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Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

nytimes.com

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Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#121

Post by soundwave106 »

hashable wrote: post #27
brianwawok wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She may be correct. The 70% ratio that many Americans eat may not be great, but 30% or 40% carbs seems about right for me. I see the no carb movement much like the no fat movement of the 80s.

Except for the fact that carbs are the only macronutrient that are not essential and can be completely synthesized by the body via gluconeogenesis. There are essential amino acids that need to be sourced via food (protein). There are essential fatty acids that need to be sourced via food (fat). There are no essential carbs.

From a practical standpoint you are correct; however, it is very difficult to have a zero carb diet, so I don't think this theory has been 100% tested. At least, this is the impression I got reading this opinion paper. (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long) I think even most ketogenic specific diets aim for around 5% carbs.

Some other aspects of carbs seem to be not fully investigated, such as the effect of dietary fiber's role in nutrition. While not "essential" (http://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(15)01743-8/abstract) it seems to play a mostly positive role. (If only to prevent constipation...)

At this time, I'd think "fad" of any ketogenic diet advocate that has little vegetable consumption. But as the first link states, "most of the current low-carbohydrate, weight-reducing diets advocate the consumption of low-carbohydrate vegetables". "Eat more veggies" has been a mantra of dietary advice for a while. :)

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#122

Post by JadeNB »

abtinf wrote: post #105
mcone wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

Their advice is wrong and deadly. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achie...

> Their advice is wrong and deadly.

Are you saying that "She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates" is wrong and deadly? (There seems to be no other advice in mcone's post https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14812819 to which you are responding.) If so, are you adducing the book you link as your evidence?

Without knowing anything about that book or its author, I think that it's fair to say that any one persons's conclusions should be treated with profound scepticism. That's not the same as saying that they're wrong, but it does mean that calling contrary advice "wrong and deadly" seems very much to be excessively certain.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#123

Post by kd0amg »

FussyZeus wrote: post #60
philipkglass wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in graduate school many foreign students noted that American food was too sweet and put in extra effort to find food that more resembled that from their home countries. This seems at odds with humans "naturally" loving sweetness-everywhere. The other thing that makes the "carbs are fattening us" story seem incomplete (though not necessarily wrong ) is that a generation or two ago obesity rates were much lo…

Your foreign friends were onto it; the problem is that those carb-rich foods in the US are by and large CRAMMED with sugar, which doubles down the effect; carbs to trigger the insulin response, and sugar that the body can convert extremely efficiently to fat. Homemade pasta is incredibly healthy; you still should meter your intake of course, but for the most part it's very good for you (especially if you're doing a l…

Look at the ingredients in most box pasta sold in the US

Do you have an example? All I have on hand says 1 gram of sugar per 2oz of dry pasta, with no sugar or corn syrup in the ingredients list.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#124

Post by the_af »

bonniemuffin wrote: post #87
the_af wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [...] living with my wife who adores pasta And who can blame her? I suppose you could live without pasta, but would you call that living? :)

If a life without pasta isn't worth living, then I'd rather die than get back on the blood sugar roller coaster that pasta puts me on. This is like telling an alcoholic that life isn't worth living without tequila. You know what? Turns out you can live a meaningful life without it if you have to.

My comment was tongue in cheek. Obviously, people with health conditions which prevent them from eating pasta can still enjoy life.

Do note that pasta is delicious, among the best things in life, and not at all comparable to tequila or with being alcoholic. Your comparison is extreme and unfair!

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#125

Post by dubhrosa »

brazzledazzle wrote: post #90
mcone wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

There's no "zero" carb diet but being in ketosis means you don't need carbohydrates. But a ketogenic diet is not something I'd recommend a diabetic do without consulting a doctor and regular blood work.

Why, what are the risks?

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#126

Post by philipkglass »

FussyZeus wrote: post #60
philipkglass wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was in graduate school many foreign students noted that American food was too sweet and put in extra effort to find food that more resembled that from their home countries. This seems at odds with humans "naturally" loving sweetness-everywhere. The other thing that makes the "carbs are fattening us" story seem incomplete (though not necessarily wrong ) is that a generation or two ago obesity rates were much lo…

Your foreign friends were onto it; the problem is that those carb-rich foods in the US are by and large CRAMMED with sugar, which doubles down the effect; carbs to trigger the insulin response, and sugar that the body can convert extremely efficiently to fat. Homemade pasta is incredibly healthy; you still should meter your intake of course, but for the most part it's very good for you (especially if you're doing a l…

I was more questioning statements like The average consumer is not even remotely prepared in a fight against a food industry with thousands of PhD's working to make the food as addictive as possible -- food from the laboratories of Chef Boyardee is not alluring for people who haven't already acquired the taste. If you're not conditioned to it, it's repulsive to eat otherwise-bland food that's sweet and salty. I find much prepared American food unappealing-to-disgusting and I've lived here all my life.

But obesity rates are rising in America and across the world, and many people obviously have a hard time giving up this lousy food. So it seems like there's a fairly complicated feedback loop around how people acquire/retain tastes for foods and what they find "irresistible." I love garlic bread, french fries, and popcorn but I eat them only a few times a month and don't feel deprived on days that I don't. Pancakes with syrup: yuck, I'd rather go hungry for breakfast. I don't know why I don't experience carb-cravings or have to exercise any particular willpower to avoid sweets while others struggle mightily.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#127

Post by WindyCityBrew »

brazzledazzle wrote: post #90
mcone wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife is a Type-1 diabetic and I'm fairly confident that there's no such thing as a "zero carb" diet. She's had several endocrinologists tell her that she needs to eat carbohydrates. This is definitely something we need to survive! More importantly, there are naturally occurring carbohydrates in most unprocessed foods (greens, vegetables, beans, etc). Obviously "refined carbohydrates" are different — that's the sug…

There's no "zero" carb diet but being in ketosis means you don't need carbohydrates. But a ketogenic diet is not something I'd recommend a diabetic do without consulting a doctor and regular blood work.

Sure there is: https://www.reddit.com/r/zerocarb/

That said, eating only animal products makes keto look tame in comparison.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#128

Post by Ixiaus »

cko wrote: post #108
Ixiaus wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The body does not need exogenous carbohydrates, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. Carbs are a useful tool but they are also easy to abuse. The body is perfectly capable of deriving carbohydrates from essential fats and essential proteins. Beyond the physical addiction there's also a lifestyle addiction, this is a similar problem chronic cigarette smokers who want to quit encounter. Sometimes they d…

I though that fats cannot be broken down into glucose, but ketones.

Glycerol in triglycerides will be converted to glucose, there isn't much, roughly 10% IIRC.

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#129

Post by abtinf »

nzygs wrote: post #103
abtinf wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day This is factually wrong. The human body ~100 grams of protein, ~10 grams of fat, and zero carbs to stay healthy. The minimal amount of glucose required for brain function can be synthesized from protein intake. And carb deficiency is not associated with any impairment or disease.

> The human body ~100 grams of protein, ~10 grams of fat, and zero carbs to stay healthy Could you provide source (studies not blogposts or youtube videos) on this matter? Also what is your opinion on 80/10/10 or Okinawa diet? Okinavians used to get most of their calories from carbs and they had one of the longest lifespans in the world. All things considered I am not against the keto diet but the food that people on…

My original source for those numbers is from the book Protein Power https://www.amazon.com/Protein-Power-High-Protein-Carbohydra...

Re: Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough

#130

Post by mikeryan »

Will_Parker wrote: post #115
mikeryan wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cutting carbs is difficult for most people because of two things: 1) withdrawal from the sugar-high that you get from eating high-glycemic-load food (like bagels / pasta), and 2) your body needs a fair amount of carbs every day Research the ketogenic diet which is Starting with a low carb diet and transitioning to keto can be done without a lot of pain and I've eaten less than ~30 carbs a day for 6 months with no los…

> Weaning off carbs is not hard. It would be more accurate to say it wasn't hard for you.

I should clarify. By weaning I mean taking weeks or a few months of lowering your carb intake and adjusting to the lifestyle.

I don't recommend going from full carbs to keto. Start out lazy low carb (that looks like carbs I should t eat it) and work your way into fully tracking macros etc.

Easy is relative but I think done correctly it's easier then folks think. It's a pretty lovable lifestyle once you figure it out.

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