Why do we need carbs?

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello everyone! 😎

A new month with new opportunities has just started! One of my goals this month is to lose a few extra pounds. 😊🤗 What's yours? 

Why do we need carbs?

It says that Carbohydrates are important to our health for several reasons. They should be our body's main source of energy in a healthy, balanced diet. 

They're broken down into glucose (sugar) before being absorbed into our blood. The glucose then enters our body's cells with the help of insulin.

Glucose is used by our body for energy, fueling our activities, whether that's going for a run or simply breathing. Unused glucose can be converted to glycogen, which is found in the liver and muscles.

If more glucose is consumed than can be stored as glycogen, it's converted to fat for long-term storage of energy. Starchy carbohydrates that are high in fibre release glucose into the blood slower than sugary foods and drinks.

What do you think about this? Should we cut out carbohydrates?

In my opinion, I believe that while we can survive without sugar, it would be difficult to eliminate carbohydrates entirely from our diet. Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. In their absence, our body will use protein and fat for energy. 

I'd love reading your opinions about this. If you have cut out carbohydrates, please feel free to share your experiences. 😊

See you around.

[SKMDC]

I tried going low carb back in 2006 and it was not sustainable for me and once I was off of it I didn't have the skills embedded in my mind to keep the weight off.  But I know low carb/keto work for a lot of people. For me counting calories is key to weight loss, I try to make sure that the carbs I get for the most part are complex carbs and not simple carbs, but I do not limit or restrict them.  But, like I mentioned it does work for a lot of people and if it works for them that is wonderful!

[SunsetRunner]

https://www.studyfinds.org/keto-diet-disease-promoting-disaster/?amp

Hey Wilson, you might want to read this article. I've been considering keto for weight loss but will stick  to eating healthier, watching calories, and exercise. All that good stuff. Take care

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @SKMDC, @SunsetRunner. Nice to see you around! 

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences and suggestions! I really appreciate this! 

See you around. 

[JoeT-123]

Why doesn't 'data export' export item-by-item carbs, only daily totals? Is there a setting to get this info in the csv data download?

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @JoeT-123. It's great to see you around! 

Seems that item-by-item can't be exported. This help article indicates that you can only export up to 31 days of your recent Fitbit data.

See you around. 

[Heybales]

Food with carbs as a whole carry more vitamins and minerals than mainly fat foods (some excepts like avocados) or protein foods (which can also be provided by mainly carb foods) - if breaking into main groups.

And they in general have more fiber available.

Those are good needs for it.

While true the body doesn't require them (it can make them if required from protein), they can also be tasty and filling.

And very beneficial for some types of exercise.

And some people find them more satiety than protein or fat - important when making food choices in a diet with limited calories to play with.

But the myth that it's the body's main source of energy though, always bothered me since it can set false expectations for many things.

More calories daily come from fat as energy source for average person & diet.

Only if you eat a very high % of carbs daily and stay in elevated insulin mode and do a lot of calorie burning after eating to use them is your main source carbs.

That could be 9-12 hrs daily. Still doesn't compare to the other 12-15 hrs daily.

The brain can use up around 400 cal daily, all the other body functions use fat if available, and there are always lipids in your blood for use even if insulin elevated and lipid release from fat cells is disabled.

Perhaps you are referencing the fact ATP is what is actually put into the muscles to perform work, and some sites call that carbs - but they aren't.

Or perhaps those sites are going after the idea the carbs are stored as fat if unneeded immediately, and therefore ultimately were the source of the fat used. Kind of true.

Perhaps it's reference to the number of grams used, and since fat is over 2x the energy per gram, that could setup a false idea.

But considering your body can function without eating any carbs proves out it's not the main energy source or people on Keto would have huge problems.

People have posted the results of their resting metabolic rate tests that showed that amount of fat/carbs used as energy source.

Others have posted the results of their VO2max tests showing the rate and amount as they got more intense in exercise.

Vast majority of people are up in mid-aerobic HR zone before they hit a 50% mix. Below that is predominately fat.

Protein is like last resort as it is energy intensive to convert to glucose for use as energy, and slow process - but since we have protein breaking down daily as just normal process, it can be used.

Lactic acid can be used too, but it also is slow energy intensive process.

[Nimuae]

I have had good success with my hybrid low carb approach, (part Atkins 72 / part keto / part knowing what works for me).  I have done Atkins before with great success, but it was NOT sustainable, and the weight came back on.  Now, years later, I started cutting back on my carbs, but not cutting them out.  I allow myself 50 to 100 grams per day, and I make it a point for those to be quality carbs, vegetables, fruit, salads. If I happen to go over 100, that is ok,  I count it as a treat meal and just keep moving forward. I make use of the abundance of Keto products that are in most stores now, with the exception of sweets.  If I really want a piece of candy, I will wait for a treat meal and pick up 1 piece from See's to have afterward.  That happens about once a month.  So far I am down 24 lbs.  It is taking longer than if I went all in low/carb, or IF, but it is staying off, I feel great and I know that I can sustain it

[WilsonFitbit]

@Heybales, @Nimuae Thank you so much for the great and helpful information! 🙂

I was a little bit worried because I heard that the amount of carbs consumed affects blood sugar. Taking in a lot of carbs can raise blood sugar levels. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can put at risk for diabetes. But some people who don't consume enough carbs have low blood sugar. 🤔

See you around. 

[Heybales]

Carbs indeed increase blood sugar.

Body's response to that potentially bad effect is output insulin, causing liver and muscles to take the glucose in. Fat eventually if required.

Which causes blood sugar to lower to desired range.

It's not the high blood sugar that is risk of causing diabetes type 2, it's the having too much mass, fat specifically, that means you need bigger production of insulin to handle that. Cells stop responding to normal amount, more has to be produced since blood sugar still high.

That's why losing weight is the major factor in helping T2D and reversing it even.

Obviously genetics plays a part and some have lower limits before things become a problem, some have higher.

Many thin people have no issue consuming tons of carbs, some overweight people same thing.

Low blood sugar and then glucagon is released which causes glycogen from liver to increase it (muscle can't release it's stores back into blood stream).

People with metabolic issues can get low blood sugar from eating enough carbs and body is just too good with the insulin or dropping the amount soon enough. So then too much is taken out of the blood and low blood sugar happens. That's usually the effect most people actually see. can make you hungry too when you just ate.

Why many small meals throughout the day isn't wise for them, constant up and down, too high, too low. Eating lower carb actually helps this effect.

Protein increases insulin too - which is good, because that causes amino acids to be shuttled off where they are needed, help muscles to grow.

If you truly don't consume enough carbs for liver to have anything to release - ketones are let on the lose for those body systems that can use it, and for the systems that just require glucose, amino acids can be converted to keep blood sugar up.

But the estimates of those with metabolic issues (prelude to T2D) has by many accounts been overblown - of course by those that stand to control or get money the worse a problem appears. It is worse than it used to be because of obvious obesity problems, just likely not as bad as some reports say.

Similar idea - very raw talk about it, he has educational series where he's more presentable:

https://youtu.be/GuyRti0GpZw

[WilsonFitbit]

Such a nice information @Heybales 😊

Thank you so much for sharing it! 😎 I was reading that there are some simple things that can be done to prevent blood sugar spikes: 

1. Go low-carb. Carbohydrates (carbs) are what cause blood sugar to rise. 
2. Eat fewer refined carbs. 
3. Reduce sugar intake. 
4. Keep a healthy weight. 
5. Exercise more. 
6. Eat more fiber. 
7. Drink more water. 
8. Introduce some vinegar into the diet.

See you around.