What’s unhealthy is not the fats we eat, but the fat we end up making as a result of our over consumption of carbs🤦‍♂️

Sharing some good advice from my concerned friend, Jim:

Relative to fats, the body can only store a small amount of carbohydrates as glycogen. Many are unaware of this and believed that their weight gained is the result of the fats they'd eaten, intentionally (like deep-fried foods) or otherwise (like cooking oils used). It is hard to wrap one's head around that fact that dietary cholesterol/fats do not go straight into the blood. Or that the liver makes most of the cholesterol the body needs. Our education and the media have been very effective in making this belief so ingrained that it is almost second nature to avoid fatty foods but have no qualms when reaching for pastry, noodles, prata, rice, sweet fruits etc. They have become staples; safe foods to eat ... daily. Yet, science tells us that it is the excess carbs that get turned into fats and stored. How much can be stored? The heaviest person on record was 635kg! The body is equipped to store fats, a lot of fats! Why did the the excess not get expelled/excreted? Could it be that fats are _essential_?   If carbs are important to health,  why does the body have only a small storage for glycogen? Why do carbs burned up quickly requiring  refueling every few hours? How can those who abandoned carbs continue to live healthily? Could this be sufficient evidence that carbs are really not _essential_? Just some morning musing.

The weight fell naturally and easily when I cut carbs.

From a concerned friend …

Many are not likely to fault the MOH/HPB 3/4 plate carb diet recommendations, possibly because they do not think they are following it ... closely and that managing the amount of high-carb foods eaten is all that is needed. Perhaps. However, if losing weight has been a struggle, it is very possible that your carb amount is already too high. I weighed 65kg at 14. I am about 5 kg less now.  The weight fell naturally and easily when I cut carbs.

Carbs might just be the very thing that is preventing you from enjoying full health

From a concerned friend, Jim:

Many (of us) have been resigned to weight gain as we age, likely seeing it as normal. And ... likely regard such (attached) claims of seemingly impossible weight loss with much skepticism. That's quite understandable given the kind of message from trusted authorities and likely having spent a lifetime of trying to eat right and exercise sufficiently. The last thing that would even be consider as detriment to health is what we eat. It has long been known that high-carb foods raised insulin and insulin leads to storage or fats and prevents its use. Just appreciating this alone, should make you wonder if the consequence of eating 3/4 plate of carbs daily is simply weight/fat gain either safely visible (subcutaneous) or hidden (visceral) unhealthy fat. There is no mystery. Carbs might just be the very thing that is preventing you from enjoying full health.

The reality is that you do not need carbs for living well and carbs are associated with all kinds of harms

From my concerned friend, Jim:

…eating the recommended 3/4 plate of carbs (and snacks) everyday must surely impact your insulin levels and the likely reason for high blood pressure (and other related chronic conditions) that many are facing? If so,  then this "expert" in this CNA clip is "barking up the wrong tree": 

Half a million people in Singapore suffer from kidney disease youtu.be

Like many, there is an assumption that carbs are safe and causes no harm.  The reality is that you do not need carbs for living well and carbs are associated with all kinds of harms.  Be informed

The reality is that carbs are not even needed for life!

Good advice from a concerned friend:

Some will come away from this clip wondering if they can "game the system" by eating more fats to up their metabolism while still not cutting down/out carbs (for the pleasure they provide; think cakes, Kuih Lompang,  tau-suan, hor-fun, etc).  With a little more thought,  hopefully, they will realize that doing so would likely put them in a worst situation.  The carbs will raise insulin and when raised, not only will the excess carbs be converted into fats and stored, even the fats from the foods eaten will be stored.  Digestion/conversion of carbs are prioritized as the excess is toxic to the body; hence they are quickly either stored as glycogen (in the liver and muscles) or as fats (in the fat cells). 

The MOH/HPB diet is low-fat-high-carb which provides energy from carbs (and drives up insulin) while the "opposite" is the low-carb-high-fat diet which provides energy from both body fats and the fats from foods.  Even if you don't think you have been mindful of the MOH/HPB's MyHealthyPlate diet, you have likely grown up believing that carbs are healthy choices; as did your parents.  

The reality is that carbs are not even needed for life!  Hard as it is to believe, the body has adapted well to thriving on proteins and fats. As always,  make informed choices.

cut (down/out) the carbs and eat more of everything else

Good advice from a concerned friend, Jim:

When you eat (lots of) carbs, the body produces insulin to help transport the carbs (as glucose) into the cells. However, when insulin is raised, fat storage is turned on and stored fats cannot be burned (for energy). In addition, all excess carbs (those that cannot be stored in the liver and muscles) get turned into fats/triglycerides. If you have been eating rice/noodles/bread/pastries, etc (with vegs and fruits) as part of your meal and snacks, it is not unexpected that your triglycerides (from your lab tests) is higher than normal. That's why filling your plate with MOH/HPB's recommended 3/4 carbs will not only result in excess carbs produced (remember the body only has about 5g circulating in the blood but 50g of carbs in a bowl of white rice), it also sets up the condition for high insulin levels which naturally stops fats burning and starts fat storage. If you have been eating "_healthy_", this is the primary reason why weight/fat is gained.

One alternative is, obviously, cut (down/out) the carbs and eat more of everything else. Agriculture has a very short history; that may one reason why carbs are still not essential for health/life. As always, make informed choices; it is, after all your health.

Banana seems to be good for us :)

Banana seems to be good for us :)
https://www.healthxchange.sg/food-nutrition/food-tips/good-reasons-eat-banana-today

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