Delicacies Carb Myth

The Rake

TAKE BACK CONTROL…

… of your body, naturally. In the first of a new series, the rake shows you the way to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. First stop: exploding the myth of carbs.

by Sarah Ann Macklin

What’s the fuss about carbohydrates? When low carbohydrate diets became popular, they seemed to be a breath of fresh air after the low-fat diet with hidden sugars that preceded them. Suddenly we were told to load up on meat and throw away the bun. Robert Atkins, M.D., who was responsible for the Atkins diet in 1972, published one of the first extreme low-carb diets, cutting out grains, starchy vegetables and fruit. The ketogenic diet, another extreme low-carb diet, is based on less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, cheating our bodies into running entirely on fat rather than glucose, which makes it easier to access and burn fat stores. With many low-carb diets, drastic and quick weight loss results were seen, alongside added health benefits of lower blood pressure and cholesterol.