White foods - essentially, "bad carbs" like sugar and goods made with white flour, such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes - have been fingered as a culprit in the obesity epidemic. The evidence is clear. These refined starches are rapidly digested in the body and can lead to lifestyle diseases. But is it true that you should kiss white foods goodbye if you want to lose weight and eat healthfully?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the current diet of the Western world is between 70 to 90 percent starch, sugar and fat, and the average sleep time is less than eight hours a night. From driving to working at desks to watching TV, the No. 1 form of activity is sitting, and when we are active, we use an inferior method of weight control by choosing jogging over sprinting and weight training.