carbs...i thought i understood

[taurushead]

i thought all the fuss about carbs was about the refined stuff, G.I., what you were missing and all that.
my friend told me off for eating 'piles and piles' of carbs (yes...its true) and im just wondering...if you're eating 'the good kind' and getting lots of good fats and protein and stuff too..does it really matter if most of your energy is carb based?!?!

[IamJen]

Your body *needs* carbohydrates. Much of the fuss over carbohydrates is about weight loss/maintenance. Eat good carbs in proper proportions and you'll be just fine. :yes:

[anthony11]

IamJen is spot on. Howard Lyman discusses this in "No More Bull". That said, it's easy to overdo it, and I know a number of veg*ns who eat heaps of pasta, pizza, potatoes, etc. French^H^H^H^H^H^HFreedom Fries are a personal downfall of mine :worried:

[taurushead]

yeah this is my theory also. 'dont over do it' though..has never featured. i figure if im expending the calories i eat, and im not intent on losing weight, and i get other nutrients it can't be all bad? that said..the balance in what i eat has shifted more towards carbs than ever before. i was just wondering if that insulin stuff and i spose, to a lesser extent weight gain (not my primary concern here, im slightly under, as is) is worth worrying about ? y'know?

[Libellula]

Carbs need to make up the base of your diet. Our bodies use Carbs for fuel more than they use protein or fat.

Carbs are the ONLY ONLY ONLY fuel our brains can use. Yes, that's right, our brains need gLUCOSE to keep running - about 900 calories of it a day.. so don't worry about carbs!.. just make sure you are getting protein, fat, and calcium daily! :)

[taurushead]

thanks hon. this is what i live by. and i dont usually question my diet because of what other people say but figured i should suss it out.
also thanks to VB i eat more B12. how did i have no idea about that?! scary!! ehehe :)
xoxo

[Tweety]

Carbs are the ONLY ONLY ONLY fuel our brains can use. Yes, that's right, our brains need gLUCOSE to keep running - about 900 calories of it a day.. so don't worry about carbs!.. just make sure you are getting protein, fat, and calcium daily! :)


True, however, through glycolosis, the amazing human machine converts protein and fat into glucose for the brain. It's not going to let the brain starve. During very cold times there are eskimos that eat mostly fat and protein in the form of fish and animal products and survive just fine.

FYI. :pibo:

[Tweety]

I think you got it right.

Everyone's different in their needs. I say if it feels good, you're not loosing or gaining unwanted weight, not having issues with dry skin/hair or brittle nails, etc. etc. etc. then you're o.k.

Personally, I do better with a little fat and protein at each meal and snack. A meal of all carbs does me in.

It's hard to find an unbiased source, but here's what Dr. Weil says. Divide your daily calories this way: 20-30 percent from protein; 40-50 percent from low or moderate glycemic index carbohydrates; and 30 percent fat.

If you're concerned, do a food log at a site like fitday.com to see how you're doing.

[meatless]

I have read the ideal distribution is 65-70% of calories from carbs (the more complex the better), 20% from fat, and 10-15% from protein.

20-30% of calories from protein is nuts. Actually, it's probably a figure that's given because that's what the SAD looks like... you know, the people who are eating 2-3 times the grams of protein that are needed each day.

[taurushead]

hmm. i see. well..i couldn't sleep just now so i got up and was badly BADLY craving MORE carbs. i dont even normally eat THAT many. had 3 pieces of thick sour dough and a bowl of pasta bigger than what id eat if i hadn't eaten all day. why im I so HUNGRY today?!?!

[Tweety]

hmm. i see. well..i couldn't sleep just now so i got up and was badly BADLY craving MORE carbs. i dont even normally eat THAT many. had 3 pieces of thick sour dough and a bowl of pasta bigger than what id eat if i hadn't eaten all day. why im I so HUNGRY today?!?!

Probably if they weren't whole grain, what happened was your body broke them down rapidly with a resultant hunger quicker than normal.

Carbs are broken down into glucose rapidly, especially if they are white carbs like sour dough and pasta.

This is why I try to include fat and protein in each meal and eat whole grain carbs in moderation. This makes the meal last longer and I'm not as hungry (or sleepy from the rapid rise and fall in blood glucose levels).

Everybody's different.

[Libellula]

was the sourdough white or whole grain? the pasta?.. i agree with tweety, taurushead, i am so proud of you for eating when you're hungry, but try switching for whole-grains, or adding some fat to your carbs (olive oil and oregano on your pasta, nut b utters on your breatd, etc..)

[Libellula]

also, the human body CAN convert protein and fat for carbs, but chemically, the fuel is different (i'm in human biology and nutrition this quarter), also, our bodies store one day's worth of glycogen for days when we get too little fuel for our brains..

[taurushead]

wow. awesome. thanks guys!!
yeah it was white pasta:( i know thats bad. same with the sour dough. haven't actually had anything white in ages. normally a bigger fan of the grainy stuff. but hey, its nice to remember it doesn't kill you or anything. if you get me? hmm..that sounded random.
woke up this morning with piles of energy. went for a 'walk around the block' but got lost. ended up finding ukrainian churches, people sniffing glue, a basketball court and an awesome park. but now more hungry than i think ive been in my life. its all good. and i really appreciate all the wisdom. its pretty much how i assumed. i just thought id check because there are many things im probably wrong about. ehehe xoxo

[anthony11]

was the sourdough white or whole grain? the pasta?..
I've never seen whole-grain sourdough.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Anthony: Fred Meyer often has it in their "Artisan Breads" or whatever they call them... (the whole fresh-baked paper-bagged loaves) also Top Foods in the same type section.

Safeway also has carried it on occassion...

[catswym]

True, however, through glycolosis, the amazing human machine converts protein and fat into glucose for the brain. It's not going to let the brain starve. During very cold times there are eskimos that eat mostly fat and protein in the form of fish and animal products and survive just fine.

FYI. :pibo:

i think you mean through the citric acid/ tricarboxylic acid cycle.

in any case, while this is true it puts undo burdens on your system: lots of breakdown of protein creates excess nitrogen burden for your body to get rid of. while fat metabolism doesn't have too many downsides, there is also absolutely nothing wrong (and everything right) with getting a majority of your calories from carbohydrates.

[Tweety]

i think you mean through the citric acid/ tricarboxylic acid cycle.

in any case, while this is true it puts undo burdens on your system: lots of breakdown of protein creates excess nitrogen burden for your body to get rid of. while fat metabolism doesn't have too many downsides, there is also absolutely nothing wrong (and everything right) with getting a majority of your calories from carbohydrates.


True, my intention wasn't to say eating carbs is wrong, only to say that all foods are broken down to glucose to feed the brain, not just carbs. :)

I'm a strong believer in eating all three groups: fats, carbs and protein in a balance that works for the individual. Personally, I can't do a high/mostly carb diet. I feel better with protein and heatlhy fat in my diet. When I would eat meals of only carbs (like cereal and fruit for breakfast) I would be hungery an hour later and tired. Although the majority of my diet (meaning more than 50% is carbs. I haven't done an analysis lately). We all find what works best for us. I certainly couldn't feel right on an Eskimo diet either.