Is it healthy to completely cut out carbs from my diet?

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  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited February 2017
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    zachbonner_ wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So @EbonyDahlia you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    Carbs are not an essential nutrient, therefore vegetables are not essential. Vegetables can certainly contribute to a healthy diet but they are by no means needed. There are actually quite a few carnivores and almost zero carbers on MFP who are thriving without plant matter in their diets. As long as you eat quality animal products, it is not difficult to maintain excellent health without plants in one's diet.

    the macro carbs might not be needed but the micro vitamins sure are.

    True. Thankfully the micros are also found in animal products so we can do fine with just animal products if we choose to do so.

    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So @EbonyDahlia you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    Carbs are not an essential nutrient, therefore vegetables are not essential. Vegetables can certainly contribute to a healthy diet but they are by no means needed. There are actually quite a few carnivores and almost zero carbers on MFP who are thriving without plant matter in their diets. As long as you eat quality animal products, it is not difficult to maintain excellent health without plants in one's diet.

    I don't think you will find any dietitian agreeing with you there. There is no way you can meet you essential micro nutritions without vegetables in your diet without the need for supplements. I stand corrected though. Some are crazy enough to believe that a carb free diet is healthy but they would be wrong. Still trying to work out how you can have a totally carb free diet at any rate.

    You're probably right. Most dietitians would probably, at first glance, agree that plants are needed for good health... They'd be wrong though.

    If you think about it, it isn't that outlandish. There are multiple cultures that eat no plant matter, or very very little of it: Inuit, Masai, Canadian First Nations plains tribes are some. Thousands of people living healthfully for generation after generation on an almost entirely carnivorous diet.

    I know a handful of people who eat this way now. Just meats, seafood, dairy, eggs, some offal, and a bit of seasoning. They feel great. Some of them have eaten this way for years.

    I'm not saying plants are bad. I like veggies, that's why I eat them. I am saying that they are NOT needed for a healthy diet.

    I imagine this is the type of disbelief that vegetarians faced 100 or so years ago...
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    zachbonner_ wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So @EbonyDahlia you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    Carbs are not an essential nutrient, therefore vegetables are not essential. Vegetables can certainly contribute to a healthy diet but they are by no means needed. There are actually quite a few carnivores and almost zero carbers on MFP who are thriving without plant matter in their diets. As long as you eat quality animal products, it is not difficult to maintain excellent health without plants in one's diet.

    the macro carbs might not be needed but the micro vitamins sure are.

    True. Thankfully the micros are also found in animal products so we can do fine with just animal products if we choose to do so.

    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So @EbonyDahlia you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    Carbs are not an essential nutrient, therefore vegetables are not essential. Vegetables can certainly contribute to a healthy diet but they are by no means needed. There are actually quite a few carnivores and almost zero carbers on MFP who are thriving without plant matter in their diets. As long as you eat quality animal products, it is not difficult to maintain excellent health without plants in one's diet.

    I don't think you will find any dietitian agreeing with you there. There is no way you can meet you essential micro nutritions without vegetables in your diet without the need for supplements. I stand corrected though. Some are crazy enough to believe that a carb free diet is healthy but they would be wrong. Still trying to work out how you can have a totally carb free diet at any rate.

    You're probably right. Most dietitians would probably, at first glance, agree that plants are needed for good health... They'd be wrong though.

    If you think about it, it isn't that outlandish. There are multiple cultures that eat no plant matter, or very very little of it: Inuit, Masai, Canadian First Nations plains tribes are some. Thousands of people living healthfully for generation after generation on an almost entirely carnivorous diet.

    I know a handful of people who eat this way now. Just meats, seafood, dairy, eggs, some offal, and a bit of seasoning. They feel great. Some of them have eaten this way for years.

    I'm not saying plants are bad. I like veggies, that's why I eat them. I am saying that they are NOT needed for a healthy diet.

    I imagine this is the type of disbelief that vegetarians faced 100 or so years ago...

    I did read this article awhile ago which indicates that these cultures had more carbs than first believed and that no culture has spent time in permanent ketosis. Who knows what to believe though.
    https://chriskresser.com/7-things-everyone-should-know-about-low-carb-diets/
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So Ebony you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    I just have to ask because I have never heard this before and it doesn't compute in my mind - what does "close to 50% of our diet" mean? Calories, weight, volume? What counts as vegetables? Who says this, why, and who are "we"?
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So Ebony you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    I just have to ask because I have never heard this before and it doesn't compute in my mind - what does "close to 50% of our diet" mean? Calories, weight, volume? What counts as vegetables? Who says this, why, and who are "we"?

    I don't normally track stuff, but since I'm doing the 800g veggies and fruit challenge this week I'm logging everything I eat on MFP this week. Really upping my veggie and fruit intake and hitting 800g (which breaks down to 10 servings), I only come in at around 266 calories today for those 800g. Out of my 1,8000 maintenance calorie intake (today I'm actually going to come in at around 1,400 calories). I can't imagine eating 900 calories worth of veggies a day :o
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    You gain weight from too many calories not carbs. If you want to lose weight watch your calories.
    Fruits and vegetables are carbs. It would not be healthy to cut out all carbs.
    Yes, you can stop or limit eating bread, rice, pasta and be healthy. It isn't necessary for weight loss though.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    So Ebony you don't agree that having vegetables everyday is essential? Strange when that should be close to 50% of our diet. That astounds me, unless you are not knowledgeable enough to realise that vegetables have carbs.

    I just have to ask because I have never heard this before and it doesn't compute in my mind - what does "close to 50% of our diet" mean? Calories, weight, volume? What counts as vegetables? Who says this, why, and who are "we"?

    I don't normally track stuff, but since I'm doing the 800g veggies and fruit challenge this week I'm logging everything I eat on MFP this week. Really upping my veggie and fruit intake and hitting 800g (which breaks down to 10 servings), I only come in at around 266 calories today for those 800g. Out of my 1,8000 maintenance calorie intake (today I'm actually going to come in at around 1,400 calories). I can't imagine eating 900 calories worth of veggies a day :o

    I would love to have your maintenance calories :tongue:
  • FarewellBlues
    FarewellBlues Posts: 66 Member
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    For some people it seems that higher amounts of carbohydrate in the diet have an undesirable impact on hormone levels, which messes with the "Calories Out" side of the equation -- this is not fully understood yet, but the last 10 years especially have seen a wealth of research on the topic.

    In any case, people who always yell "CALORIES IN LESS THAN CALORIES OUT" make me chuckle ... it's like, duh. Almost everyone is well aware of that. To steal an analogy, it's like asking "How can I get rich?" and someone says "Save more than you spend!" Well sure, but it's a little more nuanced as to HOW exactly you're going to achieve that.

    Also, so many things affect both sides of the energy balance equation. It's like, in physics, of course you have energy conservation. But calculating the amount of energy radiating from some system often involves solving highly complex, nonlinear equations. Biological processes are at least as complicated.

    Anyway, OP, I'm sure you know that vegetables and fruit have carbs. I'm sure you know you can't eat as many calories as you want and lose weight. Eating a diet of meats, fats, fruit and veg can certainly be very healthy and very sustainable - play around a bit and figure out what works best for you.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.

    https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyw319/3039477/Fruit-and-vegetable-intake-and-the-risk-of
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.

    https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyw319/3039477/Fruit-and-vegetable-intake-and-the-risk-of

    Thanks. Bookmarked for a later read.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.

    You need to join in the the little challenge that's going on (started today!) :# Links are in first post-
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in#latest
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.

    You need to join in the the little challenge that's going on (started today!) :# Links are in first post-
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in#latest

    Oh god no. Like I said, 5 is a stretch for me. I hate veggies.

    :)
  • Hensonator1084
    Hensonator1084 Posts: 195 Member
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    Enjoy them ther good for you in moderation just keep your carbs low after 6pm
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Hensonator1084 wrote: »
    just keep your carbs low after 6pm

    Why?
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Hensonator1084 wrote: »
    Enjoy them ther good for you in moderation just keep your carbs low after 6pm


    Why?
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Well, given the current meta-analysis linking vegetable and fruit consumption to reduced cancer, heart disease, and early death risk which led to the recent 10-a-day recommendation, I'm finding the arguments in support of low veggie intake less and less compelling.

    Do you have a link to this? I have enough trouble getting 5 a day so I'd be interested in reading it.

    Thanks.

    You need to join in the the little challenge that's going on (started today!) :# Links are in first post-
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10521320/10-a-day-800g-veggie-fruit-challenge-participants-check-in#latest

    Oh god no. Like I said, 5 is a stretch for me. I hate veggies.

    :)

    Whereas I'm that way about fruit :p I'm going to fit some in this week by hiding it under pudding and graham crackers lol.

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