A large number of Sri Lankans, including doctors and other medical personnel. and laymen are confused about the health value of carbohydrates and the confusion is partly due to the dietary advice given by medical personnel. There is a mountain of scientific evidence to show that the healthiest diet you can possibly consume is a high carbohydrate diet.

High carbohydrate diet has been shown to reverse heart disease, reverse diabetes, prevent a plethora of chronic diseases and it had been shown to cause significant weight loss.

At least 99 percent of the carbohydrates we consume are derived from fruits, vegetables and grains. When these foods are consumed in an unprocessed, unrefined and natural state, a large proportion of carbohydrates are in the so called complex form. This means that they are broken down in a controlled, regulated manner during digestion. This category of carbohydrates includes the many forms of dietary fibre, almost all of which remain undiagested, but still provides substantial health benefits. In addition these complex carbohydrates from whole foods are packaged with generous amounts of vitamins, minerals and accessible energy. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the healthiest foods you can consume and they are primarily made out of carbohydrates.

On the opposite side of the spectrum there are highly processed refined carbohydrates that have been stripped of the fibre, vitamins and minerals. Typical simple carbohydrates are found in foods like white bread, processed snack items including crackers and chips made with white flour, sweets, pastries and candy bars and sugar laden -soft drinks. These highly refined carbohydrates originate from grains or sugar plants like sugar cane. They are readily broken down during digestion to the simplest forms of carbohydrates which are absorbed into the body to give blood sugar or glucose.

Unfortunately, a large number of Sri Lankans especially those living in urban areas, consume voluminous amounts of refined carbohydrates and paltry amounts of complex carbohydrates. A significant number of Sri Lankans, especially the rich people in urban areas, eat cakes, cookies, fried chips, ice-cream, and other foods containing refined carbohydrates, and eat less and less of dark green vegetables. The majority of them eat less and less healthyl complex carbohydrates.

More and more young people in urban areas consume junk foods and eat less and less vegetables, grains, and fruits. These people should take vitamin and mineral supplements, as junk food does not contain sufficient essential nutrients. Parboiled rice and ‘Kekulu Haal’ are very much more nutritious than white bread. You will derive health benefits of plant-based diet by eating these foods, as complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Brown rice with a legume such as beans or soya and other vegetables is a good combination and the above complex carbohydrate, fruits and grains will help you to prevent obesity, whereas junk food, white bread, and sweets and other foods such as pasta made from refined flour, baked potatoes, chips and sugar cereals will help you to develop obesity.

It is now known that a low fat, low protein diet high in complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables will help you to lose weight.

Most people think that they can be bigger and stronger by eating protein - rich animal - based diets and this has been a common notion the world over for a long time. The people who eat the most animal protein in the world have the most-heart disease, most cancer and most diabetes and have very high cholesterol. Low animal protein, and a low fat diet help to prevent obesity and animal protein consumption is associated with greater body weight and greater plant protein intake is closely linked to greater height.

Only a small amount of calorie needs to be retained by our body to cause significant change in body weight. For example, if we retain an extra fifty calories a day, this will lead to an extra ten pounds per year and over a period of five years, you will have extra fifty pounds. Some people will be inclined to eat fewer calories per day but this is impractical and it is impossible to keep a track of daily calorie intake with precision. Just think of eating a meal at a restaurant. Do you know how many calories each meal has? What about the pizza and fried potatoes you might buy? Do you know the amount of calories the pizza contains. Of course not.

It is common knowledge that overweight and obesity are very uncommon in the rural sector of Sri Lanka, as most of the people in our villages eat less animal proteins especially beef, mutton and pork. They eat more complex carbohydrates, more fruits and more vegetables and they take more exercise. Diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other chronic diseases are not so common among villagers.

People in the rural sector eat less junk food and take a high carbohydrate diet and they don't swallow so much of unnecessary vitamin pills as in the urban areas.