COULD CARBOHYDRATES BE A PRIMARY CAUSE OF WEIGHT GAIN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN CHRONIC ILLNESSES?

For the past 3-4 decades Doctors, dietitians, cardiologists, endocrinologists and the many “highly educated” health professionals have unfortunately, wrongly, given members of the public across the western world, potentially dangerous and misleading advice, leading to a staggering epidemic of lifestyle related death, disease and dysfunction!

A high carbohydrate diet, typical of the modern western world has accelerated a lifestyle disease epidemic costing government health services billions upon billions of pounds, not to mention countless hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives as a result.

It all began back in the early 70’s during a battle of right and wrong, between a British scientist, John Yudkin who opposed an American scientists nutritional recommendations, named Ancel Keys.

Keys was the scientist who published landmark studies during the 60’s, ‘attempting’ to show a relationship between high saturated fat consumption and heart disease.

Before this, pre 50’s, a diet rich in animal products, i.e. meat, fish, dairy, eggs, butter etc was widely believed and followed by the public in the UK for good health (and rightly so).

“Every woman knows that carbohydrates are fattening, this is a piece of common knowledge, which few nutritionists would dispute”

British Medical Journal (BMJ), 1963.  

Key’s literature, which was published in America, changed the foundations of diet and nutrition, wrongfully advising people to drastically reduce fat and saturated fat consumption to protect against heart disease, replacing with a higher carbohydrate intake from primarily grains and cereals.

Yudkin, rightfully opposed this advice, widely attempting to question Keys literature and instead prove that it is in fact sugar that acts as the leading cause of heart disease and is terribly detrimental to normal metabolic functioning.

Key’s published literature (and connections to big corporations) gave him huge status in the scientific community. Anyone who opposed or questioned his findings could risk losing out on funding or becoming pariah’s.

Yudkin’s voice was unheard, his concerns regarding sugar, wrongfully ignored.

His hypothesis on sugar crushed and disregarded.

Unfortunately for the world, Yudkin was right to question Key’s findings

It’s understood by informed professionals & academics today, that keys research was in fact flawed, inaccurate.

He cherry picked his data to attempt to prove his hypothesis.

He got it pretty much COMPLETELY WRONG.

SUGAR and refined grains are the leading cause of heart disease and a multitude of other serious diet and lifestyle related physiological diseases & conditions.

Key’s published literature was taken as fact by the american government in the early 80’s and formed the basis of its nutritional guidelines for public health, followed wrongfully even to this present day by the public majority. 

To me, this is the biggest, most disgraceful scandal to public health…. yet to be admitted!

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are units of energy in the form of sugars the body can metabolise from organic sources such as fruits, fibres, starches, grains, and milk products.

Accounting for roughly over 60% of the modern daily western intake of energy from the foods we consume.

They are composed simply of sugar molecules formed together in slightly different molecular structure, depending on the different types of carbohydrates.

All are generally converted into glucose in the body.

Carbohydrate rich foods include grains, starches, sugary snacks & confectionery, fruits and root vegetables.

Rich sources;

• Bread
• Pasta
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Cereals
• Grains
• Fruits
• Fruit juices
• Sugary drinks
• Sweets / chocolate / confectionery / cake / junk foods / foods sweetened with added sugar (low fat yogurt, pre prepared meals, processed foods)

How are carbohydrates metabolised?

All carbs, regardless of what type of carbohydrate foods you consume (wholegrain/refined/starches etc), are broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream in the form of glucose via glycolysis.

When blood glucose levels are raised (after consuming carb snacks or meals) insulin levels increase to signal/control the uptake of glucose into the bodies cells and muscle tissue.

The body prioritises metabolising carbohydrates over fats because they are easier and more readily available to breakdown into energy (for the average person) more rapidly and because they have to take priority to limit the impact on blood glucose levels.

High blood glucose levels are toxic and can cause damage to the bodies cells and tissues

Therefore, when we consume carbs and fats together, the carbs will be utilised as energy before the fats…

Causing the ingested fats to be stored in adipose tissue (fat tissue) instead of being utilised as fuel.

Why are carbohydrates bad?

Carbohydrates can be damaging to the body for many reasons.

Mainly; they can cause insulin dysfunction leading to insulin resistance pre diabetes and diabetes (type 2), promote fat storage, prevent fat oxidation, cause tumour growth, cause overeating, promote poor energy and metabolic dysfunction.

Carbs raise insulin levels in the body. Raised insulin levels prevents fat oxidation, i.e. stops fat being burned as fuel.

This leads to fat metabolism dysfunction over time. Constant carbohydrate intake basically shuts down your bodies ability to metabolise fats properly as energy…

Because it’s constantly running off carbohydrates (because the body has to burn them off to control circulating blood glucose levels)…

Most people fail to realise that they’re addicted to sugar and carbohydrates.

When you eat a carb rich meal your energy levels peak quickly, before sharply dropping off after 1-3 hours…

You then feel hungry again, craving carbs and sugar causing you to eat more carbs and sugar for energy to get that fix.

This process goes on all throughout the day, because the body doesn’t have the metabolic machinery to efficiently utilise fats as energy and because your insulin levels are continuously raised…

Raised too high for fat cells to release fatty acids to utilise as energy.

New research is emerging to show that adipose tissue (fat tissue) is a key controller of overall metabolism.

If body fat tissue is a primary controller of energy metabolism … shutting it down with constant carb intake is certain to cause dysfunction…

(hardly ideal if you want to maintain a healthy body shape is it?? Or lose body fat…..)

The bodies natural metabolic process is to metabolise fat tissue and fat from the diet to convert to energy.

It’s not designed to metabolise carbohydrates efficiently over prolonged periods of time. This is quite obvious, give ancestral history.

The human diet prior to the last few hundred years consisted mainly of animal products.

We were hunters.

Excessive carbohydrate intake damages the body. Especially with the highly refined grains, cereal and sugars we find today.

Over a chronic period of time…

Ingestion of high carbohydrate diet causes insulin dysfunction…

Where the body gradually continues to produce more and more insulin over the years to signal the cells to uptake glucose.

Insulin signalling becomes blunted over time.

As the years go on…..

Insulin resistance develops in the body….

Diabetes can and is almost certain to develop as a result of continued insulin resistance/ dysfunction over time…

” 8 in 10 people will develop insulin resistance, leading to pre-diabetes and potential development of diabetes 2, if they consume a high carbohydrate diet” Dr Timothy Noakes

To the point where the pancreas is having to produce massive amounts of insulin to signal the uptake of glucose into the bodies cells.

This process is exactly what’s happening to an estimated 60% of the population!!

Insulin resistance is the development of insulin dysfunction over time eventually resulting in diabetes (type 2) development.

Its estimated over 60% of the adult population has some degree of insulin resistance, pre diabetes or full blown diabetes II…

Remember what I told you earlier…raised insulin levels prevents fat metabolism …insulin resistance causes ELEVATED blood insulin levels for a LONGER duration of time…..

What does this mean…..Diminished fat oxidation (burning fat)

Hence… body fat accumulation… 

Weight gain…..

OBESITY!

(This is the process in which a high carb diet leads to weight gain and obesity. It’s obvious when you understand the science and metabolic processes involved)

What is a high carbohydrate diet?

Your diet.

The western diet.

The diet you’re told to follow by our health professionals.

You’re told to consume 60% of daily calories from carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates with every meal is a high carb diet.

Period.

Think about your current diet….

The average person will consume cereals or porridge for breakfast, sandwiches or wraps for lunch and a pasta/ potato or rice dish for dinner.

That’s without mentioning the high carb snacks between meals.

Or bread with dinner.

70% of people cannot tolerate a high carb intake. Which is why the majority of the population is suffering from some degree of insulin resistance!

The other 30% of people who can tolerate a high carb intake are people who are very lean, or are usually athletes.

What other health conditions is a high carbohydrate diet associated with?

• Type 2 diabetes
• High SD LDL (damaging form of fats)
• Anxiety
• Mood disorders
• ADHD
• Metabolic syndrome
• Hypertension
• Atherosclerosis / Heart disease
• stroke  / heart attack
• Alzheimer
• Dementia
• Parkinson’s disease

There’s a reason brain degenerative diseases (dementia, Alzheimer etc) are termed “diabetes type III” by academics today!

How much carbohydrate should we consume?

Aim for a maximum of 20% daily intake of calories coming from carbohydrates if you’re very active.

That means, average woman= 360-400kcals per day max from carbs (very active/weight training)

Average man= 500kcals per day max fro carbs (very active/weight training)

Don’t forget, carbs are contained within milk, cheese, nuts, fruits and vegetables too.

If you’re very obese (BMI 35+) you should consume no more than 25g of carbohydrates per day. 

If you limit your carb intake to 25g/day you will eventually become a healthy weight. 

If you’re overweight (BMI 25-30) and your goal is to lose weight, reduce your carbohydrate intake to 10% of daily calories or ideally less.

Then watch your body fat disappear!

Best sources of carbohydrates

Try to get your carbohydrates from root vegetables, vegetables, berries, milk/dairy, nuts/seeds and occasional meals with quinoa, sweet potato/potato or rice.

• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Sweed
• Butternut squash
• Green vegetables
• Vegetables
• Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries etc)
• Dairy produce
• Nuts and seeds
• Occasional- Quinoa, sweet potato/ potato, rice or wholegrains

Take home message…

Don’t avoid fats or saturated fats, they’re essential for healthy body functioning and should form the majority of your calorie intake!

You should follow a high fat diet: 60-70% fat, 10% carbs or less, 20-30+% protein

Morbidly Obese: 60% fat, MAX 25g carbs/day, 35%+ Protein

Limit sugar intake as much as possible.

REMEMBER….every time you consume carbs you’re temporarily preventing your body from burning fat as fuel…

If your goal is to lose weight, STOP eating carbs. Allow your insulin levels to normalise so your body is able to burn fat. 

The body does not require carbohydrates for any functioning….

They are not required for building muscle…

Nor to fuel the brain (the body can convert glucose from glycerol, other fatty acids and through a process called gluconeogenesis to meet any energy requirements)

(search gluconeogenesis if you don’t believe me)

Or to fuel exercise of any intensity (the body will adapt to use fats as fuel)

They are not required…

Period. 

Even If you are an endurance athlete your performance will improve with a high fat diet, following fat adaptation/keto adaptation period (4-8 weeks).

If you need more convincing and a breath of inspiration, Professor Timothy Noakes is somewhat of a legend in academic fields of exercise & diet, and endurance athletic performance….

Hear what he has to say on the subject by following this link…

Professor Lustig is a professor of Paediatrics in the division of Endocrinologist at the University of California….

His work is simply astounding, he explains sugars interaction & metabolism within the body, fuelling fat accumulation, leading to weight gain and obesity incredibly well during this presentation, click here….

How has this disastrous situation occurred over the last 40 years??

Too many people and professionals are happy to sit back and idly follow the consensus without questioning any advice or guidance they’re told…

As a Sports Scientist or Scientist in any field…You should question everything!!

Question everything you’re told.

Until next time,

Yours in empowerment,

TheLakesCoach