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

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  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    Maybe we should start a new thread ;)

    Anyway, made one of my favorite carbs today. Lentils! Oh lentils, how I love thee, let me count the ways.

    1) You can be firm and kind of peppery and great in salads (beluga, french green lentils)
    2) You can be creamy and spicy (curried red lentils)
    3) You can be so inexpensive and delicious in soup with spinach and a little lemon juice (brown lentils)
    4) Overall, you are just so versatile. I can have soup, salad, make veggie burgers with you, spice you multiple ways and you are always delicious.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    carbs from vegetables, fruit, nuts, and dairy are very important. (well maybe not dairy but i love my cream and cheese.. and sour cream.. and yogurt.. mmm)

    carbs from sugar, rice, and grainy things, not so much. way too easy to overeat.

    yesterday my sister mindlessly munched on an entire bag of cheetos and didn't even notice til my son went to have some. there was like an ounce left! that's ~1500 calories she ate without even thinking about it. i used to do that. kinda gross now.
    i just binge on celery and feel much better about it :P

    Thank you Cara! A hardcore low-carber that can participate in a thread without slinging *kitten*. Be still my heart!

    And I forgot to respond...lol....That is a serious concern with carb foods. You do have to fit them in your macros and be mindful of the calories- they sure go down easy.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    This thread went to an ugly place while I was off using carbs, so I'll reset:

    1) Carbs are a good source of energy
    2) Carbs are delicious.

    If you don't like points 1 or 2, I would encourage you to press the "New Topic" button and start a thread that suits your preferences better.

    I would like to add another point, point 3.

    3) If eating carbs from natural sources like starches (potato, squash, corn), they do not cause diseases that affect humans. They only have harmful chemicals because "we" spray it with chemicals. Grow starches in your backyard, away from the poisons and they are "clean" sources of energy. They don't contain saturated fat, only contains essential fats and adequate protein.

    If I had a backyard, it would be an option. Probably not one I would take because I'm allergic to domestic work-type stuff, but I only have a little patch of grass for my dog to poop on.

    You can just clean the outer part of the potato, wash it well. Try washing the e coli out of hamburger patties--you can't!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Maybe we should start a new thread ;)

    Anyway, made one of my favorite carbs today. Lentils! Oh lentils, how I love thee, let me count the ways.

    1) You can be firm and kind of peppery and great in salads (beluga, french green lentils)
    2) You can be creamy and spicy (curried red lentils)
    3) You can be so inexpensive and delicious in soup with spinach and a little lemon juice (brown lentils)
    4) Overall, you are just so versatile. I can have soup, salad, make veggie burgers with you, spice you multiple ways and you are always delicious.

    Lentils are 'da bomb. At ~$1 for ~9 servings they sure help the grocery budget too.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    I also made roasted chickpeas today, chickpeas are another favorite carb of mine

    My favorite ways to eat chickpeas:
    1) roasted chickpeas
    2) Chana masala
    3) Homemade falafel
    4) On Salads
    5) and last but not least, the laziest way: Straight out of the can (yes I can) or straight out of the pressure cooker

    (The chickpeas I made today were made from dried beans)
  • LowcarbNY
    LowcarbNY Posts: 546 Member
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    not to mention that ammonia is a byproduct of gluconeogenesis and thats toxic ****.

    Spare me the hype. What is the byproduct of carbohydrate metabolism? CO2 and water. Not only is CO2 toxic **** (unless you are a plant) , It's a damn green house gas too, You are killing the planet whenever you eat bread!!!!! :noway:
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
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    I can think of at least 35 reasons why carbs arent so great. (See ticker below)

    Can I play too. 33 reasons why carbs are great (looks at ticker below)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I can think of at least 35 reasons why carbs arent so great. (See ticker below)

    Can I play too. 33 reasons why carbs are great (looks at ticker below)

    Very Niiiice! Well played!
  • LowcarbNY
    LowcarbNY Posts: 546 Member
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    You boost your metabolism when you eat carbs!

    Please explain exactly how you think this magik hapens.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
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    I can think of at least 35 reasons why carbs arent so great. (See ticker below)

    Can I play too. 33 reasons why carbs are great (looks at ticker below)

    Very Niiiice! Well played!

    Y thank you kind sir.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    This thread's still alive?
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    not to mention that ammonia is a byproduct of gluconeogenesis and thats toxic ****.

    Spare me the hype. What is the byproduct of carbohydrate metabolism? CO2 and water. Not only is CO2 toxic **** (unless you are a plant) , It's a damn green house gas too, You are killing the planet whenever you eat bread!!!!! :noway:

    CO2 is also a byproduct of breaking down fat, FYI.
  • hulkklogan
    hulkklogan Posts: 77 Member
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    I don't know any low carber that thinks that it's impossible to lose weight while eating carbs. Personally, I advocate a paleo diet not because I think it's impossible to consume carbs and lose weight, but because I genuinely believe that starches, particularly refined starches and sugars, are terrible for your body. Paleo isn't NO carb, in fact I don't know of a single diet that advocates NO carb. Veggies are carbs, just inherently low. When people ask me about paleo, I generally recommend to them anywhere from 50g-100g carbs/day, as that should be in a carb range that is easily burned off but you get the glucose your body needs. I generally stick to about 75g carbs/day. I have sweet potato every week or two, and I try to stick to 2 fruits per day, and at least 4 servings of veggies per day, with 3-4 servings of meat per day. I'm not perfect and I don't keep up with my logging very well, but this lifestyle works well for me and I enjoy it. I understand that not everyone wants to commit to getting rid of carbs, as they are an addiction and some people just enjoy them and do not wish to give them up. I understand that because I'm not supposed to have hummus (legumes) but I refuse to give it up, I could live off of hummus, lol.


    Anyway, I've tried debating many, many times paleo vs 'modern' diet and the only real change that happened was that I realized at some point that it's generally not worth arguing over. Everyone should do what they deem best for themselves. I love this way of eating, I feel great, and I've lost 99 pounds now.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    Oh hummus, I forgot that in my chickpea list. Mmmm hummus.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I don't know any low carber that thinks that it's impossible to lose weight while eating carbs. Personally, I advocate a paleo diet not because I think it's impossible to consume carbs and lose weight, but because I genuinely believe that starches, particularly refined starches and sugars, are terrible for your body. Paleo isn't NO carb, in fact I don't know of a single diet that advocates NO carb. Veggies are carbs, just inherently low. When people ask me about paleo, I generally recommend to them anywhere from 50g-100g carbs/day, as that should be in a carb range that is easily burned off but you get the glucose your body needs. I generally stick to about 75g carbs/day. I have sweet potato every week or two, and I try to stick to 2 fruits per day, and at least 4 servings of veggies per day, with 3-4 servings of meat per day. I'm not perfect and I don't keep up with my logging very well, but this lifestyle works well for me and I enjoy it. I understand that not everyone wants to commit to getting rid of carbs, as they are an addiction and some people just enjoy them and do not wish to give them up. I understand that because I'm not supposed to have hummus (legumes) but I refuse to give it up, I could live off of hummus, lol.


    Anyway, I've tried debating many, many times paleo vs 'modern' diet and the only real change that happened was that I realized at some point that it's generally not worth arguing over. Everyone should do what they deem best for themselves. I love this way of eating, I feel great, and I've lost 99 pounds now.
    Amen brother- do what works for you! I love hummus too- it's like peanut butter in the sense that it pretty much goes with anything. Sweet potatoes are pretty fantastic too. With butter, a little honey, and some plain greek yogurt- foodgasm.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Baked sweet potatoes with ample kerrygold butter is a carb staple of mine lately.

    Mmmmmm....
  • hulkklogan
    hulkklogan Posts: 77 Member
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    Great thing is I don't really even miss all of the grains, outside of occasionally craving a spaghetti or pasta dish... or beer. That's my biggest vice; I usually have beer once a week. I know, it's terrible, empty calories. But I just love beer and love the social times with beer. Liquors just don't do it for me the way beers do. That's usually my cheat. Actually, in the last year and a half or so that I've been losing weight, I've only had maybe 5 cheat meals. All other cheats are beer, lol. Anyone else feel the same way? Just can't give it up altogether?
  • IntenseRSX04
    IntenseRSX04 Posts: 16
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    I can think of at least 35 reasons why carbs arent so great. (See ticker below)

    Can I play too. 33 reasons why carbs are great (looks at ticker below)

    Very Niiiice! Well played!


    heres another... look at my pics

    also, bodybuilders are the leanest athletes on the planet and champion bodybuilders that dont eat carbs are few and far between, u just gotta know how to manipulate carbs
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    I gave up drinking quite a while ago, it really doesn't do anything for me.

    I think chocolate is the one thing I wouldn't be able to give up.

    Speaking of chocolate, it is a great mood enhancer. I start almost every morning with a chocolate protein shake. Once in a while, I'll have a piece of dark chocolate but the daily chocolate fix does me good.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Hooboy.... (eyeroll) If our bodies were designed to burn fat, why do we store it so easily?? Really, can't you go start your own thread somewhere and leave off with the low carb propaganda??

    If our bodies weren't designed to burn fat, then why do we store it so easily in times of plenty? Or, if our bodies were designed to run almost exclusively on carbs, why can we only store about 7g/lb of lean body mass, as opposed to being able to store a virtually unlimited amount of fat, and all but the most strict and dedicated athletes have no less than about 10 pounds of fat?

    We store fat to use as a fuel source when no external one (ie - food) is available. If we didn't, we wouldn't have been able to survive in times of famine.

    And my point would be, based on physiology, our bodies are desiged to burn fat, carbs and protein. I never said our bodies were designed to run almost exclusively on carbs so don't put words in my mouth. Our bodies are quite obviously not designed to burn and one macronutrient exclusively. Or even primarily. Different macros for different functions. All in balance. It's only those with a 'one size fits all" mentality that are pushing the "we were designed to burn fat" and other similar myths.

    Again, if that's what you want to do and it works for you great for you. Your way is not the only way. It is only one of many. Why is it that low carb people are the only ones that push a "one way" agenda and yet others who may follow a different method are constantly saying " that's fine if it works for you" but I'm doing just fine with a different way, and BTW, the research indicates that my works just as well as yours long term and maybe my goals are different than yours? I, myself have made that statement at least 4 times in this thread, a thread about: WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT CARBS, I remind you.

    This isn't some thread about low carb or not. What is the issue with low carb people that they have to push thier agenda like the one true religion at evey opportunity??

    Perhaps it was because of the particular sub-thread I chimed in on, but I don't feel that I was "pushing my agenda" on anyone. The original comment of this thread chain was some BS about how you'd be "stupid and lethargic" without carbs (which has already been pointed out that dietary carbs are technically optional, even if it is nearly impossible to have a sustainable way of eating without eating any carbs whatsoever, which was also pointed out).

    However, your comment/question was "If our bodies were designed to burn fat, why do we store it so easily??", which, along with the number of times I've seen the general notion of "carbs are the building blocks of energy!" and all the other crap that suggests we need hundreds and hundreds of grams of carbs per day, because they're the energy source, I interpreted as "our bodies don't really burn fat, that's why we store it, and that's why we need carbs" and answered according to that specific comment. I apologize if I misinterpreted and/or missed your previous comments (I really wish MFP comments were nested or at least had better quoting). That said, I did play along with the spirit of the thread, as well. Like I said earlier, I love me some in season kiwi, strawberries, and orange, they are yummy (but only when in-season, greenhouse fruits are gross). :)

    That said, since several people don't see how this thread may have come off as trollish, and those that feel that way haven't seemed to explain it well, let me offer my thoughts on that. There have been a number of threads recently that have debated low-carb vs high-carb diets (the most notable one I've seen is the paleo/primal vs vegitarian/vegan one, which is pushing 600 posts and is a gruesome train-wreck for the most part), therefore, it's not a stretch to think, when seeing a title along the lines of "why carbs should be part of your diet", that the poster is looking to flame-bait (and honestly, I'm kind of surprised this thread hasn't been shut down for that reason already). This notion is then reinforced by the fact that the OP doesn't give any objective reasons (much less "101 reasons") to back up that statement. It doesn't help that, at this point, even if the OP started this in jest, the religious debate came out from both sides, adding fuel to the fire.

    Are people thin-skinned on here? Yeah, though from the looks of this thread as a whole, it goes both ways. *shrug*

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