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Originally Posted by Lindy
I try to keep my total carb intake under 50 grams, though not always successfully, and I eat quite a bit of fruit, mostly berries and melons, and non starchy salad veggies within that limit. I avoid starchy foods almost completely with the exception of oatmeal.
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I suppose it all depends on your goals. I'm not sure about the validity of keeping carbs under 50 grams a day, but I can understand keeping track of how many you're eating compared to fats and protein.
I myself lift weights heavily three days a week in addition to doing three 30-minute sessions of high-intensity cardio, and so a low carbohydrate diet doesn't cut it for me. For that reason, I easily eat 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates a day.
The key here is that I'm
using them. I try to limit the proportion of those as sugar. When I consume sugar, it's often just before a workout, and maybe some just after: basically when they're used immediately. Otherwise, I try to go starchy (and fibrous) for sustained energy and long-term muscular recovery. Whole grains specifically help against insulin resistance by ensuring a lower glycemic intake in your overall diet.
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To simplify even further, all carbs -except fiber- are sugar. Starches are just polymers (long chains) of glucose. Before it can utilize corn, flour, beans, potatoes, etc. your body must break them down into sugar. One of those "inconvenient truths," and its effect on insulin production is part of the rationale behind controlled carb diets.
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I should probably note too that this is a bit misleading. It could be said that protein and fats are sugar too. An "inconvenient truth" is that the body's primary and preferred source of fuel is glucose, especially in the brain. It will convert protein into glucose if it cannot find a source from starches. It will also use dietary fat this way, but it won't tend to cut into body fat until all other sources have been depleted. Body fat is a "reserve" or "emergency" store of energy, which is why it's saved for last. Of course, starvation diets will also cut into muscle tissue for energy as well.
The problem with protein being converted into glucose is that it will not be used where it is best used: for building new cells and other body maintenance. Also, when it is converted to glucose, it creates nitrogen as a byproduct, which can be harmful to the kidneys, especially if one doesn't drink enough fluids to flush such things out of the system.
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Originally Posted by Plan9
I may have the smallest waistline in this thread... but that's only because of that damned tapeworm.
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I told you I'm back down to 32", didn't I? We should compare our waistline-to-caloric-intake ratios.
