Should I Avoid Carbs?

Should I avoid carbs? This is one of the top questions people ask when starting to look into a diet. The rise of the keto diet has pushed this idea that carbs are bad and many people have done the keto diet, lost weight and been very pleased with it. The real question is what does the data say? 

First, whenever someone asks me if they should avoid carbs, I always have to ask in what context and to what degree. Typically people are thinking about losing weight and in that regard the simple answer is no. The best available data points to tracking calories in and calories out is the most simple and effective way to lose weight. This is because the more things that are asked of a person, the harder it becomes for them to adhere to it and adherence is the primary determiner if someone is going to have success or not with a program. By only looking at calories in and calories out, this allows an individual to eat the foods they want, when they want and only have to regulate the amount in a day. 

Outside of weight loss, carbs become a slightly different topic. First, since there is only 3 macronutrients, being fats, proteins and carbs, to say zero carbs would not be a wise choice since fruit and vegetables have carbs in them and no one is going to say that vegetables or fruits are bad for you. So the question of amount and what kind have to be asked. If you are eating so many apples that you do not eat any protein, that would be a problem. But in the context of normal human behavior, eat all the fruits and vegetables you would like. 

So then on to what kinds of carbs. This is where it starts to get messy. First is the glycemic index which is a measure of how fast something spikes your blood sugar. This has been used often by individuals and diabetics alike to figure what foods to eat and what not to eat. This assumes that food is eaten in isolation, which it often isn’t. Eating protein and fat with a carb slow the rise in blood sugar. However, there is preliminary evidence that mitigating rapid blood sugar rises and falls is beneficial for overall health, health across a lifespan, and mood stability. 

Then there is the inflammatory component of food. While it is true that all food has an inflammation component to it, some food drives a higher amount of inflammation in the body. These foods are typically highly processed carbs and added sugars. This food driven inflammation can cause joints to be more achy, sleep to be worse and less mood stability. 

This is just the beginning of carbs and the data keeps going and keeps getting more complex. Science and research love the question in what context and that is really what the whole carb conversation is about. At the end of the day the best advice is this: if you are trying to lose weight, just track your calories, if you are trying to feel your best, eat as little refined and added sugars as you can, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, avoid processed foods. These simple rules will get you most of the way there.