Steak and eggs are apparently making a comeback.  When I was growing up doctor’s were recommending that we minimize saturated fat to the extreme and we could accomplish this by keeping our servings of red meat and whole eggs down to once or twice a week. The prevailing belief was that one yolk and a few egg whites were ideal and only lean cuts of meat like tenderloin, striploin, sirloin or chuck were acceptable. If you were to eat a rib eye for dinner or 4 whole eggs for breakfast, a cardiologist would warn that you were putting your life on the line with every bite. Up until recently, this is what has been in every health magazine and medical journal across the continent. Minimize your fat intake and you can eat all the carbohydrates you like without any risk of clogging your arteries. We have been following these dietary guidelines over the past 40 years and in the process we have become fatter and fatter.  Heart attack rates, stroke, diabetes and cancers are higher than they have ever been.

Conventional wisdom would have you believe that too much saturated fat is one of the underlying culprits. I cannot stress enough that this is the furthest thing from the truth. Saturated fat is mostly neutral in your bloodstream and it may actually have some health benefits. Numerous studies over the last few years have shown zero association between saturated fat and heart disease. The truth is that diets that substitute excess carbohydrates for saturated fat may actually increase your risk for heart disease. Without getting into great detail in regards to the numerous different types of fatty acids, fat does not travel freely into the bloodstream. Fat and water don’t mix. For all intents and purposes blood is water. So fat is unable to travel freely around the blood system.

Our bodies store carbohydrates to be used as energy in both the liver and in our muscles. The carbohydrates that are stored in the liver are used for day to day functions, such as breathing, walking and sleeping. Our bodies can only store a finite amount of carbohydrate. It can vary depending on muscle mass, body fat levels and insulin sensitivity. The problem arises once our stores are full and yet we keep consuming carbohydrates. Picture a bathtub where the water is filling up faster than it’s going down the drain. These excess carbohydrates start spilling into your bloodstream with nowhere to go and no real purpose to serve. So your body’s only option is to use these excess carbohydrates for long term fat storage. This becomes a vicious cycle that reduces your insulin sensitivity by forcing your pancreas to produce excess insulin and eventually can lead to diabetes, heart disease and a myriad of other metabolic illnesses.

I am not in favour of radically eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. We just eat way too many.  I recommend a moderate carbohydrate intake to my clients, friends and family. The key is to get them from nature made sources, namely fruits and vegetables and to either minimize or eliminate man made options. Vegetables and fruits are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and fiber and are by far and away our best carbohydrate options.