Not fat, nor the carbohydrates, but the combination of both.

They say carbohydrates make us fat. They say fat makes us fat(obviously). They say we need to eat carbohydrates in every meal to keep our energy levels high. And they also say that we need to consume fat because fat is important for us to function properly(think omega-6,9,whatever acids).

So how exactly can we avoid getting fat?

Does really everything we eat makes us fat and there's no way around it unless we keep exercising on a regular basis?

Short answer, yes.

But there are tips and tricks to minimize those fat gains.

First, let's take a look at how our body handles food:

When you consume carbohydrates, a hormone called insulin is released. The more carbohydrates you consume, the more insulin is released. The more insulin there is, the more of the food you just ate is going to stick up to your body.

And because of that, carbohydrates are so important. They trigger insulin release. Insulin is very important to us. It makes use of the food we eat. When there's no insulin, you've got diabetes. So better not joke around this.

That's also the reason unhealthy food is considered unhealthy. Because there's a lot of carbohydrates, and there's a lot of fat. And when you consume a meal like that, those carbohydrates are going to ramp up your insulin levels and make your body store all that fat.

That's why a "low-carb" diet works. Low on carbohydrates - low on insulin - low on storage.
Also explains why a "low-fat" diet works. No fat delivered - no fat to store.

Back to the point, what we should be afraid of is the COMBINATION of fat and carbohydrates, in the same meal. Fat is only going to store to your body when there's enough insulin present to do so. Eating carbohydrates is the only way for your body to trigger insulin release.

So when you go high on carbohydrates, go low on fat. And when you go high on fat, stay low on carbohydrates. That's the easiest way. No more french fries with that hamburger!

PS:I'm going to publish a similar post in a few days, since carbohydrates further divide into simple and complex carbohydrates. And complex carbohydrates make all of the above a bit more... complex.