Carbs Are Needed to Balance a Healthy Diet
By Tom Herrin
As with so many other things, a diet must be well-rounded to achieve the best results possible. Having too much of one thing and not enough of another can risk sacrificing something that is necessary for good health. Too many times, newer diets may be made up of ways to do without some kind of nutrient in an effort to shock the body into functioning somewhat differently. This may be intended to burn calories and help people manage weight more effectively. These diets may work for a while but could end up depriving people of necessary nutrients. As of late, it seems that cutting carbs is a going thing, however, some carbs are needed.
Carbs From Sugar Can Go
When choosing which carbs to keep and which to get rid of, those from sugar are not so healthy. A problem is that many packaged foods contain large amounts of these. Many people tend to get hooked on them and end up giving in to cravings. The general recommendation is that women should not consume more than 100 calories per day from these foods, and men should take in no more than 150 calories per day from them. Once they begin eating them, it can take some good self-discipline to keep from overindulging.
Old Standards Are Still the Best
Chances are that most people were told what they should eat as kids by someone who was older and wiser. They likely heard that they should eat more fruits and vegetables. Add healthy grains to that and it can round out the best kinds of carbs. Everyone needs carbs. They are necessary to fuel the body and keep muscles in good working order. When people don't have enough carbs, the body may begin to burn muscle for fuel. This is obviously not a desired situation. Anytime this happens, the effect on the body is essentially the same as starvation.
Evaluate and Adjust
Whenever any of us change our diet, we simply want to stay constantly aware of our needs and how we are affected by what we eat. Avoiding making drastic changes without going overboard can be wise. I am pretty conservative when it comes to making such changes. I like to try little by little to make that change. Some people have had some somewhat serious issues by jumping in head first. Treading into anything such as this lightly may bring us the best results.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Oceanside, Calif.