Do I need carbohydrates?
Discussion
Obviously I know I need some, but if I miss out of rice, pasta, potatoes, bread etc, am I really missing any nutrition or essentials from my diet? I've been doing this for a while, and aside from the odd lapse for the sake of convenience I don't really miss starchy carbs, feel good and have lost a bit of weight.
Mods: Not sure if it's Food and Drink, Health or idle speculation, so I'll leave it up to you.
Mods: Not sure if it's Food and Drink, Health or idle speculation, so I'll leave it up to you.
Is it a fad though? A friend of mine is quite into his paleo stuff, hence why I tried it. His reasoning is that up until the relatively recent farming era we wouldn't have had large servings of starchy carbs or drinks full of refined sugars, but we would have had meat. I figure we got most of our nutrition from meat and fresh fruit for most of our history, and this is what we're best adapted to eating, in contrast with say cows who have evolved to live on grass.
If it seems like I'm beating a drum, I am quite taken with the idea, but quite prepared to silence my drum if I can find a compelling reason to eat bulky carbs.
My activity levels are pretty low by caveman standards - desk jockey and some sporadic light exercise. Since cutting out the carbs I haven't noticed any drop off in energy levels, and find if I avoid carbs at lunchtime I avoid the afternoon lull.
If it seems like I'm beating a drum, I am quite taken with the idea, but quite prepared to silence my drum if I can find a compelling reason to eat bulky carbs.
My activity levels are pretty low by caveman standards - desk jockey and some sporadic light exercise. Since cutting out the carbs I haven't noticed any drop off in energy levels, and find if I avoid carbs at lunchtime I avoid the afternoon lull.
I have done the no carb's thing on more than one occasion and it always works well. I have not really noticed any energy level drops in day to day life although playing rugby on the diet was difficult. I used to try and compensate the energy drops during rugby with some sugar on game day, it doesn't really work and throughout the game I would feel my energy levels dropping.
The constipation and carb cravings aren't fun either
The constipation and carb cravings aren't fun either
You do actually get carbs from your vegetables and fruit as well, so there is no need to eat spuds/pasta/rice/bread if you don't want to.
I have cut right back on these over the last two months or so, and have been doing weights 3 times a week. I've shifted about a stone, but more importantly, a good few inches from the midriff.
I have cut right back on these over the last two months or so, and have been doing weights 3 times a week. I've shifted about a stone, but more importantly, a good few inches from the midriff.
Cutting out starchy carbs is only really difficult for a few days. Once the body has become used to looking for fuel elsewhere energy is actually often more consistent, particularly during endurance type exercise. Eating carbs can tend to create spikes in blood sugar and energy and gnawing hunger when it's time to refuel, this happens less on a low-carb diet.
One of the trickier aspects of low-carb eating is remaining sufficiently hydrated. It requires drinking a lot of fluids but when you do you'll tend to need to urinate more often and even with siginficantly increased fluid intake you'll not stay as well hydrated as when eating carbs.
So if you want to be energetic, skinny and wrinkly low-carb is definitely the way to go
NoNeed said:
b
ks.We DO NOT NEED to consume any carbohydrates. Zero.
Our bodies NEED the glucose found in carbohydrates.
We are able to 'create' the glucose required via gluconeogenesis where the liver can convert fat, protein, amino acids, etc into glucose.
That's not to say we should aim to eat zero carbs, but in general the western world in particular consumes far too much carbohydrate, especially the processed and starchy kinds.
Lots of veggies + meat, fish & eggs = good.
When I get time I'll reply to OP properly as I'm a bit of a paleo convert too. Not too keen on the rep it's gained as people write it off as a hippy/fad diet but when you take the time to properly research the topic it's fascinating. Healthful too.
LordGrover said:
bks.
We DO NOT NEED to consume any carbohydrates. Zero.
^^^ That. ks.We DO NOT NEED to consume any carbohydrates. Zero.
Most people get their vitamin C from potato, so do make sure you are getting that. Otherwise you don't need them at all. Especially white bread - put some butter and jam on it and it is cake. Why anyone expects to eat it regularly and not get fat baffles me. I do find I find oats necessary for breakfast on swimming days, less so for running, so see how you go.
If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting. Don't worry about it - your body is quite good at letting you know if you are getting dehydrated: you feel thirsty.
grumbledoak said:
^^^ That.
If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
Really? Exactly the opposite from what I find.If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
Carbs are non-essential. I wouldn't eliminate them completely though because of the micronutrients in vegetables like all your important vitamins, but you can supplement with a multivit if you have eliminated most carbs including vegetables.
Look up gluconeogenesis. Your body will use other other sources than carbohydrates to convert into glucose.
Look up gluconeogenesis. Your body will use other other sources than carbohydrates to convert into glucose.
AJS- said:
Is it a fad though? A friend of mine is quite into his paleo stuff, hence why I tried it. His reasoning is that up until the relatively recent farming era we wouldn't have had large servings of starchy carbs or drinks full of refined sugars, but we would have had meat. I figure we got most of our nutrition from meat and fresh fruit for most of our history, and this is what we're best adapted to eating, in contrast with say cows who have evolved to live on grass.
If it seems like I'm beating a drum, I am quite taken with the idea, but quite prepared to silence my drum if I can find a compelling reason to eat bulky carbs.
My activity levels are pretty low by caveman standards - desk jockey and some sporadic light exercise. Since cutting out the carbs I haven't noticed any drop off in energy levels, and find if I avoid carbs at lunchtime I avoid the afternoon lull.
I think the paleo diet looks healthy/good but I'm not so sure about the argument for it. Based on a diet we lived on thousands of years ago? I take it the proponents of this idea are not Darwinists!If it seems like I'm beating a drum, I am quite taken with the idea, but quite prepared to silence my drum if I can find a compelling reason to eat bulky carbs.
My activity levels are pretty low by caveman standards - desk jockey and some sporadic light exercise. Since cutting out the carbs I haven't noticed any drop off in energy levels, and find if I avoid carbs at lunchtime I avoid the afternoon lull.
I cut out carbs last year and it seemed to help with weight loss, I then added back in a few complex carbs, brown rice, wholemeal pasta etc, it should also be noted that some vegetables have complex carbs in them too.
If your just cutting out bread/rice/potatoes/pasta, you are probably still taking in a small amount of carbs from fruit and vegetables.
If your just cutting out bread/rice/potatoes/pasta, you are probably still taking in a small amount of carbs from fruit and vegetables.
Perec said:
grumbledoak said:
^^^ That.
If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
Really? Exactly the opposite from what I find.If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
mu0n said:
I think the paleo diet looks healthy/good but I'm not so sure about the argument for it. Based on a diet we lived on thousands of years ago? I take it the proponents of this idea are not Darwinists!
I was assuming people who like the Paleo diet also ensure they do a paleo- level of exercise daily - active all day rather than sitting at a desk.Odie said:
Perec said:
grumbledoak said:
^^^ That.
If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
Really? Exactly the opposite from what I find.If you do go low on carb you will also find that you don't need all the water you've been drinking either (it is mostly used for carb storage) and the first bit of weight loss is just your body chemistry adjusting.
When carbs are stored as glycogen, water is also stored in a 3:1 ratio. That's why on a low-carb diet, you need more water, as this water is no longer retained by the body. As for the brain needing glucose, that's bks, it will run happily on ketones: http://caloriesproper.com/?p=2719 It's also not true that you need them for endurance training: http://caloriesproper.com/?p=2786 However, for strength training and growth of muscle, that's another matter.
ks, it will run happily on ketones: http://caloriesproper.com/?p=2719 It's also not true that you need them for endurance training: http://caloriesproper.com/?p=2786 However, for strength training and growth of muscle, that's another matter.Carbs don't generate water as such.
Carbs are turned into glucose by your body... if you can't use this glucose straight away it gets converted into glycogen which is stored glucose (in the muscles and liver).
For glucose to be stored (turned into glycogen) it binds with water molecules and sits there, ready to be used.
So when people are on low-carb or zero-carb diets they will have very little glycogen stores therefore less water retention in the liver and muscles.
Carbs are turned into glucose by your body... if you can't use this glucose straight away it gets converted into glycogen which is stored glucose (in the muscles and liver).
For glucose to be stored (turned into glycogen) it binds with water molecules and sits there, ready to be used.
So when people are on low-carb or zero-carb diets they will have very little glycogen stores therefore less water retention in the liver and muscles.
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