Is it healthy to count calories or carbohydrates?

Health Tip:

• For the best weight results, watching calorie intact is important as well as monitoring how much of the calories are carbohydrates. The average American diet is about 80% carbohydrates! The average  breakdown should be:
• Fat: 20 - 35% of total calories (average 30%)
• Protein: 10 – 35% (average 15%)
• Carbohydrates: 45 – 65% (average 55%)

One of the most important aspects of looking at our diet is recognizing the balance in what we eat. In the American fast paced society, most of what we grab to eat is carbohydrates. Cookies, crackers, chips, sandwiches, etc, are the essence of the diet on the run. That’s why there’s been such a focus on high protein diets recently, mostly because we are all eating too much ‘quick sugars’. Actually, that’s another reason diabetes is on the rise, because excessive carbohydrates actually make our pancreas have to work harder.

So much of life is about balance and moderation. The truth is that if you are on a diet that is focused on excess in one area, than it’s probably not a healthy long term solution. Eating a well balanced diet is the best answer for our overall health. Sometimes keeping a mental tally, or a food journal helps us know what we are consuming each day ( you may be surprised) and can be a great tool for healthier eating.

No matter where we live or what our culture determines about our diet, being informed about our own habits is the best way to protect our own nutrition. Recognizing that God provides the perfect balance of foods that we need in the world around us is truly an affirmation of His care.  I think about the indigenous groups of Brazil, and how their diets consist of fish, wild game, berries, and manioc (a potato like root). These diets are impeccable in their nutritional value. God’s provision for us is all around us, and being informed is the best way to jump start our bodies towards health!