It was all her fault!
‘Have you moved my grey polo shirt? Do you know where it is?’ I asked the wife…accusingly.
‘I can’t remember the last time I wore your grey polo shirt…’
^^^ the sarcastic response the wife gave me (talk about hook, line and sinker…)
We always want to blame that ONE person.
Find that ONE reason why things have gone wrong
After all, it rationalises things.
Makes them simple.
Shifts the blame.
And it’s no more apparent than with this current HATRED towards sugar.
Apparently some guy going for president is even looking to build a wall around this ‘poison’
But what I want you to consider here is this:
Have we not learnt ANYTHING from the last 40 years?
I mean, remember when saturated fat was THE cause of obesity, heart disease and diabetes?
‘We were wrong’. The Daily Mail ‘reassuringly’ claims!
I looked at this headline and thought: ‘great, we’re moving away from demonising ONE food’
Only for this to be followed up with:
‘Sugar Blamed For Obesity Epidemic’
^^^ AHHHHHHHHHH!!!
*** Please bare with me whilst I meditate and take 5 deep breaths ***
Right, I’m back in the room.
So, is sugar making us fat and does it just ‘turn to fat’?
In short, no.
Your body CAN turn sugar into fat in a process called De Novo Lipogenesis (fancy name, I know).
But this actually plays a MINOR role in how much body fat you have.
And is completely overemphasised and misunderstood.
Because the only way that turning sugar to fat will make you MORE fat is if:
*** Your sugar (AKA carbohydrate) intake is higher than the calories you burn in a day (from living, moving, sleeping etc….they all count) ***
^^^ Which unless you go to one of them McDonald’s in the US serving all-you-can-eat fries and find yourself in an eating contest with Adam Richman from Man vs. Food…is VERY unlikely
So, in the context of a balanced diet (with fat, protein and carbs)…
You won’t get fatter ‘because your body is turning the sugar into fat’
You will get fatter if you EAT too much (be it sugar, protein or fat)
So – again – it comes down to building a diet that works for YOU!
Do you enjoy more carby foods, like rice, pasta, fruit, bread and potatoes?
OR
Do you enjoy foods higher in fat, like beef, olives, avocado, eggs, cream, butter, salami, oily fish and cheese?
Chances are, you probably like both…
And the amounts of carbs and fats that you go for should be flexible
Not only so you can enjoy different foods and not be the ‘dieter’ who “can’t eat this” and “can’t eat that” (cue the restrict and binge cycle)
But also because of ONE key reason that underpins the war between FAT and CARBS…
Which is…
The amount of protein you eat.
You see, cutting fat too low and opting for a high(er) carb diet COULD mean that you go low on protein (without really trying to)
I mean, cutting fat will often mean that you go easy on the dairy and meat
^^^ Which are great sources of PROTEIN.
And swap them for lower protein, carby foods (like fruit, rice, potatoes, beans etc.)
Now, we know that protein is important in helping us:
* Get that leaner, more toned look
* Boost our metabolism by burning more calories
* Feel full and satisfied so we can take control of our cravings
So, could it be that going on a high(er) carb / sugar diet makes us fat because we then go lower in protein?
Potentially…
^^^ But it is possible to create a high(er) carb / sugar diet that DOES prioritise protein.
And is the high(er) protein intake in a low(er) carb / sugar diet a key factor in why ‘sugar’ is now being branded as the scapegoat?
Potentially…
But here’s the thing:
Eating too much energy
Be it through carbs (sugar) or fats
Will make your fatter.
So, it’s probably time we moved away from ‘demonising’ ONE nutrient…
And blaming that ONE thing (or person…)
Because quite often, it’s not that simple.
Sometimes, the wife HAS moved my grey polo shirt (so it was her fault)…
But sometimes (probably, most of the time..) I just haven’t looked hard enough
Speak soon,
Matt
PS. Ready to ditch the fads, ditch the fad diets and finally know what you need to eat to lose weight, have more energy and feel more confident so you can stress less and enjoy more time with friends and family?
Apply here for the free trial on my Body Transformation Programme (applications close Friday 2nd September at 5pm):
https://frucifit.com/free7daytrial/
