Why humans crave fatty foods
Discussion
Just came accross this article and found it quite thought provoking:
http://www.gnolls.org/1763/why-humans-crave-fat/
http://www.gnolls.org/1763/why-humans-crave-fat/
All I can say is personal experience.
I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
rudecherub said:
All I can say is personal experience.
I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
So what do you eat/avoid?I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
Tyre Smoke said:
rudecherub said:
All I can say is personal experience.
I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
So what do you eat/avoid?I've stopped eating refined / high carbs, two years or so now.
After a couple of decades of believing the fat in fat out on y'belly logic I've found that - for me - bread and tatties do make me fat.
Right now my weight is stable, I can fit into trousers tailored for me at 16, and I eat cream, cheese, red meat all the time.
Basically I'm as thin as I've ever been, previously achieved by dieting and exercise, while doing very little exercise relatively speaking.
Worked on the basis of which foods listed as high carb.
For me the big change was bread, I ate loads, Potato's and Pasta too.
So for the first two weeks very very low carb, - which is the Atkins core concept - six weeks I was very low carb. eg reintroduced low carb fruits.
Once I had the weight off I treat higher carb stuff in the same way I'd use to treat cream and cheese.
Two things.
Stopping carbs is like quitting a drug. I had cravings, felt crap, and a headache, some people feel worse, some don't.
The first time I had a high carb meal, there was still oven chips etc in the freeze, after a couple of months of no "White" carbs, I was SHOCKED at how bland it all was.
I don't miss white carbs at all.
For example I think nothing of having cream in coffee, I have two eggs plus meat most days for breakfast - fried in butter.
I can get away with a piece of fruit for lunch.
That's the other thing meat and protein is much more filling, I eat less not in the sense I "will" too, but because I'm just not as hungry!
Often I'll have a bowl of berries, strawbs, blueberries, raspberries etc with double cream and sugar substitute.. splendor
Or if I fancy ice cream nothing easier than frozen fruit in the blender with double cream, dash of vanilla essence, + splendor. Instant ice cream.
Evening. Meat, lots of it, low carb veg, carrot, sweet potato, greens.
Curry is easy. Ghee ie clarified butter, meat - just eat the sauce, no rice or bread.
If I eat out I'll have a naan as a "treat" Like cake ( although not a huge cake fan I did make "Cake in a Cup" using nut flour instead of wheat flour )
Lots of mixed nuts.
I have a 12" thin crust pizza once a week - treat.
And chocolate, again tastes have changed. I think you adapt to the stronger richer flavours over the bland carb.
SO 85% chocolate is a fav. a couple of pieces and I don't crave anything more, must with a good red wine.
I actually found low/zero carb is really good for me, I feel full of energy and very good in general.
I've practiced ketosis and even doing that I feel absolutely fine!
I can easily drop weight by removing carbs from my diet and always eat lots of fat. Because of an existing medical condition I have regular check ups and my health markers are all very good.
To me this feels like how my body is supposed to function although I have one day a week when I indulge in any foods I want and generally have things like pizza and other fast foods!
It works for me!
I've practiced ketosis and even doing that I feel absolutely fine!
I can easily drop weight by removing carbs from my diet and always eat lots of fat. Because of an existing medical condition I have regular check ups and my health markers are all very good.
To me this feels like how my body is supposed to function although I have one day a week when I indulge in any foods I want and generally have things like pizza and other fast foods!
It works for me!
I'm on a Low GI diet on the advice of a dietician....put on wieght being on steroids for a fair period and my lungs not working properly.
It's not a strict low carb diet but what I do is is good carbs.....so oat based cereal i.e. porridge, no white or brown bread replaced with rye bread etc
Have found it relatively easy and have dropped a stone in a month....need to lose two or three more which will obnviously take longer. Doing hardly any exercise (see lungs comment above) so quite happy with it so far.
It's not a strict low carb diet but what I do is is good carbs.....so oat based cereal i.e. porridge, no white or brown bread replaced with rye bread etc
Have found it relatively easy and have dropped a stone in a month....need to lose two or three more which will obnviously take longer. Doing hardly any exercise (see lungs comment above) so quite happy with it so far.
Interesting article.
I've done a low (simple) carb diet before. Found the results pretty good (at least people stopped asking when my baby was due
)
What I found difficult was getting the fuelling right for exercising. If i had no carbs before going out then I'd feel like i was about to bonk (in the collapse from exhaustion sense, not having a semi lob on)
If I had any carbs at all beforehand then after the exercise I'd get savage cravings and end up eating 5 or 6 slices of toast then having a sleepy
That plus the need to be organised for lunch - just about anything available to eat without preparation seems chock full of carbs - killed the diet for me.
I've done a low (simple) carb diet before. Found the results pretty good (at least people stopped asking when my baby was due
)What I found difficult was getting the fuelling right for exercising. If i had no carbs before going out then I'd feel like i was about to bonk (in the collapse from exhaustion sense, not having a semi lob on)
If I had any carbs at all beforehand then after the exercise I'd get savage cravings and end up eating 5 or 6 slices of toast then having a sleepy
That plus the need to be organised for lunch - just about anything available to eat without preparation seems chock full of carbs - killed the diet for me.
budgie smuggler said:
Interesting article.
I've done a low (simple) carb diet before. Found the results pretty good (at least people stopped asking when my baby was due)
What I found difficult was getting the fuelling right for exercising. If i had no carbs before going out then I'd feel like i was about to bonk (in the collapse from exhaustion sense, not having a semi lob on)
If I had any carbs at all beforehand then after the exercise I'd get savage cravings and end up eating 5 or 6 slices of toast then having a sleepy
That plus the need to be organised for lunch - just about anything available to eat without preparation seems chock full of carbs - killed the diet for me.
interesting. That said I've always run before breakfast when I was running, and lifted weights later in the day.I've done a low (simple) carb diet before. Found the results pretty good (at least people stopped asking when my baby was due
)What I found difficult was getting the fuelling right for exercising. If i had no carbs before going out then I'd feel like i was about to bonk (in the collapse from exhaustion sense, not having a semi lob on)
If I had any carbs at all beforehand then after the exercise I'd get savage cravings and end up eating 5 or 6 slices of toast then having a sleepy
That plus the need to be organised for lunch - just about anything available to eat without preparation seems chock full of carbs - killed the diet for me.
I suspect your problems maybe down to addiction not persisting long enough for your metabolism to adapt.
Although it maybe you and I are just different!
In my experience eating carbs does make me much more hungry later on.
As far as prepped food for lunch it's not that hard. Just walk further into the Supermarket, buy cooked meat and sample pack cheese, either a plastic fork, or a pack of baby wipes for your fingers.
It takes adjusting to the everything must be wrapped in carbs approach - and a little imagination.
But it does require more time, because you need to prepare food as they love to hide carbs in prepped foods, ( because they are cheap )
And it is more expensive, because quality protein costs more
Well, to counter everything, I'm eating moderately healthy but not quitting the s
t stuff. Am still moving towards my six pack goal. I know a few people on MFP who have amazing bodies and still eat st food, too. 
But I cannot condone eating unhealthy food as it will lead to cancer or heart disease plus numerous other illnesses. That said, if you survive until your 90s with no illness to kill you off, what will life be like for you?
t stuff. Am still moving towards my six pack goal. I know a few people on MFP who have amazing bodies and still eat st food, too. But I cannot condone eating unhealthy food as it will lead to cancer or heart disease plus numerous other illnesses. That said, if you survive until your 90s with no illness to kill you off, what will life be like for you?
Hoofy said:
Well, to counter everything, I'm eating moderately healthy but not quitting the st stuff. Am still moving towards my six pack goal. I know a few people on MFP who have amazing bodies and still eat st food, too.
But I cannot condone eating unhealthy food as it will lead to cancer or heart disease plus numerous other illnesses. That said, if you survive until your 90s with no illness to kill you off, what will life be like for you?
I'm reasonably convinced heart disease is down to poor quality food substitutes, mainly trans fats, and I'm suspicious of corn syrupt stuff. Am still moving towards my six pack goal. I know a few people on MFP who have amazing bodies and still eat st food, too. But I cannot condone eating unhealthy food as it will lead to cancer or heart disease plus numerous other illnesses. That said, if you survive until your 90s with no illness to kill you off, what will life be like for you?
Obesity is down to refined carbs, which encourage over eating.
A good read, but I can't say I fully agree. Ignoring the fact that many things in human biology are not fully understood and still under great debate, the human digestive system is equally well equiped to process carbs as well as fat. And we do crave carbs in the form of sugars, just as much as fat.
While we have 3 types of fat digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in stomach, 1 in pancreas/dudodenum) and 2 types of carb digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in pancreas/dudedenum), we can actually breakdown and absorb carbs about twice as fast as we can fat. Fat has to go through an emulsification process, that is time consuming and complex, whereas carbs don't.
The part at which the article speaks of losing our need to crave carbs being evident from our less complex guts, is misleading. Complex guts are there to digest cellulose (plant matter) not carbs - or rather carbs from cellulose. But cellulose is not the only readily and naturally available source of carb. Humans cannot digest cellulose (we have no celluase enzyme) and it passes though us as fibre - it has digestive uses but has no nutritional value. In fact digesting meats without fibre is a difficult process, so if early humans did have a high meat diet, we almost certainly still needed to keep eating plant matter to help it through. (My theory is cellulase used to be produced and used in the Appendix, which has since atrophied).
Carbs still represent a good emergency (and primary) source of energy and is one of the most basic and inevitable molecules in nature.
To fit in with their theory, there's plenty of starchy carbs available in the savannah - grass, seeds and root veg! It's almost certain humans scavenged for food when descending from the trees and protein from bone marrow than direct kills (unable to be eaten by other predators and scavengers even today) would be accessible to humans with a simple stone tool - something which is not beyond the intelligence of chimps.
What is also probable, by following the fossil evidence for human migration from Africa to Mesopotamia, is that we followed the African coastline. That means food from fish protein, not animal protein, and with the higher polyunsaturated and omega 3 fats in fish, it would also explain the uniquely human need for these fats as well, particularly for endurance muscle and brain proteins... (do not forget, a homosapien is an endurance animal, and the best of them). Although some animal meats such as Lamb, Deer or Bison contain good levels of Omega 3, it's still only about 10-15% of that you can get from fish.
And this is before I get onto the sugar conspiracy of today, where nearly every case of obesity can be attributed to an addiction to monosaccharide sugars, not fat.
So yes we do crave fat, but we crave carb as well and are just as able to get the calories we need from either energy sources. I don't think it's quite as clear cut as that article is making out, though it undoubtably has some basis in fact, as most ideas about naturalistic humans diets, exercise and lifestyle do.
Oh and btw, it's not just our brains that grew in place of our stomachs, but our brains also grew in places of our fast-twitch muscle fibres. We no longer needed the power to haul ourselves through the branches of trees, and were able to survive on smaller more efficient slow twitch endurance muscles instead. Probably an evolution that went hand-in-hand with a move to the savannah.
While we have 3 types of fat digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in stomach, 1 in pancreas/dudodenum) and 2 types of carb digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in pancreas/dudedenum), we can actually breakdown and absorb carbs about twice as fast as we can fat. Fat has to go through an emulsification process, that is time consuming and complex, whereas carbs don't.
The part at which the article speaks of losing our need to crave carbs being evident from our less complex guts, is misleading. Complex guts are there to digest cellulose (plant matter) not carbs - or rather carbs from cellulose. But cellulose is not the only readily and naturally available source of carb. Humans cannot digest cellulose (we have no celluase enzyme) and it passes though us as fibre - it has digestive uses but has no nutritional value. In fact digesting meats without fibre is a difficult process, so if early humans did have a high meat diet, we almost certainly still needed to keep eating plant matter to help it through. (My theory is cellulase used to be produced and used in the Appendix, which has since atrophied).
Carbs still represent a good emergency (and primary) source of energy and is one of the most basic and inevitable molecules in nature.
To fit in with their theory, there's plenty of starchy carbs available in the savannah - grass, seeds and root veg! It's almost certain humans scavenged for food when descending from the trees and protein from bone marrow than direct kills (unable to be eaten by other predators and scavengers even today) would be accessible to humans with a simple stone tool - something which is not beyond the intelligence of chimps.
What is also probable, by following the fossil evidence for human migration from Africa to Mesopotamia, is that we followed the African coastline. That means food from fish protein, not animal protein, and with the higher polyunsaturated and omega 3 fats in fish, it would also explain the uniquely human need for these fats as well, particularly for endurance muscle and brain proteins... (do not forget, a homosapien is an endurance animal, and the best of them). Although some animal meats such as Lamb, Deer or Bison contain good levels of Omega 3, it's still only about 10-15% of that you can get from fish.
And this is before I get onto the sugar conspiracy of today, where nearly every case of obesity can be attributed to an addiction to monosaccharide sugars, not fat.
So yes we do crave fat, but we crave carb as well and are just as able to get the calories we need from either energy sources. I don't think it's quite as clear cut as that article is making out, though it undoubtably has some basis in fact, as most ideas about naturalistic humans diets, exercise and lifestyle do.
Oh and btw, it's not just our brains that grew in place of our stomachs, but our brains also grew in places of our fast-twitch muscle fibres. We no longer needed the power to haul ourselves through the branches of trees, and were able to survive on smaller more efficient slow twitch endurance muscles instead. Probably an evolution that went hand-in-hand with a move to the savannah.
I've dropped 2 stone of University excess over the last 18 months from generally having a low carb diet, with very little sugar. Also shot all my lifts up and build a decent amount of muscle.
I've recently gone back to eating crap+carbs, but using Intermittent Fasting to keep weekly total calories in check. Means I can have huge meals and eat crap, but have maintained my weight, lost fat and built more muscle over the last couple of months.
I think the important part of any dieting, lifting, or exercise program is not actually using one of the previously mentioned names, but thinking of it as a lifestyle change. That's what I did, and it was really very, very easy.
I've recently gone back to eating crap+carbs, but using Intermittent Fasting to keep weekly total calories in check. Means I can have huge meals and eat crap, but have maintained my weight, lost fat and built more muscle over the last couple of months.
I think the important part of any dieting, lifting, or exercise program is not actually using one of the previously mentioned names, but thinking of it as a lifestyle change. That's what I did, and it was really very, very easy.
mattikake said:
A good read, but I can't say I fully agree. Ignoring the fact that many things in human biology are not fully understood and still under great debate, the human digestive system is equally well equiped to process carbs as well as fat. And we do crave carbs in the form of sugars, just as much as fat.
While we have 3 types of fat digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in stomach, 1 in pancreas/dudodenum) and 2 types of carb digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in pancreas/dudedenum), we can actually breakdown and absorb carbs about twice as fast as we can fat. Fat has to go through an emulsification process, that is time consuming and complex, whereas carbs don't.
The part at which the article speaks of losing our need to crave carbs being evident from our less complex guts, is misleading. Complex guts are there to digest cellulose (plant matter) not carbs - or rather carbs from cellulose. But cellulose is not the only readily and naturally available source of carb. Humans cannot digest cellulose (we have no celluase enzyme) and it passes though us as fibre - it has digestive uses but has no nutritional value. In fact digesting meats without fibre is a difficult process, so if early humans did have a high meat diet, we almost certainly still needed to keep eating plant matter to help it through. (My theory is cellulase used to be produced and used in the Appendix, which has since atrophied).
Carbs still represent a good emergency (and primary) source of energy and is one of the most basic and inevitable molecules in nature.
To fit in with their theory, there's plenty of starchy carbs available in the savannah - grass, seeds and root veg! It's almost certain humans scavenged for food when descending from the trees and protein from bone marrow than direct kills (unable to be eaten by other predators and scavengers even today) would be accessible to humans with a simple stone tool - something which is not beyond the intelligence of chimps.
What is also probable, by following the fossil evidence for human migration from Africa to Mesopotamia, is that we followed the African coastline. That means food from fish protein, not animal protein, and with the higher polyunsaturated and omega 3 fats in fish, it would also explain the uniquely human need for these fats as well, particularly for endurance muscle and brain proteins... (do not forget, a homosapien is an endurance animal, and the best of them). Although some animal meats such as Lamb, Deer or Bison contain good levels of Omega 3, it's still only about 10-15% of that you can get from fish.
And this is before I get onto the sugar conspiracy of today, where nearly every case of obesity can be attributed to an addiction to monosaccharide sugars, not fat.
So yes we do crave fat, but we crave carb as well and are just as able to get the calories we need from either energy sources. I don't think it's quite as clear cut as that article is making out, though it undoubtably has some basis in fact, as most ideas about naturalistic humans diets, exercise and lifestyle do.
Oh and btw, it's not just our brains that grew in place of our stomachs, but our brains also grew in places of our fast-twitch muscle fibres. We no longer needed the power to haul ourselves through the branches of trees, and were able to survive on smaller more efficient slow twitch endurance muscles instead. Probably an evolution that went hand-in-hand with a move to the savannah.
Interesting read.While we have 3 types of fat digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in stomach, 1 in pancreas/dudodenum) and 2 types of carb digesting enzymes (1 in mouth, 1 in pancreas/dudedenum), we can actually breakdown and absorb carbs about twice as fast as we can fat. Fat has to go through an emulsification process, that is time consuming and complex, whereas carbs don't.
The part at which the article speaks of losing our need to crave carbs being evident from our less complex guts, is misleading. Complex guts are there to digest cellulose (plant matter) not carbs - or rather carbs from cellulose. But cellulose is not the only readily and naturally available source of carb. Humans cannot digest cellulose (we have no celluase enzyme) and it passes though us as fibre - it has digestive uses but has no nutritional value. In fact digesting meats without fibre is a difficult process, so if early humans did have a high meat diet, we almost certainly still needed to keep eating plant matter to help it through. (My theory is cellulase used to be produced and used in the Appendix, which has since atrophied).
Carbs still represent a good emergency (and primary) source of energy and is one of the most basic and inevitable molecules in nature.
To fit in with their theory, there's plenty of starchy carbs available in the savannah - grass, seeds and root veg! It's almost certain humans scavenged for food when descending from the trees and protein from bone marrow than direct kills (unable to be eaten by other predators and scavengers even today) would be accessible to humans with a simple stone tool - something which is not beyond the intelligence of chimps.
What is also probable, by following the fossil evidence for human migration from Africa to Mesopotamia, is that we followed the African coastline. That means food from fish protein, not animal protein, and with the higher polyunsaturated and omega 3 fats in fish, it would also explain the uniquely human need for these fats as well, particularly for endurance muscle and brain proteins... (do not forget, a homosapien is an endurance animal, and the best of them). Although some animal meats such as Lamb, Deer or Bison contain good levels of Omega 3, it's still only about 10-15% of that you can get from fish.
And this is before I get onto the sugar conspiracy of today, where nearly every case of obesity can be attributed to an addiction to monosaccharide sugars, not fat.
So yes we do crave fat, but we crave carb as well and are just as able to get the calories we need from either energy sources. I don't think it's quite as clear cut as that article is making out, though it undoubtably has some basis in fact, as most ideas about naturalistic humans diets, exercise and lifestyle do.
Oh and btw, it's not just our brains that grew in place of our stomachs, but our brains also grew in places of our fast-twitch muscle fibres. We no longer needed the power to haul ourselves through the branches of trees, and were able to survive on smaller more efficient slow twitch endurance muscles instead. Probably an evolution that went hand-in-hand with a move to the savannah.
The huge difference is the energy expended to get those Savannah carbs was far greater than reaching a packet of biscuits.
And of course the grains from those grasses have been selectively bred into something very different from back in Africa.
Even with agriculture the energy expired to get flour was until industrialisation a big deal, grinding grains in stone wheel isn't the same as popping the white bread into the toaster.
For me, and I admit I'm no representative sample high fat high protien low carb works.
@mattikake
Thankyou for the interesting reply
I have heard you mention sugar addiction but what is your take on white bread etc ?
Carbs have been around for a very long time, I personally attribute the rise of obesity to portion size and lack of exercise over specific food groups. And sugar addiction
rudecherub said:
For me, and I admit I'm no representative sample high fat high protien low carb works.
So help me out please, if I want to try this high fat and protein low carbs diet, what's in and what's out?| In | Out |
|---|---|
| Chicken | Sugar |
| Beef | Pasta |
| Eggs | Bread |
| Butter | Rice |
| Tinned sardines in tomato | Crunchy nut corn flakes |
| Mackeral | Potatoes |
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff