Last week I had a jolly old time writing these two posts about fat;

This one explained why, despite what you may have heard, saturated fats aren’t the devil, won’t kill you or make you fat (unless you sit around eating sticks of butter all day … that’s still a commonsensical no-no)
Then this one gave some handy hints as to how you can ditch the processed manmade oils that are the real problem and embrace more beneficial fats, without overdoing it all at once and making yourself super sick!

There’s been a lot of love around fat in the world of health over the past 4 years or so, people finally embracing the lovely coconut and fabulous avocado. However, there are some of us (past-tense me included) that have gone a little fat crazy … and in this lipid-obsessed, ketogenic headset we begin to demonise carbohydrates. We blame them for insulin spikes, for excess energy, for gut dysbiosis, hormone imbalances, thyroid issues, heart disease, energy slumps, weight gain and so the list continues.

Although I’ll try to keep it as short and sweet as possible (Good Luck Rach!), I want to discuss the following topic. Now that fats are in it doesn’t mean that (all) carbs need to be out!

Why are people jumping on the low-carb band-wagon?

Maybe I shouldn’t call it a band-wagon. There’s no denying that many of us thrive on lower-carb and higher-fat diets. Note that I say lower and not “low”, higher and not “high”. What is considered “high” and “low” is all compared to what is average. The standard western diet, of breakfast cereals, toast, sandwiches, pasta etc. is super-duper dense in carbohydrates. Throw in the sugar in cups of coffee, that unconsidered glass of juice at breakfast, absent-minded handful of dried fruit at 3pm and some cheeky late-night biscuits with a cup of tea and we’ve got an excessive amount of carbohydrate from (mostly) nutrient-poor sources … therein lies the REAL problem.

The “lower-carb” template or just plain JERF (just eat real food) principles advocate similar things; building a meal with non-starchy veggies, some quality protein source and some healthy fats. Out goes the cereal and milk and in comes the green smoothie. The wheat-bread sandwich is swapped for a tasty chicken and avocado salad. Pasta Carbonara becomes crispy-skinned salmon with roast sweet spud and steamed greens. Biscuits from a packet are forgotten and a few pitted Medjool dates stuffed with cashew butter are the #foodgasm worthy replacement. Who isn’t going to experience more energy, less cravings, a stabilised mood, weight loss/maintenance and better sleep patterns with choices like this? And notice these examples aren’t carb-free or even uber “low” carb … just denser in nutrients and lower in carbohydrate than regular fares of wheat-flour based goods.

Which begs the question … is the problem REALLY carbohydrates in general or rather WHERE THEY COME FROM and how much we are having?

When we think of “carbs” we often think of baskets of baguettes and mega-sized bowls of white pasta. We think of cakes and biscuits, iced-buns and raisin toast. However let us not forget that veggies, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds and grains such as rice and buckwheat also contain carbohydrate … do we really believe that carrot sticks, a ripe banana or bowl of buckwheat porridge is going to mess with us? Of course not, these foods are fibre-rich and full of phytonutrients.

Let’s get nerdy for a second

The main argument for cutting the carb load is this. It contributes excess energy and thus predisposes one to weight gain. If too much glucose is in the blood stream at one time, the body pumps out more insulin (the fat storing hormone) to help bring our blood glucose levels back into balance. If we slash our carb consumption, we use up all of our available glucose and our body has to use another hormone; glucagon, to break down our glycogen stores so that we can access our stored energy.

When we use up all of our glycogen (glucose stores in the muscles and liver) the body enters a state of ketosis where it starts to burn fat as an energy source. Whilst I’ve just painted a surface level picture of a far more complicated biochemical process, this is essentially the “elevator-pitch version” as to why lower-carb diets, especially in the initial stages, work wonders for those needing to shed the pounds.

The benefits seem to roll over into modulating gene expression (for the better) and re-balancing hormone fluctuations that have been up the creek for freakin-ever. It can benefit those that have pathogenic microflora taking up residence in their guts, genitals or mouths – pathogens that thrive on glucose and starches, but render good fats virtually useless. And before you know it, just about everyone is convinced that simply by slashing the carbs, their health will be restored.

How can we re-gain perspective?

The take-home in this post is that just because you’ve got the go-ahead to nourish yourself with good fats, it isn’t a licence to make coconut oil the bulk of your diet or drench everything in ghee. We can apply the same principle to carbohydrates. Do we need to fear a sweet spud here or can of coconut water there? Do we need to avoid rice like the plague and swear off fruit forever ….. Oh Hell NOOOOOO Sister! But we also don’t need to be eating 5 pieces of fruit a day and basing all our meals on grain-dominant recipes (sure a small percentage of the population may thrive this way – we are unique beings after all, but generally speaking, this sort of set up wouldn’t leave much stomach space for quality proteins, essential fats and the generous servings of veggies).

It’s also worth noting that different foods have different effects on our hormones and thus the way our body responds to that food once it’s inside. Let’s say we had 30g of carbohydrate from a croissant and 30g of carbohydrate from a banana. The croissant is made from wheat which was sprayed with round-up and thus shuts down biochemical pathways that produce neurotransmitters and store-transport vitamins and minerals. Then there’s the chance that it’s got vegetable oil in it, mineral-depleted salt and several additives for various textural enhancement/visual appeal etc.

On the other hand, the banana is a single ingredient food. It is rich in vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium and fibre. The starch molecules take time to break down into single sugar molecules so we get a sustained energy release (and thus feel satisfied for longer). It’s also a source of pre-biotics, meaning that provided we have an established colony of good bugs in our guts, the fibres in the banana will keep these vital critters fighting fit.

I know which 30g I’d be an advocate for …

The macronutrient isn’t the problem … it’s where it’s coming from (whole foods or refined processed foods sprayed with chemicals) and what other nutrients it is providing at the same time (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants). I’d also be considering what else you’re eating with it; eat a plain whole potato with nothing but a few salad leaves on the side and you’ll probably be starving again in an hour. Add that same humble spud to a stew with lamb, onion and carrots and you’ll probably be satisfied until your next meal (meaning your hormones are balanced and your cells, nourished).

Hang on Rachie-Bear. Weren’t YOU a low-carb preacher 12 months ago???

If you’re a loyal long-time reader here at Real Soup HQ, then you’ll know my history of autoimmune liver disease. This illness (that thankfully has gone into remission) ripped my digestive system apart. It compromised my ability to process foods and derive their nutritional benefits. It depleted my stores of beneficial microflora, leaving me ultra-susceptible to infection. It even messed with my blood sugar control and overall hormonal regulation. For this reason there was a time in my life where I had to strictly cut down on my carb consumption to “re-set” everything and reverse the damage done. It wasn’t as simple as plain ole’ whole foods, it took an extreme approach. And in the throes of healing I became a ~~wee bit~~ uber-obsessive about advocating low-carb diets.

I have since learned my lesson and now this is where I stand.

There was a brief period in my life where a low-carb diet was beneficial for medicinal purposes. Note I say brief and medicinal. After four or so months my body was healed from infection and started asking for sweet veggies, coconut water and a little fruit. I haven’t peed on a ketosis stick or pondered how many grams of carbs I’m consuming since (ain’t nobody – unless they are uber-unwell and have no choice – got time for that).

Just like with fats we all have individual carbohydrate tolerances at different points in our lives. No textbook formula, podcast interview or raw-vegan cookbook can tell you what you “need”. It comes down to your genes and micro-biome, your environment and your lifestyle (and above all what is working for you right now). Pumpkin isn’t poison and a bowl of rice isn’t the devil (especially if it’s been cooked and cooled down for 24 hours to cultivate resistant starch).

Get intuitive with your eating … notice how you feel after eating certain foods. I’ve always thrived on banana … ALWAYS, yet my body hates quinoa (no matter how trendy this pseudo-grain is). My body friggin-loves sweet potato (and not just the small 1/4 of your plate portion advocated by followers of the “lower carb” movement). I can have a good cup or so with lunch and it gives me energy to burn all arvo. But give me a mango or some grapes and you may as well feed me poison because man alive do those fruits give me stabbing pains or what? All are dense sources of carbs and yet it doesn’t seem to be the macronutrient alone that messes with me – there are other factors at play.

There is no perfect gram for gram recommendation of carbs (or any food constituent for that matter) that will suit anyone forever.

Your body is designed to thrive on whole foods that haven’t been genetically modified or doused with chemical sprays. It wants nutrient density to function to it’s maximum potential.
Unless you have a diagnosed medical condition or a bunch of symptoms that you feel warrant a trip to your health provider (in which case shut off your internet window and go get yourself the name and number of a no-nonsense, non-trend-following nutritionist or naturopath or an open-minded GP), there probably isn’t a need to get extreme and jump on a nutrient-counting or nutrient-fearing bandwagon.
Don’t focus on carbs (or fats or proteins). Focus on FOOD, real, whole, colourful and tasty … the body is designed to find it’s own perfect balance … let’s start trusting it to ask for what it needs, and love ourselves enough to fulfil its requests.