Low Carb, No Carb, Fast Carb, Slow Carb
Everyone is full of it.
Remember the Opening Statement scene from 'My Cousin Vinny'? The Prosecution lays out his case, finishes, and the camera pans to Joe Pesci... asleep.
He wakes. Walks over to the jury and delivers one of the funniest lines in Movie History:
'Everything that guy said was Bull$h*t, (pause) Thank you.'
That's how I feel when I see a diet trend taking the mainstream.
Take the low carb fad that passed. We had low carb beers, low carb cookies, low carb snacks, low carb carbs.
You're being told that carbs, like fats before them, are bad. This is Bull$h*t. Carbs should be 50-60% of your diet, but there are good carbs, and there are bad ones. Let's cut through the BS so you can have peace of mind while you eat.
Let's define carbs. Carbohydrates provide immediate energy for your cells. They come in 2 types: simple and complex. Simple carbs are often processed foods, which we want to avoid. 3 ways you can spot processed food:
You can't immediately source the food to the earth or an animal.
It comes in a bag or in a box.
It survives on a shelf (doesn't rot).
These foods are seductive. They usually taste great and because they are simple, you digest them quickly. My friends at Precision Nutrition do a great job explaining their effect: one may notice elevations in blood triglyceride (fat) levels, bad cholesterol, and insulin resistance.
Full disclosure- I eat simple carbs. We all do. Unless you're Tom Brady with your personal chef and iron will you're gonna consume some simple carbs. Don't worry about it, just limit them where you can.
Fun story- I read an interview with Tom's Dad where he said something to the effect of 'I usually make a dinner reservation for after Tom and I have dinner'.
Complex carbs are straight from Mother Nature. You can easily root them in the earth, their packaging is minimal and they have a shelf life. These carbs "that are digested and absorbed slowly, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can help to control insulin response, energy levels, and body composition. Such unrefined, unprocessed, complex carbohydrate sources may reduce triglycerides and improve one’s cholesterol profile". Humans have been eating these foods forever and our bodies know what to do with them. They are slower to digest so the body has to expend some energy which leads to something called the Thermic effect of food (i.e. When you eat food, your body must expend some energy (calories) to digest, absorb, and store the nutrients in the food you've eaten. Therefore, as a result of the thermic effect of food, by consuming calories you actually increase the rate at which your body burns calories).
The low carb craze is marketing processed food that can stay on shelves for a minute. Eating low carb processed food is like getting punched by a middle weight instead of a heavyweight. Less damaging, still hurts.
Complex (unprocessed) carbs are OK. My advice consuming them: earn your carbs. Your body absorbs them more efficiently 2 hours post workout.
I'll end with a fun quote. Can't quite remember the exact quote or who said it but here goes: "Blueberries are carbs, right? You ever hear of someone putting on weight eating blueberries?"
