Your views on 'CARBOHYDRATES'

RachelsReboot

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

We have a winner!

JMarigold

NOM NOM NOM

Fit_Canuck

Everyone is so keen on the Internet for their facts so personally I like this one

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14769-low-carb-diets-affect-your-brain/

"The researchers found that, over the 3 weeks, both groups lost less than 2kg (about 4-1/2 lbs.). In the first week of the diets, when the low-carbohydrate dieters were eating the least amount of carbohydrates (in accordance with Atkins â„¢ Diet guidelines), the low-carb dieters showed impairment of their short-term memory, and their spatial memory (remembering where items belong on a map) was affected negatively.

Just because you "can" do something doesn't necessarily means it's the best balanced and healthy approach. I await the barrage of counter websites

JMarigold

You know it really is a huge over generalization to think that it was only an increase of carbohydrates and decrease of fat in the food sources of the United States that contributed to the obesity. Also consider the huge amount of processing and chemicals that have been added to the food most people eat. While its hard to any way judge exactly how its affected the country over time I think that its a pretty safe assumption that its added a great deal to this epidemic.

Also not walking to the TV to change the channel . . . and everything that stands for--leading less active lives in general.

Lindaj44

Lol...if granola & bread are so essential to health...why did our ancestors (cave men) survive (on plants & mainly meat)? We have grown dependent on them...I eat no bread, pasta, or granola. My zero starch, no sugar & carbs has left me healthy. No longer on migraine mess, no longer on LIFELONG heart meds, no longer on asthma meds, I was taking so many prescribed meds...& I was borderline diabetic. That is no longer the case. I take 1 multi vit, magnesium & a b complex...that's it. A usual day for me is lots of water, high fiber veg, lean meat for lunch, same for dinner...3 snacks in between...2 fruits, 2pc of melba toast. Healthiest I've ever been & that's with a doctor following my eating habits.

I agree! Carbs should come from fruits and veggies. No grains!!

PeggyWoodson

Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

Part of this is wrong. The correct part is that too many calories lead to body fat. However, Carbs, when decreased, result in the body's need to pull it's energy from the fat you have stored. It forces your body to burn it's own fat for fuel. Thereby resulting in loss of weight. They are essential but to what extent you don't say. Maybe you should do a little more reading on the subject. Low carbohydrate diets work very well for people who have weight to loose. It is a proven fact that people on low carbohydrate diets frequently see their cholesterol and triglyceride levels come back to normal. It has also been reported that the blood pressure is frequently lowered to a normal or more normal level often requiring medications to be adjusted or stopped by the doctor.

So many people just don't understand the whole picture of the low carbohydrate diet. They are biased because they are misinformed.

Acg67

Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

Part of this is wrong. The correct part is that too many calories lead to body fat. However, Carbs, when decreased, result in the body's need to pull it's energy from the fat you have stored. It forces your body to burn it's own fat for fuel. Thereby resulting in loss of weight. They are essential but to what extent you don't say. Maybe you should do a little more reading on the subject. Low carbohydrate diets work very well for people who have weight to loose. It is a proven fact that people on low carbohydrate diets frequently see their cholesterol and triglyceride levels come back to normal. It has also been reported that the blood pressure is frequently lowered to a normal or more normal level often requiring medications to be adjusted or stopped by the doctor.

So many people just don't understand the whole picture of the low carbohydrate diet. They are biased because they are misinformed.

Maybe you should do some more research on the subject, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets, fat oxidation increases on low carb/keto diets due to increased fat consumption not because you're burning more body fat

Sidesteal

Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

Part of this is wrong. The correct part is that too many calories lead to body fat. However, Carbs, when decreased, result in the body's need to pull it's energy from the fat you have stored. It forces your body to burn it's own fat for fuel. Thereby resulting in loss of weight. They are essential but to what extent you don't say. Maybe you should do a little more reading on the subject. Low carbohydrate diets work very well for people who have weight to loose. It is a proven fact that people on low carbohydrate diets frequently see their cholesterol and triglyceride levels come back to normal. It has also been reported that the blood pressure is frequently lowered to a normal or more normal level often requiring medications to be adjusted or stopped by the doctor.

So many people just don't understand the whole picture of the low carbohydrate diet. They are biased because they are misinformed.

Maybe you should do some more research on the subject, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets, fat oxidation increases on low carb/keto diets due to increased fat consumption not because you're burning more body fat

^ Lyle has a good explanation of this I believe.

Also, regarding the improvement of health markers, this typically happens as a result of weight loss. If I recall correctly, even the Twinkie Diet guy showed improved health markers.

Sidesteal

Who cares what she eats, get me her number.....

LOL

tigersword

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

grinch031

Everyone is so keen on the Internet for their facts so personally I like this one

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14769-low-carb-diets-affect-your-brain/

"The researchers found that, over the 3 weeks, both groups lost less than 2kg (about 4-1/2 lbs.). In the first week of the diets, when the low-carbohydrate dieters were eating the least amount of carbohydrates (in accordance with Atkins â„¢ Diet guidelines), the low-carb dieters showed impairment of their short-term memory, and their spatial memory (remembering where items belong on a map) was affected negatively.

Just because you "can" do something doesn't necessarily means it's the best balanced and healthy approach. I await the barrage of counter websites

Anyone who has done their homework before taking on a low carb diet would know that most people go through a 'carb flu' the first week because they aren't adapted to burning more fat and ketones to compensate for the lack of available glucose.

grinch031

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

Wrong

Glucocorticoid

Carbohydrates are the spawn of satan.

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

Can you define "true starvation"?

kimhwan92

Lol.
Caloric deficit= weight loss
As simple as that.
No reason to avoid carbs.
Only reason for moderation is to fit all the essential macros into your diet whilst maintaining the deficit.

bcattoes

Carbohydrates are the spawn of satan.

Um, okay. I'd like to see the scientific evidence to support that!

bcattoes

The whitetail deer has about the same digistive system as a cow does

Patently false.

Please explain!

Opps. I stand corrected on the deer. As many as I have skinned I didn't know their stomach had multiple chambers.

But that cracked corn fattens them up real fast!

And you feel that the deer get fat simple because it's corn, rather than because it's an "all you can eat" buffet spread for them?

bcattoes

Everyone is so keen on the Internet for their facts so personally I like this one

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14769-low-carb-diets-affect-your-brain/

"The researchers found that, over the 3 weeks, both groups lost less than 2kg (about 4-1/2 lbs.). In the first week of the diets, when the low-carbohydrate dieters were eating the least amount of carbohydrates (in accordance with Atkins â„¢ Diet guidelines), the low-carb dieters showed impairment of their short-term memory, and their spatial memory (remembering where items belong on a map) was affected negatively.

Just because you "can" do something doesn't necessarily means it's the best balanced and healthy approach. I await the barrage of counter websites

Anyone who has done their homework before taking on a low carb diet would know that most people go through a 'carb flu' the first week because they aren't adapted to burning more fat and ketones to compensate for the lack of available glucose.

They would also know that for a normal healthy body it's completely unnecessary, except perhaps on a psychological level.

HardcorePork

Maybe you should do some more research on the subject, there is no metabolic advantage to low carb diets, fat oxidation increases on low carb/keto diets due to increased fat consumption not because you're burning more body fat

You mean if I have more fat (in my diet) to burn, then my body will burn. more. fat? Imagine that. Who woulda thunk it...lol

HardcorePork

Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

FALSE! My brain runs on raspberry ketones. It gives me the concentration I need to create the most excellent pine cone bird feeders.

jyotinaik

Agreed. I wish this myth were removed from public minds

Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

No. Carbohydrates are NOT essential to life. You couldn't be more wrong on this.

tigersword

Carbohydrates are the spawn of satan.

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

Can you define "true starvation"?

Yes, that means not eating anything at all. It takes several days of complete fasting (no food at all) in order for your brain to start switching over to ketones. It will continue to use glucose as long as glucose is readily available from carbs or protein, but as soon as food runs out completely, it will conserve glucose for emergency use, and start running on ketones. Even then, it's only about 75% ketones and 25% glucose, the brain will absolutely never run on 100% ketones, as it's incredibly inefficient and seriously compromises cognitive ability. It's pretty much enough to keep you functional, glucose is required for normal full brain function.

AmoreCouture

I eat under the amount MFP has given me, and that's pretty much all I think about them. I think there is a healthy balance of carbs you can have in the middle, and I don't want to do either of the two extremes of really low carb, or way too many.

creature275

the brain runs almost solely on glucose which comes from carbs how can you argue that you dont need carbs? without carbs your energy levels would be shot and your workouts would be fruitless

jaymek92

carbs are to me as guns are to the nra.
except i'm not going to kill anybody with my carb intake.

HardcorePork

carbs are to me as guns are to the nra.
except i'm not going to kill anybody with my carb intake.

is there a lefty conspiracy to take away your right to carbs? Charlton Heston looooooooooves french bread....or so I heard

bcattoes

Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

No. Carbohydrates are NOT essential to life. You couldn't be more wrong on this.

Agreed. I wish this myth were removed from public minds

Why? They are an imporant part of a heatlhy diet so why does it matter if people think carbs are essential to life?

LilRedRooster

Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

Carbs FTW!

In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

They can function just fine, sure. Doesn't mean they're functioning optimally.

beccarockslife

I'm told, and have read again and again and again that Endomorph body types (like me - hold fat, gain weight easy, arms and legs and stomach gain fat easily) should keep carbs moderate to low.

Since I changed my diet my body fat % has moved with my weight for the first time. I'm 50% fat, 15% carb rest protein.

http://www.burnthefat.com/endomorph_body_type.html

Carnivorekat

I suffer with depression and have had it on and off since I was 15, I find if I don't eat a diet with plenty of carbs (complex) the depression seems to rear its ugly head, if I eat plenty of complex carbs my depression symptoms are much reduced

PAnn1

You guys crack me up!