In simplistic summary, the body needs food and water. The primary types of food are either carbohydrates, fats or protein. The foods are used by the body to produce energy. A calorie in a measure of heat and heat is energy. So foods can be measured by the calories they yield when they are burned by the body.
Fats are the most precious source of calories for the body. So the body will save or store fat whenever it can. The end result is that if you eat a lot of foods with fat (lots of calories), you will store fat. Carbohydrates are less likely to be saved because they can be broken down into sugars, and our body uses sugar all the time. However, if too many calories of carbohydrates are eaten at one time, they too will be stored as fat. Protein is not a good source of calories so they are broken down and used to replace protein losses that occur during the course of a day. Too much protein at one meal is not good for your kidneys. Remember, all types of foods can be converted into fat if eaten in large enough quantities. There are essential minerals, vitamins and cofactors that should be taken every day as a multivitamin.
Food is a drug. It is the most commonly misunderstood drug used daily. A proper diet is absolutely important to leading a happy, healthy and long life. Too many carbohydrates lead to too much blood sugar, which will result in an elevated mood. This elevated blood sugar will then cause the hormone, insulin to turn on. Insulin will then tell the body's tissues and cells to turn on the fat producing mechanisms, and will tell the body's metabolism to slow down. When the blood sugar drops, the mood drops and the brain will become sluggish. This will prompt another ‘sugar' diet craving and the cycle starts over again. The end result is a lot of mood swings and the brain is on a rollercoaster. The body makes more fat.
A diet which has a more stable sugar input, consuming more low glycemic indexed foods (i.e. less high sugar meals or drinks) is less likely to turn on the insulin and more likely to keep the other hormone, glucagon, in control. This hormone tells the body to be active and to release blood sugar into the blood stream when necessary. Having a balanced diet with protein helps to keep the glucagon level up.
High fat diets rely on the body's adaptability. The body, over a period of a few weeks of a high fat diet, will turn on the starvation mechanisms. This allows the body to use fat as its primary energy source in combination with carbohydrates. This starvation state causes the body to burn its fat stores using muscle and the limited carbohydrates available. The brain will use the fat breakdown byproducts to function on.
The old saying, ‘you are what you eat', is true. The problem is there is still a great deal of debate and no absolute answers about which way to have a weight loss diet. Usually when there are lots of ways to do something, it is because none of the ways is absolutely correct.
With this understanding, Weight Awareness recommends that you visit with a professional (Find a professional section) to learn more about yourself and which weight loss diet plans and exercises may work best for you. There is always a little trial and error until the correct plans evolve. Please continue reading the topics of Weight Awareness to learn more and improve your understanding of what options are available to you.
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