With the holiday season's hangover still not having left us completely, the guilt of over indulging in our favourite delicacies is still fresh in some. But this year should be all about counting the type of food you're consuming, not its calorie content.
Australian dietitian and exercise psychologist, Kate Save, spoke to Daily Mail Online about why we should count carbs this year, instead of calories, also elaborating on why this technique is supposed to be more helpful.
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"The most important reason to count carbs rather than simply calories is because they are often highly processed, man-made and energy dense without being nutrient dense," she said. Also, the amount of carbs that an individual needs is known to depend on age, activity level and also their muscle mass.
So if you're worried about 'good carbs' or 'bad carbs', Kate explains that although our body does need a certain about of carbohydrate every day, but it's common to confuse the healthy carb with the unhealthy types.
Even though found in highly nutritious foods such as fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole grains, carbs in the form of refined rice, pasta, breads, ice-cream and flavoured yogurts and milk are often over eaten.
"The other problem with these 'white foods' are that they are often served up in very large portions and even with good intentions, they are too easy to overeat," she explained.
When asked about whether people with diabetes should avoid carbs altogether, Kate believes a balance can be reached. "There is lots of science out there now to support a lower carb diet, especially in people with Type 2 Diabetes," she said.
"This includes one published by the CSIRO which found that 50g per day of carbs gave people significant improvements in many health parameters which were much greater when compared to an equivalent low fat, high carb diet."
