Are carbs really that bad for you??
MichaelAnthony122
Posts: 22
My friend who is a sports and fitness major knows alot about dieting and eating right..he claims that carbs ( such as wheat bread ) and pasta are terrible for you??
is this true? am i really gonna have to give up my carbs even though the carbs I eat are not so bad..thxx
is this true? am i really gonna have to give up my carbs even though the carbs I eat are not so bad..thxx
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Replies
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no unless you have something like Celiac disease0
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I think they are bad, but that is my personal experience since I didn't seem to metabolize the carbs as well once I hit my 40s. Do your own research and decide what is right for you. Some people keep carbs under 150 some under 100 -- i try to keep my under 70. Wheat sources contain gluten which many people have a problem with.0
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thank you
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I tryyyy not to go over carbs, but I pay much more attention to my fat totals and overall calorie totals. I think as long as you don't go over ALL the time, it's fine! Most of my carbs actually come from apples and grapes!0
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Everyone is different. It depends on how your body deals with them. I can't have anything that is processed, but complex carbs are fine for me. So, just try adding and taking things from your diet until you find the right mix.0
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There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.0 -
There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?0 -
I really haven't given up my carbs but I've found on MFP I'm always over on my carbs but carbs include lots of things including sugar I've switched to Honey Wheat bread but someone said honey is sweet therefore sugar you can't get away from it. I give up but I am aware of types of food and try to make small changes. Good luck0
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thanks for all the good advice 0
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I agree, I think its not so much all carbs, but the type of carbs you eat. Also, I agree it's a subjective thing. I turned to Paleo W.O.E because I found eating wheat, pasta, rice etc was making me sluggish and bloated. I stopped eating them and my lifestyle totally changed.
Diets are not a "one size fits all" thing - you need to do what works for you. If you're unsure or thinking about making a lifestyle change try it out for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.0 -
when you say carbs, i'm going to assume you mean bread/pasta/grains/rice/potatoes/sugar, etc.
i'm going to recommend a few things: a book entitled "Wheat Belly," the blogs of Mark Sisson (mark's daily apple), Tom Naughton (fat head blog), and Archevore...
though they don't affect everyone the same way.. sugar (especially processed sugar, but too much fruit sugar or whatever will do it too) and wheat are pretty unfortunate for you in the long run.0 -
i personally need to encorporate some kind of carbs into my daily diet or I feel awful...But its all whole wheat, nothing enriched...Everyone is different though 0
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There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.0 -
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.
If it ain't white, it ain't right.0 -
I am finding that they are for me. I was having all kinds of stomach issues combined with trying so hard to lose weight on weight watchers. I had an endoscopy. Went off gluten. But it wasn't until I cut more carbs and sugar that I started noticing a difference.
I cut even more carbs and it changed everything for me! Stomach issues gone and weight started falling off. Not hungry, no cravings. I was constantly crashing and feeling hungry on weight watchers.
I think you need to do your own research and decide for yourself and what works for you. I know lots of people who have lost weight eating carbs just was not working at all for me. And after researching it, i found it is not dangerous or even radical. Once you look at the history of our diets it makes a lot of sense.
Good luck to you.0 -
There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.
and under what situations does the process of de novo lipogenesis occur?
and what of the possible anti nutritional factors in brown rice, does that matter?0 -
In my opinion, carbs are the new scapegoat, just as fat was evil back in the 70s and 80s.
Everyone is going to have a different experience or situation here, you don't have to give anything up unless there is an actual reason - some people don't seem to handle carbs well and do better without them, for me they don't seem to be an issue so I eat pasta, rice, cake and chocolate, all in moderation (at least that's what I try to do, sometimes the moderation filter falls down, especially when it comes to chocolate or sweets!)0 -
I find I feel the best when I stay away from flour, I get my carnal from fruit and whole gluten free grains and I feel great0
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There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
White rice is not a whole grain because it goes through a refining process that removes the bran and strips it of a lot of its nutrients, so producers have to "enrich" the rice by artifically adding certain vitamins to it (at least in the U.S.). That's why I say to look at the ingredient list and see if it includes the word "enriched." If it does, the food has been chemically altered.
White potatoes aren't necessarily "bad." They have a lot of the same nutritional qualities as sweet potatoes, but few people eat white potatoes in their natural state, which is where the idea that they aren't good for dieters comes from. If you just ate a plain white potato, you'd be okay. But when you add butter and cheese and sour cream to it or eat it in the form of french fries, you make it "bad." This is true of sweet potatoes, too, although, for diabetics or others worried about blood sugar, it should be noted that sweet potatoes are much lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes.0 -
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.
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I believe this is true if you can avoid it stay away from processed foods (anything that comes ready to eat in cans prepackaged containers etc) if your read labels check sodium and sugar contents good luck again.0 -
There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
White rice is not a whole grain because it goes through a refining process that removes the bran and strips it of a lot of its nutrients, so producers have to "enrich" the rice by artifically adding certain vitamins to it (at least in the U.S.). That's why I say to look at the ingredient list and see if it includes the word "enriched." If it does, the food has been chemically altered.
White potatoes aren't necessarily "bad." They have a lot of the same nutritional qualities as sweet potatoes, but few people eat white potatoes in their natural state, which is where the idea that they aren't good for dieters comes from. If you just ate a plain white potato, you'd be okay. But when you add butter and cheese and sour cream to it or eat it in the form of french fries, you make it "bad." This is true of sweet potatoes, too, although, for diabetics or others worried about blood sugar, it should be noted that sweet potatoes are much lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes.
and again you've piqued my interest, what is bad about adding fats such as cheese or cutter to a white potato?
and the GI index doesn't have a lot of real world relevance because it is created feeding fasted subjects isocaloric amounts of the food and most people are not eating these foods fasted or isocalorically0 -
There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.
and under what situations does the process of de novo lipogenesis occur?
and what of the possible anti nutritional factors in brown rice, does that matter?
look, you obviously know everything and i'm not going to get into a debate with you. i said "the theory" not wether i subscribed to it or not. i think it's really precious how you like to ask your "innocent' questions in order to trip us up with your superior knowledge. you have an amazing physique so whatever you're doing keep it up. I follow Tom Venutto's food plan which works fine for me. 60 lbs in 5 mos. I'm not looking to argue with you about "anti nutritional factors".0 -
There are good carbs and bad carbs. Basically any white carb (white bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is bad. Whole grain carbs (check the ingredients list ... if it includes the word "enriched," leave it alone), even bread and pasta, are fine (and necessary) in moderation.
Fruits and vegetables are also carbs, and no healthy diet should be without those.
So basically white carbs and "enriched" wheat carbs are the ones to stay away from.
curious as to why a white potato or white rice would be worse then lets say a sweet potato or brown rice?
the theory is that white foods are usually processed, as in white rice, white flour, etc. they are very easy for your body to digest and cause a spike in insulin production which in turn cause sugar which in turn gets stored as fat. also these foods because they have been processed have been leeched of all their nutrients, which is why manufacturers have to enrich them to at least try to put some vitamins back into them. white potatoes are kind of okay. brown rice, whole grains etc have not been processed and therefore take a lot longer for your body to digest and don't cause an insulin spike. they also still have all the nutrients and fibre a body needs.
and under what situations does the process of de novo lipogenesis occur?
and what of the possible anti nutritional factors in brown rice, does that matter?
l think it's really precious how you like to ask your "innocent' questions in order to trip us up with your superior knowledge. you have an amazing physique so whatever you're doing keep it up. I follow Tom Venutto's food plan which works fine for me. 60 lbs in 5 mos. I'm not looking to argue with you about "anti nutritional factors".
::sigh:: i was hoping to have an intelligent debate to so people can be better informed, there was no tripping people up, just fleshing out common beliefs and making counter points0 -
In my opinion, it depends on the person and how they react to them. Carbs are not the root of all evil, but some people are far more sensitive to them than other people.
For me, I am not the least bit sensitive to them. I could eat carbs all day/everyday and be just fine. I won't gain weight or anything like that. My body loves carbs. I know other people look a piece of bread and gain weight. So, really.. I feel like it is up to the individual person to figure out what works for them.0 -
::sigh:: i was hoping to have an intelligent debate to so people can be better informed, there was no tripping people up, just fleshing out common beliefs and making counter points
Good carbs come leave behind pixie dust, bad carbs leave you with cellulite. Did I answer right, can I haz a cookie now?0 -
If you like dying, then yes, carbs are terrible for you.My friend who is a sports and fitness major knows alot about dieting and eating right..he claims that carbs ( such as wheat bread ) and pasta are terrible for you??
is this true? am i really gonna have to give up my carbs even though the carbs I eat are not so bad..thxx
Carbohydrates are your bodies most readily available form of energy. Your body can use 3 sources of energy: Carbohydrates, Fat, and Protien. The expression "carbs are the enemy" comes from the idea that your body typically burns off carbs before burning off fat, because its easier to break down for energy. Less carbs, means your body tries to burn fat instead.
The thing is you body needs carbohydrates (unless you are sufferening a medical condition, might be different). Your brain needs carbs, because its function is based off carb usage, not fat usage. The brain can use fat, but its much much more difficult than carb usage.
In short, you need to eat carbs. A well balanced diet, of low carbs low fat is good, but you do need some at the very least.0 -
Here's a great interview with a cardiologist that explains the insidious nature of gluten and how it wrecks your health. Definitely worth a look!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/against-the-grain-how-wheat-wrecks-your-health.html0 -
Carbs does not equal gluten.0
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this whole argument drives me bonkers.
Guys, everything in moderation. Wheat is not the enemy. Carbs are not the enemy, protein is not the savior.
it's a case of being smart about your health choices. Unless you have a specific medical condition that precludes a certain food type, all macronutrient food types are fine if you have them in the correct amounts.
the world obesity level didn't rise dramatically because of grain (at least not in the direct sense, I'm not talking about the increase in grain output and transport, which is the other side of the coin), if that was the case it would have risen long ago (we as a race, have been processing grain and corn for thousands of years). It has risen because people eat to much food, and eat to much processed food, that's it, plain and simple. The truth is, most people eat a high percentage of their diet from pre-made foods that are low nutrient density, high caloric value foods without ever knowing what's truly in them as a staple for their diets, this is true the world over. If the world started paying attention to their food choices, and stopped eating foods just because they "fit into their daily lifestyle" then we'd be far better off as a community.
-Banks0 -
Coming from a carb junkie....I love them and every day I will eat oats, bread, pasta, potatoes and not so often, rice, to accompany my meals. However as people have mentioned, I tend to eat the brown, wholemeal, wheat variants and not the white varieties as I find I feel less bloated that way. I always accompany them with lots of veg and personally it has not hindered my weight loss at all. I find I get on well with a high fibre diet and my carbs are big contributor to that along with pulses and veg.
Just go with personal preference, what you like and what makes you comfortable.0
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