No carbs/grains at all...for real?

kimber607

While I was walking on the treadmill I was breezing through the recent Instyle makeover edition and it outlined 3 celeb trainers and their rec for eating/working out

They pretty much all rec 45minutes of cardio 6 days a week and strength training for about 45min-1hr...4-5x a week
I wasn't too surprised by that but was surprised that they all rec NOOOOO grains, not even whole wheat or multi-grain.....
Of course they pushed lots of protein....chicken, fish and healthy veggies....low sugar fruit....

Kim

mrd232

I don't eat any grains or legumes, and no, this is not uncommon in many fitness circles (Crossfit, bodybuilding) but I think their workout recs would lead to overtraining in most people.

I eat fat, protein (meat, fish), vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds.

Most bodybuilders typically only eat grain or carb servings soon after workouts (i.e. heaping bowl of oatmeal).

Bella151

Wow, the no grains thing would be too hard for me to follow all the time. I love my oatmeal in the morning!

kimber607

I don't eat any grains or legumes, and no, this is not uncommon in many fitness circles (Crossfit, bodybuilding) but I think their workout recs would lead to overtraining in most people.

I eat fat, protein (meat, fish), vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds.

Most bodybuilders typically only eat grain or carb servings soon after workouts (i.e. heaping bowl of oatmeal).

I was surprised one trainer also rec NO dairy and another NO nuts
I always thought grains were OK, even good for you...if you ate the brown stuff...thought the fiber was supposed to be filling etc

mrd232

Well the opinions on grains are highly varied. Just based on personal experience I find them to be irritating and hard to digest, but that's not necessarily the case for all...I'm not sure I want to open that can of worms on the forum, but there are a lot of resources out there that agree limiting grains or choosing lower-gluten choices may help.

There are some that avoid dairy, nighshades, grains, legumes, sugars and eat basically meat, veg, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils/fats

kimber607

Well the opinions on grains are highly varied. Just based on personal experience I find them to be irritating and hard to digest, but that's not necessarily the case for all...I'm not sure I want to open that can of worms on the forum, but there are a lot of resources out there that agree limiting grains or choosing lower-gluten choices may help.

There are some that avoid dairy, nighshades, grains, legumes, sugars and eat basically meat, veg, fruits, nuts, seeds, oils/fats

Thanks, it's always interesting to hear different points of view
It's just amazing how what's deemed healthy can vary so much
I was never a dairy person, but now eat lots of yogurt, cheese etc daily....

Fieldsy

carbs/grains are important in a healthy diet....

eat them earlier in the day, concentrate on protein/healthy fats/starchy carbs (if you want carbs) later on at night

SHBoss1673

It's all the rage right now Kimber. Don't be fooled, for some no carbs or very low carbs are a good thing, and its fine for most people as long as they stick to the VERY strict rules regarding a Ketogenic diet.

BUT, for the vast majority of us who don't have a heightened sensitivity to carbs or allergy to wheat or gluten, it's unnecessary. One thing I have found out through research is that on a Ketogenic diet, it takes longer to restore glycogen to the liver and muscles after depletion. For most of us, this isn't an issue, but for those that enjoy 30 second bursts or longer of maximal effort (think football players, competitive swimmers, people doing the advanced spinning classes, or the really nasty HIIT dvd's) this can be a problem as instead of it taking 1 to 2 minutes to replenish the glycogen level, it can take 10 to 20 minutes, all the while leaving you drained and unable to work hard.

I'm not sure why trainers do it, actually, I do know why, it's because there is a drastic weight loss right at the beginning of the change, which motivates clients. All well and good except for two things, usually accompanying this loss is fatigue, dizzy spells, and/or nausea. Also if you go off this diet, you WILL gain back weight within a week or two.

Essentially, there's nothing wrong with it, it's not dangerous or anything, but you have to have good will power to stick to it, be very thorough in your execution, be cautious of dehydration (it can happen very quickly on a Ketogenic diet), and willing to go through some initial discomfort. What it gains you is an initial weight loss higher than most other diets, It can also help your good cholesterol and some studies show improved heart function. The one long term study I have read though (1 year or more with enough subjects to be relatively accurate), shows that after the initial results, weight loss is equivalent to a moderate carb. diet (assuming all other factors are equal).

This, of course, doesn't apply to specialty groups such as those with diabetes, hormone imbalances, blood pressure issues, wheat, grain, or gluten allergies or heightened sensitivities. For many of these situations, it's a FAR healthier choice.

FireMonkey

Our closest relatives in the animal kingdom are either vegetarians or omnivores. Our digestive system is structured to deal with a variety of foods. Some people need to restrict the foods they eat for health reasons, but for the vast majority a balanced diet is best for our bodies.

I'm not knocking anybody for their choices; my daughter is a vegetarian and I am well aware that you can get enough protein and other nutrients on a vegetarian diet, but she also has to work harder and be more thoughtful in her choices. And she doesn't have to force herself to avoid meat; she simply doesn't like it.

If you feel deprived for cutting out a whole food group, that's a sure fire sign that it's either not good for you because your body craves the nutrients, or you won't be able to stick with it even if it is nutritionally sound.

mrd232

One thing that must be realized, though, is that there are certainly carbs in a grain-free diet that can easily be obtained from other sources. Low grain / low carb...not always the same thing here. Carbs do play a role in our diets but our dependence on them in a standard diet, IMO, is overplayed.

Even someone on a moderate carb diet, i.e. Zone diet, is not eating much of a carb load daily, maybe 150-200g max.

The majority of grain-free folk eat anywhere from 75g-150g carb daily from a non-grain source...fruit, vegetables (starches and tubers are good), nuts. Carb loading and cycling is very much possible in the absence of grains using starches and higher GI foods. Some also use seed-like grains such as quinoa in moderation.

Our ancestors existed primarily on hunting and gathering...animal fat playing a vital role in energy and also the occasional finding of nuts, seeds, and berries acting as important nutrient sources. Grains weren't cultivated until about 10,000 years ago. Did we fully evolve to eat them? Good question. Some say no - not without moderate to heavy processing or fermenting. Allergies to wheat and other grains are common, but may not present "typical" digestive symptoms.

Banks - you are right regarding nutrition for athleticism - most following a lower grain or carb lifestyle do NOT practice moderate, steady state cardio such as running or endurance sports NOR do we wish to. Intense, but brief activities such as sprinting, HIIT, or lifting sessions are encouraged.

SHBoss1673

Banks - you are right regarding nutrition for athleticism - most following a lower grain or carb lifestyle do NOT practice moderate, steady state cardio such as running or endurance sports NOR do we wish to. Intense, but brief activities such as sprinting, HIIT, or lifting sessions are encouraged.

actually, moderate, sustained (endurance) Activity is fine for people on ketogenic diets. It's the HIIT training type activities that suffer. And I'm hear to say, I did try it for a week to see if the claims were true, and sure enough, I was horribly exhausted after a tabata workout (had to stop half way through, and I do at least one session a week normally, and am in very good shape). this is only true for people in ketosis though, low or even moderate carb diets aren't the same, people consuming over about 60 to 80 grams of carbs a day are not usually in ketosis.

mrd232

I was making more a point about diets below 150g carbs not always being optimal for long periods of steady state, higher heart rate activity - distance running (longer 10k), triathlon training. Boosts of glucose / carbohydrate are fairly essential for such activities.

Most who go into periods of extreme ketogenic activity or fasting practice very low level aerobic activity or do not exercise, as yes, it's very difficult.

I eat about 90-140g carbs daily and adjust along with my level of activity. If I'm feeling a little sluggish or know I've got some difficult workouts planned, I carb load. In periods of lower activity level or rest, lower carbs. It's really key to listen to your body and adjust as needed. I also supplement with multivitamins and whey protein isolate.

LeanLioness

MRD232 -

I am eating the same way, right along with you..................

My primary fuel is fat, moderate protein and very low carb. I keep my carbs around 45 grams per day.

So far today, I have had 2 ribeye steaks, one for breakfast and one for lunch, along with a small caesar salad.

I will probably have the same for supper tonight. I am eating a lot of red meat after having a long, painful and absurdly heavy TOM - called my Dr and he had me come in this morning to do blood work to test for iron deficiency............I am a little low and do not wish to supplement with FE tablets. So, I am upping my spinach intake, collard greens, and Ribeye steaks so I can get my iron up fast.

I may even throw some steel cut oats in the crock pot tonight and cook for me to have in the morning.

LeanLioness

I know people that are on ketogenic diets that are training for triathalons and marathons...........

They are training hard and they are always full of energy and recover with no issues. One of the persons I know does a Zero Carb WOL...................

She only eats steak and hamburger and drinks water. Nothing else.

Here is their website...............

I know their way of eating is highly controversial. I can't eat that way long term due to boredom.

http://zeroinginonhealth.com/

SHBoss1673

90 to 150 g carb diets are different from ketogenic diets. With the former, the body hasn't changed over to ketosis yet, and is still attempting to use carbs as the primary fuel source, so yes, you would be sluggish, because you are eating few carbs, but not few enough to kick in ketosis. In the latter, the body has no carbs to use, so it changes it's primary fuel source over to fat and protein as a backup, which, while slower to create glycogen than carbs, would provide plenty of fuel for sustained below maximal effort activities. Most experts (and plans) agree around 40 to 50 grams of carbs is the tipping point, where your body changes from a carbohydrate metabolism to a ketogenic metabolism, but it's different for everyone.

So I just think it's a case of us talking about 2 different things. What Kim was originally talking about was no carb diets (or extremely low) which is ketogenic (at least I THINK that's what she was talking about).

mrd232

90 to 150 g carb diets are different from ketogenic diets. With the former, the body hasn't changed over to ketosis yet, and is still attempting to use carbs as the primary fuel source, so yes, you would be sluggish, because you are eating few carbs, but not few enough to kick in ketosis. In the latter, the body has no carbs to use, so it changes it's primary fuel source over to fat and protein as a backup, which, while slower to create glycogen than carbs, would provide plenty of fuel for sustained below maximal effort activities. Most experts (and plans) agree around 40 to 50 grams of carbs is the tipping point, where your body changes from a carbohydrate metabolism to a ketogenic metabolism, but it's different for everyone.

So I just think it's a case of us talking about 2 different things. What Kim was originally talking about was no carb diets (or extremely low) which is ketogenic (at least I THINK that's what she was talking about).

The title is confusing as it implies "no carbs" which is quite different from "no grains."

No grains doesn't necessarily imply severely low carb as you say, but most who avoid grains are also mindful of other carbohydrates.