why do people think carbs are so bad/evil?

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  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    How many skinny/slim/athletic people think carbs are evil?
  • sarahbrown1015
    sarahbrown1015 Posts: 92 Member
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    This has been an interesting/ confusing post for me. I eat around 100 grams a day, and I try to get all of that most days from fruit, beans, and small amounts of dairy. I was just diagnosed with PCOS which is what made me go mostly grain free with the exception of a nice meal out about once a week. Where the confusion comes in for me is the running. I'm trying to learn to be a runner(week 5!) and I'm worried after reading some of the posts that I'm not getting enough carbs to run. I try to evenly distribute my carbs through the day and I try to pair it with a lean protein. Sound ok? Runners?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    This has been an interesting/ confusing post for me. I eat around 100 grams a day, and I try to get all of that most days from fruit, beans, and small amounts of dairy. I was just diagnosed with PCOS which is what made me go mostly grain free with the exception of a nice meal out about once a week. Where the confusion comes in for me is the running. I'm trying to learn to be a runner(week 5!) and I'm worried after reading some of the posts that I'm not getting enough carbs to run. I try to evenly distribute my carbs through the day and I try to pair it with a lean protein. Sound ok? Runners?

    It's one of those things where you'll know if it's not right- If you feel lethargic or tired running, and especially if you feel like you're "hitting the wall" or "bonking" on a run, I would suggest having a carb-y snack 60 or 90 minutes before you go, and see if that helps. I usually have a bagel or soft pretzel, but if you're grain limited a banana would be a great choice.

    It's a little tougher being a new runner because you may not be able to feel the difference between a run being hard or being low on glucose. Here's a way you can test it- pickup a packet of 'gu' before your next run. Do half the run, then use the Gu, and take a ten minute walking break in the middle of the run. After 10 minutes do the second half of the run, and see if you feel better than the first half with the glucose supplement. If the second half feels significantly different, you should have more carbs on run days before you hit the road. HTH! :flowerforyou:
  • sarahbrown1015
    sarahbrown1015 Posts: 92 Member
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    This has been an interesting/ confusing post for me. I eat around 100 grams a day, and I try to get all of that most days from fruit, beans, and small amounts of dairy. I was just diagnosed with PCOS which is what made me go mostly grain free with the exception of a nice meal out about once a week. Where the confusion comes in for me is the running. I'm trying to learn to be a runner(week 5!) and I'm worried after reading some of the posts that I'm not getting enough carbs to run. I try to evenly distribute my carbs through the day and I try to pair it with a lean protein. Sound ok? Runners?

    It's one of those things where you'll know if it's not right- If you feel lethargic or tired running, and especially if you feel like you're "hitting the wall" or "bonking" on a run, I would suggest having a carb-y snack 60 or 90 minutes before you go, and see if that helps. I usually have a bagel or soft pretzel, but if you're grain limited a banana would be a great choice.

    It's a little tougher being a new runner because you may not be able to feel the difference between a run being hard or being low on glucose. Here's a way you can test it- pickup a packet of 'gu' before your next run. Do half the run, then use the Gu, and take a ten minute walking break in the middle of the run. After 10 minutes do the second half of the run, and see if you feel better than the first half with the glucose supplement. If the second half feels significantly different, you should have more carbs on run days before you hit the road. HTH! :flowerforyou:




    thanks! i'm going to try that little experiment!
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
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    Carbs are goooooooood.. nom nom nom!
  • Waagosh2012
    Waagosh2012 Posts: 8
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    This subject has always confused me too. For example, I read somehwere that some of the healthiest populations (Okinawans, Sardinians, etc..) have a diet that consists of a high amount of carbs. Here is one of many articles: http://okinawa-diet.com/okinawa_diet/okinawa_diet_details.html.
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    I eat a plant based whole foods diet so it is very high in carbs, very low in fat and lower than average protein, and it is working for me. I think a lot of people also confuse simple carbs (breads, bagels, sugar, ect) with complex carbs like vegetables, grains and beans, which are also sources of protein and fiber and low in calories compared to the simple carbs.

    http://www.drmcdougall.com/medical_nutrition.html

    Sugar is a simple carb.
    Bread and bagels are complex carbs.

    not really if made with refined white flour which breaks the chain into smaller bits...comparatively from a chemical standpoint .not nearly as complex or healthy a choice as rolled oats or brown rice. My point was that there are carb choices that are healthier than others...such as choosing beans and brown rice over muffins, or bagels. The whole foods, in the state closest to how they were grown, are more nutrient dense and have fewer calories than the processed versions which have more calories and fewer nutrients for the same amount of food.
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    I am going through school for nutrition right now, and I'm gonna lay it all out for you okay? :)

    Carbs get a very bad reputation, but the unfortunate thing is that all carbs get grouped together, and this is not good! Carbs SHOULD account for around 60% of your calories. This is because it is our main energy source, and if we do not have proper carb intake your body will go to proteins first, which should be used to build up muscle instead of giving you energy

    these are in all pasta, rice, bread, flour, legumes and many fruit and veggies in varying degrees. BUT, it is the refined version of these that are the problem... white bread, white pasta, white rice, and the number one problem: sugar.. (and some would argue - potatoes but I am not one of those people) When you take grains and strip them of all their nutrients and fibre you get something that goes through digestion so quick, then to blood sugar, then to fat, while also spiking your insulin and putting you at risk for diabetes. Sugar is by far the worst in the list of carbs because it provides no nutrients, and goes straight to the blood.
    But the whole grains, 100% whole wheat (not necessarily 'multigrain'), and other whole/intact grains, go through your body so much slower and give you so many critical nutrients like B vitamins and other minerals, that whole grains and beans are really very important.
    Carbs also help with:
    satiety - keeping you fuller longer
    whole grain carbs have a ton of vitamins and minerals and are a good source of protein as well
    a good source of fibre (soluble and insoluble)
    sustaining a happy relationship with food ( if you feel robbed of carbs all the time, thats only going to make you resent your diet)

    Moral of the story:
    whole grains and natural carb sources ( like fruit and veggies) are critical for good heath
    refined grains and sugar are not good for you (but IN MODERATION can help you feel happy about what your eating)

    I hope that wasn't toooo much information, if you have any questions or are confused about anything, just let me know:)

    agreed! And I too love potatoes...and eat baked potatoes regularly (with salsa no salt or dairy) and it is working reat for me..I am never hungry and losing weight is easier than eny time I tried before!
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    It's the same as people saying that Chinese food is bad for you. (or so many other foods)

    Smoking tobacco is bad for you. Food is not. :ohwell:

    some of what we Americans call Chinese food...where everything is fried and so meat centered are not so healthy but a traditional Asian diet which was mostly rice and vegetables, small amounts of lean meats sure is!!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    This is layman as I can make it while still giving details: Carbs are quick processing sugars and if you're not burning them any time soon, they tend to store as fat. That being said, when you eat lots of carbs, your insulin spikes. A diet regularly high in carbs leads to higher insulin production. That then numbs your cells to processing the carbs and without being processed that insulin builds up your insulin tolerance. This key is the start of diabetes. Lowering carbs is the first step to getting the roller coaster between insulin and glucose under control.

    On the opposite end, however, you need carbs when you are regularly exercising. Those quick burning energy stores are required when you run regularly to replenish what your muscles burn. Long runs (marathons) especially rely on the carb loading they do both before and after a long endurance run to make it to the finish without injury or illness. And on that note....

    I can personally testify that IHOP pancakes have never tasted better than the day I ran my first half marathon. :love:

    Any food that causes you to go over your calorie goal is stored as fat. Carbs aren't stored as fat any differently than protein or fat.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I eat a plant based whole foods diet so it is very high in carbs, very low in fat and lower than average protein, and it is working for me. I think a lot of people also confuse simple carbs (breads, bagels, sugar, ect) with complex carbs like vegetables, grains and beans, which are also sources of protein and fiber and low in calories compared to the simple carbs.

    http://www.drmcdougall.com/medical_nutrition.html

    Sugar is a simple carb.
    Bread and bagels are complex carbs.

    not really if made with refined white flour which breaks the chain into smaller bits...comparatively from a chemical standpoint .not nearly as complex or healthy a choice as rolled oats or brown rice. My point was that there are carb choices that are healthier than others...such as choosing beans and brown rice over muffins, or bagels. The whole foods, in the state closest to how they were grown, are more nutrient dense and have fewer calories than the processed versions which have more calories and fewer nutrients for the same amount of food.

    You can't really just make up definitions of carb types to suit your fancy- complex carbohydrates are carbs that are comprised of chains of 3 or more sugar- which ALL starches qualify. Unless your flour is predigested in to simple sugars- it's a complex carbohydrate. Simple sugars include saccharides (fructose, glucose) and Disaccherides (like galactose, sucrose, maltose). Starches are longer chains, and grinding and refining flour do not change starches in to simple sugar- your body does that during digestion.

    I get that your argument is that there are types of carbohydrates that are slower digesting than others, generally the whole-grain ones with fiber, but you can't re-write nutrition to include bread as a simple carbohydrate because it doesn't meet your qualifications as a preferential more slow-digesting carb.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    evil-bread.jpg
  • Ivy_leaves
    Ivy_leaves Posts: 103 Member
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    Anyone who legitimately thinks that any kind of food is bad in the sense that it is evil has some kind of eating disorder. ;|
    I have been living low carb because it helps me focus on dieting and counting calories.
    I don't think carbs are evil. That's ridiculous.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I think the issue is the type of carb. Ill eat brown rice but not white rice, and wheat bread but not white. Its all about what has the best nutrients.

    That's just being silly

    ^^^ No doubt. White bread and white rice are pretty awesome and no worse than brown rice or brown bread. Eating by colors always seemed silly to me.
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    I eat a plant based whole foods diet so it is very high in carbs, very low in fat and lower than average protein, and it is working for me. I think a lot of people also confuse simple carbs (breads, bagels, sugar, ect) with complex carbs like vegetables, grains and beans, which are also sources of protein and fiber and low in calories compared to the simple carbs.

    http://www.drmcdougall.com/medical_nutrition.html

    Sugar is a simple carb.
    Bread and bagels are complex carbs.

    not really if made with refined white flour which breaks the chain into smaller bits...comparatively from a chemical standpoint .not nearly as complex or healthy a choice as rolled oats or brown rice. My point was that there are carb choices that are healthier than others...such as choosing beans and brown rice over muffins, or bagels. The whole foods, in the state closest to how they were grown, are more nutrient dense and have fewer calories than the processed versions which have more calories and fewer nutrients for the same amount of food.

    You can't really just make up definitions of carb types to suit your fancy- complex carbohydrates are carbs that are comprised of chains of 3 or more sugar- which ALL starches qualify. Unless your flour is predigested in to simple sugars- it's a complex carbohydrate. Simple sugars include saccharides (fructose, glucose) and Disaccherides (like galactose, sucrose, maltose). Starches are longer chains, and grinding and refining flour do not change starches in to simple sugar- your body does that during digestion.

    I get that your argument is that there are types of carbohydrates that are slower digesting than others, generally the whole-grain ones with fiber, but you can't re-write nutrition to include bread as a simple carbohydrate because it doesn't meet your qualifications as a preferential more slow-digesting carb.

    wasnt tryin to re-write anything...I misspoke and was trying to clarify.
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=95fpzu38r44
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    I think the issue is the type of carb. Ill eat brown rice but not white rice, and wheat bread but not white. Its all about what has the best nutrients.

    huh???
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    How many skinny/slim/athletic people think carbs are evil?

    ,me...I wouldnt say evil , thats a little extreme, but I am slim and don't eat many carbs, try to keep at 80g a day
  • joannathechef
    joannathechef Posts: 484 Member
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    For me, it is simple: diabetes.

    I was pre-diabetic, went low carb and am now fine.

    Carbs turn into sugar in your system. You overload your system with sugar and you risk diabetes.

    It's not for everyone, but for me....it was necessary.

    me too

    But they are also way too easy to overeat - did you ever eat just one serving of bread or pasta I never did LOL
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=95fpzu38r44

    By posting this, you've pretty much ensured that nobody can take anything you say seriously from this point forward.

    I've been a vegetarian for 20 years- my entire adult life- and I even find this statistically meaningless and offensive.

    I'm sorry that I wasted my time explaining carbohydrates to you, you obviously have zero grasp on how nutrition or health works.

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