What the hell are carbs?

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Ok sorry everyone let me explain myself a bit better. I wrote this in a hurry!

    Just to make you all aware the title was meant to be ironic. I apologise!

    My original discussion with my nutritionist was that a low carb diet was generally avoiding things like white bread and potatoes. (This is a very very vague explanation as we went through many different things!)

    But then when I got on here everything I logged was coming up as carbs. So when we looked at my results at the end of each day my diet said I lived on carbs!!

    I haven't seen her since then because I'm waiting for an appointment. And before you all attack her she has been brilliant and helped me a lot. I just can't get enough appointments so have to work it out myself a bit in between.

    Does this make more sense to anyone?

    (Basically I'm avoiding what I've been told to avoid, but my stats are saying I'm living on carbs.)

    To the bolded, most foods will have at least some carbs in them (as has been explained well already), but if everything you're logging is coming up as only containing carbs and no fat or protein, then I'd check the entries you're using and be sure the macros on them are correct. There are a ton of erroneous entries in the database and I suppose it's possible you're finding all of them when you log. Opening your diary so that we can see it might help if you want some extra eyeballs helping you check for inaccurate entries.

    @emmaellery1989 please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Borshch does, but I've never used them in goulash.
  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
    Borshch does, but I've never used them in goulash.

    You're absolutely right, I was thinking of borscht.
  • nokanjaijo
    nokanjaijo Posts: 466 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Ok sorry everyone let me explain myself a bit better. I wrote this in a hurry!

    Just to make you all aware the title was meant to be ironic. I apologise!

    My original discussion with my nutritionist was that a low carb diet was generally avoiding things like white bread and potatoes. (This is a very very vague explanation as we went through many different things!)

    But then when I got on here everything I logged was coming up as carbs. So when we looked at my results at the end of each day my diet said I lived on carbs!!

    I haven't seen her since then because I'm waiting for an appointment. And before you all attack her she has been brilliant and helped me a lot. I just can't get enough appointments so have to work it out myself a bit in between.

    Does this make more sense to anyone?

    (Basically I'm avoiding what I've been told to avoid, but my stats are saying I'm living on carbs.)

    To the bolded, most foods will have at least some carbs in them (as has been explained well already), but if everything you're logging is coming up as only containing carbs and no fat or protein, then I'd check the entries you're using and be sure the macros on them are correct. There are a ton of erroneous entries in the database and I suppose it's possible you're finding all of them when you log. Opening your diary so that we can see it might help if you want some extra eyeballs helping you check for inaccurate entries.

    @emmaellery1989 please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Considering that you've sort of become a little scrap of talking point that the carb and no-carb people are fighting over, I'd hold off on going public with your diary, @emmaellery1989. That's just MHO.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    nefudaboss wrote: »
    Carbs, non essential macro nutrient aka sugar, glucose, hydrogen, carbon, oxygen... the trigger for insulin (fat storage hormone) also known for lowering cortisol (stress) and raising leptin ( tells brain your full and to burn fat)

    Low carb is messed up unless you go keto (high fat) with it, cause Itll make you cranky and argumentive

    Excess calories result in fat storage, not insulin

    This is technically incorrect. If your body produces no insulin, as in type 1 diabetes, you will lose weight no matter how many calories you consume.

    Which is the exact opposite of what I was saying and I was referring to someone with no medical condition....
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    nefudaboss wrote: »
    Carbs, non essential macro nutrient aka sugar, glucose, hydrogen, carbon, oxygen... the trigger for insulin (fat storage hormone) also known for lowering cortisol (stress) and raising leptin ( tells brain your full and to burn fat)

    Low carb is messed up unless you go keto (high fat) with it, cause Itll make you cranky and argumentive

    Excess calories result in fat storage, not insulin

    This is technically incorrect. If your body produces no insulin, as in type 1 diabetes, you will lose weight no matter how many calories you consume.

    Which is the exact opposite of what I was saying and I was referring to someone with no medical condition....

    Insulin is required for everyone, medical condition or not, and it does effect the way the body handles and stores calories. I know this won't get heard on this particular forum, but multiple studies have found that the same exact calories don't always result in the same amount of fat gain. The body is a complicated machine.
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.

    Try cooking them! They have an entirely different flavor (to me) than the crown. Trim the very bottom off, and if you need to you can shave the sides with a vegetable peeler, but closer to the crown it's usually pretty tender. That way, no fear of shame OR waste ;)
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.

    Try cooking them! They have an entirely different flavor (to me) than the crown. Trim the very bottom off, and if you need to you can shave the sides with a vegetable peeler, but closer to the crown it's usually pretty tender. That way, no fear of shame OR waste ;)

    I am definitely going to try this next time :+1:
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    nefudaboss wrote: »
    Carbs, non essential macro nutrient aka sugar, glucose, hydrogen, carbon, oxygen... the trigger for insulin (fat storage hormone) also known for lowering cortisol (stress) and raising leptin ( tells brain your full and to burn fat)

    Low carb is messed up unless you go keto (high fat) with it, cause Itll make you cranky and argumentive

    Excess calories result in fat storage, not insulin

    This is technically incorrect. If your body produces no insulin, as in type 1 diabetes, you will lose weight no matter how many calories you consume.

    Freely quoting wikipedia: "Particularly in type 1 diabetics the lack of insulin in the bloodstream prevents glucose absorption, thereby inhibiting the production of oxaloacetate (a crucial molecule for processing Acetyl-CoA, the product of beta-oxidation of fatty acids, in the Krebs cycle) through reduced levels of pyruvate (a byproduct of glycolysis), and can cause unchecked ketone body production (through fatty acid metabolism) potentially leading to dangerous glucose and ketone levels in the blood."

    It's basically a deadly cycle of "oh, brain needs glucose and it's not getting any (because no insulin but your body doesn't know that), better make more glucose. Oh I'm making a lot of glucose so I can't break down this fat, better make ketones." It's a malfunction as the calories can't actually be used and your body just keeps pouring them into your bloodstream anyway.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.

    I was finally reading my spiralizer cookbook and it tells how to spiralize broccoli stalks - one of these days I'm going to try it!
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,190 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.

    Try cooking them! They have an entirely different flavor (to me) than the crown. Trim the very bottom off, and if you need to you can shave the sides with a vegetable peeler, but closer to the crown it's usually pretty tender. That way, no fear of shame OR waste ;)

    I am definitely going to try this next time :+1:

    They are also very good in soups!
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    nefudaboss wrote: »
    Carbs, non essential macro nutrient aka sugar, glucose, hydrogen, carbon, oxygen... the trigger for insulin (fat storage hormone) also known for lowering cortisol (stress) and raising leptin ( tells brain your full and to burn fat)

    Low carb is messed up unless you go keto (high fat) with it, cause Itll make you cranky and argumentive

    Excess calories result in fat storage, not insulin

    This is technically incorrect. If your body produces no insulin, as in type 1 diabetes, you will lose weight no matter how many calories you consume.

    Which is the exact opposite of what I was saying and I was referring to someone with no medical condition....

    Insulin is required for everyone, medical condition or not, and it does effect the way the body handles and stores calories. I know this won't get heard on this particular forum, but multiple studies have found that the same exact calories don't always result in the same amount of fat gain. The body is a complicated machine.

    Links to said studies...

    Without insulin you wouldn't be able to store fat. It's a pretty basic understanding of how the human body works...

    That is false.

    Based off what?

    How would your body store fat without insulin, please explain.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,346 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    DamieBird wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    annabel92 wrote: »
    I would imagine that your nutritionist is referring to heavy/refined/processed carbs that don't have much nutrition, such as bread or pasta.

    Carbs in fruits and vegetables are fine as they're natural - these are 'fiber' carbs and needed.

    Just like sugar in a banana is natural when compared to sugar in sweets, natural carbs are full of nutrition (such as fibre) and are a much better choice when compared to processed carbs.

    So carbs in bread....are not fiber carbs...and are not natural? Hmmmm.

    No, bread isn't natural, it's man made and it's a refined carb (especially if it's white, whole grain is better for you and more nutritional). Bread is made from natural ingredients (wheat) so does have fiber in it, but it's a 'starchy' refined carb and nowhere near as nutritional as natural fiber carbs found in vegetables that grow naturally, such as broccoli.

    So....ummmm...is it the chopping that makes wheat not a "natural fiber carb"? And...uh...what happens if you chop the tender broccoli florettes from the thick, inedible, gnarly, but surely naturally fibrous stalks?

    [French Peasant scratches her head as she looks at a stand of wheat growing next to some broccoli plants in her garden.]

    A bit off topic, but you're missing out if you don't eat the stalks ;). They're the best part! You may have to trim the very outside off if you're not cooking them, but the steamed broccoli stalk is fabulous. I'm at the point where I get mad at the preponderance of stores only selling broccoli crowns.

    There's a big ole sign right next to the broccoli stand at my fruit n veg store saying ""Do NOT remove the stalks,
    if you do so you will be charged for broccoli crowns"
    , which are far more expensive than the regular stalk broccoli.
    Admittedly i have snapped the stalks off before putting the broccoli in the bag (what a scab i am), because it bugs me to pay for the bit i discard which is the heaviest part! But that sign scared me straight :lol: Not just the paying more part, but being embarrassed and called out at the checkout.

    I was finally reading my spiralizer cookbook and it tells how to spiralize broccoli stalks - one of these days I'm going to try it!

    I do this, they're a lot less soggy than zucchini when cooked, and are great blanched and in a salad.
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