Are all carbs the same?
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CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
Plain potatoes are extremely filling for most and -- significantly -- much more so than potatoes with lots of fat (see, e.g., chips), even though the addition of fat lowers the GI.
This is one reason that the GI theory, much as people repeat it as some quote Bible verses, doesn't seem to play out in practice. There's a loose correlation between many lower GI foods and what people find to be filling carbs (probably due to fiber being one filling aspect of food), but there seems to be a lot more to it, and GI doesn't seem to be the real explanation.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
Plain potatoes are extremely filling for most and -- significantly -- much more so than potatoes with lots of fat (see, e.g., chips), even though the addition of fat lowers the GI.
This is one reason that the GI theory, much as people repeat it as some quote Bible verses, doesn't seem to play out in practice. There's a loose correlation between many lower GI foods and what people find to be filling carbs (probably due to fiber being one filling aspect of food), but there seems to be a lot more to it, and GI doesn't seem to be the real explanation.
Thank you for a non-insulting reply.
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brichards_ wrote: »Complex carbs are great for you! Things like fruit, rice, noodles, quinoa are so good for you and fuel your body and brain! Processed sugar carbs aren't good for you
100% agree with this.
@gottagetitoff11, I'd do a little Google research on complex carbohydrates versus simple carbohydrates. I do not believe that all carbs are created equal. I think you asked quite the controversial question, here!0 -
CommandaPanda wrote: »brichards_ wrote: »Complex carbs are great for you! Things like fruit, rice, noodles, quinoa are so good for you and fuel your body and brain! Processed sugar carbs aren't good for you
100% agree with this.
@gottagetitoff11, I'd do a little Google research on complex carbohydrates versus simple carbohydrates. I do not believe that all carbs are created equal. I think you asked quite the controversial question, here!
Starch is a complex carbohydrate, the carbs in fruit is mostly simple ones. In the same breath people talk badly about starchy foods and how good fruit are as they say complex carbs are good for you and simple ones should be avoided.2 -
Food gives you energy NOT just carbs I can assure you protein and fat will give you energy too. I ride a bike 18-20 miles every day, workout with weights 6 days a week, average 20,000 steps every day and my carbs are under 100 grams Most days. My friends don't understand or simply can't comprehend where I get my energy from some day they will get off their butts and live an active lifestyle..
You could go Carb free for months and live (Protein and fat calories will store as glycogen and the body will use them for energy when needed) you couldn't go without Fat and protein- Think food not just carbs.
My 2 cents
Carbs will make you Thrive so do eat them2 -
The difference between carbs is that some will keep you full longer than others.lemurcat12 wrote: »CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
Plain potatoes are extremely filling for most and -- significantly -- much more so than potatoes with lots of fat (see, e.g., chips), even though the addition of fat lowers the GI.
This is one reason that the GI theory, much as people repeat it as some quote Bible verses, doesn't seem to play out in practice. There's a loose correlation between many lower GI foods and what people find to be filling carbs (probably due to fiber being one filling aspect of food), but there seems to be a lot more to it, and GI doesn't seem to be the real explanation.
Alright but... that doesn't make much sense. I mean, the oil used to fry stuff is not very filling for sure, but a potato with a bit of sour cream will be more filling than a plain potato.CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
This, pretty much. Nothing is more filling for me than some beans with some fat (eggs, bacon, or just refried beans). It's all about the fiber, and why a lot of doctors tell you to switch to 'wheat' stuff instead of 'white' (which is really not good advice as a lot of 'wheat' things don't really have whole grains in them, but heck).0 -
The main difference between all carbs is how quickly they affect your blood sugar. There's an index for this called the glycemic index, and the higher the number, the faster and harder a carb-rich food raises your blood sugar levels [and how quickly your body burns through that food. Pure sugar has a really high GI so it raises blood sugar quickly, but is used up quickly, thus the term "sugar crash"].
It's why most recommend eating foods like wheat bread, oatmeal, corn, sweet potatoes, most fruit [they have GIs below 55] over more processed foods like cereal, white bread, white rice, russet potatoes and melons [they have GIs above 70].
Also keep in mind that the GI index is solely based on eating foods in isolation. The moment you eat them with other foods, it kind of goes out the window. Fat, proteins and fiber all slows the processing of carbs.
But even more so, there isn't really a reason to be concerns about spikes in BG or insulin if there isn't a medical issue to be concerned or a personal preference.
OP, cutting breads and pasta (if they are a big part of your diet) may be a way to create a deficit. But I eat bread every day and have lost 50 lbs and fairly fit.
This is very true, but the OP was mainly looking for differences between types of carbohydrates, and the glycemic index of each carb is the biggest difference between carb sources. In the end, all carbs give the same amount of energy, just some provide it faster than others.1 -
The difference between carbs is that some will keep you full longer than others.lemurcat12 wrote: »CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
Plain potatoes are extremely filling for most and -- significantly -- much more so than potatoes with lots of fat (see, e.g., chips), even though the addition of fat lowers the GI.
This is one reason that the GI theory, much as people repeat it as some quote Bible verses, doesn't seem to play out in practice. There's a loose correlation between many lower GI foods and what people find to be filling carbs (probably due to fiber being one filling aspect of food), but there seems to be a lot more to it, and GI doesn't seem to be the real explanation.
Alright but... that doesn't make much sense. I mean, the oil used to fry stuff is not very filling for sure, but a potato with a bit of sour cream will be more filling than a plain potato.
Keep calories the same, and that's not so. And certainly people are much more likely to overeat chips without feeling satiated than some roasted potatoes with minimal fat. (I'm sure there are exceptions.) While this is my experience, it's also what the people who put together the satiety index discovered with their tests. (People differ, of course--I do believe some find fat satiating, even though I don't.) For me, the sour cream or butter adds basically nothing to how filling it is. Wish it did, I'll eat fat anyway if the taste is worth it because being satisfied goes beyond hunger, but it doesn't.1 -
The difference between carbs is that some will keep you full longer than others.lemurcat12 wrote: »CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
Plain potatoes are extremely filling for most and -- significantly -- much more so than potatoes with lots of fat (see, e.g., chips), even though the addition of fat lowers the GI.
This is one reason that the GI theory, much as people repeat it as some quote Bible verses, doesn't seem to play out in practice. There's a loose correlation between many lower GI foods and what people find to be filling carbs (probably due to fiber being one filling aspect of food), but there seems to be a lot more to it, and GI doesn't seem to be the real explanation.
Alright but... that doesn't make much sense. I mean, the oil used to fry stuff is not very filling for sure, but a potato with a bit of sour cream will be more filling than a plain potato.CorneliusPhoton wrote: »White potatoes and white bread and rice quickly fill up your carb goal and quickly spike and drop your blood sugar. Eat higher fiber carbs and you can usually eat a lot more of them and stay satiated longer.
This, pretty much. Nothing is more filling for me than some beans with some fat (eggs, bacon, or just refried beans). It's all about the fiber, and why a lot of doctors tell you to switch to 'wheat' stuff instead of 'white' (which is really not good advice as a lot of 'wheat' things don't really have whole grains in them, but heck).
I love and eat potatoes frequently. But toppings have no impact on increasing satiety for me. So adding sour cream won't increase satiety or the need for a smaller potato. It's one reason I cut out many fats. Proteins and starches are my go to. And I put a little butter for taste.0 -
Is it making sense yet?
My 2-cents ... I'll never bypass having a potato ... while it is considered a starchy, or simple, carb ... it is loaded with good nutrients. It only becomes an unhealthy choice when it is fried in fat or dosed over with cheese whiz or gravy or mixed with cream and lots of butter. Just, like anything, I would not eat a potato every day, but one or two a week, especially baked and eat the skin as well ... yummm.
My diet consist of 70% saturated fat, sourced from animal fat, butter, cream, coconut oil, avocado, and the list goes on an on. My cholesterol is 163 with a 5.1-1 ratio, triglycerides are 54. Loosing weight is not simply putting yourself in a caloric deficit, it has more to do with the quality of the calories you eat and the way your body manages those calories. Everyone is different and processes their food differently.
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stevencloser wrote: »Cutaway_Collar wrote: »All calories are not the same. 100 calories of chocolate are not the same as 100 calories of lentils. That is the prime reason the whole calorie counting thing can be a farce when you don't pay attention to the detail.
You can eat 1600 bad calories and not see any progress. On the other hand, you may eat 2000 good calories and see very good progress.
The biggest culprit is how quickly your insulin levels spike based on your meal. A high simple carb diet like white bread or potatoes are rapidly digestible and increase body insulin. The slower the digestibility the better. Complex carbs take longer to process and the results are much better in terms of insulin levels.
Google the relationship between carbs, the enzyme lipase and triglycerides in fat cells. And you will make wise decisions in calorie counting.
This is absolutely wrong.
How so?0 -
Is it making sense yet?
My 2-cents ... I'll never bypass having a potato ... while it is considered a starchy, or simple, carb ... it is loaded with good nutrients. It only becomes an unhealthy choice when it is fried in fat or dosed over with cheese whiz or gravy or mixed with cream and lots of butter. Just, like anything, I would not eat a potato every day, but one or two a week, especially baked and eat the skin as well ... yummm.
My diet consist of 70% saturated fat, sourced from animal fat, butter, cream, coconut oil, avocado, and the list goes on an on. My cholesterol is 163 with a 5.1-1 ratio, triglycerides are 54. Loosing weight is not simply putting yourself in a caloric deficit, it has more to do with the quality of the calories you eat and the way your body manages those calories. Everyone is different and processes their food differently.
Finding a way to put yourself in a deficit can be difficult since we dont have a means to measure tdee. But if you look at metabolic ward studies that measure EE and create a cut from that, you will see weight loss for all diets.
That is why its important to have feedback loops in their diets to get improved knowledge of their tdee. Its why i know that even with a desk job i maintain at 3000 calories with 5 to 6 hours of exercise (3 full body routines, 2 HIIT and 1 flexibility).0 -
All carbs are not the same. Their makeup is different, but in terms of dieting the most important differences IMO are satiety and absorption. Fiber, sugar alcohols and some starches are not fully absorbed by the body meaning that their calories don't count (free food!!).0
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »All carbs are not the same. Their makeup is different, but in terms of dieting the most important differences IMO are satiety and absorption. Fiber, sugar alcohols and some starches are not fully absorbed by the body meaning that their calories don't count (free food!!).
Be careful of sugar alcohols though. They can have very unpleasant side effects0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »All carbs are not the same. Their makeup is different, but in terms of dieting the most important differences IMO are satiety and absorption. Fiber, sugar alcohols and some starches are not fully absorbed by the body meaning that their calories don't count (free food!!).
Be careful of sugar alcohols though. They can have very unpleasant side effects
I have heard that.0 -
Some good indepth articles from Lyle McDonald on Dietary Carbohydrates and Nutrient Intake, Storage and Oxidation.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/a-primer-on-dietary-carbohydrates-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/a-primer-on-dietary-carbohydrates-part-2.html0 -
stevencloser wrote: »Cutaway_Collar wrote: »All calories are not the same. 100 calories of chocolate are not the same as 100 calories of lentils. That is the prime reason the whole calorie counting thing can be a farce when you don't pay attention to the detail.
You can eat 1600 bad calories and not see any progress. On the other hand, you may eat 2000 good calories and see very good progress.
The biggest culprit is how quickly your insulin levels spike based on your meal. A high simple carb diet like white bread or potatoes are rapidly digestible and increase body insulin. The slower the digestibility the better. Complex carbs take longer to process and the results are much better in terms of insulin levels.
Google the relationship between carbs, the enzyme lipase and triglycerides in fat cells. And you will make wise decisions in calorie counting.
This is absolutely wrong.
How so?
You will not see better results in terms of weight loss by eating "good" calories (however you define those), and even less so by eating 400 more which would all but wipe out the deficit of 90% of the people on here, resulting in NO fat loss whatsoever, no matter how "good" those calories were.
Insulin spikes have no bearing on your weight loss. There's no "calories of chocolate" vs. "calories of lentils" any more than there's "meters of lawn" vs. "meters of sidewalk".1 -
The glycemic index can basically be entirely disregarded unless you're a diabetic eating carbohydrate in isolation after an overnight fast.
Here's a great piece on insulin:
http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-7-insulin-and-thinking-better/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/
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