As Americans, food rules our world. Think about it—if there is an event, birthday, group gathering, office meeting, or wedding planned, you better believe food will be involved. We get it. Food keeps us alive and able to maintain equilibrium within the body, but do you have any idea what types of foods are passed around the table during these gatherings?
Carbs. That’s right: sweet, icing-filled, gooey, fluffed-up, starchy carbohydrates. Forget veggie trays—those are for the birds. And we bet you, birds wouldn’t even eat those vegetables.
Let’s face it, we live in a world consumed by carbohydrates. If there’s a birthday party, cake is the main course. If we go out to eat, there is a tower of pasta with our name on it. Breakrooms? Stacked with cupcakes, cookies, and leftover McDonald’s. Going on a diet? Forget about it. That’s not even in our vocabulary anymore with all the carbohydrates in front of us.
Before processed foods, we lived like cavemen. If it walked on the ground, swam in the water, or was picked from a plant, we ate it. We were omnivores! Not anymore. There’s a new identity for humans: carbivores. We constantly look for our next starch. Slip away for our next snack-cake. Abandon healthy eating habits to devour buffet lines. And it’s killing us by the day.
Dietary recommendations state that when on a 2,000 calorie diet, we should consume 225-350 grams of carbohydrates a day. Realistically, the grams of carbohydrates we consume a day exceeds 2-3 times the recommended dose. Moderate carbohydrate intake can be 50-150 grams per day, which is actually considered beneficial. If you are on a low-carbohydrate diet, it can be anywhere between 25-125 grams per day.
The Keto diet has been trendy for some time now. It’s a great diet, reverting back to our cavemen mentality. But, to be honest, the results seen from the Keto diet are usually only temporary. Afterwards, people find themselves bloating back up and gaining more weight than when they originally started. Low carbohydrate diets such as Adkins are mainstream, but again, only temporary.
We would suggest changing your lifestyle rather than attempting trendy diets. Moderate carbohydrate intake is sufficient for losing weight and living longer. Keep your carbohydrate intake low by choosing smaller portions. Become more carnivore-like by devouring more meats and less starchy carbohydrates. Veggies and fruits are a must to maintain a well-balanced diet.
In the end, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, choose to live a healthy life with better choices and exercise. Don’t cut corners. Learn to eat more meats, fruits, and vegetables every day and you will win this race. Carbohydrates are not bad when consumed in moderation. But when we consume more carbohydrates than proteins, we become carbivores. And nobody likes the feeling after eating a plate-full of carbohydrates.