COMENTARIOS ARISTOCRATICOS: COMENTARIOS SOBRE REFEEDS Y LOW-CARB

How is “carb refeeds” an effective strategy for minimizing potential metabolic effects from long term low carbohydrate intake?

Sort

Profile photo for Doug Freyburger

Doug Freyburger

20 year hobbyist studying low carb metabolism

“How is “carb refeeds” an effective strategy for minimizing potential metabolic effects from long term low carbohydrate intake?”

A refeed is only needed if you refused to follow the directions because you demand that since low carb is good lower must be better. It’s false.

Or a refeed is only needed because you chose a science-lite plan that has you stay at 20 because people falsely demand that lower must be better so they have you do that.

In fact once in ketosis further lowering carb grams has no further effect on insulin because there’s no longer any pressure to push fat into storage at the cu… (more)

Sponsored

Lowest Cost Broker. Discover Global Opportunities.

Scan the globe for the best stocks to invest in with GlobalAnalyst. Your capital is at risk.

Profile photo for Joseph Cirafesi

Joseph Cirafesi

MBA from Pennsylvania State University (Graduated 1984)7y

How long can someone do a "no-carbs" diet which completely cuts carbohydrate intake before some problems/health conditions occur?

I have a deep interest and passion for the science around diet and health, but am not a doctor and not giving advice! But here is what I have learned reading extensively as well as self-experimenting.

There are many, many people that are following a zero carb diet, not just a reduced or very low carb diet. Two great resources for this way of eating are the Facebook group Principia Carnivora and the website https://zerocarbzen.com/.

Let's address the "no-carbs" part of your question first. According to most authoritative sources on the physiology of the human body, there are essential amino acids and essential fats. Essential simply means that your body can't make these things but needs them so you must consume them. Unlike these essential amino acids and fat, there are NO essential carbohydrates. This means that the human body can survive without ingesting carbohydrates without having a problem due to lack of carbohydrates.

Often people confuse our need for glucose with a need for carbohydrates since they are the largest source of glucose for most people. But in the absence of carbohydrate intake, the body will use a metabolic process called gluconeogenesis to produce the glucose the body needs. This internally produced glucose will become part of the fuel for the brain (along with fat based energy produced by the body thru ketosis, which occurs when carbs are eliminated or highly reduced). In addition, a few other tissues like the medulla of the kidney will use this internally produced glucose. The rest of the body will adapt to the ketotic state and happily (and some research shows more efficiently and cleanly) utilize ketones for fuel.

Now, if you are not eating the foods we think of as carbs (grains, fruits, vegetables, etc.) the only macronutrients left are fat and protein. If you are avoiding the typical carb food, the only sources of protein available to you are animal based proteins. These foods do in fact contain very small amounts of carbohydrate, at least according to the nutrition information on foods from the USDA. So technically, you can't eat a ZERO carb diet (and this term really means then ZERO plant based foods). So you might get .5g/d to maybe 2 or 3g/d depending on what animal food you eat.

To the second part of your question, there are no helpful long term research trials that I have seen that have looked at people eating only meat and fat. What you will find is observational information on a wide variety of groups of people like the Massai and the Inuit that eat very close to zero carb for all or most of the year. In addition, there are many individuals that have adopted this way of eating, some for very long periods of time. Note that even among those following zero carb, there is great diversity. Some eat only one type of meat (ribeye), others a very wide variety including the highly nutritious organ meats and still others include animal products like dairy and cheese. Those eating all that variety likely have a much higher intake of a larger proportion of vitamins and minerals.

For groups that have been observed like the Maasai and Inuit, the investigations on them seem to show that they are robust, healthy and free of the diseases of modernity until they adopt the processed food based diet typical in America and other wealthy nations. In addition, anecdotally those individuals following the zero carb way of eating also appear to have few if any health issues resulting from their diet. See the Zerocarbzen website linked above for testimonials of many people eating this way.

Some people would say that there are many nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in fruits and vegetables that are very important for the human body. They also point to the metrics like Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) and others to make the case that we NEED a certain level of intake of these. But those metrics are a mix of information from deficiency studies, population statistics and even guesses. In addition, most are based on measurements of people eating a mixed, omnivorous diet so they may or may not be relevant to the health or nutrition needs of someone eating only meat and fat.

My view (and that of many more knowledgeable than me) is that we may need some of the nutrients in plant foods to be healthy long term, but there doesn't appear to be clear cut science to tell whether a no carb diet will cause harm. I personally believe based on my study that the absence of meat and animal fat is likely a larger risk to long term health.

6.4K views

View 15 upvotes

View 3 shares

1 of 13 answers

Sponsored

Developing a Secure MDM Solution for Healthcare

Learn how MDM solution integration can boost data security, ensure regulatory compliance.

Profile photo for Ron Hunter

Ron Hunter

Nutrition science is constantly undergoing changes

How long can someone do a "no-carbs" diet which completely cuts carbohydrate intake before some problems/health conditions occur?

I’ve been doing 25 grams of dietary carbohydrate or less per day for over 2 years now. By every objective measure of health, my health is actually better.

One of the big researchers in low carb, Steve Phinney has done low carb for over 18 years and appears by all measures to be doing fine.

Then you have the Inuit who lived quite healthy long lives eating almost no carbohydrate.

So, the premise that low carb or no carb may lead to problems or health conditions may be a flawed assumption.

Profile photo for Janis Wieser

Janis Wieser

Lives in Los Angeles, CA (2024–present)Oct 16

What are the effects of having no carbohydrates or a low-carbohydrate diet for a long period of time?

When considering the effects of having no carbohydrates or sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet for an extended period, it's crucial to delve into the physiological, psychological, and nutritional aspects of such a choice. As someone who enjoys crafting vegan recipes, I've thought deeply about how food choices impact our well-being, including the role of carbohydrates.

To begin, carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. Our brains, which are energetic powerhouses despite their size, derive a significant portion of their fuel from glucose, a simple sugar derived from carbohydrates. By eliminating or drastically reducing carbs, I tend to notice a few initial experiences. Typically, people report an initial burst of energy followed by fatigue, irritability, and even brain fog as their bodies adjust to burning fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. While this shift can promote fat loss, the mental and physical toll it can take in the adaptation phase is palpable.

One of the most notable physical effects I’ve observed in myself during low-carb stints is the potential for nutrient deficiency. While a carefully planned vegan diet can provide most essential nutrients, it can become challenging to get enough dietary fiber, micronutrients, and antioxidants if whole grain foods, fruits, and certain vegetables are removed. This can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, as our bodies do need fiber to support healthy digestion.

The long-term perspective opens up another can of worms. A low-carb diet might seem like a quick fix for weight loss or certain health concerns, but it's vital to talk about sustainability. When the restrictions become too severe, I’ve seen individuals return to their former eating patterns—a classic case of yo-yo dieting. From my experience, it's important to maintain balance and arch toward moderation. Instead of outright eliminating carbs, I encourage people to reconsider their carbohydrate sources. Whole-grain options, legumes, and plenty of colorful fruits fit beautifully into a healthy diet and can nourish every part of us.

Psychologically, I’ve heard mixed reviews. Some may feel liberated from cravings, while others can find themselves fixated on food in a less healthy way due to deprivation. The key is finding a diet that feels good mentally and physically. For me, this looks like enjoying whole-food carbohydrates that support energy and make me feel fueled yet light.

Now, let’s talk about versatility. I wholeheartedly believe there's a way to enjoy the benefits of both low-carb and carbohydrate-inclusive diets. My creative process in the kitchen thrives when I play with flavors and textures across a spectrum of plant-based ingredients. For example, replacing traditional pasta with zucchini noodles or exploring ancient grains like quinoa and farro can be a satisfying alternative.

In conclusion, while there are potential benefits to lowering carbohydrate intake, such as weight loss and improved energy levels, there are equally valid counterarguments emphasizing the necessity of carbs for optimal physical and mental health. As with any diet, I’d urge anyone contemplating a significant shift to listen to their body, consider their nutritional needs, and aim for a balanced, enjoyable approach to their meal planning.

743 views

View 1 upvote

1 of 4 answers

Apriorit

Sponsored

Leveraging NLP in Medicine for Analyzing Scientific Reports

Learn how we helped develop an AI-driven model for analyzing massive amounts of medical data.

Profile photo for Doug Freyburger

Doug Freyburger

20 year hobbyist studying low carb metabolismSep 18

What is the long-term negative effect of carbohydrates deficiency?

“What is the long-term negative effect of carbohydrates deficiency?”

Dietary carbohydrates are not essential, so you will never get any deficiency disease even if you eat zero carbs for the rest of your life. Burning protein yields about half of its energy as blood sugar. Burning fat the slow way yields about 10 percent of its energy as blood sugar. Burning fat the fast way allows the acetone portion of the ketones to be converted to glucose so the yield can be as high as 40 percent - I post the reference for that often.

There’s more to life than not getting any deficiency disease!

When I started doing low carb in 1999, I noticed something puzzling. The lower people stayed, the higher the chance they would stall and drop out. I also noticed something else puzzling. Loss rates don’t go up as carb intake go down.

Once you’re in ketosis, there’s zero incremental benefit from further decreasing arb intake. Once you’re in ketosis, the risk of stalls goes up as the intake goes down.

You will find people on line who never experienced a stall from staying low. They incorrectly insist that since they never stalled from staying too low, no one does.

I searched and searched for studies of people who stalled and dropped out tabulating stall risk to carb intake. Nothing. Every study I have ever read, hundreds this point, has ignored those who dropped out of the study.

I really want a retrospective study of people who stalled and dropped out of low carb studies, but I’m an IN consultant not a professional scientist. It’s not on my career path. But that doesn’t make my observations incorrect. That just makes my observations not studied.

We are evolved to survive famines. Doing anything obvious in dieting triggers some evolved defense. This means all diet plans that “work” must find and exploit metabolic loopholes. Low carb uses more metabolic loopholes than other diet types. So no one can make up low carb as they go.

They try the obvious and they fail. This is because they trigger evolved defenses.

Our bodies are biochemical engines. Calories are NOT a type of chemical. So we can not and did not evolve direct responses to calories. Macros ARE types of chemicals. So we did in fact evolved defenses against going excessively low in any one macro. Including going too low in carbs.

Zero carb is obvious. It’s also false.

Maybe the most common reason is cortisol stress hormone. Staying too low pushes us to cheat with high carb foods. This is why people who stay too low too long, cheat, crash and burn. They fall off the wagon and quit. That’s your most common long term negative effect.

Does that happen for everyone? No. How do you know your risk? Paying attention to those who did not experience it so they assert no one does sure will never help.

Low carb veggies are beneficial. Who knew?

106 views

View 1 upvote

1 of 7 answers

Profile photo for Daryn D'costa

Daryn D'costa

Studied at Business Marketing3y

How can a low-carbohydrate diet decrease metabolism?

The energy consumption of people on low-carbohydrate diets was opposed to people on moderate or high-carbohydrate diets in a new Harvard University report. They discovered that people who consumed lower carbohydrate diets burned more calories, so could we all be eating low-carb diets to boost our metabolisms? We say no because, while these methods can be effective for certain individuals, they are not for all. This is why. The scientists in the Harvard study only asked participants to control the amount of starch and sugar they consumed. They had little discretion over the form or consistency of carbs. This view ignores a crucial fact about carbs: they aren't always created together. And, most critically, none are human beings. And identical twins may have very different reactions to the same foods, with the same volume and form of carbohydrate, according to our PREDICT research. As a result, choosing a low-carb diet is no guarantee that it will work on your particular metabolism. When it comes to weight loss, the DIETFITS research performed by our expert Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., which we discussed here, found that sticking to better-quality food sources makes no difference whether you consume a low or high carbohydrate diet. Some people respond well to both diets, while others do not.

409 views

View 1 upvote

1 of 3 answers

JetBrains

Sponsored

Become More Productive in Spring.

Try IntelliJ IDEA, a JetBrains IDE, and enjoy productive Spring development!

Profile photo for Kwame Otchere

Kwame Otchere

Regulatory & Technical Executive Updated 5y

Are some carbs worse than others when dieting, or is a carb a carb?

Being in a calorie deficit is the most important factor for losing weight. So it is possible to lose weight regardless of the carbohydrates source you consume.

Most carbohydrates have 3.75 kcal per gram regardless of the source. We lack the enzymes to break down some carbohydrates in the small intestine. So bacteria ferments these carbohydrates in the large intestine and provides about 2 kcal per gram.

Carbohydrate foods sources rarely contain just one nutrient. So we should focus on food groups rather than single nutrients.

Some carbohydrate sources may make it easier to lose weight than others.

Benefits of whole grains

People that consume 3-5 servings of whole grains per day tend to put on less weight than those rarely consuming whole grains (1, 2). Consuming whole grains instead of refined grains may make it easier to lose weight by making us feel full for longer (3, 4).

What are whole grains?

Whole grains have all the original parts of the kernel (endosperm, germ and bran) in the same proportions as when the grain was growing in the field (1).

The brain contains fibre, B vitamins and antioxidants (5).

The germ contains minerals, B vitamins and protein (5).

Most of the endosperm contains starch (carbohydrates), with a small amount of vitamins, minerals and protein (5).

Whole gains include barley, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, bulgur, oatmeal and whole wheat pasta and bread.

Eat your fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain starch and sugars but they are excellent choices to help weight loss. The sugar found in fruits and added to processed foods are the same.

But fruits and vegetables also contain water, fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. They typically have a low calorie density because they are low in fat and high in fibre and water.

Choosing foods with a low calorie density allows you to consume enough food without having too many calories.

You should limit your intake of added sugars

There is a strong link between increased intake of added sugar and obesity (6).

Added sugar is defined as sugars added to foods or drinks during preparing or processing. This includes refined sugars and natural syrups.

Common sources of added sugars include soft drinks, energy drinks, cakes, sweets, pastries and dairy desserts. These foods are very calorie-dense and provide very little nutritional benefits.

For example, a chocolate bar can have 500 calories per 100 grams but blueberries contain 57 calories per 100 grams.

Making the right choices for long term health

It is also important to consider the right foods for long-term health. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables provide most of the essential micronutrients. They also contain phytochemicals with antioxidant properties.

Phytochemicals help protect against heart diseases and cancers (7). These benefits only occur from dietary sources rather than antioxidant supplements (7).

Examples of phytochemicals include:

· Flavanols found in apple skins, cacao powder and buckwheat.

· Anthocyanins found in berries.

· Carotenoids founds in carrots, sweet potatoes, yams and apricots.

· Sulfides found in garlic and onions.

Take home message

· Focus on unrefined and minimally processed carbohydrate sources like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

· Limit your intake of highly processed snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and refined grains.

Reference list

1. Ye EQ, Chacko SA, Chou EL, Kugizaki M, Liu S. Greater whole-grain intake is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. The Journal of nutrition. 2012 May 30;142(7):1304-13.

2. Liu S, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2003 Nov 1;78(5):920-7.

3. Suhr J, Vuholm S, Iversen KN, Landberg R, Kristensen M. Wholegrain rye, but not wholegrain wheat, lowers body weight and fat mass compared with refined wheat: a 6-week randomized study. European journal of clinical nutrition. 2017 Aug;71(8):959.

4. Roager HM, Vogt JK, Kristensen M, Hansen LB, Ibrügger S, Mærkedahl RB, Bahl MI, Lind MV, Nielsen RL, Frøkiær H, Gøbel RJ. Whole grain-rich diet reduces body weight and systemic low-grade inflammation without inducing major changes of the gut microbiome: a randomised cross-over trial. Gut. 2019 Jan 1;68(1):83-93.

5. Murtaugh MA, Jacobs DR, Jacob B, Steffen LM, Marquart L. Epidemiological support for the protection of whole grains against diabetes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2003 Feb;62(1):143-9.

6. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2014) Draft Carbohydrates and Health report – Scientific consultation: 26 June to 1 September 2014. London: Public Health England.

7. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, Tonstad S, Vatten LJ, Riboli E, Norat T. Dietary intake and blood concentrations of antioxidants and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):1069-91.

2K views

View 6 upvotes

View 23 sharesAnswer requested by

Liz Brautigan

1 of 11 answers

Profile photo for Doug Freyburger

Doug Freyburger

Works at IT- Industry7y

Have you observed the results of long-term relatively low carbohydrate diets?

All anecdotal.

I have followed numerous folks on line since 1999 when I first started. The more moderate folks are the longer they last. There is a huge trend of extreme low carbers dropping out. I have studied hormone biochemistry as a hobbyist ever since to figure out what happens.

For myself I lost 40 in a year then stopped following the directions and did my own thing. So I lost 0 in my second year and ended up on a leptin plunge out of ketosis. Then a year of deliberate maintenance to resolve the leptin plunge. Then year 4 following the directions and losing another 10.

Having lost 50 pounds in 4 years I maintained without hunger for about 3 years. All this with the Atkins Nutritional Approach . My CCLL is 50 gross, my CCLM is 100 gross. I started just before the recommendation to use net carb gram counts.

After 7 years told the evil suppression by society against low carbing got to me and I resumed eating carby foods. Of course i gained it all back in a year.

Now I am back in ketosis round number 3, maybe round number 4.

1.1K views

View 5 upvotes

Answer requested by

Marilyn Hubbard

1 of 5 answers

Profile photo for Hugh Anderson

Hugh Anderson

Student of weight loss12y

Is carb cycling effective?

I have been testing out a carb cycling diet and am currently into week 6 of a 12 week diet. Four days of the week I eat 2000 calories, with most coming from protein and fat. Three days of the week I lift heavy weights, consume 3000 calories, and drastically increase my carbohydrate consumption while lowering fat intake. The low carbohydrate days are said to take advantage of the fat-burning effects resulting from keeping insulin levels low. However, low insulin and a lack of carbohydrates can impair muscle recovery and growth, as well as hormone function, so on training days the high carbohydrate intake helps refill muscle glycogen, aid in recovery, and stimulate hormone production. Fat intake is lowered on training days for two reasons, one is simply to make room for more carbohydrates, but also since humans typically don't convert excess carbohydrates into fat in any significant amount, the fat gain is minimized even though calories are typically over maintenance levels.

Has it worked magic? Well, no. Does it work to an extent? Yes. I can't say I've gained much in the way of muscle but my strength has maintained and I'm leaner than I've ever been (~12% body fat as of this writing). It is one of those things where "your mileage WILL vary." For example, having an ectomorphic build & doing a strength-based routine (as opposed to a hypertrophy-based or bobybuilder style routine) limits how much muscle I put on in general, let alone on a diet. These are two limiting factors that can't necessarily be blamed on the diet itself. Next, finding the sweet spot for caloric intake is a little tricky and my current calorie levels favor fat loss over strength gain. Were I to increase my calories a bit I'd likely see slightly slower fat loss but also more muscle growth. That's a trade-off I'm currently willing to take.

Some important things to consider with a diet like this is that most of the advantages from cycling carbs only exist for people with lower body fat levels and good insulin sensitivity (two things that tend to go hand in hand). People with high body fat levels do just fine with a standard diet, not to mention it can unnecessarily complicate food choices and habit-forming. And it's also only really useful for people doing a weight training routine of some sort; absent that there's not much advantage to spiking carbohydrates drastically.

When it comes to implementation, it certainly helps to have a familiarity with tracking macronutrient consumption. Eating a low carb high fat diet one day, and a high carb low fat diet the next, takes a little logistical planning. Like most diets though, once a few staple meals are established, it becomes second nature. And that actually brings me to my favorite part of this style of dieting, namely that I have a wider variety of food choices than most diets. The high carb high calorie days especially allow me to eat foods most people wouldn't think are diet-friendly, which is very satisfying psychologically & makes dieting an almost effortless process.

10.5K views

View 16 upvotes

1 of 9 answers

Berlin School of Business & Innovation

Sponsored

Accelerate your expertise with BSBI.

Study an affordable postgraduate programme designed with enterprise, success and leadership in mind.

Profile photo for David Le Sauvage

David Le Sauvage

Former Medical Literature Specialist (1987–2015)4y

How effective is a low to zero carb diet in the treatment of diabetes?

It’s more effective than any other diet or regimen. Last year, the American Diabetes Association approved the use of low carb / keto diets as the best approach to reverse diabetes type 2. If you choose to try that you must do so with a doctor because your meds will almost certainly need to be reduced within a few days of starting the diet and only a doctor can tell you how much to reduce them. The British, European, Australian and Canadian Diabetes Associations have all also approved the low carb diet to reverse type 2 Diabetes. The British National Health Service also approves of the low carb diet for diabetes. They have saved many millions of dollars in unneeded insulin and blood pressure prescriptions. This represents a revolution in the treatment of DM type 2.

937 views

View 4 upvotes

1 of 39 answers

Profile photo for Felix Harder

Felix Harder

Nutrition Adviser / fitness Coach (2013–present)5y

What is the best way to carb cycle?

If you're looking for a way to lose weight fast without going crazy with hunger and deprivation, carb cycling may be the way to go. More and more people are cycling carbs to lose weight and with good reason: it just plain works. Some people even manage to lose up to 15 pounds a month with it.

But what is carb cycling and why has it become so popular?

Carbs are the main nutrient we eat. They comprise the bulk part of our daily calorie intake. To put it bluntly, carbs can make or break any weight loss process. However, carbs aren't the enemy, and treating them as such by cutting them down too much or avoiding them completely can be counter-productive to your long term results.

The reason is that our body needs carbs to function well. Furthermore, our metabolism is attuned to how much carbs we have in our body. When it senses that we're running short it start to slow down. A slow metabolism is the worst thing that can happen to you if you're trying to lose weight.

That's where carb cycling comes in. When you cycle your carbs you manage to create a calorie deficit but still "fool" your metabolism into believing that you're getting enough carbs so it doesn't slow down. You also don't starve or go crazy out of your mind with deprivation.

With carb cycling you change the type and amount of carbs that you eat from one day to the next, so your metabolism doesn't know what's going on. And you lose weight.

Of course, don't try experimenting with this concept yourself. Carb cycling (also known as carb rotation) is something which needs to be done in a sensible and guided way. When done right, it can yield a fast and continuous weight loss.

1.6K views

View 6 upvotes

1 of 5 answers

Profile photo for Belldon Colme

Belldon Colme

Author of No One Ever Got Fat from Calories, available on Amazon8y

How effective are Low carb diets for weight loss?

There is a balance to be achieved when it comes to the carbs we eat and our long-term health, including weight management. Let’s look at this from two perspectives, Laura, okay?

First, Americans and many other industrialized nations eat far too many carbs. The average American eats more carbs than anything else on their plate. Starting from that comparative standard, a “low-carb” diet might mean just cutting back carbs to the balance point where they belong in the first place.

Second, we tend to misrepresent carbs on a fundamental level that is very misleading. We talk about “simple” and “complex” carbs, and talk as though one is good and one is bad. Understand right now that these terms were coined on the floor of the US Senate in 1973 to politically expedite a farm bill. The terms have nothing to do with science and health. There are, in fact, hundreds if not thousands of levels of complexity in real-world carbs, and all are beneficial and nourishing.

But notice I said “real-world” carbs, as in farm-fresh and wild fruits, vegetables and grains. Factory processed carbs are an entirely different animal, and are almost entirely harmful to humans. They have been stripped of their nature-made nutrients, bleached, conditioned, and ultra-refined until they barely even resemble the starting food, and then additives are infused; chemicals for texture, color, flavor and preservation— chemicals that do not have any place in a human body at all.

So in the end, here are the carb principles that will serve you well.

Eat only farm-fresh and wild foods with carbs; never eat factory processed garbage.

Keep your carbs down to about 1/6 to 1/5 the total volume of food that you eat overall.

Do those two things, and keep your volume of vegetables high, and you will far pretty well. ;-)

2.6K views

View 10 upvotes

View 19 sharesAnswer requested by

Laura Mullen

1 of 363 answers

Profile photo for Palyne Gaenir

Palyne Gaenir

How does low-carb dieting work in layman's terms?

Super simple? Over-simplified but basically yeah?

Lipids (fats) give your body construction materials especially for soft tissues like veins and brain and eyes and skin. Extra lipids “store for later” in adipose cells, as they can be used as energy. Fats are food.

Proteins give your body construction materials especially for firm tissues like muscles and parts of organs and bones. Proteins are food.

Carbs become glucose (‘blood sugar’) in the body. They give your body energy to go hunt down more proteins and fats. Carbs are energy.

That’s the first background basic. (“macronutrients”)

Sugar in the blood (glucose) triggers Insulin (a hormone) to stuff all that sugar into cells. As long as insulin is active, (a) “stuffing” happens and (b) “releasing” does NOT happen.

If you eat, and your body stuffs the energy into cells, but then can’t get it back out for the energy your organs etc. need, you have to eat again. If insulin stays elevated most the time, the fat never comes out for energy, it just gets added-to with every meal.

This is why Gary Taubes (a science writer) wrote in Good Calories, Bad Calories that you don’t get fat because you eat too much, but rather, you eat too much because you are getting fat. When the body is storing the energy but not giving it back to you when you need it, you are driven to go get more energy.

That’s the second background basic. (“insulin”)

If you reduce your overall food intake, the body reacts like you are in a long stretch of hard times, and makes you a competitive eater, by spawning your hunger hormone, reducing all your satiety hormones, and extends your chance of surviving the wait by reducing your metabolic rate (TEE) to a little below whatever amount you are intaking.

You likely won’t lose further weight though your food is still very reduced. When you ‘resume eating normally’ (or even barely more than you were when dieting) you gain weight, because your body is set to metabolize even less than before. Everything downscales: Your oxygen, your temp, your heart pump volume…

If you stop your food intake, the body reacts like you are in danger of starving, and makes you a competitive hunter, by clearing up thinking, reaction time, sparing muscle so you’re strong, generating adrenalin, all the elements needed to go hunt down more food.

The body treats under-eating very differently than not-eating. Under-eating would allow you to survive on very little for a long time, but in our world, just leads to people getting fatter, in the end. Not-eating (fasting) reduces fat, as the fat is being burned for energy to make you competent to go hunt that food you need.

Low-carb, functionally, is the “between:” it generates some elements of fasting (such as the body using its own fat for food/energy); but not all of them, because you are still eating.

Most people, though… prefer eating to fasting. :-)

Low-carb (keto etc.) lets you eat, be full, be satiated, not draw on your own mineral stores in bone etc., and yet draw on your fat for fuel.

Too much food (protein in particular) will raise insulin even without carbs, so you can overeat and gain weight if you try.

Too little food will reduce your overall food intake “too” much to the point your body thinks you are under-eating, and may reduce your TEE.

Researchers theorize a “set-point” of “homeostasis” the body attempts to “return to” when your food intake changes your weight. There is not yet any clarity on exactly what raises or lowers that (if it’s real), except that ‘chronic’ high insulin seems to continually raise it, and — possibly — fasting seems to lower it. It is not yet clear whether LC/Keto may use your fat for energy (good!) but possibly not re-set (lower) your set point (bad). There’s no definitive answer on any of that yet.

Low-carb is when:

You stop giving your body carbs (energy) long enough that it says, “OK, time for the backup plan,” gives up hope on glucose, and starts dragging your fat out of storage to use as energy.

Insulin stays low so your body is able to drag out fat for energy. (Insulin must be reduced or fat won’t exit the cells.)

You still get to eat even though in terms of “using fat for fuel” your body is now acting as if you are fasting.

Most people if they want additional results, or are attempting to lower set points (or many other reasons), will add ‘fasting’ — each day for hours, one day a week, or longer term — to the eating plan.

Hope that’s not too long but there are some basics.

300 views

View 1 upvote

1 of 2 answers

Profile photo for Doug Freyburger

Doug Freyburger

20 year hobbyist studying low carb metabolism5y

Is dieting at its core just avoiding carbs?

“Is dieting at its core just avoiding carbs?”

No.

Dieting at its core is experimenting on yourself until you find what works for your own body. What actually works for any one person will not be “just” anything.

If you try to reduce dieting to “just” “avoiding” carbs, fat, calories or whatever it is absolutely certain you will fail. Brute force and ignorance will never work in dieting. We are evolved to survive famines and any method that is “just” “avoiding” will trigger evolved famine resistance.

People are going to come forward and assert it’s all about the calories. Nonsense. Hunger is a stronger force than calories. Nonsense. Calories are just a book keeping method abut macros and if you only control “calories” you have not controlled macros enough to have any idea how much lean you burn, which triggers hunger.

Similar issues happen for people who insist it’s all about carbs or fat.

Any diet that is “just” anything is junk. It can’t ever be that simple. Our bodies are not that simple.

60 views

View 1 upvote

1 of 11 answers

Profile photo for Mansi Rajwar

Mansi Rajwar

Studied at Birla Institute of Applied Sciences (Graduated 2024)3y

What are potential side effects of a long term low carb diet?

Carbohydrates, whose reduced form is glucose, are the main source of energy for the body’s cells, tissues, and organs. No carb diet means having 20–30 gm of carbs per day. Therefore here are it's Effects

Effects of no carb diet are :

1. Constipation and low energy

For instance, in the diet chart of a no-carb diet, there is a minimal amount of fiber intake as it restricts fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, which are rich in fiber. This could lead to digestive tract problems, and eventually, a no-carb diet may lead to constipation and digestive discomfort. In a no-carb diet the person may experience low energy and fatigue

2. Nutrients deficiency

Consumption of vitamins and minerals is a vital part of the regular diet for human needs. But in the no-carb diet, it is mandatory to cut out some essential fruits and vegetables which are the sources of potassium, vitamin B, and vitamin C. This would sooner or later lead to their respective deficiency syndromes, such as scurvy for vitamin C deficiency. Furthermore, the hike in the rate of urination may also lead to sodium and potassium deficiency.

3. Highly restrictive with unknown long-term effects

A non-carb diet which is highly restrictive to some biomolecules, encouraging others, like restricting fiber and encouraging fat intake, could lead to an increase in cholesterol that could affect pregnant or breast-feeding women.Hence, a diet is a planned intake of food that would have all the biomolecules such as fat, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals in the accurate quantity which must be consumed at the right time of the day. For example, the intake of proteins is best for breakfast, the proper amount of carbohydrate intake for lunch is a must. To add up, in every type of diet it is mandatory to have seasonal fruits as a part of your diet, this will result in lots of positive effects on the body.

783 views

View 9 upvotes

1 of 4 answers

Profile photo for Mattis Rogers

Mattis Rogers

Former Personal Trainer (2003–2017)4y

What is the benefit of a "low carb" diet in and of itself, assuming the dieter is not intending to target ketosis?

It’s actually really easy to stick to and low-carb generally gives fast and immediate results.

It ain’t magic though….

You see, on a low-carb diet you drop your carbs to 10–20% of your daily caloric allotment. At the same time, every gram of carbs stores around 2–3 grams of water.

So, as a low-carb dieter, you get the added benefit of dropping around 3–4kg of water weight, because you simply eat less carbs and thus store a lot less water overall.

The scale shows the reduction in water weight immediately.

This fast and easy progress feels good to people.

Additionally, by dropping carbs, people are forced to “clean” up their diet considerably. Meaning, no more stuffin’ ya face with candy bars, sodas, biscuits, cakes etc., as that shit has fuckton of carbs.

Cutting out junk generally makes it a lot easier to stick to healthy food options, as you don’t get those nasty insulin swings that a diet high in sugar (=simple carbs) gives you. Without those insulin swings, you won’t feel as hungry.

Oh and, because you’re dropping carbs, you’ll eat A LOT more fats and proteins, which will fill you the fuck up and make hunger almost a non-issue.

*pssst* You! Yeah, you! Wanna know a little fat loss secret of good ole’ uncle Matt? Yes? Combine low-carb with intermittent fasting and you have yourself a potent fat loss weapon, that’s super-easy to stick to. Comment below, when you want the juicy details of this…. *closes jacket and sneaks of into the dark, rain-drenched and dimly lit alley*

Anyways, these are probably the biggest benefit of low-carb dieting.

However, there’s also some drawbacks (as with everything).

Depending on genetics, some people don’t tolerate the increase in fat in their diet, that’s inevitable on low-carb.

And this subsection of people tends to get high cholestrol as a result.

So, a life savin’ tip from good ole’ uncle Matt would be to have regulary blood work done to closely monitor any increase in cholestrol, if you plan on going low-carb.

Another drawback is fat loss plateaus (this is shit that the keto and low-carb nazi tend to gloss over….Comformation bias anyone?).

Especially if you wanna get really diced and shredded and want to dip into the sub 10% body fat zone, you MUST at some point have carb refeeds.

If you won’t or don’t know how to do carb refeeds, you won’t get lean and will start binging like you wanna go on the “Man vs. Food” show.

But again, that’s another story….

In short, low-carb es bueno.

But, there’s also stuff on a low-carb diet that is….

No bueno.

So, stay informed and open minded.

Mattis

365 views

View 1 upvote

View 1 share

1 of 8 answers

Profile photo for LeanLife Insights ✪

LeanLife Insights ✪

Has already helped over 5,700 people lose weight for good.6mo

How effective are low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet for long-term weight loss?

Low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet can be quite effective for long-term weight loss! By significantly reducing your carbohydrate intake and increasing your fat consumption, these diets help your body enter a state called ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbs.

Many people see rapid initial weight loss on a keto diet due to the loss of water weight and the reduction in appetite. However, the long-term effectiveness varies from person to person. Some maintain their weight loss and continue to find the diet sustainable, while others may struggle with its restrictive nature. It’s important to ensure you’re still getting essential nutrients and not just focusing on carb reduction. The key to long-term success with any diet, including low-carb diets, is finding a balance that works for your lifestyle and can be maintained over time.

Now, we will provide detailed tips, methods, and strategies to help you accelerate your weight loss and achieve your goals in a healthy and sustainable way. Let’s delve into these effective practices to support you on your journey.

1. Eat foods containing omega 3

Omega 3 is a fatty acid responsible for increasing levels of serotonin, the feel-good hormone, which is also responsible for controlling appetite. When it is lacking, the body produces a large amount of cortisone - a hormone that increases appetite and is directly linked to weight gain. Sardines, tuna, walnuts, chia and flaxseed are just a few examples of foods you should add to your menu to prevent this from happening.

2. Sleep well

An American scientific study has highlighted the relationship between sleep loss and weight, or more precisely the body mass index (BMI). The conclusion is that the less we sleep, the greater our BMI.

This relationship could be explained by the high production of ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, when we lose sleep. Another justification is due to the fact that at night, the body has to use the energy necessary to maintain its temperature in the fat reserves.

But beware: this does not mean that you have to spend the whole day in bed! A good night's sleep is enough.

3. Don't pay more attention to drinks

We also pay attention to the extra gram of pasta on the scale, but leave aside the glasses of industrial fruit juice, the many sugary coffees or alcohol that we consume during the day: not only food, but also drinks bring sugar and empty and unnecessary calories that slow down or do not facilitate the process of losing weight.

4. Don't shop when you're hungry

Hunger fills the shopping cart and some unhealthy products quickly find their way into it. Researchers have found that hunger while shopping doesn't just impact food consumption. The likelihood of buying other things, such as shoes, clothes or electrical appliances, increases during a shopping trip with hunger. So it's not just about weight loss, if you want to control your spending, we think you now know what you need to do.

5. Eliminating all carbohydrates is a bad idea

Eliminating carbohydrates altogether is a "fad" and a very quick, but very bad, way to lose weight, which in the long run leads to loss of energy, muscle tissue and a slowing of the metabolism. On the contrary, a correct diet should always include a certain percentage of carbohydrates at each meal, represented by whole grains and complex sugars (without forgetting that vegetables and fruits are also sources of carbohydrates), well balanced and above all well associated with sources of fiber, proteins and fats.

If you decide to skip the carbs and eat only vegetables, you will also lose muscle and the weight gain will be very discouraging. It's a mistake many people make without realizing it, but one which has a major impact on weight regain after weight loss. Now that you're in the know, we hope you'll be able to avoid the pitfalls of certain diets yourself.

📝The tips above will simply help you get started on your weight loss journey. If you're tired of eating the same thing almost all the time, starving yourself or exercising intensively, and want to speed things up. Don't hesitate to read the article pinned in our profile description, seen as a much more comprehensive and structured guide to quick and lasting results with delicious, easy-to-make keto dishes for beginners.

Ps: We write about becoming the best version of yourself. If you like this answer, please consider upvoting. It's really important to us, and would motivate us to write more.

Thanks,

LeanLife Insights.

287 views

View 1 upvote

View 3 shares

1 of 2 answers

Profile photo for Laura Bailey

Laura Bailey

✅ Nourish your body, mind, and soul2y

How can low-carb dieting succeed in weight loss?

A low-carb diet is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary foods, pasta, and bread.

Low-carb diets are popular for weight loss because they can help you lose weight without feeling hungry.

There are a few different ways that a low-carb diet can help you lose weight. First, when you eat fewer carbs, your body releases less insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that helps your body store fat. So, when you have less insulin in your body, you are less likely to store fat.

Second, a low-carb diet can help you feel full for longer. This is because when you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into sugar.

Sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream, which can cause your blood sugar levels to spike. When your blood sugar levels spike, you may feel hungry again soon after eating.

But when you eat a low-carb diet, your body breaks down the food differently. The food is turned into ketones, which are then used for energy.

This process can help you feel full for longer and can also help you burn more fat.

If you’re considering starting a low-carb diet, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

First, you’ll need to make sure that you’re getting enough protein and fiber. Protein and fiber help keep you feeling full, so you’re less likely to overeat.

Second, you may need to increase your water intake when you first start a low-carb diet. This is because when your body breaks down carbs, it releases water.

So, if you don’t drink enough water, you may become dehydrated.

1.1K views

View 1 upvote

View 9 shares

1 of 2 answers

Profile photo for William Elliott

William Elliott

Eating a Pegan diet since April 20212y

What are the disadvantages of cutting carbs out of your diet almost entirely?

Cutting carbs almost entirely?

Starvation, and probably not for the reason you are thinking.

Carbs or carbohydrates are not one food group.

Yes when people talk about carbs, they often are talking about, sugar, grains, cookies, bread pasta and rice.

But all foods contain carbohydrates in some form. Steak, eggs, as well as fruit and vegetables. They contain carbohydrates. So if you cut carbs out almost entirely you will starve.

Now the carbs that people talk about, sugar, processed grains, bread, rice and pasta. Those can cause your body to product excessive insulin. That in turn can if prolonged, by eating a breakfast of cereal, topped with sugar and washed down with fruit juice, then a morning snack of a baked muffin and a sugar laden coffee or tea or a soda, followed by a lunch of fruit flavored processed yogurt, later followed by another muffin then a dinner of pizza or potatoes and corn with a mixed portion of vegetables and fried chicken, fried in flour and seed oils. Is going to induce several spikes of insulin throughout the day. As your body never gets a break from working to clear the glucose and insulin levels remain high, you develop insulin resistance. This is the root cause of several diseases, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome in women, chronic heart disease, digetive issues, even some indications now link insulin resistance show it may be linked to dementia such as Alzheimers.

Eating more complex carbs, whole unprocessed foods, grass fed beef, lamb, enjoying full fat products like butter, cheese, cream or eating in season fruit and vegetables where possible is perfectly healthy.

There has been over two hundred years of study into nutrition and food consumption, most of the studies in that time have pointed...

Access this answer and support the author as a Quora+ subscriber

Access all answers reserved by

William Elliott

for Quora+ subscribers

Access exclusive answers from thousands more participating creators in Quora+

Browse ad‑free and support creators

3.8K views

View 9 upvotes

1 of 5 answers

Profile photo for Newton Reed

Newton Reed

Primary Care Physician (1996–present)5y

What are the long term negative health effects of a low-carb diet?

None. The liver is able to convert protein and fat into glycogen, which is then released when needed as glucose for energy. Hence, low-carb diet is the basis for a lot of the diet programmes geared towards weight loss since it will force the body to seek alternative sources of fuel and energy, which in this case is primarily fat. Protein, being the building block of the body, will only be used as fuel when there’s nothing else that can be used. Think of a starving child in Africa who is always pictured with really thin, emaciated arms and legs and a big belly, which is ascites from the body burning albumin, the main blood protein, as a fuel source.

463 views

View 4 upvotes

1 of 5 answers

Profile photo for Ritika Dadhich

Ritika Dadhich

7mo

What is the most effective way to reduce carb intake and prevent them from being stored as body fat?

To effectively reduce carb intake and prevent them from being stored as body fat, follow these steps:

Eat Whole Foods: Choose whole grains, veggies, and fruits over processed foods. They have fewer carbs and more fiber, which keeps you full.

Cut Sugary Stuff: Avoid sugary drinks, candies, and pastries. They turn into fat quickly.

Add Protein and Healthy Fats: Eat more lean meats, fish, nuts, and avocados. They keep you full and reduce carb cravings.

Watch Portions: Be careful with serving sizes. Even healthy carbs can add up if you eat too much.

Drink Water: Stay hydrated to help control hunger and avoid snacking on carbs.

Plan Meals: Prepare meals ahead of time to avoid grabbing carb-heavy snacks when you’re hungry.

Read Labels: Check for hidden sugars and carbs in sauces, dressings, and packaged foods.

Exercise: Regular physical activity helps use carbs for energy instead of storing them as fat.

By following these steps, you can lower your carb intake and prevent them from turning into body fat.

75 views

1 of 1 answer

Profile photo for Paul Peterson

Paul Peterson

Former Former Lawyer10mo

Can exercise and a healthy diet treat metabolic syndrome?

That's the whole point here.

Sugar…first discovered in Papua, New Guinea, circa 800 BC. In 326 BC, King Porus (India) befriended Alexander the Great after a battle and gave him a sample of SUGAR. “Honey…without BEES" (Go figure) said Alex.

Back to the Mediterranean. By 3th Century AD, the father of medicine, Galen, noted TWO cases that sounded like Diabetes…probably only in upper (privileged) classes.

The Romans perfected industrial “refining" of wheat…for the masses.

Corn caned from America, Soybeans from China.

Cocoa from A. America, met SUGAR = CHOCOLATE.

So now, the witches' cauldron of Shakespeare's McBeth is fully operational…a bubbling, baubling churn of “Roil, Boil, Trouble and Toil".

Ok, meanwhile, back at the ranch, CORN and SOYBEANS re extremely high in inflammatory Omega 6. Arachidonic Acid DOUBLES fat-accumulation, Anandamide DOUBLES sugar-cravings, so then UBIQUOTOUS SUGAR does the number. The Fructose fraction causes “insulin-resistance" and diabetes 2 and heart-disease are next.

So how to reverse this?

Get rid of excess Omega 6 to lower fat-conversion and SUGAR-CRAVINGS.

Get rid of sugar and refined grains.

Exercise lots.

Increase Omega 9 in Olive oil, oats almonds and avocados.

There are 2 gut receptors to unblock, PPARa and GPR-119, by “INTERMITTANT fasting".

Maybe Ozempic, etc., can help there-these “bypass" those others by GLP-1.

491 views

1 of 5 answers

skillled.com

Sponsored

WordPress expert needed!

We are looking for a skilled web developer to add a blog section to a WordPress website.

Profile photo for Vince Milsom

Vince Milsom

Founder at Fat Fighters Club (2018–present)6y

Will a low carb diet wreck your metabolism if you go back to a “normal” western diet?

The “normal” western diet is wrecking your metabolism by changing the ability to regulate insulin signalling effectively.

The “normal” western diet is far from normal. It’s driven by big food and big pharma corporate greed. Dietary recommendations are based on junk science, with funding from big food manufacturers so they can tell you what they produce in a factory is healthy for you.

Sugar, refined carbohydrates, junk food, processed food and vegetable oils cause insulin resistance which leads to things like inflammation, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, cardio vascular disease.

A low carb diet will allow your metabolism to return to normal by lowering insulin and stabilising your blood sugar. Low carb diets are known to reverse diabetes, help people lose and keep off tons of weight, and change all bio markers to healthy again.

If you go back to a “normal” western diet than insulin resistance is very likely to return along with all the health risks. Nothing to do with being on the low carb diet at all.

Low carb eating becomes a lifestyle, it’s easy to follow and as your health returns and your body composition improves there’s no way you’d still consider going back to the modern “normal” western diet.

296 views

View 2 upvotes

1 of 2 answers

Profile photo for Elvira Geiger

Elvira Geiger

Owner, Founder at Physiques Fitness by Elvira Www.geigerfitness.net (1996–present)4y

Is carb cycling (5-6 days low carbs, 1-2 days higher carbs) really more effective than simply constant low carbs?

If you train yes, it’s great to have it once a week. If you are not exercising then you might have it once in a few weeks. Updates: Because when carbs aren’t available, your body uses fat for energy. So low carb days tap into this fat burning power… But it’s also important to realize that muscle burns fat. And carbs make it easier to build and maintain lean muscle.. Carbohydrates help you build muscle in two ways: They provide fuel for intense workouts and trigger the recovery process. When you consistently eat fewer calories than you burn and/or low carbs diet, your metabolism slows down.

For that reason, it’s critical to increase calories- carbs periodically. Like stoking a fire, a high carb day feeds your metabolism. As a result, you maintain your metabolic rate and burn more calories. Better yet, carb cycling promotes metabolic flexibility. In other words, you get better at burning both carbs and fat for fuel.

2.2K views

View 2 upvotes

Answer requested by

Rick Fox

1 of 3 answers

Profile photo for Ronald

Ronald

Former Computer Programmer/analyst and a T2D since 2000 (1985–2020)Updated Aug 8

What are the long-term effects of eating a low-carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetics?

I would add my version to the question. A low carb diet will reduce your A1c to normal even if you don't take any diabetic medication. If you believe that your A1c is the only factor about T2D then you can be cured by what you eat.

The problem is T2D is a hormone imbalance. It raises IR insulin resistance in endocrine cells enough to make them dysfunctional for many needs. One is they can't control their BG blood glucose level. Instead they control the level much higher than normal. This raises your A1c.

Unfortunately for the ignorant, your A1c doesn't measure all the damage T2D can do. High glucose levels will destroy capillaries throughout your body. It destroys the most on your feet where blood pressure is the weakest. Losing those capillaries damages your feet especially the soles of your feet. Without blood supply, your nerves get damaged without the needed amount of blood so they don't function properly. Neuropathy can feel like your feet are on fire. Eventually they will die and the soles of your feet will be numb. You will not know if your feet are damaged. You will not know if they become infected and turn into gangrene. That is when they amputate your foot. Your retina also needs nourishment. When your capillaries in your eye are damaged enough you will go blind.

These are pretty much the worst of what a bad A1c can do to you. None is life threatening. The disfunction of your endocrine system is deadly!

CVD is caused because the endocrine lining of your arteries can't make enough of the hormones that protect your arteries and keep them healthy. This is blamed on insulin resistance in the artery walls. The lining of your arteries uses a great dead of glucose to produce enough nitric oxide NO to keep your artery walls healthy. NO is a vasodilator. That relaxes artery walls making them wider and the blood moves slower. Both of these reduce artery wall damage. Platelets crashing into artery walls can damage them. Healthy wall are to slick for platelets to do much damage so they slide off instead of puncturing the walls. NO is required for a dozen or so hormones that make the walls slippery, smooth, and even repellent blood cells. NO is also required to fix the damage as good as new. Scar tissue is permanent and the beginning of CVD. Plaque can't attach to healthy artery walls because they are too slippery. Plaque does attach to scar tissue. It will continue to get worse until you die!

The other deadly thing less NO does is raise s BP because NO reduces BP. NO counters angiotensin 2, A2. That raises BG and reduces the effect of NO. Too much A2 influence in your kidneys is blamed for kidney disease. T2Ds are supposed to take either an ARB or an ACE inhibitor. Both reduce A2 influence. The As in both types of medication stand for A2. I don't know anyone who lived much more than 3 years on dialysis. They just seem to die. CKD is more deadly than heart attacks or strokes!

Metformin and GLP-1 agonists both reduce CVD risk measurably.

I contend that the damage from IR in endocrine cells is more important than your A1c but it can also damage you. Your A1c should be normal like mine usually is. I don't want to reduce my medication just because I have a very well controlled A1c. I hope to live into my 90s. I have a very low plaque buildup. I am in the bottom third for my age and sex. T2Ds after 10 years average in the top third for plaque buildup. I am trying to reduce that amount. It tends to accumulate faster the thicker it is. It is easier to slow it down or even reduce it while the buildup is light.

516 views

View 1 upvote

View 3 shares

1 of 3 answers

Profile photo for Muralasa Murasaki

Muralasa Murasaki

Is dieting at its core just avoiding carbs?

No.

At its core, a good diet is about what you do eat, not what you don’t eat. A good diet needs to have a good balance of nutrition. One problem that dieting has created are people who are very much overweight and over-fat but also suffer from malnutrition because they think it’s “healthy” to avoid certain whole categories of food, so they end up skipping entire groups of nutrients and eat too much of what their bodies don’t need and can’t use instead and too little of what they need but cut out. The body keeps telling them to eat more because it’s not getting the right nutrients it needs to be healthy, but they keep putting in more of the stuff the body has already has plenty of. So, the body stores the excess nutrients as fat but is still malnourished. In particular, the body burns protein down into calories and stores those calories as fat if the body gets more protein than it needs. To the body, eating too much protein is the same as eating too many carbs, except excess protein increases the risk of kidney damage too. [Are you getting too much protein?]

If you don’t get the right balance, what was healthy turns to poison and what was unhealthy can become nutritious. For example, most people on a Western diet get too much salt. Salt is considered unhealthy. My spouse had high blood pressure, so we aggressively cut salt from our diet. My spouse got better, but I started getting dizzy and blacking out when trying to stand up. Salt became healthy for me because I got too little of it.

Avoiding starchy carbs might be helpful for people who commute by car, but avoiding all carbs is likely to result in a deficiency of various vitamins and might unbalance gut bacteria, which can cause a variety of problems from digestive distress to cancer. Vitamins often come bundled with sugar carbs (such as in various fruits), and fiber counts as carbs too. Avoiding all carbs becomes unhealthy if people get so few of the right carbs that they don’t get enough vitamins and fiber to stay healthy.

The companies making food products are very good at taking advantage of overly simplistic thinking, like “avoid calories”, “avoid fat”, “avoid carbs”, and making very cheap and unhealthy products that conform to whatever oversimplified media mantra fad people are currently subscribing to. When we realized we needed our vitamins and minerals, the companies fortified cheap sugar cereals and called it “healthy”. When we believed that we were eating too many calories and too much fat, they took out fat from food products and replaced it with more sugar. When we realized that we still need our omega-3s, companies came out with supplement products that might count as omega-3 but not really help. When we decide that carbs are evil, companies started stuffing too much protein in food products, and we’re likely find in a few decades that so much protein has created an epidemic of kidney disease. After that, we might realize that most protein is “bad” but certain rare amino acids are “good”, and companies will find a way to unbalance that and turn those amino acids unhealthy too. As media moves from oversimplified dieting fad to oversimplified dieting fad, food companies will adapt to turn the previous superfood into the next health crisis.

At its core, the human body has many moving parts, and trying to oversimplify it lets food companies crank out cheap junk foods that slowly poison us while convincing people it’s healthy.

Eat a good variety of leafy greens and colorful fruits and vegetables. Have some protein. Don’t eat too much. Get regular exercise. Get proper sleep. Drink filtered water. It’s very complicated, and it’s very tempting to want to make it easy. Don’t fall prey to oversimplification. Even the experts still can’t explain it all, so might as well not stress too much over the details other than being very suspicious when things look too simple. If they’re oversimplifying it, they’re trying to sell you something that’s not going to be good for you in the long run.

825 views

View 3 upvotes

View 2 shares

1 of 11 answers

Profile photo for Jackie Lewis

Jackie Lewis

Business Analyst at IBM (company) (2010–present)6y

How effective is a low carb diet for weight loss?

Anytime anyone decides to look up ways to lose weight, they’ll definitely come across tips and methods strongly suggesting that one should go on a low carb diet to accelerate fat loss.

So they question is, will a low carb diet be an effective tool to lose weight?

The answer is a resounding YES!

It is one of the best tools and most effective methods of shedding weight fast. There are a few points that must be followed for a low carb diet to be effective.

First, we need to understand what a low carb diet is. A low carb diet program is a program that restricts the consumption of carbohydrates. The percentage of carbs consumed should not exceed 20% of caloric consumption for the day.

Fats and protein will make up the rest of the calories. Fruits and vegetables are allowed on a low carb diet. The harmful carbs however, are kept to a minimum.

What are harmful carbs?

Food with sugars and white flour such as donuts, pasta, white bread,etc, white rice and potatoes. These are considered as high glycemic foods that spike your blood sugar levels.

When you avoid these foods, you will not gain weight fast and your body will not have insulin spikes. In fact, avoiding these foods will prevent health problems like diabetes.

You should be consuming healthy carbs in moderation for the low carb diet to work effectively. Low carbs does not mean no carbs. Many folks make the mistake of avoiding carbs completely.

This is wrong. You must consume carbs of the healthy variety.

Vegetables and fruits are healthy carbohydrates. You may also wish to switch to carbs with a lower glycemic index. Instead of eating white bread, you can opt for whole grain bread. Switch white rice for brown rice.

So why does a low carb diet work so effectively?

The reason that a low carb diet works so well is due to the fact that most people consume the wrong kind of carbs. They eat white bread, pasta, etc. What these carbs do is that they cause spikes in insulin and blood glucose levels.

These indirectly lead to fat storage, increased appetite and sudden hunger cravings. The cravings lead to overeating of these same carbs and the vicious cycle continues.

By eating carbs with a low glycemic index, your blood sugar and insulin levels will stay constant. You will feel full and satiated for a longer duration. You will also not have sudden cravings for unhealthy food or an unexplained increase in appetite.

Being on a low carb diet has several health benefits. These have been proven through studies that have been conducted for the past few decades.

A low carb diet will give you more energy. Contrary to popular belief, a low carb diet will not leave you feeling sluggish. You will experience mental clarity too. Your joints and body will be less painful.

Bad carbs tend to cause inflammation in the body. This could explain why many people constantly feel aches and pains in their joints and muscles. Their body is suffering from inflammation.

These are just some of the benefits that have been reported by those who have embarked on a low carb diet. It is highly recommended that you adopt this diet permanently even after you have reached your desired weight.

Once you reach your desired weight and know how many calories you should consume daily for maintenance, then you can allocate 20% of those calories for healthy carbs and you will maintain your figure for a long time.

If you are new to low carb diet, read this step-by-step guide on How to Start a Low Carb Diet by Angela Drew.

If you are already following a low carb diet, then grab this Low Carb 30 Minute Meals cookbook and try over 400 easy low carb recipes.

Good luck!

COMENTARIOS ARISTOCRATICOS

Saturday, January 11, 2025

COMENTARIOS SOBRE REFEEDS Y LOW-CARB

No comments:

Post a Comment

ggg

About Me