Carbs are not bad. Carbs are your friend. Carbs are freaking delicious, and you should be eating lots of healthy sources of carbs every day. From pasta, to bread, to fruit, there are so many healthy ways you can implement carbohydrates into your meals so that you are balanced, full and energized every day.

DO NOT listen to the fitness "influencers" who are paid by companies to support unhealthy products and false advertising!

Ever heard of the term "carbo-loading?"

It's usually referred to in terms of athletes because many of them are told to load up on carbs a few days before a big game or meet so that their body has enough energy on reserve. I know I have done it, and this just proves that carbs are not the devil. Good carbs — the ones found naturally in whole grains, fruit, and vegetables – will break down into glucose and give you energy. Bad carbs are the processed, broken down versions that are found in cakes, soda, candy and more. If you choose to "cut down on carbs," switch out your white bread for whole wheat bread and your glass of soda at a restaurant for water or unsweetened iced tea.

If you reduce your carb intake, you will lose weight, that's true. Your body won't be storing as much excess water and you will reduce your caloric intake.

However, eventually, your body won't be able to sustain itself.

You will be lacking in essential nutrients, like fiber, and your body will lose the energy to maintain itself. This is where the infamous "keto diet" falls short. Your body needs carbs. We need them to exercise, to digest properly, and to feed ourselves enough food. When you force your body into ketosis you are depriving your body of glucose (energy source) and so it starts to grab it from other places. The idea behind this is that your body will start to use fat for energy. Essentially your body is just eating itself from the inside out.

Sounds fun right?

It's not fun at all. Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient that should be added to every meal we eat so that we have well-balanced diets. Restricting your carb intake will only cause more problems for the future rather than a solution to the problem at hand. So have one more helping of pasta at the dinner table, skip the lettuce wrap and make sure to eat all the fruit and veggies you can!