There are a lot of diets to choose from, and a low fat / high carb diet is definitely one of the most talked about diets out there. Once, it was one of the most popular diets on the market, but now it is considered a fad diet that many people recommend avoiding. So, is a low fat and high carb diet worth trying, or should you skip it and try something else?

What Is Wrong With Eating A Low Fat Diet?

Most people think that a low fat diet will help to reduce cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease, as well as fight obesity. In fact, because high fat foods are generally high in calories, many believe that avoiding all high fat foods is the answer to their weight issues. So, they buy low fat and non-fat products, and avoid known high fat foods. However, there are a couple of problems with this.

First, we are starting to understand that including the right kind of fats in our diet can actually help our bodies shed unwanted fat. For instance, coconut oil is very high in fat, supplying 21% of the daily value in 1 tbsp. However, research is showing that by adding coconut oil to your diet, you can fight fat on your body, especially belly fat.

“Coconut oil is high in Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are fatty acids that are metabolised differently than most other fats, leading to beneficial effects on metabolism.” – Authority Nutrition

Second, low fat and non-fat foods that are on the market may be low in fat, but they are often high in sugar and additives. The reality is that fat is what makes food taste so good, and since manufactures want you to keep buying their products, they use other methods to make their food taste good, which can result in health issues and the inability to lose weight.

“The fructose – a component of table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup – in added sugars triggers your liver to store fat more efficiently, and in weird places.” – Prevention

What Is Wrong With Eating A High Carb Diet?

If you are eating the right foods, nothing. There have been studies that show people who eat a high-carbohydrate diet are more likely to have a low BMI. Essentially, the right high carb diet eliminates a lot of the fat from the diet and more fiber is consumed. However, most people do not have a lot of success with a high carb diet because they consume the wrong kind of carbs.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to carbs is the glycemic index. A diet that consists of beans and non-starchy vegetables can be high in carbs, but low on the glycemic index. In other words, when you want to lose weight, it is important to take into account how a carbohydrate food impacts your blood sugar levels. Foods that have a high glycemic index cause a fast rise in blood sugar levels and a high insulin response. High levels of insulin increase fat storage. Therefore, being able to balance the amount of insulin released increases your chance of losing weight.

In the end, the reason why low fat / high carb diets don’t work is because fats and carbs are essential for the body’s processes to work properly, but you need to eat a balance that interacts with your body in a way that promotes fat loss. Fats and carbs are both very important aspects to anyone’s health or weight loss plan, so choosing foods that supply the most nutrition without the negative impact on the body is important.