Hello folks. I do know that some carbs such as in watermelon, vegetables and spinach etc are good. Which carbs aren’t good for us?
Thank You
Thank You
Carbs: which are good for us and which are not?
- Thread starter 53' Stude
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. Potatoes- not so much.
I don't understand the hate Stromberg carbs often get. Then again, I like Solex.
4WD
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I had an Edelbrock copy of a Carter AFB …
(and sweet potatoes
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(and sweet potatoes
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Simple carbs like the various types of sugar (fructose, glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose) are great for near-instantly fueling cells and replenishing glycogen stores. For example, you need to exert yourself considerably and don't want to clap put out after a short while.
Our bodies are not meant to derive most operational fuel for low energy expenditure from the various types of sugar. But from burning some of our fat reserves. That's why laborers and athletes can consume higher amounts of carbs than a couch potato without getting fat.
Our metabolism converts starch into sugar via hydrolysis. This takes some time.
Fiber is to a large part undigestible. If a quantity of food says it contains x grams of fiber, you can count about half of it as carbs. Note that fiber is an important feed stock for beneficial bacteria in our intestines, the biome, which is super-important for our immune system and a properly functioning metabolism. Plus you need fiber as a fecal bulking agent.
What delays the spike and blood glucose and insulin excretion is mostly the fat content of the food you eat. Fiber does that but to a lesser degree. The all-over increase in blood sugar will be the same if carbs are consumed by themselves or in conjunction with fat but fat and fiber reduce the occurrence of rapid blood sugar spikes and drops which are metabolically undesirable and stressful.
A few days ago, I was talking to a friend. He eats a very questionable diet that is rich in carbs. He's a skinny fat guy. He always brags about how good his A1c is. The A1c represents the average blood glucose level over an extended period and is used to determine if a person's sugar metabolism is out of whack. This time he told me the actual figure which was 5.5. A1c is measured in percent. While 5.5 falls within the normal range it's only 2/10 of one percent from 5.7 which is considered prediabetes. He was shocked when I told him that a mere 2/10 percent increase would push him over the edge. His doctor had not told him that but just said "normal." I told my friend if I were him I'd cut my carb consumption in half and check the A1c again in 3 months. You can actually buy an over-the-counter A1c test kit for $50.
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This isn't a black and white issue. Some people do poor on ANY carbs (the body doesn't discriminate, sugar is sugar, carbs break down into sugar, what you're left with is glucose and/or fructose. The biggest difference with various forms of sugars is how quickly it hits our blood stream and causes insulin spikes, the glycemic index).
Vegetables are not healthy for everyone either. Diets like low FODMAPs exist for a reason. Tomatoes or other nightshade veggies can cause inflamation. Other people can't handle the oxalate's. So spinach and almonds can be a very poor choice for some people.
Watermelon is pure water and fructose, fructose is very hard on the liver in high amounts. This is not a healthy part of your diet when you consider how much sugar people eat normally without the watermelon. To somebody who mainly eats meat, healthy fats (butter, olive oil) and some green veggies and who is metabolically healthy, a bit of watermelon is a luxury/treat and can be eaten without worry (occasionally, in moderation). If you're stuffing your face with pizza and 3 beers then washing it down with a quarter watermelon, well eating that melon is not going to improve your health in any way.
The only real golden rule we can draw is that on average, most americans get way too much sugar/carbs/alcohol and most lives would improve by reducing or even eliminating carb intake. And the second thing to remember, sometimes its not the food itself, but the quantities and frequency. You can't just say "watermelon = good" or "potatoes = bad" as a rule.
Many people don't understand portion size. People also differ in tolerance or intolerance towards specific foods without being aware of it and it affects everything from digestion to the immune system. A heaping bowl of spaghetti or a 6-pound watermelon is neither one serving nor one portion. If you look down and can't see your toes, it's not rocket science what to do.
I'm gonna bet the watermelon was never the problem.
Certainly not. One cup of watermelon has about 10-11g of carbs. That may be too much for a diabetic but for anybody with a normally functioning metabolism, it's nothing to worry about.
For someone overweight treat all carbs the same and eat the appropriate portions. You ideally want to eat carbs with a mixed meal including a quality protein source.
Eat only meals and don't snack will go a long long way
Eat only meals and don't snack will go a long long way
Triple_Se7en
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I need to go on a Carbs Count.
(Baked) Navy Beans for me. I had Bush's Vegetarian as a side dish with Crock Pot Boneless Ribs today. Potato Casserole also and Peach Pie with Slow Churned ice cream a-top for dessert.
(Baked) Navy Beans for me. I had Bush's Vegetarian as a side dish with Crock Pot Boneless Ribs today. Potato Casserole also and Peach Pie with Slow Churned ice cream a-top for dessert.
To expand on what some have said, simplify, and add my own opinion:
Carbs follow a range from fiber (complex) to pure sugar (simple).
Fiber is good for you and most people don't eat enough of it. It has no calories (your body gets no energy from it), but it serves other useful functions. Keeps your intestines moving, and it also promotes healthy gut microbes, helps regulate hormone levels and the rate at which the body absorbs simpler carbs, regulating blood sugar levels and smoothing insulin response.
Sugar is bad for you. It is empty calories (no other minerals or vitamins), and it is absorbed so quickly it causes an energy high, spiking insulin response, followed by an energy crash.
Generally speaking, fiber doesn't exist in the animal kingdom (and, incidentally, cholesterol doesn't exist in the plant kingdom). So eat more plant based foods. But those plant based foods should be whole unprocessed, because processing reduces or eliminates the fiber content.
Most natural unprocessed plant foods have enough fiber to protect you from the sugar content. For example, drink a coke and you get pure sugar with no protection: energy surge, insulin spike then energy crash. Eating 2 whole apples has the same amount of sugar as that coke, but it doesn't spike your glucose levels as high, smooths the insulin response, and doesn't crash you afterward. All because the apple has fiber. Of course that doesn't mean go out and eat apples all day. And if you crush the apple into apple juice, you've removed the fiber and the sugar hits your system just like the coke does.
Even healthier is to eat natural unprocessed plant foods that are rich in fiber yet with less sugar than fruit, like most vegetables and many starches.
One way to categorize carbs is complex vs. simple, another is glycemic index (low is good/complex, high is bad/simple). Most "low carb" diets do not count fiber as a carbohydrate, even though nutritionally that is what it is. So you can eat all the fiber you want - so long as you give your body time to adjust to the change in diet.
Sterols and stanols are the plant equivalent of cholesterol. High sterol and stanol intake has shown to increase HDL cholesterol levels in people who have low HDL cholesterol. I think 2,000mg a day is recommened as an effective dose if given as a sterol supplement. You can't really get that much sterol from eating plant matter.
A few grams of fiber can be disregarded. Any larger amount and 50% of the grams of fiber are counted as carbs. For diabetics, especially Type 1 that's important. For example, a bowl of bran will provoke a blood glucose spike in a Type 1 diabetic.
With a properly functioning metabolism you can do that. It's hard to overeat on fiber because it's rather filling when it swells up.
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If you eat your high/simple carbs (for example white rice) in a mixed meal it becomes low glycimic.
Some people harp on white vs whole wheat but if you eat it appropriately you don't need to eliminate it from your diet.
I'll throw in my experience here from a personal standpoint. I eat and have eaten a very high carb diet since 2014. The bulk of my diet includes rice, beans, veggies, nuts/seeds, avocado, fruit(not small amounts either). I do eat small amounts of cheese and occasionally eggs. I really don't portion ever, just eat to satiety(2 meals per day with Intermittent fasting). In 2014 when I started this; I weighed 259lbs and had just dipped into prediabetic range. Within a few months my A1C was in the normal range. At that time, a ate ALOT of fruit. In every metric, this way of eating has improved my health. I stay around 175lbs these days and wouldn't go back.
I'd say the main theme here as others have stated, whole foods is essential. I wouldn't say eat copious amounts of fruit, but I also believe people are way too afraid of them. Of course there is exceptions, not everyone can do high carb.
I'd say the main theme here as others have stated, whole foods is essential. I wouldn't say eat copious amounts of fruit, but I also believe people are way too afraid of them. Of course there is exceptions, not everyone can do high carb.
Same here, though I went mostly vegan back in 1992. 32 years in, I can say it's pretty well tested and confirmed that this has improved my health permanently as a lifestyle and also provides enough protein & sustained energy to support endurance sports.
The key is to know the difference between "good carbs" and "bad carbs", as the OP was asking.
