Category Archives: Carbohydrates

When governments are behind nutrition advice like this, it’s no wonder people are confused about what to eat!!!

This morning, a friend of mine sent me a link to a website called the Better Health Channel which has been funded and set up by the Victorian (Australia) state government. The link my friend sent me was directly to an article on their site about Weight Loss and Carbohydrates and in particular, their one-sided and unbalanced views on the Low Carb lifestyle.

I read the article this morning and I was gob-smacked. Not just once, but around a dozen times, I found myself shaking my head and uttering bewildered expletives to no one in particular.

So… Seeing as The Better Health Channel doesn’t feel the need to give balanced information to the good folk of Victoria (and thanks to the Internet, anyone with Google), I decided I would rebut many of their claims about the supposed dangers of Low Carb living, and the out-dated and misguided Low Fat dogma they are pushing.

They say…….

Carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet and healthy body. They provide the only fuel source for many vital organs, including the brain, central nervous system and kidneys. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose and the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin to help the glucose move from the blood into the cells.

So… Here we are told that organs such as the brain, and the central nervous system can ONLY functions on carbs. Not quite correct.

When the body is in a state of Ketosis these organs switch over and start to burn ketones for its fuel. Ketones are substances that are created by your liver when your body is in ketosis. Ketosis is achieved from being on a very low carb diet (typically under 30 grams a day). Studies have shown that the brain and central nervous system not only CAN function without carbs, it often THRIVES when burning ketones instead of carbs.

I also find it interesting how they are making out that increased levels of insulin in the body to handle the increased glucose from a high carb diet is a good thing…. Nooooo it isn’t! But I’ll cover that later in this post.

Low-carbohydrate (low-carb) diets are becoming popular again for weight loss. Yet, despite their claims, research suggests very low-carbohydrate diets tend not to lead to long-term weight loss and may lead to other serious health problems.

I love how they make the call “research suggests” yet there is never any quoted research. In fact, research actually suggests the opposite. Study after study show that a diet high in saturated fat and low in carbohydrates is the most beneficial to most people’s health. Here’s a few studies for you.

• The Framingham Heart Study (1948 – Today… it’s still going). Shows time and time again that the more saturated fat a person eats, the lower their serum cholesterol levels are.
• Association of Serum Cholesterol with Mortality Study (1992). This study showed that high cholesterol levels actually decreased the risk of mortality.
• Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Stroke Study (1995). This found that there was no association between cholesterol levels and strokes.
• Effect of a Low Carb, High Fat Diet on Body Weight and Cholesterol Study (2002). This showed that those on a High Fat diet sustained weight loss a had a significant reduction in cholesterol.

And the studies just keep piling up in favour of a Low Carb, High Fat diet. I took these study examples from a great book by Australian LCHF Author Christine Cronau called The Fat Revolution, and her book lists MANY more.

Personally… I have been living the LCHF Lifestyle for over 12 months now. I have lost (at the time of writing) nearly 45kg and have had my blood test results go from “Chris, we need to sit down and talk”, to “Your levels are amazing, I can’t believe you eat like you do”. Sure, 12 months isn’t “Long Term” sustained weight loss but considering the longest I would’ve ever stayed on a “diet” in the past was about a month, and I’d never managed to keep any of the lost weight off, this is a lifetime for me.

The basic principle underlying the recommendation to eat fewer carbohydrates is the concern that carbohydrates cause weight gain. This is misleading, because weight gain comes from an excess in overall kilojoules (or calories), which can come from carbohydrate, fat or protein sources.

The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to combine a diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat dairy products with daily exercise.

So here we get the guilt trip…. the “It’s your fault you fat bastard. You can’t put the fork down because you are weak” lines. That is basically, in a nice way, what they are saying here… What a load of complete rubbish. They are contradicting themselves by these very statements.

Just remember this…. “Fat makes you full…. not fat. Carbs make you fat!”

On one hand, they say you need to eat fewer calories overall, yet in the same breath they advise people to eat foods that MAKE YOU HUNGRY MORE OFTEN! Other than the vegetables, all the other foods they suggest make you hungry faster, causing you eat more often. You know how when you have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, or a low-fat chicken rice stir fry, or a low-fat pasta dish, and an hour after you’ve eaten it, you are STARVING again? That’s because you are filling up on foods full of carbs and low on fat.

Remember “Fat makes you full…. not fat. Carbs make you fat!“.

Very low-carbohydrate diets are unlikely to meet your daily nutritional needs. Advocates of these diets advise people to consume kilojoules mainly from protein and fat sources, and often recommend eating less than 100 g of carbohydrate per day.

Many health professionals do not support these diets as they can have a high fat content (particularly saturated fat) and tend to restrict important food sources of nutrients.

This statement is just pure ignorance and shows a complete unwillingness to actually discover the truth about what they are writing about. Have a look at the Edify LCHF Food Pyramid and tell me that all those vegetables would cause a person to be lacking in important nutrients.

Very low-carb diets tend to contain few fruits and vegetables and may be:

high in saturated fat
nutritionally inadequate because they are low in thiamine, folate, vitamins A, E and B6, calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium
low in fibre
missing important antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Low Carb diets are low in fruit? Absolutely!! Especially when you are in a weight loss phase. Most fruits are full of sugar. Sure, it is natural sugar, but it is still sugar. The kinds of fruit Low Carbers tend to eat are fruits like berries which are quite low in sugars/carbs.

Low Carb diets are low in vegetables? Ummm… Not quite. As shown on the Edify Food Pyramid, you can eat Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Button Squash, Cabbage, Capsicum, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, English Spinach, Green Beans, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomato and Zucchini just to name a few… and you are able to eat LOTS of them. These vegetables are all low carb, and are full of lots of the required nutrients and fibre needed.

Low Carb diets are high in saturated fat? Yep sure are! But that is actually a good thing. Above, I mentioned some of the studies that show saturated fat is healthy for you, but I would recommend watching this presentation by cardiac surgeon Dr Donald W Miller called Enjoy Eating Saturated Fats, They’re Good For You. This is the first video we ever watched when we first started looking at LCHF and it blew our minds. Dr Miller certainly isn’t much of a public speaker, but what he says is incredible.

Low Carb diets are low in nutrients, trace elements and fibre? This would only be true if you were eating the kind of low carb diet they are describing on their site, where it seems you mostly eat meat. Look at all of the vegetables listed above and tell me you would be lacking in anything eating LCHF?

Typical foods eaten on a low-carbohydrate diet include beef, chicken, bacon, fish, eggs and non-starchy vegetables, as well as fats such as oils, butter and mayonnaise. Foods that are restricted include fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables and dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter.

This is one of the few paragraphs I agree with The Better Health Channel on. Now have a look at the list of allowed foods above, and tell me that they are not DELICIOUS!!! Who wouldn’t want to eat a diet that regularly include all these things. Lets not forget my personal favourite. Roast pork with crunchy crackling!!!

To be healthy, your daily diet should include at least:

six serves of bread or cereals – for example, one slice of bread; half a cup of porridge; half a cup of cooked pasta or rice
two serves of fruit – for example, one apple, orange or banana; one cup of canned fruit or four dried apricot halves
five serves (women) and six serves (men) of vegetables – for example, one cup of salad vegetables; half a cup of cooked dried beans or legumes; one potato or parsnip; half a cup of other cooked vegetables (broccoli, spinach, carrots)
three serves of dairy food – for example, one cup of low-fat milk; two slices (40 g) of cheese or one small tub (200 g) of yoghurt.

Now…. back at the start of this post, the Better Health Channel claimed that good health and weight loss was all about calories consumed… Okay, now look at the amount of high carbohydrate foods they are saying a person needs to eat every day to be healthy. Breads and cereals SIX times a day! Plus fruit (full of natural sugar) twice a day! Plus low-fat dairy three times a day! Think of how many calories are being consumed by eating all this food EVERY DAY!

It is very common for people living the Low Carb lifestyle to eat only 1 or 2 meals a day. Not because they are starving themselves, but because they just aren’t hungry. When you eat meals with lots of fat, you get full very quickly, and stay full for longer. The nature of a low carb diet means you are rarely hungry, and therefore you tend to eat less. It’s not rocket science!

In the short-term, low-carbohydrate diets may cause you to lose weight because they restrict kilojoules or energy. The body begins to use body stores of glucose and glycogen (from the liver and muscles) to replace the carbohydrates it is not getting from food. Around 3 g of water is needed to release 1g of glycogen, so the rapid initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet is mostly water, not body fat.

Please excuse my technical phrasing here, but…. WHAT A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS!

So… in my first 3 months of being LCHF, I lost over 25kg. Are they trying to tell me that I had 25kg (which equates to 25 litres… one of the few things I remember from high school science) of water sloshing around in my body? Highly unlikely!

As carbohydrate stores are used up, the body begins to rely on other sources of fuel such as fat. This can lead to the development of ketones in the body, which can make the body acidic. This can lead to metabolic changes, which may be dangerous for some people, such as those with diabetes.

I was waiting for this gem to appear, and I wasn’t let down. It’s a commonly made mistake where people (doctors and nutrition “experts” especially) confuse “Ketoacidosis” with “Ketosis”. Ketoacidosis is a very serious condition which mostly affects diabetics. Ketosis is a very natural, normally very health state that your body can be in to provide it fuel for energy. For more detailed info on this, check out Dr Peter Attia’s blog post on it at The Eating Academy.

Some people may also experience problems with a low-carbohydrate diet, including:

nausea, dizziness, constipation, lethargy, dehydration, bad breath, loss of appetite.

This is a very misleading statement. Yes, some of the above symptoms can occur, but they generally only occur during the early stages of going Low Carb. It is often referred to as the Keto-Flu. It is simply your body adapting to this completely new fuel system. Remember that your body has been battered and abused by the recommended high carb diet for years, so it is only natural that the body will go through some pretty big changes switching over to this new way of fueling it. Read more about it on Dr Andreas Eenfeldt (The Diet Doctor’s) F.A.Q page.

Constipation can occur as well, as it did for me for a few months early on, but as your body adjusts, it generally sorts itself out. What I discovered is that constipation often comes from a deficiency in magnesium. Initially I took some magnesium supplements which helped a lot, and now I make sure I eat lots of allowed vegetables which are high in magnesium.

But the one that kills me…. “Loss of appetite” and they say it like it is a bad thing! They are actually referring to the fact that people are hungry less often when low carbing. This isn’t because their body is screwed up and “experiencing problems”, but simply because they are eating lots of fat which fills them up for longer.

Potential long-term effects of low-carbohydrate diets

The long-term safety of a diet very low in carbohydrates but high in saturated fat is still uncertain, and the potential effects on a person’s health are not known. Some experts believe it’s a recipe for a heart attack. Follow-up studies are needed over years to determine the safety of very low-carbohydrate diets.

Here is the fence-sitting part of every anti-low-carb argument. “The science isn’t in yet” fall-back. Well, the funny thing is, there appears to be more science proving that saturated fat is in fact healthy, and has no impact on heart disease/heart attacks/high blood pressure/strokes etc than there is science saying fat is bad for you. Yet here they are, still promoting a low-fat diet full of carbs. It blows my mind that decades and decades of modern nutritional advice has been based on such weak science in the first place, and yet the overwhelming amount of studies proving the opposite keep coming out, and they refuse to recognise it.

If you want a great video which shows how weak the science is the “experts” used to base the Low Fat, High Carb diet guidelines on, watch The Food Revolution by Dr Andreas Eenfeldt.

Possible long-term effects may include:

This should be interesting……

Weight gain – when a normal diet is resumed, some muscle tissue is rebuilt, water is restored and weight quickly returns.

What a huge call…. There is no need to quote a study on this because common sense, and looking out your window, you can tell you that there an obesity problem. People are being told to eat less and less fat, and more and more “healthy” carbs… and yet still obesity is increasing. It’s not working people!!! Yet they want to try and say that a long-term effect of low carbing is gaining weight? Why not look at your OWN advice and see it is making people fat rather than try to divert that blame elsewhere.

Bowel problems – restricted intake of antioxidants and fibre from fruits and vegetables can increase a person’s risk of constipation and of developing bowel or colon cancers.

More ignorance on the vegetables thing. This is covered above… move along, nothing to see here!

Dieting problems – such as the ‘yoyo’ effect where people lose and re-gain weight many times over a long period of time, rather than sustaining weight loss. A recent study has shown that weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet was not different to a low-fat diet after a 12-month period.

This is an incredible statement. Firstly, there is a reason the “diet industry” exists. It is because people are getting fat trying to stick to the Low Fat, High Carb guidelines. It fails them. They get fat. They need to go on a “diet” to lose the weight, only to back to the Low Fat, High Carb eating that made them put the weight on in the first place….. REPEAT. (Did you know that the diet company Jenny Craig is owned by Nestle?…. nice complete profit circle there guys!!!)

Yoyo dieting is actually a result of eating low-fat and high carb, and more importantly the very incorrect “Everything in Moderation” dogma. LCHF and other low carb systems are not a diet. They are a lifestyle. Low Carbers learn early on that it is not just for now, but it is for life. When you understand the concept that you need to change your eating lifestyle for life, the instances of failing are drastically reduced.

High cholesterol, abdominal obesity and obesity-related disorders – diets that are high in protein and fats are associated with a number of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. This can occur if the diet is very high in fat, particularly from high-fat meats such as salami, sausages and bacon.

Most doctors and experts now realise that just your cholesterol level on its own is rarely a problem so long as your other blood markers are good (LDL’s, Triglycerides etc) which LCHF does a wonderful job managing both in the short and long-term. It has already been established that cholesterol levels don’t cause heart disease.

Diabetes? Rubbish. It is the high carb diet that causes diabetes in the first place (carbs are turned into sugar in the blood…. enough said!!!). LCHF regularly improves diabetic conditions, and can sometimes even reverse Type II diabetes entirely.

Cancer? Interesting concept, except for the fact that studies are coming out showing that a Low Carb, Ketogenic diet provides the perfect environment to starve cancer, not promote its growth. Check out this video by Dr Dominic, D’Agostino called Starving Cancer.

Kidney problems – can occur in people with impaired kidney function or diabetes.

… and as we always say, if you have pre-existing medical conditions, always consult your doctor…. and if they are completely against a low carb lifestyle, or have never heard of it all together, maybe it is time to find a new doctor. Low Carb living can on the most part help with most conditions, especially diabetes but you should always check.

Osteoporosis and related conditions – are due to loss of calcium from the bones.

Are they just making this stuff up? Study after study shows that a diet low in carbs and high in fat doesn’t leach calcium from the bones, and often it has improved bone density and strength. Here is one such study but you can find lots more.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat dairy products, and moderate in fat and kilojoules, is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

And how is that advice working out for the population? Obesity is on the rise, diabetes is a MASSIVE problem and so many other metabolic diseases are increasing exponentially, yet they still tell us to follow these guidelines. Check out Dr William Davis’ book called Wheat Belly or his recent video called Wheat: The UNhealthy Whole Grain for more details on how bad wheat and grains are for humans.

Vegetarians and people who consume predominantly plant-based diets are generally slimmer and have much lower rates of obesity, heart disease and cancer, compared to people who eat meat-based diets. This supports current thinking that diets high in unrefined carbohydrates help to prevent overweight and obesity.

Really? Have a good look at most vegetarians you know. Sure, they might be “slimmer” but does that mean healthy? Most vegetarians, and even to an even greater extent vegans I know or have met, generally look pale and gaunt and quite UN-healthy. Most vegetarians predominantly eat a high carb, low-fat diet, and because they don’t include meat, they generally miss out on vital nutrients. So they either just go without, or take a laboratory created supplement as part of their long-term eating lifestyle. I would love to see the statistics they base this statement on because it just seems like an uneducated guess.

Ultimately, to avoid weight gain, energy intake should not be more than energy output over a period of time. Avoiding large portion sizes and limiting intake of saturated fats and added sugars will help keep energy intake in check. Regular exercise is also critical for long-term weight loss success.

Here is more of the good old misinformation and outdated nutrition thinking. They are trying to tell us “Eat Less and Do More”, and that “all calories are the same”. Both of these are wrong. Time and time again, low carb diets lead to more weight loss than low-fat diets, even when the calories being consumed are the same. If all calories are the same, how can people lose weight eating 2000 high fat calories, yet will put weight on when eating 2000 high carb calories?

Check out this fantastic article by Kris Gunnars from Authority Nutrition on 6 Reasons Why a Calorie it NOT a Calorie.

Exercise for weight loss? No. Exercise is the cheapest, bluntest and most ineffective weight loss tool you can have in your shed.  I continually hear stories (my own included) about people on LCHF and losing lots of weight without increasing their exercise. I have lost nearly 45kg, and most of this was done during winter on the farm where I spent most of the time indoors, in front of the fire. Why do you think that Dr Andreas Eenfeldt puts Exercise WAY down at #13 (our of a total of 15) in his How To Lose Weight list?

Is exercise important? Absolutely. The benefits of exercise are amazing for a whole range of reasons. Body strength, overall fitness, bone and muscle condition, anti-depressant, helps you to sleep… and the list goes on. Except for weight loss. It has minimal impact on weight loss when you are eating right. Here is an article from Time Magazine about Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.

Select carbohydrates, proteins and fats carefully

No argument here. Select a low amount of carbs. Select a moderate amount of protein. Select a high amount of fat. Happy Days!

If you do choose to follow a low-carbohydrate diet, do not avoid carbohydrates completely – you need some in your diet to metabolise fat.

You need carbohydrate to metabolise fat? Again, where are the studies supporting this? Carbohydrates don’t metabolise fat. Carbohydrates create a sugar spikes in your blood which makes the pancreas secrete more insulin. Insulins main job is to grab the sugars in the blood and store it as fat. That isn’t metabolism. That is how you put on weight!

Also…. have they noticed that is it LOW carb, not NO carb? Carbs are included, just in low amounts. Where do they get their information from?.. SHEESH!

Choose carbohydrate-rich foods that are unrefined or unprocessed, including whole grains and fruit, rather than the more refined and energy-dense forms such as cakes, sweets and soft drinks. Have a variety of vegetables daily.

Whole grains and Fruits? No thanks. When I’m choosing which carbs I include, I’ll listen to the likes of Dr William Davis on grains, and Dr Robert Lustig on fruit/sugar who back up their claims. Carbs I do consume come from things like dairy (via lactose which is a sugar), veggies like pumpkin, peas and beans etc.

Select a variety of protein-rich foods that are also low in saturated fat, for example:

lean cuts of red meat, fish (including fatty fish), lean chicken and pork.

*SIGH* again with the saturated fat. Lean meats are ridiculous. Firstly, you are paying MORE for them, and getting less because the fat has been removed. Go to your butcher and ask for your meat with the fat in tact, and ask for chicken with the skin still on… Firstly it’ll taste great, and secondly, the looks the butcher will give you will be hilarious!

You could also select protein-rich foods that are plant-based, for example: nuts, legumes such as beans and pulses. soy products, including tofu.

Choose fats from plant sources (such as olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanuts, peanut oil, soy or soy oil) rather than from animal sources (butter or meat fat).

Legumes on the whole are a contentious issue. We choose to avoid most of them, but we do include the lower carb legume veggies such as green beans and peas. Legumes are quite high in carbs overall so choose them wisely.

SOY SOY SOY!!!! This stuff is in EVERYTHING!!! Tofu, Soy Milk, Pizza Bases, Corn Chips, Pancakes, Salad Dressings, Mayonnaise… The list is endless. ALWAYS look at the labels on anything you buy and do not buy it if it has any soy ingredients in it. Check out Dr Joeseph Mercola’s article on The Health Dangers of Soy. Oh and another thing. It is estimate that 97% of the soy grown on earth is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and due to lazy labeling laws here in Australia, there is only one way to guarantee you are not eating GMOs. Just don’t eat soy!

Olive Oil is fine to use, especially as a salad dressing, but avoid all these vegetable/seed oils like the plague (Canola, Sunflower, Safflower, Soyabean etc). They are right up there with wheat as being the leading cause of inflammation in the human circulatory system which is what actually leads to heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, alzheimers, dementia and so much more. One of the many problems with these oils is that they contain a MASSIVE amount of Omega 6 fat. Yes, our bodies need Omega 6 fats but not in such high amounts. Traditionally we got our requirements of Omega 6 from eating actual seeds, and actual nuts. Not concentrated, violently pressed nuts and seeds for their oil. Read these 6 Reasons why Vegetable Oils are Toxic by Authority Nutrition.

So there you have it. This is my long-winded take, paragraph by paragraph take on this ludicrous post by The Better Health Channel. I’ve linked to the full article at the top of this page if you want to check the authenticity of their post.

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about it all.