Since my last post was about carbohydrates, I’m going to share some observations from my own dieting experience in the context of carbohydrate consumption and their impact on my weight and how I felt. Over the years I've followed my own interpretation of low-carb high-protein “Atkins-type” diets, “American Heart Association-type” low-fat high-carb diets, the South Beach Diet, and for the past year, a high-carb, whole food plant-based diet. There is a direct correlation between the carbs I ate, how I felt, and where I lost fat.

Do our bodies need carbohydrates? YES!!!!! Carbohydrates are a major source of metabolic energy, they are one of three essential components of DNA and RNA, and they’re linked to many proteins and lipids (fats), where among other things, they play key roles in cell-cell recognition processes. For example, did you know that fertilization begins when a sperm binds to a specific carbohydrate on the surface of an egg? Carbohydrates provide our bodies with over 60% of the fuel it needs, and it is the only source of fuel for our brains. That’s pretty important!