Why carbs are the real reason people get and stay fat
According to Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories, Bad Calories, the real reason people get fat is not because they eat too much and exercise too little. His research reveals it is the overconsumption of refined carbohydrates consisting of flour and sugar. He states that political influences over the past 50 years have skewed public information to make it seem that dietary fat and cholesterol are the main culprits in obesity, when in actuality there is little to no objective data to support this.
Gary states, "Carbohydrate is driving insulin is driving fat deposition." More carbs in the diet drives up insulin levels, and insulin is what transports glucose--derived from the carbs--in fat cells.
With highly refined carbs, they especially make the blood sugar spike then subsequently plummet. This plummeting effect makes your body crave even more carbs, hence making carbs a truly addictive substance.
Gary recommends more meat, fish, fowl, cheese, butter, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables be added to the diet and work on the elimination of baked goods, potatoes, yams, rice, pasta, cereal grains, corn, sugar (both sucrose and high fructose corn syrup), ice cream, candy, soft drinks, fruit juices, bananas and other tropical fruits, and beer.
While Dr. Andrew Weil states he is mostly in agreement with this lifestyle, he adds that not all carbs should be eliminated, as there are beneficial carbs that are low on the glycemic index, and that people respond to carbs in different ways.
Original article: The Surprising Reason People Get Fat
Recommended books: "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease"
