You don’t have to switch to “no carbs” to be healthy but lowering your carbohydrate intake is going to benefit your entire body on the cellular level.
This is not a diet “fad.” This is fact.
Despite the popularity of the food pyramid and the media propaganda about “whole grains,” your body doesn’t want that garbage, can’t use it, and reacts with system-wide inflammation.
You remember inflammation…the root of all health evil. The true understanding of lowering inflammation with low carb diets is finally picking up steam. Barely in time considering we are fatter and sicker than any other period of humankind’s existence!
It’s a disgusting vicious cycle. Doctors advise that you cut out healthy fats and eat whole grains for your heart, to lower cholesterol, and give your body “necessary nutrients” like fiber. Meanwhile, you gain weight, age more quickly, and continue to sicken!
For one, you get far better fiber from vegetables and for another, you do not want the sham fiber you’ll find in the processed products so many swear are good for you. Grains cannot offer the benefits (without the inflammation) of a delicious, fresh salad topped with colorful ingredients and a few healthy fats. They have nothing to offer.
Why High Carb Diets Do Not Work
1. A diet high in carbs leaves you hungry and dissatisfied. “Dieting” is a word that makes people miserable anyway but cutting out the fats your body needs to function properly and focusing on grains is a recipe for disaster. A diet low in carbs tells your body, “I’m full and satisfied.” A diet high in carbs sends the message, “I need more.”
2. If you think you need carbs, ask yourself where you are consuming the ones in your diet. The average person is not getting their carb intake from green vegetables, fruit, beans, quinoa, or organic dairy. The typical consumer gets most of their carbohydrates from cereal, refined flour products like pasta or bread, and junk food. Eating a slice of processed wheat bread is no better than eating a slice of sticky white bread. Both of them contain nothing more than stripped down grains, sugar, and preservatives. For every “fortified vitamin” they provide, they rob your system of valuable nutrients and get stored as fat.
3. Simple carbs (what most people eat) do not provide sustainable energy! The offer you a false “spike” that quickly fades away, leaving you tired and unmotivated. Worse, they drive up your blood sugar! Eating too many carbs confuses your body and leads to insulin resistance, metabolic syndromes, and ultimately diabetes.
4. Your body stores junk carbs as fat. Switching to a low carb way of eating causes your body to burn more of the stubborn belly fat that increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. It also gets your triglycerides and cholesterol levels under control more effectively (and consistently) than carb-focused eating.
5. Your brain doesn’t want the sludge provided by a carb rich diet! A healthy brain needs good fats and utilizes ketones far better than the normal influx of glucose. Your body can and will produce ketones naturally in two scenarios: starvation and low consumption of carbs. Eating in ways that encourage ketone production has shown improvement in patients suffering from epilepsy, dementia, and other severe neurodegenerative diseases.
The 3-Step Lifestyle to Lower Inflammation AND Lose Weight
It is time to stop looking at “diets” and look at your full lifestyle to determine what you need to do to lose weight, fight disease, and age more slowly.
Step One: Habits matter so get yours under control. Stop smoking, drink in moderation, and let your body sleep. Reducing pro-inflammatory circumstances will let your body heal and start repairing the damage that bad habits cause.
Step Two: Exercise. Stop making excuses. Get up and move around for at least 30 minutes every day even if it is a low impact activity such as swimming, yoga, or taking a gentle walk. Your body needs to move to retain muscle mass, bone health, and flexibility. You will appreciate moving now when you are elderly! Trust me on this!
Step Three: Understand every bite you put in your mouth affects your entire body. You can fight disease, improve brain health, lose weight, and lower inflammation by lowering your carb intake. When you eat carbs, choose the good ones with a lower glycemic index! Drink more water and up those proteins and vegetables (more than two-thirds of your plate!) every day. Eat fish, cook with olive or coconut oil, and choose organic!
Don’t believe the hype on “healthy grains” because you do not need them. They are bursting with lectin (makes you fatter), phytates (blocks nutrient absorption from other foods), and gluten (destroys your gut flora balance).
Reducing inflammation with a low carb diet is common sense. The majority of carbs provide nothing but take plenty!