The Truth About Carbs

We’re right in the thick of comfort food season, which to me means ALL THE CARBS!

But, it feels like EVERYONE is looking to cut out carbs.

It’s funny how history repeats itself, always giving us a new food group to call the ‘enemy’, right?

In the 1970s and all the way through the early 2000s FAT was the enemy. Low fat diets were all the rage. When the myth of ‘fat makes you fat’ was debunked, diet culture shifted the focus to carbs instead to keep making $money$ off of YOU. The diet industry has everyone thinking if we avoid carbs, we can avoid our fear of weight gain.

Today, low-carb diets have taken over the diet industry with Keto and Paleo-labeled products popping up all over! But, the truth no one wants you to know is that too few carbs can actually be harmful for your health- and turns out we actually really need carbs to function at our best!

So does eating a lot of carbs make you gain weight?

Research says, no! And, it might actually be the opposite. Read that again and let is sink in!

A 2018 study showed that people who followed a plant-based high-carb diet for four months actually lost body fat. Another study found that a higher intake of fiber-rich carbs also contributed to weight loss success for people at risk of diabetes.

In simple terms, this proves that no ONE food will make you gain weight, and no ONE food will make you lose it! This means, carbs aren’t the enemy at all and that’s exactly why I support my clients to ditch diet culture to find a way of eating that works that gives you food AND body freedom!

A couple years ago, I stayed with my family that lives in Sicily for about a month. They served pasta and bread almost every.single.day! It was kind of a culture shock. I told them I wasn’t used to seeing people eat pasta and bread so freely. When they asked how often I eat pasta at home, I shrugged, “does chickpea pasta count?”. Italians aren’t concerned about eating too many carbs, they’re not obsessed with weight loss, and guess what … they’re not overweight either!

In America, everyone hops on board the diet train. Some people even brag about eating a “low carb diet”, like it’s the latest fashion trend. As more and more people quit carbs, the noise around carbs in the health and wellness space gets louder and louder until there’s nothing but confusion and fear!

Are you feeling that confusion and fear?

You’re not alone! I myself, and so many of my clients have felt stressed and confused around carbs.

Well the fact is, carbs are awesome, delicious, and necessary! You might even call them a SUPER FOOD because our bodies literally can’t function without them! Too little carbs means too little energy, which triggers a “starvation response” in our bodies. When we’re in “starvation” mode, certain functions shut down, throwing our hormones, reproductive system, digestion, nervous system, blood sugar, and stress out of whack! All of these factors can actually make you GAIN weight!

If you’re feeling cold all the time, fatigued, lost your period, or you suffer from major health issues -- these are just a FEW of the consequences of not eating enough carbs!

So the good news is, you don’t need to quit carbs!

But, if you’re asking yourself “what if I can’t control myself and I eat TOO many carbs?” - I’ve got you!

The simple answer is: intuitive eating. When I learned to become an intuitive eater, everything changed for me. I was FINALLY able to eat bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice without bingeing on them! My weight no longer goes through extremes of losing, then gaining, then losing, etc. and I finally feel confident in my body and TRUST my body. Intuitive eating means no longer obsessing over your carb consumption, and learning to do just that, TRUST what your body needs and wants!

One of my clients says: “When I started working with Marissa I was feeling really very defeated. I was underweight, sleeping horribly, dealing with a litany of gut issues, and scared of so many foods and how they could or would affect my stomach. Marissa was monumental in helping me achieve food freedom, combat food fears, and rediscover my love for food. She brought me back to the mindset that all foods can and should be enjoyed that I had when I was younger and missed so much.”

!You can get your food and body freedom back, too! I want to help you for FREE. That’s exactly why I’m offering a FREE 30 minute Food & Body Freedom Assessment Call, just in time for holiday food stress and comfort food season! Book your free call!

You CAN finally enjoy all of the comforting carbs this year without ANY guilt, plus feel GREAT in your skin!

Be Well,

Marissa