We have all been bombarded with the various diets that are currently out on the market. Many of these diets are extreme to the point where they recommend that you remove all fats and carbohydrates from your diet to lose weight fast. At a glance, this makes perfect sense. You want to lose fat from your body, so you should remove the consumed fat, and carbs can store up in your body thus making you gain weight, so removing both of them from your diet should be the way to go.
While removing fat and carbs from your diet can assist you in losing weight, it is not the healthy way to lose those extra pounds. It is not a matter of if you are consuming your carbs and fats, but rather the types of fats and carbs you eat. As you balance how much carbs and fat you consume, consider using supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps that may occur as a result.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are necessary for our diet. They assist in glucose production and are the primary source of energy that your cells need to function. The reason we see people gaining weight from consuming carbohydrates is because the majority of individuals consume the wrong types of carbs. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.
The Simplest Answer Is Not Always the Right One
Simple carbohydrates are found primarily in basic snack foods and sweet treats. These carbohydrates hold almost no nutritional value, but they will give you a quick energy boost when you need it. Because these carbohydrates are simplistic, they are processed faster. Your body can only use so much glucose before any excess is converted into fat for energy later. In addition to being quickly converted into fat, any energy that you receive from simple carbs will rapidly drop, resulting in a sudden feeling of fatigue.
Complex Carbs Are Not So Complex
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods which also provide valuable vitamins, minerals, and fibers. The makeup of these carbs and the food types in which they are found makes your body spend more time processing them. This means you will have a slower and steadier introduction of glucose into your cells, which will continue giving you energy without the crash seen with simple carbohydrates, and it also avoids unnecessary fat buildup.
Fats
Contrary to popular belief, fats are necessary for you to have a properly balanced diet. Proper fats do much more for our bodies than what we realize. For instant dietary benefits, healthy fats stay in the stomach longer than other materials. This causes a feeling of being full for a longer period. In addition to the immediate benefits, the vitamins K, E, D, and A are all fat-soluble vitamins. There are two main types of fat: unsaturated and saturated.
Saturated Fats
Derived primarily from animal fats, saturated fats are difficult for our bodies to process, and they store in our arteries. This leads to heart attacks, high blood pressure, and other health issues related to blood vessels.
Unsaturated Fats
These fats are found in vegetable products and melt better than saturated fats. Because they process easier, they do not slip into the blood stream and block your arteries. Some unsaturated fats have also been shown to assist lowering LDL cholesterol in addition to the benefits that were discussed above.
