The Reality of Carbs

At least once a day a client walks in my door professing that they do not eat a single carbohydrate. Past or current clients can snicker along right about now because the first thing I do is stand up from my chair, walk over, and check their pulse. Why? Well because you would die if you didn't eat carbohydrates.  DROP THE MIC.... Wait what? Yes, you would DIE if you didn't eat carbohydrates.

So we have a couple of things going on here. People are uneducated or easily swayed by the media, "health coach", "their neighbor the nutritionist"  or TV personality. People do not understand what foods contain carbohydrates and over eat the portion of carbohydrates. People are used to fad diets which paint carbohydrates to be the bad guy.

So let's get to the facts. Your body prefers carbohydrates to create ATP for energy.  Our bodies prefer it because we are efficient when breaking down carbohydrates and we can create ATP from carbohydrates with or without oxygen AND without producing potentially toxic byproducts.

As a provider who has worked with THOUSANDS of clients, my rule of thumb is that most people should not have less than 40% of their daily nutrition intake provided by carbs.  If you are an athlete, especially a runner, 50-60% of your daily nutrition should be provided by carbs.

What happens if you don't eat enough carbs? Well you are negatively affecting your metabolism which means you will gain weight or stay the same weight AND increase your body fat. Believe me, I have worked with many "thin" runners who are not fueling themselves correctly who have a significantly high body fat percentage.

A little lesson: Our bodies have enough stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to last us for about 24 hours (when we AREN'T exercising). As you start to deplete carbohydrate sources and stored carbohydrate sources your body is forced to use alternate macronutrients for energy. You will first start using fats and then protein. Basically when you burn fat at a fast rate you are creating ammonia and eventually ketones and when you are attempting to create ATP from protein, a more difficult process, you are creating ketones. What are ketones? By definition: ketones are a class of acidic organic compounds that includes acetonea and aceto-acetic acid. They are formed in states of carbohydrate deficiency such as starvation or conditions such as Diabetes, in which carbohydrates cannot be normally utilized.

Makes you wonder about all those fad diets that try to put you in ketosis doesn't it?

Food groups that provide carbohydrates are Grains, Fruits, and Dairy.  Nonstarchy vegetables do have carbohydrates and if you eat about 3 cups of a raw vegetable or 1.5 cup of cooked vegetables they actually provide a carbohydrate exchange (similar to 1/3 cup cooked rice). Hence, why my "no carbers" don't die.

Everyone should have a goal to eat consistent carbohydrates at every meal about every 4-5 hours WITH protein and healthy fat. When you eat your carbohydrates with protein and fat it diminishes the whole glycemic index which has been another popular "diet."

If you are a runner you should be assessing your carbohydrate intake at each meal, what you are eating 1 hour prior to running, and if you are running longer than 75 minutes, you most certainly should be providing yourself with about 15-30 grams of a carbohydrate an hour to ensure you are refueling appropriately.

Are all carbs created equal? NO.  Half of your daily grain intake should be higher fiber. Choose whole wheat, brown rice. An easy way to do this is to look at the nutritional labels with a goal of 3-5 g of fiber per serving.  Nobody should be afraid of natural fruits and dairy, unless allergic.

Lastly, the only person who is experienced enough to assess your carbohydrate intake and provide recommendations is a Registered Dietitian, legally a nutritionist cannot even do this, even if they are licensed.  If you've read through this you can imagine the biochemistry that goes into creating the ATP.  Everyone is individualized, and no one person has the same nutrition prescription.  Would you bring your car to the bicycle shop to get an oil change?  Be smart.  Provide your body with the right fuel and if you don't know how be proactive and get the right people on your team.

Be well,

Amy Goldsmith