The Truth About Carbs & Diet Pills

There are different theories about diet pills and carbs out today. Many believe that diet pills will make you skinny and carbs will make you fat. These are usually the same people that follow the famous Atkins Diet and others like it. Then there are those who say that carbs should not be neglected from your daily diet because our body needs whole grains, and that we should have a low fat intake. Well, in this report, I'm going to give you the undisputed facts about diet pills and carbs. 

Not all diet pills are created equal. Except for these diet pills most diet pills are a total waste of time. And these protein shakes are not only great for weight loss they are also low in carbs which are your body's preferred source of fuel and have 4 calories per gram.  Fat has 9 calories per gram.  Carbs are actually a chemical composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.  There are different types of carbs.  However, for the sake of not getting too far into the scientific mumbo jumbo, lets stick to the two most basic types.  Simple carbs, and complex carbs. 

Simple carbs are the ones that usually contain the most sugar, and raise your insulin levels high. Examples of these types of carbohydrates are honey, table sugar (sucrose), fruit, etc. Complex carbs are the ones that burn slower in your body and last longer. Examples of these types of carbs are wheat, rye, pumpernickel, and multigrain bread, pasta, and potatoes.

When you eat too many carbs, especially simple carbs, it raises your insulin levels very high.  This can result in what is known as "insulin spillover," which can further lead to diabetes.  Your body then stores the excess carbs as fat if they are not burned off. 

Then there is a special type of carb called fiber.  Some great sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  By the way, I highly recommend eating a lot of grean vegetables, as they are usually lower in calories and contain lots of fiber.  Eating lots of fiber also helps to fill you up.

When you severely restrict your carbs (say about a max of 20 grams per day) as in the Atkins Diet, depending on your activity leve your body can't use carbs anymore as fuel.  Your body then uses fat to burn fat.  This fat-burning state is called ketosis. 

In conclusion, carbs do not make you fat.  Eating too many carbs is what causes you to gain fat.  This is the same as anything.  If you overeat on protein, you can get fat, and the same goes for fat.  The body actually works better with a balance of protein and carbohydrates, with some good fats throughout the day. 

Submitted by Dave T.