The LCHF (low carbohydrate, high fat) diet emphasizes foods low in carbohydrates and high in fat. This may go against everything you have previously learned about a “healthy diet” being low in fat and high in carbohydrates. The problem is that most of us are eating the wrong carbohydrates (processed and full of junk) in excessive amounts, and not enough of the essential fats our bodies need to function optionally.
Are All Carbohydrates “Bad”?
Carbohydrates in and of themselves are not “bad.” No matter what form you consume them, in the body they are all broken down to glucose. And your body needs glucose. The problems start to occur when the body is overloaded with refined carbohydrates, which cause the insulin spike and lead to storing the excess carbohydrates as fat and insulin resistance.
That being said, not all carbs are created equal. High-glycemic carbs, which are rapidly absorbed by the body, cause the biggest insulin spike. Even so-called “healthy” foods, like potatoes, breads, and cereals, fall into this category. Low-glycemic carbs, like brown rice, most vegetables, and legumes, are absorbed more slowly by the body, and create less of a spike in insulin. To make it even more complicated, what you eat with the carbs makes a difference. Total glycemic load takes into account the sum total of any meal you eat. Combining a high-carbohydrate food with fat and protein slows the overall digestion and absorption of the meal (The jury is still out on if this is helpful when it comes to the insulin surge). For that reason, it is always better to eat carbs with other foods, instead of alone. Eating crackers or fruit alone will always cause a bigger spike in insulin than eating the crackers with cheese, or fruit with yogurt.
Fiber is another factor to consider. Fiber makes you feel fuller longer, and slows the absorption of your meals. Because your body is not able to digest insoluble fibers, you can subtract them from the total carbohydrates in the foods you eat.
Since When Is Fat “Good”?
Perhaps the greatest disservice to the American public was the promotion of the low-fat diet in the 1980s. We cut out fat, but got fatter as a result. Why is that?
Well, as we all know, fat makes food taste good. When the food manufacturers took the fat out of their products, they replaced them with sugars, to improve the taste of the foods, and added starches and other chemicals to replace the “mouth feel” of fat that is what gives us that “satisfied” feeling after eating. Many people mistakenly thought that “low fat” equals “healthy,” and started eating more of these foods. A low-fat cookie is still broken down in the body to glucose and stored as fat. And when you eat 10 low-fat cookies, thinking they’re better for you, you can see where the problems started to happen.
Fat is essential in the body, but like carbohydrates, not all fats are created equal. Trans fats, found in processed foods, have the most detrimental effects on our health. When guidelines recommended replacing the natural fats in butter with the laboratory-created fats in margarine, they did not know that they were making the situation worse. More recent science has shown there is a definite link between trans fat consumption and increased LDL (bad) cholesterol, decreased HDL (good) cholesterol, and overall risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good health, however, the ratio is important. Most Americans need to increase Omega-3 intake (mostly found in fish oil, flax oil, and certain nuts) and decrease Omega-6 intake (found mostly in vegetable oils and poultry).
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