Low Carb Diet Secrets

Today I am going to look at the 3 building blocks of a healthy diet one that is filled with nutrition and is good for you, whether you are trying to lose weight or not. They are protein,carbohydrate (carbs if you prefer) and fat.

Protein has approximately 4 calories per gram, and can be found in food like eggs, other dairy products made from milk such as cheeses,and yoghurt. In addition protein can be found in red meats such as beef steak and fish.

Moving on to carbohydrates the story is pretty much the same in terms of calories at around 4 calories per gram. But unlike protein which occurs only naturally (unless added as a supplement) carbs can be found both naturally and also in food that is processed or if you prefer man made.

Carbohydrates which are found in nature include rice,some pulses (such as beans),potato’s in various different guises, and oatmeal but this is just the tip of the iceberg a wider range of man made carbs are found in cookies, candies, and cakes plus a whole range of other processed foods.

But you probably won’t be suprised to learn that from each gram of fat there are a massive 9 calories. That’s right a shocking 225% more calories than either carbs or protein.But few people fully understand the implications of this fact.

Nothing is ever quite as it seems as there are a number of different types of fat there are bad fats trans fatty acids and saturated fats which are generally derived from animals or manufactured by man. Where as good fats are generally from plants.

A balance of carbs,protein and fat (ideally mono and poly unsaturated fats with a small proportion of animal fats) will prevent you having problems with being overweight and obese. It is when these food groups get out of balance that serious problems occur.

If you choose to have a diet which has a high level of fat or indeed a high level of carbohydrate (especially man made carbs) you increase your chances dramatically of having problems with your weight. If you continue this way overtime you may end up extremely obese or as doctors use the term morbidly obese.

Fat is much more calorific than either proteins or carbohydrates so when planning a meal try to keep a good balance of both carbs and protein and a smaller amount of fat.

Let’s examine the different types of fat individually.

Mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA’s). Mono unsaturated fats are found at room temperature normally in the form of vegetable oils,nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats (Poly unsaturated fatty acids):- These are are found mainly in vegetable oils, fish and seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are types of poly unsaturated fats and are considered essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot make them themselves, thus they must be obtained through the diet. Some times referred to as PUFA’s.

Saturated fats (Saturated fatty acids) are usually solid at room temperature and are found mainly in foods from animal sources like meat, dairy products and butter. Some vegetable oils such as coconut, palm kernel and palm oil are also full of saturated fatty acids.

Trans fatty acids:- They are sometimes known as trans fats or hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogenated fats. This means that they have been chemically altered by the addition of hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature. Trans fats are found in foods such as some margarines, used extensively in the fast food industry and in processed snacks.

Just as a quick rule of thumb but it’s by no means an exhaustive or totally fool proof system. If the fat comes from an animal such as the fats found in butter, pastry or shortening, it is saturated fat and if it comes from a plant such as olive oil, sunfower oil or nuts it is most likely unsaturated fat. Remember unsaturated fat is good fat.

Just remember when it comes to eating healthy it’s all about keeping the balance right.

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