There seems to be a lot of confusion about how to best deal with carbohydrates in our diets. Of course we have the one side, ala Dr. Atkins, which basically prescribe a zero, or very close to zero, level of carbohydrate intake on a daily basis. This method of carbohydrate control drastically limits the amount of carb intake in our diets each day. One of the arguments for this radical way of eating is that our ancestors ate a meat based diet of wild game and so this should be good for our bodies now.

There are two problems with this methodology that should be addressed by anyone who is contemplating a diet based on zero or near zero amounts of carbohydrates. First, anthropologists generally do not agree that our ancestors ate a diet predominately filled with meat. It is more likely that although meat played a part in the hunter-gatherer lifestyle that other vegetable matter was also present. This could be in the form of nuts, fruits, and roots which would all contain fairly high levels of carbohydrates. A diet that contained these types of foods is more likely than one based solely on game which is why these people are called hunter-gatherers instead of just hunters.

The second argument against this belief is the type of meat that was consumed by these people versus the type that is mass produced in animal factories today for our consumption. Wild game is very high in protean and low in fats naturally because of there lifestyle. They are always on the move and the food tends to be limited. In modern meat growing facilities this is not the case at all. Animals are kept as sedentary as possible in order to maximize weight gain which makes the animal more valuable at slaughter time but also increases the fat level in their meat. They are also fed diets that tend to increase the fat in the meat because this again raises there value. So even if a person ate a diet strictly based on meat, he or she would be consuming a product very different from the hunters of antiquity. Wild game meat and the meat which comes from our current feed lots are really different in health benefits and concerns.

There is no doubt that we consume many more carbohydrates, most importantly simple carbohydrates from sugars and processed grains, than is healthy. All one needs to do is look at our diabetes epidemic and runaway obesity problems to realize we are doing something wrong. Lowering the amount of these simple carbs that one consumes is very good not only for short term weight loss but also for long term health problems. The side benefits to limiting the carbohydrate intake versus cutting them out completely is that it is so easy to do.

One can make a dramatic improvement in their diet simply by limiting sugars, and all other sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, and bakery products such as white bread, cakes, pies, and other deserts. Along with this, is limiting things such as white rice and potatoes. Both of these foods have been modified to not be representative of the foods our ancestors possibly ate and our bodies are designed for.

One problem many physicians have with a no carb diet is the fact that it limits the amount of fruit dramatically. Fruits have sugars so they are assumed to be bad. The fact is, these sugars are not as easily digested as the sugars that are manipulated in food factories. Also, fruits are packed full of vitamins and nutrients that our bodies crave and are more than likely parts of the ancient diets of the hunter-gatherer societies.

If you are looking to lose weight or limit carb intake due to such things as diabetes then you can have a very healthy diet without going to far to the no carb direction. Find out more about how to limit carbs but don’t be scared to eat foods that are good for you.