Carbs have an evil reputation.
From Dr Atkins to Low Gi diets.
All of them say that its the carbs that are the awful fat causing enemy which need to be avoided at all cost if you want to shrink your gut.
Do carbs deserve this reputation? Is the potato really the enemy of all dieters worldwide? In my view, not really and lets have a look why.
Carbs are one of the most important things your body can consume.
They are important because it is carbs that break down the food you digest into energy in the form of glucose which we need to function on a day to day basis.
Carbs come in two forms.
Simple and complex.
Simple carbs are the bad stuff - white flour, refined bread, sugar products, cake products and white pasta.
You know the stuff I mean.
Anything which is not good for you! Complex carbs are the good stuff - wholemeal breads, potatoes, oats, pulses and vegetables.
Simple carbs are bad for you because they are rapidly absorbed into your body giving you an instant energy hit that then leads to a crash once all the energy has been absorbed.
On the other hand the complex startchy carbs take a lot longer to break down and therefore give your body a much more prolonged energy release.
It is this energy release which is used as fuel for your body.
By depriving your body of carbs you are forcing your body to find other sources of energy which inevitably means breaking down the muscle fibres found in your body, therefore in fact weakening you.
By not eating carbs you may also affect your performance at work as when your body's glycogen stores are depleted your body and mind cannot work quick enough to deal with circumstances which arise around you.
Therefore keep those carbs in your diet.
Just make sure they are the complex type and not the simple carbs!