Carbs are overrated. Why do I say that? We have essential amino acids (protein) and essential fatty acids (fat). But you know what we don't have? That's right: essential carbs.
You don't need sugar to live. In fact, you don't need to consume any carbohydrates whatsoever. Your body can produce the glucose it needs through a process called gluconeogenesis, using compounds derived from protein and fat. That's why humans can survive on diets containing very little or even virtually no carbohydrates. Just look at the keto and carnivore communities.
Now, that doesn't mean carbohydrates are bad. It simply means they're not physiologically essential in the same way protein and fat are. Your body needs glucose, but it doesn't necessarily need you to eat glucose.
And if you're eating enough protein and fat, you may find that a higher protein, higher fat diet keeps you fuller for longer and helps stabilize your blood sugar, compared with a diet dominated by refined carbohydrates.
Reducing carbohydrate intake can also lower insulin levels. Additionally, when carbohydrate intake is low enough, you can put your body into ketosis, where fat and ketones become major fuel sources.
There are also plenty of carbohydrate sources that provide little more than calories. White bread, white rice, white pasta, sugary cereals, candy, and refined sugar are easy examples. Compared with their whole food counterparts, these foods generally contain less fiber and fewer vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
If you love potatoes, oats, fruit, beans, rice, and whole grains, there's nothing wrong with eating them. They're nutritious foods and can be an excellent source of energy.
But you don't need to force yourself to eat carbs simply because you've been told they're an essential part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates are a perfectly valid source of energy. They're just not the only one.
So are carbs overrated? Maybe. They're useful. They're nutritious when you choose the right sources. They're convenient fuel, especially for exercise. But they're not an essential nutrient, and you don't need them to survive.
The problem isn't carbohydrates themselves. It's what we often do to them. We take nutritious grains and strip away much of their fiber and nutrients to make refined flour. We add sugar to everything. We take potatoes, one of the most nutritious and filling foods around, and turn them into French fries by deep frying them.
Choose the foods that give you the most nutrition for your calories, and don't feel like you need to eat carbs simply because they're supposed to be a staple of every diet.
But there's another side to this argument. If carbs aren't essential, does that mean they're unnecessary? Absolutely not. For the other side of the story, check out Carbs Are Underrated.
You don't need sugar to live. In fact, you don't need to consume any carbohydrates whatsoever. Your body can produce the glucose it needs through a process called gluconeogenesis, using compounds derived from protein and fat. That's why humans can survive on diets containing very little or even virtually no carbohydrates. Just look at the keto and carnivore communities.
Now, that doesn't mean carbohydrates are bad. It simply means they're not physiologically essential in the same way protein and fat are. Your body needs glucose, but it doesn't necessarily need you to eat glucose.
And if you're eating enough protein and fat, you may find that a higher protein, higher fat diet keeps you fuller for longer and helps stabilize your blood sugar, compared with a diet dominated by refined carbohydrates.
Reducing carbohydrate intake can also lower insulin levels. Additionally, when carbohydrate intake is low enough, you can put your body into ketosis, where fat and ketones become major fuel sources.
There are also plenty of carbohydrate sources that provide little more than calories. White bread, white rice, white pasta, sugary cereals, candy, and refined sugar are easy examples. Compared with their whole food counterparts, these foods generally contain less fiber and fewer vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
If you love potatoes, oats, fruit, beans, rice, and whole grains, there's nothing wrong with eating them. They're nutritious foods and can be an excellent source of energy.
But you don't need to force yourself to eat carbs simply because you've been told they're an essential part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates are a perfectly valid source of energy. They're just not the only one.
So are carbs overrated? Maybe. They're useful. They're nutritious when you choose the right sources. They're convenient fuel, especially for exercise. But they're not an essential nutrient, and you don't need them to survive.
The problem isn't carbohydrates themselves. It's what we often do to them. We take nutritious grains and strip away much of their fiber and nutrients to make refined flour. We add sugar to everything. We take potatoes, one of the most nutritious and filling foods around, and turn them into French fries by deep frying them.
Choose the foods that give you the most nutrition for your calories, and don't feel like you need to eat carbs simply because they're supposed to be a staple of every diet.
But there's another side to this argument. If carbs aren't essential, does that mean they're unnecessary? Absolutely not. For the other side of the story, check out Carbs Are Underrated.
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