevated, your body is constantly in storage mode – including fat
• In this state, the body uses less energy to store fat than to convert carbohydrates into fat, which must first be converted into glycogen
• Fat is a very energy-intensive macronutrient; if you do not carefully monitor the amount of consumption, a lot of energy can easily enter the body with it.
• Added fats provide a lot of energy, but are relatively poor in microelements, the deficiency of which is more relevant in modern life than energy deficiency

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And one more simple explanation/rationale: when you need to lose weight, you need to create conditions for burning your own fat instead of supplying the body with external fat. In principle, the same lchf is obtained - only due to internal reserves, and not external receipts.

Once again, this is not a reason to be afraid of fat - rather, treat it based on your goals. If the goal is to overcome insulin resistance and lose weight, fat must be considered as much as carbohydrates (especially when it comes to carbohydrates from whole foods).

And another reason to use new knowledge to improve your health and life!

I very closely monitor how our knowledge about metabolism and regulation of blood sugar levels changes and, based on this, I update my program for optimizing the regulation of sugar and insulin. So that participants can quickly and efficiently get the desired effect - return health, joy and energy for a full life! The new stream starts on August 27 - join us!

This is just the beginning of a new paradigm for thinking about metabolism, weight management and health.

Follow the news!

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Do carbohydrates make you fat, is it worth eating pasta and bread, and what will a low-carbohydrate diet lead to? Let’s debunk the most popular misconceptions about this once and for all.

How to turn something harmful into something useful

• Be sure to count calories. You can lose weight with any set of foods, as long as you follow the calorie content. True, portions of high-calorie food will be several times smaller than dietary ones, but you won’t have to radically change your taste preferences.
• Instead of mayonnaise, use 15% sour cream or natural yogurt.
• It is recommended to fry food in a non-stick frying pan. In this case, you do not need to add oil or fat.
• When preparing, use boiling, stewing, baking or steaming.
• Prepare your own drinks (smoothies, Sassi water, detox water, weight loss drinks - the choice is huge).
• Prepare semi-finished products yourself (replace pork with chicken and turkey, mayonnaise with yogurt, white bread with whole grain bread)
• Look for an alternative. Any product or dish can be replaced with a less calorie and more healthy analogue.

To avoid gaining excess weight, eat low-calorie foods. These include vegetables and fruits, cereals, dried fruits, chicken fillet, fish. It is recommended to consume baked vegetables, as they retain the most useful and nutritious substances.

To lose weight, you need to give up white, flour and sweet foods. Everyone knows this, even children and those who do not have problems with excess weight. Do you know why those who love chips, cakes, beer, candies and other goodies get fat?

Previously, it was believed that these foods contain too many calories, and if the body does not waste them, then the person gets fat. But it also happens that two people eat almost the same, but one has “not enough food”, and the other is blown to the sides.

It turns out that the glycemic index is to blame. Or rather, foods with a high glycemic index. Chips, cream puffs, shortbread, white flour baked goods, cornflakes, sugar - all these foods contain carbohydrates with a very high glycemic index. If you abuse such products, problems with excess weight are inevitable. Those who eat mainly low-GI carbohydrates are free from this danger.

Let's try to understand what the connection is between high GI and fatness.

Glucose is a source of energy

Our body constantly needs energy. The “fuel” for energy production is glucose, and the body can get it from two sources:

• From carbohydrates contained in food.
• From fat reserves, but he reserves this method as a last resort when the intake of carbohydrates from food is not enough.

The produced glucose enters the blood, and its level is called “blood glucose level” or “glycemia”. The normal level of fasting glucose is considered to be 1 gram of glucose per 1 liter of blood.

When a person eats, the glycemic level, that is, the glucose level in the blood, increases. The pancreas releases the hormone insulin into the blood, which helps process incoming glucose and send energy to the cells that need it. After this, the blood glucose level drops back to normal.

Michel Montignac described all these processes in detail; he has several books. But I admit, I didn’t understand all the subtleties right away.

Why do we get fat from carbohydrates?

The good news is that not everyone gets fat.

The news is bad: those who get fat are those who have pushed their pancreas, forcing it to work hard, constantly regulating blood sugar levels - yes, those same lovers of fried potatoes, beer, chips, cakes and all kinds of cookies.

When a person is hungry, blood glucose levels drop. The body immediately signals that it is time to eat. The longer we ignore these signals, the lower our glucose levels become.

When we start eating, carbohydrates are instantly converted into glucose and the glycemic level begins to rise. It is best that it increases not sharply, but gradually. Then the pancreas works steadily, releasing insulin little by little, and the energy reaches all cells of the body. This is possible if you eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

What happens if you are hungry and quickly eat chips and a hamburger, and then wash it down with Coca-Cola?

Since all of these foods have a very high GI, carbohydrates will cause your blood glucose levels to rise very quickly. In this case, the pancreas will be forced to pump a lot of insulin into the blood at once in order to process the incoming energy as quickly as possible and reduce glucose levels to normal levels.

A healthy pancreas produces just the right amount of insulin. Therefore, children who are not fed sweets, and all those who have not yet exhausted their pancreas, can eat almost nothing but buns and corn flakes, or fast food - and not gain weight.

But gradually the pancreas wears out and loses its ability to correctly determine how much insulin is needed. And just in case, he throws out more than necessary. But the body no longer needs energy; there is nowhere to put it. And then the excess insulin is used to process glucose and fatty acids into fat reserves. Therefore, insulin is often called the fat-storing hormone.

But the worst thing is that excess insulin lowers the glycemic level below normal, and the person feels like he is not full.

How the body works when we eat high GI carbohydrates

• During eating, blood glucose levels rise quickly and strongly.
• The pancreas secretes a lot of insulin.
• Part of the insulin helps produce energy, while the other part converts glucose into fat.
• And the blood glucose level dropped again and became below normal.
• We want to eat again, and we eat too much, the process repeats - only even more is stored in fat.

While studying these processes, scientists discovered an interesting relationship. It turns out that the lower the glycemic level was before meals, the faster it rises. And the more it increases during eating, the more it decreases. That is, a hungrier person risks storing much more fat than someone who starts a meal before getting hungry.

This is the reason for the advice to eat several times a day and little by little.

What is the problem

“Only meat without bread at night”, “All these cookies will end up on your waist”... What do we not hear about these evil and terrible carbohydrates! We are sure that you will definitely be able to supplement this list with sayings from your losing weight friends and quotes from books by smart nutritionists.

However, carbohydrates are not at all as scary as they are made out to be. After all, it is one of the three main nutrients (along with proteins and fats) that humans need. This is the main source of energy for the brain, muscles and the body as a whole. Carbohydrates are necessary for every person to function normally.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. It is important to remember what exactly and in what quantity should be included in your diet. To do this, let’s look at the most common misconceptions about carbohydrates and scientifically proven facts about them.

What foods contain carbohydrates

Almost all foods have some amount of this macronutrient, excluding meat (even shellfish), which is a source of protein. Although after heat treatment it receives a certain amount of carbohydrates if it is supplemented with seasonings, sauces, etc. The same applies to lard and vegetable oils, but here fats predominate. Hard cheeses (Parmesan, Gruyère, etc.) are also deprived of this macronutrient.

Most carbohydrates in food are found in:

• cereal crops;
• plant foods (vegetables/fruits);
• bakery products;
• dairy products;
• eggs.

Foods high in carbohydrates

Even when losing weight, you can safely use carbohydrate foods in your diet, but you need to take into account its composition and understand your daily intake. Products high in carbohydrates are not enemies to the figure and can even be one of the basic elements of the menu if they are difficult-to-digest compounds and not simple sugars. The main carbohydrate-containing products are:

• bread and related products (bread, cookies, buns, pies, etc.);
• confectionery;
• sweet drinks;
• pasta;
• cereals (this includes both cereals and flakes);
• potato;
• mayonnaise;
• honey, sugar;
• fruits;
• nuts, seeds;
• dairy products.

Products with minimal carbohydrate content

Finding food that has almost no this macronutrient is easy if you remember the calorie content of 1 gram of carbohydrate - it’s about 4.1 kcal. A simple logical conclusion would be: foods with minimal carbohydrate content are foods with minimal energy value. Among them:

• greenery;
• vegetables (excluding the previously mentioned potatoes, boiled carrots and beets);
• eggs;
• mushrooms;
• feta cheese and other soft cheeses.

Slow carbohydrate foods

The basis of a healthy diet should be complex macronutrients, since they satiate for a long time and do not cause insulin spikes. All products with slow carbohydrates have a high calorie content, but this is the case when these numbers are beneficial when losing weight. The list of such products is as follows:

• porridge (with water, since milk is a source of lactose or sugar, which causes a rise in insulin) from cereals, not flakes, which have not been actively purified;
• wholemeal bread;
• the legume group - chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas - is additionally a source of vegetable protein, and therefore is valued for weight loss and among vegetarians;
• vegetables, among which the leaders in terms of benefits (due to the amount of fiber) are all types of cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers.

Products with fast carbohydrates

You can determine the sources of simple carbohydrates by referring to their chemical composition - if a product contains a large amount of sugars, it will be classified as easily digestible. All sweets (cakes, candies, etc.) are automatically included in this group, even honey, which is considered safe for weight loss. Dark chocolate is included here, although it can be replaced with milk chocolate due to its good composition. Almost all factory products contain fast carbohydrates, since flavoring additives often contain sugar, even in sauces and mayonnaise.

A few more nuances:

• Semolina is the only porridge that is considered an “empty” carbohydrate.
• Cane sugar is not light in calories, but the same as refined white sugar.
• Snacks and breakfast cereals, even if they are based on cereals, are a secondary product, which is a set of “empty” macroelements.
• Preserves, jams and confitures, even homemade ones, also provoke sugar surges due to GI.

Myths about carbohydrates

Carbs make you fat

Of course, it is easier to blame some product for all sins than to take a comprehensive approach to planning your diet. The fact is that carbohydrate-containing foods are delicious and many cannot resist adding more. Only this will not be an additional portion of vegetables and fruits, but another bag of chips or a pack of cookies.

People get fat not from carbohydrates, but from overeating.

Include more unprocessed natural foods in your diet and control your intake of refined sugar. Remember: if you consume more calories than your body needs (even if they come from protein or fat), your weight will increase.

Fast carbohydrates may not be healthy

Carbohydrates are simple (fast) and complex (slow). It is believed that the former are very bad, and the latter are very good. And this point is worth dwelling on in more detail.

All carbohydrates are made up of structural units called saccharides. The more of them, the more complex the carbohydrate. Simple carbohydrates are made up of one (monosaccharides) or two (disaccharides) of these units. Complex ones consist of three or more units. Our intestines are capable of absorbing only monosaccharides. The job of the rest of the gastrointestinal tract is to break down the carbohydrate into its simplest form.

Thus, a simple carbohydrate does not need to be broken down, because it enters the body already prepared. And therefore it immediately enters the blood, sharply increasing insulin levels. It is quickly digested and does not give a feeling of fullness, which is why it is considered fast. Complex carbohydrates require processing, so sugar enters the blood gradually, and we get a long-lasting feeling of satiety.

Fast carbohydrates are sugar, honey, dairy products, fruits, processed grains, polished cereals. Complex carbohydrates are vegetables, greens, legumes, cereals, and whole grains.

But does this mean that now you need to eat only slow carbohydrates? Of course not!

It's all about the fiber. Fiber is the coarse fiber found in all unprocessed plant foods. It is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby slowing down the process of sugar absorption and its entry into the blood. Eating fiber-rich carbohydrates will keep you full for a long time and won't add unwanted pounds.

Fast carbohydrates with fiber are not harmful, eat them without fear. But without it, be careful! Choose a juicy pear over a bun, and instead of white polished rice, cook brown or wild rice.

If you want to be in shape, forget about bread and pasta

Sounds plausible, especially if you listen to ardent fans of no-carb diets like Dukan or Atkins. Especially when they mention the magic word “ketosis.”

Ketosis is a state when, in the absence of carbohydrates, the body begins to break down fats for energy. Sounds tempting? No matter how it is.

With the breakdown of fats, a large number of ketone bodies are formed. If carbohydrates are not in the diet for a short time, then these bodies do not pose a danger to humans. But in the case of prolonged carbohydrate starvation, the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood increases sharply. And this causes poisoning, up to ketoacidotic coma and death.

If you're not worried about health problems and only care about appearance, remember: in ketosis, your body will smell like acetone, like nail polish remover.

Yes, low-carb diets will give you the effect of rapid weight loss, but they can also be harmful to your health. And the research Science Confirms It: Carbs DON'T Make You Fat confirmed long ago: you lose weight equally on a diet with a normal carbohydrate content and with their restriction. The main thing is to consume any food in moderation.

What carbohydrates make you fat?

Scientists have proven that people gain weight from both complex and simple carbohydrates. It all depends on the number of calories, the time of day of eating foods rich in carbohydrates and regular physical activity.

Nutritionists recommend consuming complex carbohydrates in the morning. So they split for a long time and at the same time constantly release energy. Porridge and durum pasta are best. And for dinner, eat a light vegetable salad. It is better to avoid simple carbohydrates as much as possible. They are processed very quickly by the body and release a huge amount of energy, which the body does not have time to use, and again requires “feeding”. Thus, a story that is painfully familiar to us emerges. I bought a cookie, drank tea, and an hour later I wanted to eat again. Sound familiar? Of course, there are low-carb diets. They are based on the idea that there is a large release of insulin, and since it does not disperse throughout the body on its own, it is deposited in fatty tissues. There are diets of a different nature. Basically, carbohydrate diets, like protein diets, are suitable for people who engage in active sports not at an amateur level. As for regular weight loss, for example, before the beach season, nothing can be better than counting calories.

Let us conclude that with proper nutrition and partial refusal of fast carbohydrates, you can maintain a great figure, good mood and a healthy body.

How many carbohydrates should you eat?

Scientists say the norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for various groups of the population of the Russian Federation. Guidelines that carbohydrates should make up 50–60% of the daily diet. Followers of the China Study prefer plant-based carbohydrates to anything, advising them to fill the diet by 90-100%.

How to resolve this issue for yourself personally is entirely your choice. By maintaining balance, you will always have enough energy for new endeavors and not an extra gram on your side.

Fast carbohydrates

An alternative name for this group is easily digestible or simple carbohydrates. They are distinguished by a minimum number of structural units: no more than 2 molecules. They are processed in a matter of seconds, so they enter the blood almost instantly and provoke a spike in sugar with a high glycemic index. This entails an instant rise in energy, but it falls at the same speed. Fast carbohydrates can be eaten when you have a loss of strength, when you need to urgently restore performance for a short period of time, but they fill you up for a short time, so it turns out to be a vicious circle.

Let's sum it up

• Carbohydrates are not only cookies and cakes, pasta and candies. Carbohydrates include fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits and an endless variety of cereals.
• Carbohydrates are necessary for everyone to live. Completely eliminating them from the diet can lead to serious health problems.
• Fast carbohydrates are tasty and enjoyable if you know which ones to choose (natural and rich in coarse fiber).
• Fashionable diets can say anything, the main thing is to critically perceive any information and relate it to your needs and preferences.

Flavorful scrambled eggs and bacon are just what the doctor ordered for those on this diet. Photo: .com

To get rid of extra pounds, you need to exclude fatty, fried and refined foods from your diet - this is a well-known axiom. But today we will cross out the first point from it and invite you to try the “low carb, high fat” system, which in English sounds like Low Carb High Fat. Hence the name LCHF. She appeared in Sweden 15 years ago.

It was in this country that official dietetics abandoned the axiom “low-fat foods are healthy, and fat is more dangerous than carbohydrates.” But, as we know, everything new is long forgotten old. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, people ate this way until they began to grow bread, rice and potatoes and learned to make sugar. The LCHF system helps to lose excess weight, keeps blood sugar levels normal, and takes care of the health of the heart and blood vessels. Clean leather is included with this entire set. But is everything so rosy? I figured it out "Today".

WHAT YOU NEED TO EAT: GET USED TO COUNTING POINTS AND LISTENING TO YOURSELF

So, we limit calories from carbohydrates as much as possible and replace them with calories from natural fats. We eat as much as we want (that is, as much as you really need - learn to listen to your body and forget how to “eat up” problems and bad mood). We make a choice in favor of natural products: they will provide maximum energy and will not be deposited on the sides.

We limit starchy and sugary foods as much as possible (glucose, fructose, lactose and sucrose - all here). And we add plant foods in excess: we eat vegetables growing above the surface of the earth (we need minerals, vitamins and fiber from them).

Ideally, LCHF nutrition looks like this:

• proteins - 20%;
• fats - 70-75%;
• carbohydrates - 5-10%.

Consider: 1 gram of fat provides 2.25 times more calories than 1 gram of protein or carbohydrates. This is why you will become full much faster and stop overeating. You can use tables of calorie content and nutritional value of foods (how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates they contain), but we do not recommend staying in them for a long time: just learn the approximate nutritional value of foods and not get hung up on exact numbers.

THE BASIS OF A “FAT” DIET

• Meat, fish, poultry, seafood
• Eggs
• Bacon, ham, loin, brisket, jamon, lard, etc.
• Sausages and sausages - only very high quality ones, with a minimum of additives. The main thing is that the composition does not include starch (and it is better to cook them yourself)
• Cream, sour cream and cottage cheese with a high percentage of fat content
• Butter
• Hard and soft cheeses, tofu cheese
• Avocado
• Vegetables growing above ground: cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus
• All kinds of greens
• Olives
• Lemon, lime
• Mushrooms
• Vegetable oils low in omega-6: coconut, flaxseed, olive, rapeseed (cold pressed), avocado, etc.
• Chia seeds, flax, sesame

YOU CAN EAT, BUT IN MODERATION

• Berries
• Nuts
• pumpkin
• Baked goods made from low-carb flour (almond, coconut, sesame, nut)
• Soy and black bean pasta
• Natural sweeteners: erythritol, stevia, maple syrup, etc.

WE STRONGLY LIMIT CONSUMPTION

• Fruit
• Milk and kefir
• Root vegetables: carrots, beets, onions
• Green peas
• Chocolate (choose with at least 80% cocoa content, without sugar, such as stevia)
• Vegetable oils high in omega-6: sunflower, corn, soybean, grape seed, etc.

ELIMINATE ALL

• Sugar, honey
• Chocolate with less than 80% cocoa content
• Juices, carbonated drinks
• Kvass, jelly, compote
• All flour
• Any cereals, muesli and flakes, breakfast cereals
• Pasta
• Dried fruits
• Potato
• “Light”, low-fat foods
• All products containing trans fats

EXPERT OPINION

Oksana Kovalenko, nutritionist:

“This nutrition system is therapeutic. It is used in complex therapy to cure, for example, degenerative processes in the brain, vascular disorders, oncology, and skin diseases. But it can only be followed under the close supervision of a physician or nutritionist. So, it requires extra-ampolent drinking to remove decay products. If safety precautions are not followed, such nutrition can cause ketosis - a condition that develops as a result of carbohydrate starvation of cells, or simply - a large lack of carbohydrates in the diet. During it, fat is broken down to produce energy, and the person actually loses weight. But at the same time, many ketone bodies are formed in the blood. Metabolic processes may be disrupted and ketoacidosis coma may occur, which can be fatal. Therefore, I repeat: this nutrition system is quite dangerous, as it is not balanced, and requires strict supervision by a specialist.”

Sofia Rozhko, nutritionist:

“It’s not for nothing that LCHF originated in Sweden: residents of this country have access to fresh deep-sea sea fish, which is a source of high-quality fat. In the realities of our country, we cannot enjoy red fish in excess, so I would recommend making a slightly different combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Give 20% of the diet to proteins, 30% to fats, and 50% to carbohydrates. At the same time, only 5% of the daily diet should be allocated to fruits, berries and honey, since they are rich in sugar (for this reason they should be eaten in the first half of the day). Get the remaining 45% from cereals, durum wheat pasta, dark yeast-free whole grain bread, vegetables, and herbs. For foods containing fat, give preference to unrefined oil, fatty fish (sardine, trout, mackerel, salmon), nuts, seeds, olives, eggs, dairy products and cheese. A piece of lard will also not be superfluous. In general, whether you adhere to this food system or any other, it is important that your diet contains natural products. Refuse such results of scientific and technological progress as margarine, refined sugar and low-fat dairy products: they bring nothing but harm to the body.”

Are complex carbohydrates preferable to sugar?

Yes, but not always. Many foods high in sugar (especially sucrose and other added sugars) contain “empty calories”—that is, they are low in nutrients but high in calories. In contrast, foods rich in complex carbohydrates tend to be nutrient dense. But this depends on the specific products. Let's say dairy products and fruits contain sugars, but are an important part of a healthy diet because of the other nutrients they contain.

Carbohydrates upside down

Typical mistakes people make.

High carbohydrate diet and sedentary lifestyle

You do everything to “eat healthy”: drink fresh juices, eat probiotic yogurts, choose low-fat foods and whole grain bread. If the food police come to your home, you'll get an A+. Despite this, you are gradually gaining weight. Health problems begin: blood pressure and cholesterol rise, glucose is higher than normal.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you don't need a lot of carbohydrates. At rest, the body uses primarily fat for energy. If you constantly bombard your body with too many carbohydrates that you have nothing to spend on, when you have excess calories, they turn into fat. Even if the source of carbohydrates is a healthy whole grain product.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates have a complex molecular structure and are poorly soluble in water. These are starch, pectin, glycogen and fiber.

Starch is synthesized in the chloroplasts of the green parts of the plant and, through hydrolysis, passes into the roots, tubers, and seeds. In the body, starch is broken down in the mouth and digestive tract. With the help of saliva in the mouth it is partially converted into maltose. In the human diet, starch makes up approximately 80% of all carbohydrates consumed. Glycogen is the main form of glucose storage in animal cells. The main storage carbohydrate is stored in liver cells and muscles. Muscle glycogen is used immediately as energy.

Pectin substances are formed by galacturonic acid residues. They are present in all higher plants; fruits and some algae are especially rich in them.

Fiber is plant fiber. They can be insoluble and soluble. Soluble fiber is found in seaweed, legumes, fruits, oats and barley. Insoluble fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Once in the stomach, it swells, which causes intestinal emptying to accelerate, while excess cholesterol and bile acids are washed out. Like a broom, it sweeps out the stomach and intestines, absorbing waste and toxins.