Why we need carbs.

trailrider1963

FWIW - plants can be combined in such ways to give one all the protein necessary for growth and repair, it just takes a little research.

As for who determines the best carb intake for any individual - why, that individual, of course. Once I switched to whole grains I've been surprised by how little grain carbohydrate I actually need, and how well I'm doing on fruit and veggie carbs instead. I can't imagine where our government got the idea we should be eating 6 - 11 servings of whole grains. But I personally don't wan't to give up animal protein or whole grains and beans, I like them all too much. I'm going to have my cake and eat it too! :happy:

taem

Grokette, your attitude during this discussion will continue focused on what you believe and you will not even consider any other points of view.

Therefore, thanks for the conversation. We can agree to disagree.

I have been down the road of other points of view to only end up sicker and fatter than I previously was.

I have went vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan, low fat high carb and then the doctor at first forced me onto low carb. Once I started feeling better and started researching - I was led down the right path.

I highly doubt you will continue to have such great results on a high carb, starchy plan with diabetes. Even doctors now days are telling those who are Diabetic to go with a low carb, moderate protein and higher fat approach to control blood sugars.

It is interesting that you use Dr. Michael R. Eades. Here is a blog posting about what I spoke about earlier, The China Study. A person asked Gary Taubes why Asians didn't get chronic diseases like the westerners, and here is Taubes' response.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cardiovascular-disease/gary-taubes-responds/

Thank you, have a good night!

bree2012

I don't think it's healthy to put your body in a prolonged state of ketosis.

Why?

Sorry if I am being ignorant, but ketosis burns your fat storage, instead of the carbs that are needed to fuel your vital organs. It's good for rapid weight loss, but that's it.

Which organs can't be fueled via ketoneogenisis?

I suppose ketogenesis can fuel your organs, but it is not as effective.

"Your primary source of energy while in ketosis is ketone bodies, or free-fatty acids. These are not quite as efficient a fuel source as carbohydrates, so your work output might be slightly limited." - Livestrong

MrsPhan11

I love bacon as much as anyone, but gimme a nice big piece of warm toasted garlic bread, and I'm in heaven.

I'll share that garlic bread with you, lightly golden and crunchy please!!

Reading this just made my mouth water!

susanloveszumba

I was on atkins for about eight months and was starving most of the time and had very low energy. I did lose over 50 lbs but when I started losing wads of hair at a time, I went to the doctor, he did lab work and told me to stop it! I love carbs (healthy ones!) and they give me energy and make me feel good!

erinsueburns

The op had a nice moderate question/opinion.

The real truth of the matter is that people are different and they have different requirements. Insulin sensitive people do just fine on high carb, insulin resistant people do much better on low carb. But you certainly don't have to eat a single grain whole or otherwise for either approach if you don't want to/don't need to/are allergic, to be able to get the necessary carbs and even fiber for your particular needs. Honestly I think more research needs to be put into why people are different, how, and how to get those test results cheaply and easily. Large trials of people basically show us diets fail most people most of the time. Breaking people down into groups of who it worked for and then finding out how those people are different needs more focus.

Meganne1982

Grokette and hpsnickers- you go girls.

I eat low carb (primalish). Basically all the carbs I get are from veggies, tree nuts, and some fruit (pretty much just berries). When I was vegan I was fat, sick, depressed and hungry all the time. I was starving myself (yes, starving at 320 pounds-on the cellular level) with a high-carb, low-fat diet. My mother, who made her T2 diabetes go bye-bye by switching to Atkins (which she's done for over 15 years- not sustainable, my foot), tried to get me over to what I at the time viewed as the "dark side" for years... finally I started to listen taking advice slowly, going to a Low G-I or "healthy carb" diet, adding in more protein, cutting sugar, to a more Atkinsy approach, cutting out other startches, etc, to finally discovering some information that was life changing from things like Gary Taube's books, Tom Naughton's film and blog, as well as the books of Mark Sisson, Rob Wolff, and Cordain... the health problems caused by eating things like sugar and wheat and other carbohydrates that these brilliant people spoke of were so similar to my experiences that I finally embraced what my mother had been trying to get her obese rebellious teenaged daughter to do. I now eat high-fat, low-carb (total carb intake per day usually around 10%), almost no processed foods, almost entirely vegetables (some more than others, not all created equal), eggs, and meat. I haven't given up dairy, but cut way back. I lost a lot more weight, stabilized my mood and energy levels, stopped taking meds for insomnia, depression, anxiety, and more because I simply no longer need them.

That is JUST MY STORY.

I can't speak for anyone else, but unless I'm actually an alien, I think I can show that humans (or at least some) don't need carbs, in fact carbs can be very harmful to some people. When my mother lived off of low-fat muffins and rice and "whole wheat" bread with low-cal margarine and low-fat salad dressing to dip her fat-free potato chips in, she was sick in bed all the time, had an unstable mood, was diagnosed diabetic, and felt like she was dying. And now, I know my mother has days when her total carb intake has been 2grams. The woman is 60, a toned size 8, and bicycles an average of 40 miles every morning.

Maybe we ARE aliens. Creepy.

I've said it once today and it bares repeating (and I'm saying it to myself as much as anyone on here with any variety of opinions):
"Never try and teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

fukuyama

I live in Japan and I lost nearly 30 pounds since last August (got 10-15 lbs to go).
I eat carbs, especially WHITE rice (Oh no!), on a regular basis...
Carbs aren`t bad, people`s eating habits are.

taem

Grokette and hpsnickers- you go girls.

I eat low carb (primalish). Basically all the carbs I get are from veggies, tree nuts, and some fruit (pretty much just berries). When I was vegan I was fat, sick, depressed and hungry all the time. I was starving myself (yes, starving at 320 pounds-on the cellular level) with a high-carb, low-fat diet. My mother, who made her T2 diabetes go bye-bye by switching to Atkins (which she's done for over 15 years- not sustainable, my foot), tried to get me over to what I at the time viewed as the "dark side" for years... finally I started to listen taking advice slowly, going to a Low G-I or "healthy carb" diet, adding in more protein, cutting sugar, to a more Atkinsy approach, cutting out other startches, etc, to finally discovering some information that was life changing from things like Gary Taube's books, Tom Naughton's film and blog, as well as the books of Mark Sisson, Rob Wolff, and Cordain... the health problems caused by eating things like sugar and wheat and other carbohydrates that these brilliant people spoke of were so similar to my experiences that I finally embraced what my mother had been trying to get her obese rebellious teenaged daughter to do. I now eat high-fat, low-carb (total carb intake per day usually around 10%), almost no processed foods, almost entirely vegetables (some more than others, not all created equal), eggs, and meat. I haven't given up dairy, but cut way back. I lost a lot more weight, stabilized my mood and energy levels, stopped taking meds for insomnia, depression, anxiety, and more because I simply no longer need them.

That is JUST MY STORY.

I can't speak for anyone else, but unless I'm actually an alien, I think I can show that humans (or at least some) don't need carbs, in fact carbs can be very harmful to some people. When my mother lived off of low-fat muffins and rice and "whole wheat" bread with low-cal margarine and low-fat salad dressing to dip her fat-free potato chips in, she was sick in bed all the time, had an unstable mood, was diagnosed diabetic, and felt like she was dying. And now, I know my mother has days when her total carb intake has been 2grams. The woman is 60, a toned size 8, and bicycles an average of 40 miles every morning.

Maybe we ARE aliens. Creepy.

I've said it once today and it bares repeating (and I'm saying it to myself as much as anyone on here with any variety of opinions):
"Never try and teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

My point was that everyone's nutritional goals are different but grokette wouldn't even consider it. She is 100% against carbs it as her posts reveal. And then in the end, she said she got poor advice and found a way to recover. From her personal experience she is claiming that carbs, all carbs are bad. Funny, I am eating nothing but carbs, and I am a type 2 diabetic and I also said bye bye to it. So, the take away message is, different nutritional needs. Her bias finally came out, whereas I was saying it depends on what your body needs.

You cannot blame a macronutrient for making you fat or sick. Again, you control your mouth and hands, own up to your own health.

chevy88grl

The op had a nice moderate question/opinion.

The real truth of the matter is that people are different and they have different requirements. Insulin sensitive people do just fine on high carb, insulin resistant people do much better on low carb. But you certainly don't have to eat a single grain whole or otherwise for either approach if you don't want to/don't need to/are allergic, to be able to get the necessary carbs and even fiber for your particular needs. Honestly I think more research needs to be put into why people are different, how, and how to get those test results cheaply and easily. Large trials of people basically show us diets fail most people most of the time. Breaking people down into groups of who it worked for and then finding out how those people are different needs more focus.

This.

Everyone is different. Different people respond differently - for me, low carb does NOT work. I gained weight when I went low carb and turned into a total and complete witch. I felt like a slug all the time. I slowly added carbs back in and felt much better (AND I lost weight!).

Not everyone's body is the same. Plain and simple. If something works for you - GREAT. But, we all need to remember that our bodies are different and need different things to be happy, healthy and function well.

For me - that involves quite a bit of carbs in a day. Considering I have lost 60lbs and am happily maintaining my weight now - I'm pretty sure it is working.

Lozze

Another person who is finding success with Low-GI. However that is success for ME. It won't work for everyone nor do I expect it to.

Carve are not evil. I love potatoes and wish I could have them more often. (I have a baked potato once a week. Love them!) But for me that doesn't work. I have to eat sweet potatoes instead. Find what works for your body and don't criticize others who have found a different path. (and it's quite repugnant to tell people they will get bigger as they get older! What happened to support?)

AZackery

Carbs do not give people diabetes. If it did, then a diabetic wouldn't be allow to eat carbs. It's important that a diabetic eat 45grams of carb per meal and 15grams per snack, well for a woman that is and for a man their meal carbs can be higher, I want to say like 60 grams and snack be 15 grams.

Everyone that works out better eat carbs. Your body needs carbs to function.

Carbs is not the enemy. A person's enemy is themselves. Some people are overweight due to medicine. Some people can't even exercise. So, I'm going to omit them out of this equation, but everyone else that's not on medication that can make you gain weight or in a situation where you can't move, you gain weight, because you chose to gain weight. You have to have control over your body. Your body should never have control over you.

servilia

I don't think it's healthy to put your body in a prolonged state of ketosis.

Why?

Because your breath will stink, you will get fired from your job for being repugnant, you will spend all your money on bacon, go broke and die alone and hungry on the street.

Ketosis: It kills.

Only when you're diabetic and get ketoacidosis.

servilia

Carbs do not give people diabetes. If it did, then a diabetic wouldn't be allow to eat carbs. It's important that a diabetic eat 45grams of carb per meal and 15grams per snack, well for a woman that is and for a man their meal carbs can be higher, I want to say like 60 grams and snack be 15 grams.

I don't recall anyone saying that a minute amount of carbs causes diabetes. However there is an epidemic of people overeating simple carbs and yes this contributes to the epidemic of diabetes. The 45 grams you mentioned is not a MINIMUM - it's more of a maximum they should be eating. And it's not a whole lot:
"Each of the following serving of food contains the equivalent of 15 g of carbohydrate: 1 small fruit, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup rice, 1/3 cup pasta, 4 to 6 crackers, 1/2 cup beans, 1/4 of a large potato, 2/3 cup sugar-free yogurt, 2 small cookies, 1/2 cup ice cream or 1 tbsp. honey."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/370724-grams-of-carbohydrates-per-meal-for-a-diabetic/#ixzz1W6fhNAuM

AZackery

I don't recall anyone saying that a minute amount of carbs causes diabetes. However there is an epidemic of people overeating simple carbs and yes this contributes to the epidemic of diabetes. The 45 grams you mentioned is not a MINIMUM - it's more of a maximum they should be eating. And it's not a whole lot:
"Each of the following serving of food contains the equivalent of 15 g of carbohydrate: 1 small fruit, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup rice, 1/3 cup pasta, 4 to 6 crackers, 1/2 cup beans, 1/4 of a large potato, 2/3 cup sugar-free yogurt, 2 small cookies, 1/2 cup ice cream or 1 tbsp. honey."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/370724-grams-of-carbohydrates-per-meal-for-a-diabetic/#ixzz1W6fhNAuM

Are you a diabetic?

servilia

I don't recall anyone saying that a minute amount of carbs causes diabetes. However there is an epidemic of people overeating simple carbs and yes this contributes to the epidemic of diabetes. The 45 grams you mentioned is not a MINIMUM - it's more of a maximum they should be eating. And it's not a whole lot:
"Each of the following serving of food contains the equivalent of 15 g of carbohydrate: 1 small fruit, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup rice, 1/3 cup pasta, 4 to 6 crackers, 1/2 cup beans, 1/4 of a large potato, 2/3 cup sugar-free yogurt, 2 small cookies, 1/2 cup ice cream or 1 tbsp. honey."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/370724-grams-of-carbohydrates-per-meal-for-a-diabetic/#ixzz1W6fhNAuM

Are you a diabetic?

What does that have to do with my post.

AZackery

What does that have to do with my post.

You don't like me and you are trying to show that I don't know what I'm talking about. By the way, 45grams of carbs per meal and 15grams of carbs per snack isn't low.

servilia

What does that have to do with my post.

You don't like me and you are trying to show that I don't know what I'm talking about. By the way, 45grams of carbs per meal and 15grams of carbs per snack isn't low.

I think you're being paranoid. 45 grams is reasonable according to my standards - but it IS low when you compare it to what the average person actually eats per meal.

ps even if I didn't like you, what does me being or not being diabetic have to do with my post? Why on earth did you ask me that?

AZackery

I think you're being paranoid. 45 grams is reasonable according to my standards - but it IS low when you compare it to what the average person actually eats per meal.

I'm not paranoid. A diabetic and a regular person body don't function the same. That's why a diabetic has to eat differently than a regular person.

servilia

I think you're being paranoid. 45 grams is reasonable according to my standards - but it IS low when you compare it to what the average person actually eats per meal.

I'm not paranoid. A diabetic and a regular person body don't function the same. That's why a diabetic has to eat differently than a regular person.

Obviously.

GiGi76

bump

Lyadeia

Wow, that was fun. Can someone now pass me that bacon? And garlic bread too?

Life's too short to worry about how many carbs or fats or proteins everyone else is eating. Just do what makes your body the healthiest and don't worry about what others say. Cause people will never agree on this subject...cause guess what? If there was one correct answer and only one correct answer, then there wouldn't be so many success stories on both sides of the carb/fat fence, not to mention all the successes from those on top of the fence enjoying their moderate carb diets.

FairyMiss

Grokette and hpsnickers- you go girls.

I eat low carb (primalish). Basically all the carbs I get are from veggies, tree nuts, and some fruit (pretty much just berries). When I was vegan I was fat, sick, depressed and hungry all the time. I was starving myself (yes, starving at 320 pounds-on the cellular level) with a high-carb, low-fat diet. My mother, who made her T2 diabetes go bye-bye by switching to Atkins (which she's done for over 15 years- not sustainable, my foot), tried to get me over to what I at the time viewed as the "dark side" for years... finally I started to listen taking advice slowly, going to a Low G-I or "healthy carb" diet, adding in more protein, cutting sugar, to a more Atkinsy approach, cutting out other startches, etc, to finally discovering some information that was life changing from things like Gary Taube's books, Tom Naughton's film and blog, as well as the books of Mark Sisson, Rob Wolff, and Cordain... the health problems caused by eating things like sugar and wheat and other carbohydrates that these brilliant people spoke of were so similar to my experiences that I finally embraced what my mother had been trying to get her obese rebellious teenaged daughter to do. I now eat high-fat, low-carb (total carb intake per day usually around 10%), almost no processed foods, almost entirely vegetables (some more than others, not all created equal), eggs, and meat. I haven't given up dairy, but cut way back. I lost a lot more weight, stabilized my mood and energy levels, stopped taking meds for insomnia, depression, anxiety, and more because I simply no longer need them.

That is JUST MY STORY.

I can't speak for anyone else, but unless I'm actually an alien, I think I can show that humans (or at least some) don't need carbs, in fact carbs can be very harmful to some people. When my mother lived off of low-fat muffins and rice and "whole wheat" bread with low-cal margarine and low-fat salad dressing to dip her fat-free potato chips in, she was sick in bed all the time, had an unstable mood, was diagnosed diabetic, and felt like she was dying. And now, I know my mother has days when her total carb intake has been 2grams. The woman is 60, a toned size 8, and bicycles an average of 40 miles every morning.

Maybe we ARE aliens. Creepy.

I've said it once today and it bares repeating (and I'm saying it to myself as much as anyone on here with any variety of opinions):
"Never try and teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig."

if you are some kind of alien then i am one too.

which thinking about it could really explain alot in my case.

FairyMiss

I live in Japan and I lost nearly 30 pounds since last August (got 10-15 lbs to go).
I eat carbs, especially WHITE rice (Oh no!), on a regular basis...
Carbs aren`t bad, people`s eating habits are.

Here is the thing babe, carbs are clearly not bad for YOU and many OTHERS. but for some of us
they are not so good. nope nope, not so good.
and to be totaly honest with you i wish i could eat all those carbs, (the healthy whole grain ofcourse, they taste better anyway) but
i have learned over the years much as i like them , they don't so much like me
i like to feel good not sick so its all a trade off

FairyMiss

You cannot blame a macronutrient for making you fat or sick. Again, you control your mouth and hands, own up to your own health.

this is true and not true, the macronutrients can make you fat and sick, though if you want to lay blame , it would be on person that continues to eat them after knowing that fact abou tthemselves

FairyMiss

The op had a nice moderate question/opinion.

The real truth of the matter is that people are different and they have different requirements. Insulin sensitive people do just fine on high carb, insulin resistant people do much better on low carb. But you certainly don't have to eat a single grain whole or otherwise for either approach if you don't want to/don't need to/are allergic, to be able to get the necessary carbs and even fiber for your particular needs. Honestly I think more research needs to be put into why people are different, how, and how to get those test results cheaply and easily. Large trials of people basically show us diets fail most people most of the time. Breaking people down into groups of who it worked for and then finding out how those people are different needs more focus.

This.

Everyone is different. Different people respond differently - for me, low carb does NOT work. I gained weight when I went low carb and turned into a total and complete witch. I felt like a slug all the time. I slowly added carbs back in and felt much better (AND I lost weight!).

Not everyone's body is the same. Plain and simple. If something works for you - GREAT. But, we all need to remember that our bodies are different and need different things to be happy, healthy and function well.

For me - that involves quite a bit of carbs in a day. Considering I have lost 60lbs and am happily maintaining my weight now - I'm pretty sure it is working.

i whole heartly agree, no one can eat or diet the same, (oh open mindedness from a low carber *gasp* the world will end)
I have alway done smashingly on atkins. years ago seeing my success, My mother who wanted to lose a bit decided to do it with me. like you she actually gained weight and felt crappy.
so not only is that two people with obvious vastly diffrent requirements, but that ones that share half the dna ( so to speak)

FairyMiss

.

Everyone that works out better eat carbs. Your body needs carbs to function.

okay these statements tend to annoy me, and make me laugh. the old you wont have energy on low carb, you wont be ablet to exercise if you dont eat atleast 60% carbs.

so then how is i exercise 6-7 days a week, twice about 2-4 days. and i dont me sissy exercise . my main right now is insanity.
and i do this on around 25 grams a day . oh waith i am an aliern

AZackery

okay these statements tend to annoy me, and make me laugh. the old you wont have energy on low carb, you wont be ablet to exercise if you dont eat atleast 60% carbs.

so then how is i exercise 6-7 days a week, twice about 2-4 days. and i dont me sissy exercise . my main right now is insanity.
and i do this on around 25 grams a day . oh waith i am an aliern

In the long run, you will not be able to just eat 25 grams of carbs a day.

Meganne1982

okay these statements tend to annoy me, and make me laugh. the old you wont have energy on low carb, you wont be ablet to exercise if you dont eat atleast 60% carbs.

so then how is i exercise 6-7 days a week, twice about 2-4 days. and i dont me sissy exercise . my main right now is insanity.
and i do this on around 25 grams a day . oh waith i am an aliern

In the long run, you will not be able to just eat 25 grams of carbs a day.

I don't know how long "the long run is" but my mother and her brother and sister have been all eating around 20 grams of carbs a day for over fifteen years. They all went on Atkins in the mid 90s when my mother and her sister were diagnosed diabetic and my uncle was in a pre-diabetic state. That seems pretty long to me.

and like I mentioned earlier... my mother bikes an average of 40 miles a day. At age 60, on under 20 g carbs a day.

I usually eat 30ish (sometimes more sometimes less) grams of carbs a day, and I generally run 3-5 miles or do 45-60 minutes on the eliptical a day, plus free weights and yoga...

oh wait... i almost forgot... we're the alien family....

lockef

In the long run, *I* will not be able to just eat 25 grams of carbs a day.

I fixed it for you. Is this what you meant to say?