Definitions of fats in the dictionary contain the idea that they are used to store energy and keep the body warm.
Every definition of carbohydrates contains the idea that they are used for energy.
This is not wholly true. It has been made to be so. Fats can be used as raw materials for energy. Carbs are used as a main energy source even though they don’t have to be. Not fats but carbs are the main raw material with which excess body fat is made.
We know that the carbs that won’t be used for momentary energy requirements, will be stored in the muscles and the liver. When these stores are filled, and the carb intake continues – then the body starts to convert carbs to fat and stores it as body fat. Body fat is visible, but the other detrimental effects are not so easily seen.
Carbohydrates are not the only energy source for the body. Type in google: “Carbohydrates for muscle mass” or “muscle mass gainer”. Every kind of nonsense will pop up, as “in order to increase muscle mass you need to get 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat”. Or “carbs that will help to lose weight”.
Do you remember the food pyramid? We were taught in school about it. It’s still “valid”. The section lowest on the pyramid is It is considered that the type of food in the lowest section of the pyramid must occupy the largest part of our nutrition.
When carbs began to be preached as a healthy food and fats as harmful food that makes you fat and impairs your health, the overweight rate in the world began a rapid increase. And thousands other negative physical and mental conditions began to increase too. That’s why we said, “It has been made to be so.”
Healthy food and proper nutrition are not the same thing.
The Story that Demonized Fats
The story begins in the US in 1977 when people with heart problems and overweight people began getting professional medical advice that hey need to lower the fat intake from their food. It was based on some researches from the previous years in which a connection between heart issues and a certain type of fats was discovered. These researches were mainly based on logical assumptions and limited conclusions. Conclusions that didn’t encompass the whole picture.
One of the problems was (and every consecutive year a new record) high cholesterol. As it is a type of fat in itself and as people will high cholesterol are more apt to have impaired heart health, the logical conclusion was that cholesterol is bad. This additionally became “fats are bad”.
Cholesterol and fats
The body produces cholesterol. It is also gotten through foods. Cholesterol is the main ingredient of every cell membrane in the body. This membrane is what separates the insides of the cell from the outside area and protects it. The membrane regulates what can enter the cell and in what amounts.
Moreover, cholesterol is a key ingredient for hormone production in the body, production of certain vitamins and acids that help food digestion… Without cholesterol, there wouldn’t be any testosterone. Nor vitamin D.
You see how is cholesterol important. When there is a high cholesterol level that it may pose a health problem. (From here probably comes the myth “don’t eat the egg yolks, they are full of cholesterol”. That’s actually why they are great! And all fats in the egg are in the egg yolk.).
And the 1980’s saw a steep increase in low-fat-increased-carbs food production.
What they missed to take in account in their “research” and recommendations was that when there is a high content of carbohydrates in the food, insulin dramatically increases and creates more cholesterol.
Moreover, the body loses the ability to use and burn fat, and increases the ability to create and store fat. That is the result of dramatically increased insulin. It leads to weight gain and even greater problems than those they were trying to solve with their recommendations.
All health issues they were trying to “solve” are now increased manyfold. And the “low-fat-high-healthy-carb” fad still remains.
Low fat yogurt, skimmed milk, fruit yogurts, various crackers, granolas (combinations of oats, brown sugar or honey, nuts/almonds…).
Crackers? Oats? Brown sugar? Fruit yogurt (20 grams of sugar on 100 gr product)? A recipe for high blood sugar, high insulin, low growth hormone & testosterone.
Type in google: “crackers before bed“. What “matters” is publishing some (any) “health advice”, to have something be available for clicking.
Or look what is being said about oats. A miracle maker.
Let’s see the miracles of the low-fat-high-carb diet fad.
THE RESULTS
Obesity rates in the US in the 60’s was under 10%. So under 10% of all citizens were obese. In the 70’s around 10%. 80’s – about 15%. 90’s – 23%. 00’s – 30%. Now it’s around 40%.
The pink is the US, green is Australia, yellow is Canada, light-blue is the United Kingdom, blue is Germany.
If we take Us from 1975 up to today, the rate is from 10% to 40%. Russia for example, the rate from 1975 until today is from 5% to 19%.
Excess body fat bring about increased estrogen and drastic decrease of growth hormone and testosterone, as a consequence from constantly having high blood sugar. Not to mention worsening health, heart problems, fatty organs, sugar diseases. Or the increased probability of physical and mental fatigue, irritation, listlessness, lethargy.
When it’s written “low fat”, buyers think it is healthier. Many people watch what they eat, but nevertheless they get 200 grams of carbohydrates daily. Raw materials for the greatest excess fat factory.
That’s the result from the “official” scientific researches (with abundance of contradictory conclusions between them) and the generations educated by quoted “research” without understanding. What matters at the end of the day is results. The ones who won’t look cannot know.
Dino Nikolic
Creator and author of Muskultura
August 26, 2019
