The past few years i havent been scared of carbohydrates, but they havent been my main source of energy, protein has. The protein hysteria. I dont know whether it is like this in other countries but in Sweden everything seems to have protein now..... Protein muslie, protein granola, protein fruit, protein chocolate, protein milkshake, protein ice cream, protein milk, protein yoghurt etc etc.... soon they will be selling protein nuts or protein fruit, if they dont already do that XD Protein is a necessary macronutrient which you shouldnt cut out and should make sure that you get enough i.e roughly 1g protein per kilo body weight (and then inbetween 1.2-2g per day/per kg body weight if you do alot of exercise or want to try to build muscle). Protein is needed but i dont think it should be a persons main source of energy either. Many seem to think that protein wont be stored as fat, but too much energy over a longer period of time, doesnt matter if its from carbohydrates, fat or protein it will be stored in the body.
Many people are scared of certain foods or think that certain foods will "make you fat" or they cut out a whole macronutrient from their diet because of the fear of weight gain. But i am here to remind you that no certain food will make you fat and no certain macronutrient will make you gain a bunch of weight, it is about the AMOUNT you consume of food or macornutrients.
You do not have to fear carbohydrates and you do not need to fear fat, your body needs both of them. Just like your body needs salt... it feels like we are constantly told that we eat too much salt, but if you are someone who prepares alot of your own food or doesnt eat out alot or doesnt buy a bunch of pre cooked dinners/lunches then you most likely arent eating "too much" salt. And worrying that salt will make you bloated... well its the balance of water and salt i.e dont drink extreme amounts of water or dont use an extreme amount of salt, but a balance between the two is necessary! You don't need to be scared to add salt to your food, it adds flavour and the food you eat should be delicious!!!
I dont really know where i am going with this, mostly that i wanted to remind you that you need food from all the macronutrients i.e carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber! And no one food makes you gain weight, i mean people can eat pizza everyday but still lose weight, but its about the total calorie intake.
This post is a little messy and unclear, and it feels like i have spent far too long trying to formulate myself properly and make this comprehendable!!! If you have any questions or want me to write about anything or clarify anything just comment below, and also.... keep eating all types of food :)

Actually, too much protein can be really bad for your body. In fact the maximum amount of protein that most adults can use per day is 0.9 grams per pound of body weight, and this would be for competitive athletes building mass after really intense excersize. Levels of protein greater than this daily for a long time can cause long lasting damage to the liver and and kidneys - so you're actually better off getting most of your energy from carbs and not relying on protein!!
ReplyDeleteI know that too much protein isnt bad, but i know that people can eat upwards of 2g protein per day and still be healthy/fine, but if someone does already have kidney problems then it can be a problem... But if a person isnt eating enough then the protein isnt going to be used for muscle growth, it will be turned into energy/glucose anyway, so might as well save that whole problem and eat enough carbs and enough protein as well. There is some debate about how much protein the body can actually use/how much is too much, so i am not going to go into that as i think a person can safely eat 1-2g protein per day, but that it wont exactly make anything better just because you do that and infact getting more energy from carbohydrates will benefit the person alot more!
DeleteI mean *is* bad, not isnt, hahah XD
DeleteYes its protein everything here in the UK too. Highlighted in the supermarket the other day was the new protein version of Weetabix. Theres soups, yogurts,drinks, snack bars,enriched ready meals - you name it, theres a protein alternative. I can`t understand where its all come from and why, I mean its not as if anyone is really deficient in protein on a normal diet. I guess protein is just the in "buzz word" at the moment.
DeleteI guess it comes from the whole fitness/health trend and all the marketing of protein. Also all the LCHF or HCLF fanatics, so then protein seems to be the only "ok" macronutrient. But like you said, most people arent deficient in protein unless they arent eating enough calories in total but then fats are carbs arent really enough either. Unless a person eats only fruit/raw food or very few items or eats too little energy, then most people already eat enough protein and dont need extra added protein to everything they eat, it just puts a strain on the kidneys.
DeleteHow much carbohydrate should you be eating each day or how much of your main meal should be carbohydrate? I am struggling with carbs in particular at the moment as whatever I eat seems to be making me so unnecessarily full (gastritis is bad at the moment)so I have been leaving out either potatoes/pasta/rice etc from my main meal. But obviously this is not good and I wondered how much I should be eating each day? Am I doing myself harm by not eating carbs?
ReplyDeleteI dont know so much about gastritis but i am guessing that hard to digest foods would be best to avoid. Have you tried things like mashed potatoes or rice or bread as your carb source? Try to avoid things like too much hard to digest vegetables and beans and such as i think that can make it worse and more gas/bloating.
DeleteAnd i would not recommend cutting out carbs as your body needs them, instead experiment and see how different carb sources work. Just eating protein and fat isnt enough and to help build up your body again carbs are necessary, not to mention that glucose (carbohydrates) is the bodies main source of energy/fuel. Aim for maybe 40-60% carbs per meal, something like that and then 25-30% healthy fats and the rest protein. Of course it depends and is very individual but that is a good base/guide.
Thanks for the advice, I`ll have a go at experimenting like you suggest. Its very difficult being remotely interested in any food at the moment because of the way it makes me feel afterwards. My diet is pretty dire at the moment, I am drinking more than I am eating but maybe I`ll email you as I don`t really want to go too much into it on here? is that ok?
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