Are carbs good, or bad?

MissChelleBelle · February 2011

It all depends on what KIND of carbs you eat. The question could really be, are fruit & vegetables BAD?! NO!!! But did you know, ALL fruit & veg ARE carbs? I didn't think about that until I did a cleanse that I picked up at the health food store, and went to the website and downloaded the food chart. (http://www.recleanse.com/?page=nutrition)

I always thought that "carbs" just referred to pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, and all grains. These carbs are referred to as high density carbs and are transformed into glucose and released into our blood stream in a fairly rapid fashion. The more processed a grain is, the higher it is in the rank of the carbohydrate density. When we eat these foods, enzymes such as pepsin digest the starchy foods in the stomach and quickly break it down to glucose that is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. This explains why 30 minutes after eating a meal with starchy food the blood sugar level has risen to elevated levels stimulating the pancreas to pour out insulin.

Legumes and beans are also considered to be higher density carbs, but they are a very health carb choice. Be careful of the amount of sodium there is in canned beans. Rinse them under running water for at least 1 minute, and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sodium will be washed away. Beans and legumes are higher in fibre and are also a great source of protein.

Barley and oats, as long as they are not processed into flour and instant cereals contain more fibre, and the transformation into glucose is somewhat slower. Medium density carbohydrate foods would be root vegetables like potatoes, yams, turnips, carrots, and squash.

Most fruit would rate as medium density carbs, except for varieties that are high in sugar, like bananas, mangos, or papayas. Obviously they are at the higher limit of "medium". Also dried fruit have undergone a change in the processing: water is removed through dehydration, and the result is an intensely sweet product, which has become a high density carbohydrate food.

Most vegetables fall into the low density category, as they all contain a lot of fibre and water. We are looking at leafy vegetables like salad greens and spinach, chard, cabbage varieties, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, as well as sprouts, like bean sprouts, alfalfa or mixed sprouts. They are a great source of carbohydrates that are slowly transformed into glucose, and this way the response of insulin is less dramatic. When it comes to low density carbohydrates we can feel free to fill our plate with them. The benefit is also a good dose of fiber and an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

So, if someone tells you to avoid carbs to lose weight, do you think they're telling you to not eat your fruits & veggies? Go for the lower density carbs, and be careful in your higher density carb choices, and eat them in moderation.

Ge0rgiana · February 2011

Seriously, can someone put a sticky on this? :bigsmile:

megano_d · February 2011

Your brain needs carbs to function so anyone who tells you not to eat them isnt thinking!

MissChelleBelle · February 2011

Your brain needs carbs to function so anyone who tells you not to eat them isnt thinking!

MissChelleBelle · February 2011

I love my carbs, and over the past 3 mos since starting MFP, I've learned how to adjust what kinds of carbs I eat. I used to fill up my plate with white spaghetti noodles, scarf that down, and then have a second plate full with just parm. And don't forget the garlic bread.... could easily eat a whole loaf, but now I have just a little piece. I know that by adjusting the carbs I eat, my weight has been coming off no problem! Making healthier carb choices has definitely made a difference for me!

llkilgore · February 2011

Excellent post, but if I can make one tiny correction... Pepsin is a protease. The enzyme you're looking for is amylase, which is present in saliva and begins the breakdown of starch to sugar in your mouth. That's why bread tastes sweet if you chew it long enough.

TrainerRobin · February 2011

It all depends on what KIND of carbs you eat. The question could really be, are fruit & vegetables BAD?! NO!!! But did you know, ALL fruit & veg ARE carbs? I didn't think about that until I did a cleanse that I picked up at the health food store, and went to the website and downloaded the food chart. (http://www.recleanse.com/?page=nutrition)

I always thought that "carbs" just referred to pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, and all grains. These carbs are referred to as high density carbs and are transformed into glucose and released into our blood stream in a fairly rapid fashion. The more processed a grain is, the higher it is in the rank of the carbohydrate density. When we eat these foods, enzymes such as pepsin digest the starchy foods in the stomach and quickly break it down to glucose that is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. This explains why 30 minutes after eating a meal with starchy food the blood sugar level has risen to elevated levels stimulating the pancreas to pour out insulin.

Legumes and beans are also considered to be higher density carbs, but they are a very health carb choice. Be careful of the amount of sodium there is in canned beans. Rinse them under running water for at least 1 minute, and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the sodium will be washed away. Beans and legumes are higher in fibre and are also a great source of protein.

Barley and oats, as long as they are not processed into flour and instant cereals contain more fibre, and the transformation into glucose is somewhat slower. Medium density carbohydrate foods would be root vegetables like potatoes, yams, turnips, carrots, and squash.

Most fruit would rate as medium density carbs, except for varieties that are high in sugar, like bananas, mangos, or papayas. Obviously they are at the higher limit of "medium". Also dried fruit have undergone a change in the processing: water is removed through dehydration, and the result is an intensely sweet product, which has become a high density carbohydrate food.

Most vegetables fall into the low density category, as they all contain a lot of fibre and water. We are looking at leafy vegetables like salad greens and spinach, chard, cabbage varieties, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, as well as sprouts, like bean sprouts, alfalfa or mixed sprouts. They are a great source of carbohydrates that are slowly transformed into glucose, and this way the response of insulin is less dramatic. When it comes to low density carbohydrates we can feel free to fill our plate with them. The benefit is also a good dose of fiber and an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

So, if someone tells you to avoid carbs to lose weight, do you think they're telling you to not eat your fruits & veggies? Go for the lower density carbs, and be careful in your higher density carb choices, and eat them in moderation.

Well said. Thank you! This fear of all things carbohydrate drives me nuts at times. But I think you nailed it -- I suspect you're right about people thinking carbs = processed white carbs which aren't desireable. Thanks for a well thought out answer.
Very good! :drinker:

_Bro · February 2011

I did the low carb thing and looked like a skinny rat.
Sure, I lost weight but burned a good bit of muscle as well.

Now I consume GOOD Carbs and feel much better... Playing around with cycling them right now

Lesson learned:
Restrictive diets are a long road to eventual failure/disappointment.

MissChelleBelle · February 2011

Excellent post, but if I can make one tiny correction... Pepsin is a protease. The enzyme you're looking for is amylase, which is present in saliva and begins the breakdown of starch to sugar in your mouth. That's why bread tastes sweet if you chew it long enough.

Thanks for the correction!

TrainerRobin · February 2011

I did the low carb thing and looked like a skinny rat.
Sure, I lost weight but burned a good bit of muscle as well.

Now I consume GOOD Carbs and feel much better... Playing around with cycling them right now

Lesson learned:
Restrictive diets are a long road to eventual failure/disappointment.

And it's working for you! :drinker:

TwilaG · February 2011

I grew up on beans, corn, potatoes and gravy, and bread. It is hard getting away from eating those a lot. I am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I have had many questions about carbs and this post has really helped. Thank you!

AnnaPixie · February 2011

Thanks for this post. It really bothers me when people cut carbs. I've tried myself (who hasn't tried the Atkins?) and nearly passed out, let alone the fact I wanted to kill someone!! Lack of brain nourishment led to the crazies, I kid you not!! :noway:

We should start a campaign to protect the 'good' carb!!! :bigsmile:

AnnaPixie · February 2011

I did the low carb thing and looked like a skinny rat.
Sure, I lost weight but burned a good bit of muscle as well.

Now I consume GOOD Carbs and feel much better... Playing around with cycling them right now

Lesson learned:
Restrictive diets are a long road to eventual failure/disappointment.

Well you certainly dont look like a 'skinny rat' now - awesome! :bigsmile:

lodro · February 2011

Thanks for this post. It really bothers me when people cut carbs. I've tried myself (who hasn't tried the Atkins?) and nearly passed out, let alone the fact I wanted to kill someone!! Lack of brain nourishment led to the crazies, I kid you not!! :noway:

We should start a campaign to protect the 'good' carb!!! :bigsmile:

considering that the Atkins diet contains quite some carbs, I wonder how that was possible.

soysos · February 2011

the carbs in wheat or any grain for that matter are of the same concentration and type with or without the bran. it doesn't matter if your eating white bread or whole wheat (witch is only about 40% whole wheat anyway, without adding chemicals) the carbs are the same. white flour, or white rice, etc. is not processed much more than the whole variety, they blast it with steam then shake the hell out of it, thats it. the big difference is that with the whole grains you get the addition of iron and b complex vitamins witch are easily gotten elsewhere, if you don't like the taste of whole grains it is not a significant loss.

sorry about the rant just needed to say that somewhere.

lhague · February 2011

The low carb diets are unhealthy. Cutting out one thing in you diet is absurd, what happens when it is reintroduced, you balloon. The healthy diets are a higher % of carbs. Now that doesn't mean pasta, potatoes, and such. Fruit, veggies, and such. Even MFP gives you higher % of carbs.

It all boils down to being smart about what you eat and not cutting one food group out because of the hype. Your body needs the energy, which you get from carbs.

Isn't it ironic that Atkins died of a heart attack? :huh:

MissChelleBelle · February 2011

the carbs in wheat or any grain for that matter are of the same concentration and type with or without the bran. it doesn't matter if your eating white bread or whole wheat (witch is only about 40% whole wheat anyway, without adding chemicals) the carbs are the same. white flour, or white rice, etc. is not processed much more than the whole variety, they blast it with steam then shake the hell out of it, thats it. the big difference is that with the whole grains you get the addition of iron and b complex vitamins witch are easily gotten elsewhere, if you don't like the taste of whole grains it is not a significant loss.

sorry about the rant just needed to say that somewhere.

True, white & brown rice, or whole grain bread & white bread do have the same amount of carbs. One major bonus of eating the whole grain, though, is the insoluble fibre they contain. If you log 1 cup of white rice, and 1 cup of brown rice, there is 4x the fibre in the brown, and about 7x the fibre in a slice of whole grain bread over 1 slice of white bread. The fibre will help you feel fuller, faster. If you're struggling to stay within your calorie goal, make the switch to whole grains, and you will not need to eat as many high density carbs to feel "full".

Thanks for the feedback!

lodro · February 2011

The low carb diets are unhealthy. Cutting out one thing in you diet is absurd, what happens when it is reintroduced, you balloon. The healthy diets are a higher % of carbs. Now that doesn't mean pasta, potatoes, and such. Fruit, veggies, and such. Even MFP gives you higher % of carbs.

It all boils down to being smart about what you eat and not cutting one food group out because of the hype. Your body needs the energy, which you get from carbs.

Isn't it ironic that Atkins died of a heart attack? :huh:

Considering the fact that Atkins died from the consequences of falling down a flight of stairs, that's quite ironic, yes.

Also, even Atkins does not cut out all carbs: on the Atkins maintenance phase you're eating quite some carbohydrate. However, MFP setting you up for 250 grams of carbs daily is simply too high a glycemic load. Especially if you are insulin resistant, and I think many overweight people are.

lhague · February 2011

Okay you are correct, his did not die from a hear attack but did suffer one.

Site and quote listed below.

Was Atkins Overweight?
William Leith, an writer who interviewed him around the time of his cardiac arrest stated that "he looks to be just under 6 feet tall and around 200 lbs – not skinny, not thin,

NOTE - The original Atkins diet was completely unhealthy. And I note you say maintenance. The diet is it's current form is different.

lhague · February 2011

And this is by far the best source of information that completely breaks the diet down and what medical doctors have to say about it. We always refer our patients to this site when they have concerns about anything. WebMD

http://www.webmd.com/diet/atkins-diet-what-it-is

You are right to point out that some may not be able to have that many carbs. That is why anyone planning to go on a diet should consult their physician.

soysos · February 2011

it is also worth noting that the carbs in fruit are almost entirely disaccharides are broken down and metabolized much more rapidly than the polysaccharides in vegetables, and grains.

Are carbs good, or bad?

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