Simple carbs

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Caquini
Caquini Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited September 2016
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    The calories in fruit is from simple carbs. I eat lots of fruit and don't think it's unhealthy.

    Grains and potatoes are complex carbs. I mention this because people often misunderstand the distinction.

    Simple carbs are the simpler sugar molecules. Complex carbs are those made up of the more complex starch molecules. Nutritionally there really isn't any difference, as people like Walter Willett have written.

    Also, if your simple or complex carbs come with lots of fat (quite often that's so, as in most so-called junk food), that affects how the body processes them and of course overall calories and satiety (positive for some, negative for others). I mention this because there seems to be a tendency these days to make everything about carbs and IMO that's a misunderstanding.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    I don't believe you have managed to cut simple carbs (sugar) out of your diet completely. That would not have made an improvement to your health and well-being, it would have made you sick. Maybe you have cut out junk food? That can give an effect as you described, if you replaced the junk food with real, balanced, nutritious (home cooked) food, and got more of the nutrition that you may have lacked before. Lots of ifs and mays here.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    For some, like me, fewer carbs in general just feels better.
  • butterbuns123
    butterbuns123 Posts: 150 Member
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    Well truthfully fruit is human food. All of our senses are wired to locate fruit. In most human diets fruit is the best smelling item that we eat. Most visually appealing and contains everything essential to survive if you eat enough of it (around 3000 cals). And all they are is simple carbs. Eat up I say. I think they fuel me the most. I love eating a few bananas or mangos pre workout.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I don't think I would be in better health if I eliminated fruit from my diet. Although it isn't required for health, neither do I see compelling reasons to eliminate it. For many people, it's a really tasty source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    I think if you don't worry about carbs and worry about eating mostly vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and a lean protein you will have the same effect if not better.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Here's the approach I take: I severely limit refined sugar, honey, syrup, and other concentrated sources of simple sugars. I eat fruit in moderation. Given a choice between refined grains and whole grains, I choose the whole grain option -- most of the time. But if I'm at a birthday party, and someone offers me a piece of cake, I'll go for it. And once every week or two I'll go down to my local ice cream shop and have a nice dish of ice cream -- with all the fat and sugar in it.

    If you were eating a lot of concentrated simple sugars and changed, and as a result feel better, then go for it. You don't *have* to have simple carbs in your diet if you don't choose to. For me the key is: can I keep this behavior going for the rest of my life? Can I live with no simple carbs for the rest of my life? My answer is no, but you'll have to decide what's right for you.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    Fruit isn't unhealthy.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    The reason you feel better without them could be tied to many things. Insulin resistance, blood glucose spikes/crashes, the amount you were eating before (too much), the time of day you were eating (could be tied to sleep and improved sleep would likely make you feel better no matter what you eat), plus many other things including a placebo affect (you feel better because you think you should feel better).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    The reason you feel better without them could be tied to many things. Insulin resistance, blood glucose spikes/crashes, the amount you were eating before (too much), the time of day you were eating (could be tied to sleep and improved sleep would likely make you feel better no matter what you eat), plus many other things including a placebo affect (you feel better because you think you should feel better).

    I guess if fruit or other simple carbohydrates were keeping someone from consuming sufficient protein or fat, eliminating them could result in someone feeling better (if they replaced them with appropriate amounts of protein and/or fat).

    This doesn't demonstrate that simple carbohydrates are bad, it just reinforces that we need certain amounts of protein and fat to feel good and stay healthy.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    The calories in fruit is from simple carbs. I eat lots of fruit and don't think it's unhealthy.

    Grains and potatoes are complex carbs. I mention this because people often misunderstand the distinction.

    Simple carbs are the simpler sugar molecules. Complex carbs are those made up of the more complex starch molecules. Nutritionally there really isn't any difference, as people like Walter Willett have written.

    Also, if your simple or complex carbs come with lots of fat (quite often that's so, as in most so-called junk food), that affects how the body processes them and of course overall calories and satiety (positive for some, negative for others). I mention this because there seems to be a tendency these days to make everything about carbs and IMO that's a misunderstanding.
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I don't believe you have managed to cut simple carbs (sugar) out of your diet completely. That would not have made an improvement to your health and well-being, it would have made you sick. Maybe you have cut out junk food? That can give an effect as you described, if you replaced the junk food with real, balanced, nutritious (home cooked) food, and got more of the nutrition that you may have lacked before. Lots of ifs and mays here.
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    The reason you feel better without them could be tied to many things. Insulin resistance, blood glucose spikes/crashes, the amount you were eating before (too much), the time of day you were eating (could be tied to sleep and improved sleep would likely make you feel better no matter what you eat), plus many other things including a placebo affect (you feel better because you think you should feel better).

    these ^
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    The reason you feel better without them could be tied to many things. Insulin resistance, blood glucose spikes/crashes, the amount you were eating before (too much), the time of day you were eating (could be tied to sleep and improved sleep would likely make you feel better no matter what you eat), plus many other things including a placebo affect (you feel better because you think you should feel better).

    I guess if fruit or other simple carbohydrates were keeping someone from consuming sufficient protein or fat, eliminating them could result in someone feeling better (if they replaced them with appropriate amounts of protein and/or fat).

    This doesn't demonstrate that simple carbohydrates are bad, it just reinforces that we need certain amounts of protein and fat to feel good and stay healthy.

    Agreed. Just because you feel better by cutting something out doesn't mean it is "unhealthy". But, it also doesn't mean it's not unhealthy. Any food may be unhealthy on an individual level.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Caquini wrote: »
    I've been reading a lot about simple carbs and complex carbs. I tested not eating simple carbs for a month and saw a huge change in my overall health. More energy, sleep better, feeling like a champ basically. Why are simple carbs so unhealthy? Or is it just me that has an intolerance?

    The reason you feel better without them could be tied to many things. Insulin resistance, blood glucose spikes/crashes, the amount you were eating before (too much), the time of day you were eating (could be tied to sleep and improved sleep would likely make you feel better no matter what you eat), plus many other things including a placebo affect (you feel better because you think you should feel better).

    I guess if fruit or other simple carbohydrates were keeping someone from consuming sufficient protein or fat, eliminating them could result in someone feeling better (if they replaced them with appropriate amounts of protein and/or fat).

    This doesn't demonstrate that simple carbohydrates are bad, it just reinforces that we need certain amounts of protein and fat to feel good and stay healthy.

    Agreed. Just because you feel better by cutting something out doesn't mean it is "unhealthy". But, it also doesn't mean it's not unhealthy. Any food may be unhealthy on an individual level.

    Yep, any food is going to be unhealthy if it is crowding out other things that you need (or if you have a personal intolerance for it).

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