Why we need carbs.

GiGi76

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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?

FairyMiss

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.

and you know that How??? if you know that can you tell me what the lotto numbers will be tomorrow???

GiGi76

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.

I feel the same!!! It is obvious that different things work for different people... otherwise one person wouldnt do well eating tons of carbs while another does well restricting them!!! There are facts out there to prove and support both sides (come on people you cant really think your info is the bible for this stuff), i think its up to the individual to test things out and see what works best for them!!! For me, I usually have around 100-150carbs a day but they mostly come from fruit and vegs.... for me im able to give more in my workouts having a diet with a healthy amount of carbs to fuel my body for my workouts!!! That said im not saying a little pasta or rice is going to keep you from your goals (neither is not having them) so you should test the waters and see what works best for you!!!

Onesnap

Check out Everyday Food magazine. Also, their recipes online for free. I love how they have the nutrition information so it makes it easy to log. They also focus on seasonal offerings which I love. Just a tip if you're looking for healthy balanced meals.

GiGi76

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?

*LIKE*

Onesnap

There are people such as the Eskimos and the Inuits that have never eaten carbohydrates and are healthier than the rest of us.

I don't think they are called 'Eskimos' anymore in all places...just be careful who you are calling an Eskimo.

"In Alaska, the term Eskimo is commonly used, because it includes both Yupik and Inupiat, while Inuit is not accepted as a collective term or even specifically used for Inupiat. No universal term other than Eskimo, inclusive of all Inuit and Yupik people, exists for the Inuit and Yupik peoples.[1] In Canada and Greenland, the term Eskimo has fallen out of favour, as it is sometimes considered pejorative and has been replaced by the term Inuit."

GiGi76

The reason a lot of people end up with diabetes is not so much the carbs but the sugar.... cut out your sodas if nothing else!!! Your pancreas can only do so much, and once its been abused so long you end up with diabetes... (unless you have Type 1 the cause is unknown) but Type 2 is mainly due to lifestyle factors caused by too much sugar in the diet (sodas being the main culprit)!!! And sugar from fruit is totally different than sugar from a soft drink!!! The sugar hits your body immediately with a soda but is slowed down by the fiber in fruit and makes it easily manageable by the pancreas!!!!




Favorite Quote “Drink your water people”. ~Tony Horton

Grokette

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.

From someone being a T2 Diabetic since 2003 - I can tell you first hand that Doctors, Endocrinologists, Diabetic Nutrtionists and Dieticians DO NOT say to eat 45 grams of carbs per meal and 15 grams of carbs per snack - unless you want to keep giving yourself a shot everyday.

This is WAY too many carbs for someone that is Diabetic.

When diagnosed in 2003, my Endocrinologist handed me the Atkins book and told me to read it and get started while writing prescriptions for the medications. I went every 2 weeks until I was weaned off the medication while doing Atkins and have only had to go back on medication 1 time in the past 8 years and that was due to an car accident in which I didn't have control of what I was eating.

And, the research is showing that a VERY low carb diet will in fact reverse T2 Diabetes. So it is just silly to say we should be consuming that many carbs - that is 1980's mentatlity that led my grandmother to having both of her legs amputated up to the hip and then the start of having one arm amputated. I am not going to live like that.

Please have a read:

Low-Carb Diet Shown to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Study Proves Very Low Carb Diet is Effective
From Debra Manzella, R.N., former About.com Guide
Updated March 20, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Ali Taylor/Stock.xchngDoes a low-carb diet really help control or even reverse type 2 diabetes1? According to a study from Duke University, a very low-carb diet (20 grams or less a day) gave participants better blood sugar control and more effective weight loss than participants who followed a low-glycemic2 reduced calorie diet.
Eighty-four people with obesity and type 2 diabetes took part in the study. During the study, both groups also had the supportive benefit of group meetings, nutritional supplementation and an exercise program. After 6 months, the low-carb group had lower hemoglobin A1c3 results, lost more weight, and 95% were able to reduce or even totally eliminate their diabetes medications. The reduced calorie group did lose weight, and 62% of them were also able to reduce or eliminate their medications, but the low-carb diet group had better overall results.

"It's simple," says Eric Westman, MD, director of Duke's Lifestyle Medicine Program and lead author of the study. "If you cut out the carbohydrates, your blood sugar goes down, and you lose weight which lowers your blood sugar even further. It's a one-two punch."

The low-carb diet used in the study is very restrictive on carb intake, with participants eating under 20 grams of carbs a day. This may be difficult for many people to stick to, but as Dr. Westman says, "This is a therapeutic diet for people who are sick," says Westman. "These lifestyle approaches all have an intensive behavioral component. In our program, people come in every two weeks to get reinforcements and reminders. We've treated hundreds of patients this way now at Duke, and what we see clinically and in our research shows that it works."

Keep in mind that there is more to these results than just diet. Both groups also exercised regularly as well. Diet combined with exercise4 is the cornerstone of diabetes management. Before starting any diet program, please talk with your doctor, or healthcare provider.

Source:

(Jan. 5, 2009). Low-Carb Diets Prove Better at Controlling Type 2 Diabetes . Retrieved February 19, 2009, from DukeHealth.org Web site: http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/low_carb_diets_prove_better_at_controlling_type_2_diabetes[/link">

Rosie_66

Bump :drinker:

AZackery

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....

You are the only one calling yourself and your family aliens.

AZackery

From someone being a T2 Diabetic since 2003 - I can tell you first hand that Doctors, Endocrinologists, Diabetic Nutrtionists and Dieticians DO NOT say to eat 45 grams of carbs per meal and 15 grams of carbs per snack - unless you want to keep giving yourself a shot everyday.

This is WAY too many carbs for someone that is Diabetic.

Please share with me, the amount of carbohydrates your diabetic nutritionists told you to eat per meal and per snack.

When diagnosed in 2003, my Endocrinologist handed me the Atkins book and told me to read it and get started while writing prescriptions for the medications. I went every 2 weeks until I was weaned off the medication while doing Atkins and have only had to go back on medication 1 time in the past 8 years and that was due to an car accident in which I didn't have control of what I was eating.

And, the research is showing that a VERY low carb diet will in fact reverse T2 Diabetes. So it is just silly to say we should be consuming that many carbs - that is 1980's mentatlity that led my grandmother to having both of her legs amputated up to the hip and then the start of having one arm amputated. I am not going to live like that.

How many carbs should a person, diabetic and non diabetic should be eating?