Do you know there's a huge range of carbohydrates ranging from carbs that tax and depress your immune system, energy and mood right through to carbohydrates that are antiviral, and actually boost and strengthen your immune system! So no, not all carbs are created equal that is for sure! Over the years carbs have got a seriously bad rap due to people wanting to loose weight. "THE TRUTH IS WE ALL NEED TO EAT CARBS EACH DAY - for good energy and brain function. But how much varies for each person". This is where learning your metabolic type comes in extremely handy. Some people are carb people, their body runs off carbs, and others are protein people their body needs much higher protein and lower carbs. "I'm a protein person. Once I worked this out my whole world changed. I went from being moody, up one minute, down the other, constantly snacking and wondering why I was always so hungry to: 3 meals a day with no snacks, good, stable energy and mood consistently each day." But what about if Im trying to loose weight? Yes reducing carbs is often a good way to loose weight. This is because any excess carbohydrates you eat automatically gets stored as fat. Therefore you want to avoid all process and highly refined carbohydrates: all sugar has to go. Keep fruit to max 2 pieces a day, keep alcohol low, avoid bread, cakes and all junk food and sodas. Also did you know that for every 1 molecule of sugar follows 4 molecules of water. So, carbs literarily make you puffier (hold water) because of this mechanism. The good side of this water following sugar fact is that sugar helps the body stay hydrated. That's why sugar is added into most electrolyte formulas (albeit too much). So hopefully you can see there is a good side and a not so good side to everything when it comes to food. The way to stay healthy is BALANCE and knowing your body type. Are you a carb person or a protein person? KEY: You know you are a protein person when you eat a high protein meal and your energy stays strong and stable plus your not hungry for at least 3 hours. The opposite is true for a Carb Type. BTW: Potatoes are one of my favourite foods and I always eat them with meat to keep the balance. They have really copped it hard due to their starch content but did you know they are also antiviral so they are great to eat when you have the dreaded lurgy (Flu/cold etc). It's important to remember that too much of a "good thing" in time will become a "bad thing" and a little so called "bad thing" every so often is fine. To speak to a naturopath the specialises in diet and nutrition contact me today.