101 reasons Carbs are great and should be part of your diet

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  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've heard of several endurance athletes who are VLC.

    Not that I'm a big LC proponent. My diet is sorta LC (usually <150g), but not because I believe that is the holy grail of dietary nirvana. It just happens to be how my macros play out on most days.

    My cousin has a friend who runs a lot and does low carb. Except for soft pretzels.

    I was thinking more of a Tim Olsen or a Ben Greenfield. (Maybe when I'm back at a computer, I can use the google machine more effectively.) I know I've heard a few podcast interviews with LC endurance athletes, but like I said, not exactly my thing...(either the LC or the endurance athlete thing). And I'm not entirely ruling out that guys who do this are wizards.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Here are a couple athletes who are pretty successful on a paleo, primal or a whole foods low carb diet and corresponding links as proof.

    Apolo Ohno http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/sports/olympics/20ohno.html?_r=2

    Aaron Rodgers http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/columns/story?id=6076694
    Doesn't actually say he is but he's been spotted with a paleo book.

    Novak Djokovic http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576327624238594818.html

    John Welbourn http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5021601
    In this article he states a bunch of the New England Patriots were Paleo as well but didn't provide names.

    Christian Vande Velde http://archive.mensjournal.com/winning-without-wheat

    Grant Hill and Steve Nash http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/129699

    I expect to be torn apart for posting this but I don't care.
    I'm not going to tear you apart- mostly because I just don't care. I don't understand why the low carb people come and bomb threads about carbohydrates- why do you care that other people like and enjoy carbohydrates? I assume you're paleo, and I'm sure you find it pointless and annoying when vegans go in to a paleo thread and drop propaganda- because it's stupid and a waste of breath. Nobody participating in a paleo thread is going to read a vegan post and go "oh, perhaps I should radically change my life because of this information" and nobody reading this thread that likes carbs is going to go "Oh, perhaps I can be an endurance athlete and low carb!". You're just stirring up *kitten* for the sake of stirring up *kitten*, and I'm not going to go research these athletes so I can counter attack. I don't care if there are people that make it work- it's a radical lifestyle that I don't have any interest in making it work

    FTR, I participated in a low-carb thread last night, to ask questions that I was curious about, and managed to do it without being an rude.
    edit to fix typos.
  • ipag
    ipag Posts: 137
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    Here are a couple athletes who are pretty successful on a paleo, primal or a whole foods low carb diet and corresponding links as proof.

    Apolo Ohno http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/sports/olympics/20ohno.html?_r=2

    Aaron Rodgers http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/columns/story?id=6076694
    Doesn't actually say he is but he's been spotted with a paleo book.

    Novak Djokovic http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576327624238594818.html

    John Welbourn http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5021601
    In this article he states a bunch of the New England Patriots were Paleo as well but didn't provide names.

    Christian Vande Velde http://archive.mensjournal.com/winning-without-wheat

    Grant Hill and Steve Nash http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/129699

    I expect to be torn apart for posting this but I don't care.
    I'm not going to tear you apart- mostly because I just don't care. I don't understand why the low carb people come and bomb threads about carbohydrates- why do you care that other people like and enjoy carbohydrates? I assume you're paleo, and I'm sure you find it pointless and annoying when vegans go in to a paleo thread and drop propaganda- because it's stupid and a waste of breath. Nobody participating in a paleo thread is going to read a vegan post and go "oh, perhaps I should radically change my life because of this information" and nobody reading this thread that likes carbs is going to go "Oh, perhaps I can be an endurance athlete and low carb!". You're just stirring up *kitten* for the sake of stirring up *kitten*, and I'm not going to go research these athletes so I can counter attack. I don't care if there are people that make it work- it's a radical lifestyle that I don't have any interest in making it work. I quoted this post, but this message really applies to all carb haters that seem to care if other people eat carbs, vegans, and anyone else looking to st!r **** without any real possibility of converting anyone.

    FTR, I participated in a low-carb thread last night, to ask questions that I was curious about, and managed to do it without being an *kitten*.
    edit to fix typos.

    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.

    I'm sorry, a thread saying carbs are delicious and a good source of energy is an "inflammatory" thread?!?!?! You have no idea what my intentions were, please speak for yourself.
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.

    You offered 7 athletes.

    May I point you to every other athlete in the world that does eat carbs? (also, AFAIK paleo doesn't mean zero carbs)

    I liked that analogy before. "You could drive a car with you're feet, doesn't mean it's a good idea."
  • MamaWalkingBear
    MamaWalkingBear Posts: 49 Member
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    85% Dark Chocolate...more than just carbs fat and protein.....but those carbs do taste great!!!

    Antioxidants
    The Mayo Clinic suggests eating dark chocolate for its high antioxidant content, as it contains more antioxidants that most fruits or vegetables. The antioxidants in chocolate and other foods can be useful in fighting damage to cells caused by normal cell breakdown as well as exposure to dangerous substances, such as pollution and cigarette smoke. According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of Selected Foods 2007, which was published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chocolate contains more antioxidants than many fruits, such as blueberries, that are typically considered high in antioxidants



    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348641-nutritional-information-for-one-ounce-of-dark-chocolate/#ixzz249VAbUA8
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    85% Dark Chocolate...more than just carbs fat and protein.....but those carbs do taste great!!!

    Antioxidants
    The Mayo Clinic suggests eating dark chocolate for its high antioxidant content, as it contains more antioxidants that most fruits or vegetables. The antioxidants in chocolate and other foods can be useful in fighting damage to cells caused by normal cell breakdown as well as exposure to dangerous substances, such as pollution and cigarette smoke. According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of Selected Foods 2007, which was published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chocolate contains more antioxidants than many fruits, such as blueberries, that are typically considered high in antioxidants

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348641-nutritional-information-for-one-ounce-of-dark-chocolate/#ixzz249VAbUA8

    Absolutely.

    It's about being aware of what you are doing and making it fit into your personal tolerances.

    I guess I am 'low carb' (50g a day, I prefer to think of this as 'adequate carb' for me) but I have been known to have some chocolate or ice cream. Hell, I have some garlic bread if I feel like it. Radical.

    To pick up on a previous point about low carbers being vocal, there is so much BS spouted about the 'dangers' of low carbing (I can think of a particularly dumb example yesterday) that people who live this way feel the need to speak up so others may at least get the option of trying it.

    It's either that or we collectively retreat to the 'safety' of the Low Carb forum, and that isn't my way ...
  • ipag
    ipag Posts: 137
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    I'm sorry, a thread saying carbs are delicious and a good source of energy is an "inflammatory" thread?!?!?! You have no idea what my intentions were, please speak for yourself.
    Edited by MoreBean13 on Mon 08/20/12 09:30 PM

    You are right I don't know what your intentions are and last I checked I was speaking for myself as it is my interpretation of your intentions. I entered this thread with the intention of expanding my knowledge, 101 reason, I can't wait to read this. Well,I'm still waiting for the other 98 reasons.

    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.

    You offered 7 athletes.

    May I point you to every other athlete in the world that does eat carbs? (also, AFAIK paleo doesn't mean zero carbs)

    I liked that analogy before. "You could drive a car with you're feet, doesn't mean it's a good idea."

    Sorry, I couldn't include every athlete ever, I thought including several successful athletes might dissuade the notion that athletes can't perform if they don't eat carb heavy meals. Also, I never said paleo was zero carb.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    85% Dark Chocolate...more than just carbs fat and protein.....but those carbs do taste great!!!

    Antioxidants
    The Mayo Clinic suggests eating dark chocolate for its high antioxidant content, as it contains more antioxidants that most fruits or vegetables. The antioxidants in chocolate and other foods can be useful in fighting damage to cells caused by normal cell breakdown as well as exposure to dangerous substances, such as pollution and cigarette smoke. According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of Selected Foods 2007, which was published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chocolate contains more antioxidants than many fruits, such as blueberries, that are typically considered high in antioxidants

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348641-nutritional-information-for-one-ounce-of-dark-chocolate/#ixzz249VAbUA8

    Absolutely.

    It's about being aware of what you are doing and making it fit into your personal tolerances.

    I guess I am 'low carb' (50g a day, I prefer to think of this as 'adequate carb' for me) but I have been known to have some chocolate or ice cream. Hell, I have some garlic bread if I feel like it. Radical.

    To pick up on a previous point about low carbers being vocal, there is so much BS spouted about the 'dangers' of low carbing (I can think of a particularly dumb example yesterday) that people who live this way feel the need to speak up so others may at least get the option of trying it.

    It's either that or we collectively retreat to the 'safety' of the Low Carb forum, and that isn't my way ...
    Don't you think it's possible that you're just tuning in to the anti-low-carb comments more than anti-other-things because you feel a certain kinship to it? I can think of a couple of dumb posts about the dangers of low carb- in fact, I bet I even know which one you're referring to yesterday, but it's not like the world is against low-carb.Low carb dieting is such a pervasive idea right now, that believing you CAN eat carbohydrates and lose weight is the minority. Fat used to be the evil macro, now it's carbs. I'm actually not against low carb dieting, but I really hate that people think you MUST go low carb to lose weight, which is the idea the mass media is currently promoting.
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
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    *looks at ticker*

    Riiiiiiiiiight. Whatever makes you feel better!
    I lost 150 lbs before I even started logging calories eating as many unmonitored carbs as I wanted and I'm still losing weight steadily on over 100g of carbs a day. Come at me bro.

    She never said carbs were better or more essential than any other macronutrient, she just said they were delicious and a good source of energy. You can't really argue with either of those points, and nobody is forcing you to change your diet if it's working for you. People really need to stop attacking other people working toward the same goal in a different way. We're all gonna get there, and nobody is gonna do it better or worse than anyone else - we do what works for us and that's that.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.

    You offered 7 athletes.

    May I point you to every other athlete in the world that does eat carbs? (also, AFAIK paleo doesn't mean zero carbs)

    I liked that analogy before. "You could drive a car with you're feet, doesn't mean it's a good idea."

    Carl Lewis, is a vegan. Go figure.

    I ran a marathon two weeks ago. I eat nothing but "carbs." That's starchy carbs like rice and potatoes. I jog everyday 5-6 miles. I am sure others who follow other diets do more. Whatever works.
  • necoates77
    necoates77 Posts: 2 Member
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    Carbs are delicious.

    I love them too but they make me retain water and bloat out. I need to figure out which ones are doing this to me (think it's wheat).
    Eat all the fruit you want, eat whole grains sometimes, and refined carbs like flour/sugar very sparingly.
    This is the train of thought I've been on lately and I'm finally losing the last few annoying pounds. The USDA food pyramid recommends an ungodly amount of grains.

    The USDA food pyramid would fatten up a cow nicely.
  • ipag
    ipag Posts: 137
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    Just the reply I was expecting! A statement was made that you can't be a low carb athlete, I offered proof to the contrary yet i'm the jerk. This whole thread is inflammatory and was made with the intention to incite fights with low carb, no carb people so you are guilty of the very same thing you are accusing me of.

    You offered 7 athletes.

    May I point you to every other athlete in the world that does eat carbs? (also, AFAIK paleo doesn't mean zero carbs)

    I liked that analogy before. "You could drive a car with you're feet, doesn't mean it's a good idea."

    Carl Lewis, is a vegan. Go figure.

    I ran a marathon two weeks ago. I eat nothing but "carbs." That's starchy carbs like rice and potatoes. I jog everyday 5-6 miles. I am sure others who follow other diets do more. Whatever works.

    Exactly, stereotypes are always wrong, plus I'm sure there are way more vegan athletes then just Carl Lewis. Whatever works is a great philosophy!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    85% Dark Chocolate...more than just carbs fat and protein.....but those carbs do taste great!!!

    Antioxidants
    The Mayo Clinic suggests eating dark chocolate for its high antioxidant content, as it contains more antioxidants that most fruits or vegetables. The antioxidants in chocolate and other foods can be useful in fighting damage to cells caused by normal cell breakdown as well as exposure to dangerous substances, such as pollution and cigarette smoke. According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of Selected Foods 2007, which was published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, chocolate contains more antioxidants than many fruits, such as blueberries, that are typically considered high in antioxidants

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348641-nutritional-information-for-one-ounce-of-dark-chocolate/#ixzz249VAbUA8

    Absolutely.

    It's about being aware of what you are doing and making it fit into your personal tolerances.

    I guess I am 'low carb' (50g a day, I prefer to think of this as 'adequate carb' for me) but I have been known to have some chocolate or ice cream. Hell, I have some garlic bread if I feel like it. Radical.

    To pick up on a previous point about low carbers being vocal, there is so much BS spouted about the 'dangers' of low carbing (I can think of a particularly dumb example yesterday) that people who live this way feel the need to speak up so others may at least get the option of trying it.

    It's either that or we collectively retreat to the 'safety' of the Low Carb forum, and that isn't my way ...

    I think I know the post you are talking about (the 'you need carbohydrates for your brain to work or you will die " one) - well that was pretty much slammed down by a lot of people (including me ironically who cannot see the point of low carb but who also does not like misinformation). So, that was addressed pretty well in the thread in which it was made.

    Off topic: I hate dark chocolate but love milk chocolate. I need to look into how 'diluted' the benefits are for milk chocolate.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Off topic: I hate dark chocolate but love milk chocolate. I need to look into how 'diluted' the benefits are for milk chocolate.
    Friendship revoked.
  • SurfinBird1981
    SurfinBird1981 Posts: 517 Member
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    Vive la difference! Who cares :smokin:
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
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    *shrugs* im diabetic still eat carbs tho i avoid the potatoes it skyrockets my blood sugar too fast for my comfort i just make dont eat as much as i used to and make sure i have protein with it however when i run i have a piece of fruit and some wheat toast before my runs and eggs with cheese afterwards
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Off topic: I hate dark chocolate but love milk chocolate. I need to look into how 'diluted' the benefits are for milk chocolate.
    Friendship revoked.

    :sad: :sad: :sad:
  • ElizaDnl
    ElizaDnl Posts: 46
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    Here are a couple athletes who are pretty successful on a paleo, primal or a whole foods low carb diet and corresponding links as proof.

    Apolo Ohno http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/sports/olympics/20ohno.html?_r=2

    Aaron Rodgers http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/columns/story?id=6076694
    Doesn't actually say he is but he's been spotted with a paleo book.

    Novak Djokovic http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576327624238594818.html

    John Welbourn http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=5021601
    In this article he states a bunch of the New England Patriots were Paleo as well but didn't provide names.

    Christian Vande Velde http://archive.mensjournal.com/winning-without-wheat

    Grant Hill and Steve Nash http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/129699

    I expect to be torn apart for posting this but I don't care.

    I didn't follow your links, but I do follow tennis closely, and nowhere have I ever read that Djokovic is on a low carb diet. He eats gluten free due to celiacs disease, how's that low carb? Plenty of carbs in potatoes and rice. Going by just the titles of your links, that applies to at least one more athlete ("winning-without-wheat")
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I didn't follow your links, but I do follow tennis closely, and nowhere have I ever read that Djokovic is on a low carb diet. He eats gluten free due to celiacs disease, how's that low carb?
    Depends what he actually does eat, knowing he avoids gluten doesn't get us very far.