Weight Loss Series Part 3 Continued: Carbohydrates: Low Carb vs. High Carb

      Alright, the battle for the ages, the clash of the titans, it is Low Carb versus High Carb. In one corner we have the king of high protein, Primal/ Paleo Lifestyle. In the other corner we have the people’s “champ,” the amber waves of grain, Standard American Diet. I wanted to explain both sides of this battle in the most unbiased way I possibly could, so here we go.

      First, low carbs can be split a few ways: Primal, Paleo, Atkins, Zone Diet, etc… I am going to focus on Primal for this blog because I view this as the healthiest and most likely to be a lifestyle change instead of a diet.  I know that when people think of low carbs they think of Atkins, but Atkins to me is a quick fix and not really sustainable for the long haul. There are a few differences between Primal and Atkins, but the most notable to me is that Atkins allows processed food and artificial sweeteners, while Paleo is about eating naturally (organic produce, and organic, grass-fed meats).  

      What is Primal exactly?  Primal Living is based upon ten laws. The ten laws are:

1. Eat Lots of Plants, Animals and Insects;

2. Avoid Poisonous Things;

3. Move Frequently At A Slow Pace;

4. Lift Heavy Things;

5. Run Really Fast Once In A While;

6. Get Adequate Sleep;

7. Play;

8. Get Plenty of Sunlight;

9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes; and

10. Use Your Brain.

      It encompasses more than just dietary guidelines, but rather a guideline to live your entire life by. For present purposes, we are going to focus on the carbohydrate views of Primal, but if you want more information on Primal Living, visit http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2AQjaKo9z.

      The view on carbohydrates from the Primal perspective is that we don’t need grains. We can get our carbohydrates from vegetables and fruit and better utilize them compared to grains. Those who follow the Primal Lifestyle believe that grains/legumes contain anti nutrients. These anti nutrients are lectins, gluten, and phytates. Consider this a eulogy for grains!

       Lectins  bind to insulin receptors, attack the stomach lining of insects, bind to human intestinal lining, and they seemingly cause leptin resistance. And leptin resistance predicts a “worsening of the features of the metabolic syndrome independently of obesity.”

      Gluten might be even worse. Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Around 1% of the population is celiac - people who are completely and utterly intolerant of any gluten. In celiacs, any gluten can destroy their gut and all around being. We’re talking lowered calcium and vitamin D3 levels, hyperparathyroidism, bone defects. Oh, you are not celiac? Well you must be fine then. Oh wait! You’re not at all! Just because you’re not celiac doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the ravages of gluten. A study showed that 29% of asymptomatic (not celiac) people nonetheless tested positive for anti-gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the gut, and it remains there until it’s dispatched to ward off gliadin – a primary component of gluten. Basically, the only reason anti-gliadin IgA ends up in your stool is because your body sensed an impending threat – gluten. If gluten poses no threat, the anti-gliadin IgA stays in your gut, make sense?

( Lady in the third row wails loudly.)

      Phytates are a problem, too, because they make minerals bio-unavailable, thus rendering null and void any reason to eat grains. (Funeral dirge ensues)

      Now that we have gone over the Primal view, let’s look at how we might be able to make the Standard American Diet work for us. What is The Standard American Diet (SAD)? The typical American diet is about 50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat. These percentages are over the USDA dietary guidelines for the amount of fat (below 30%), below the guidelines for carbohydrate (above 55%), and at the upper end of the guidelines for the amount of protein (below 15%) recommended in the diet. This diet is rich in grains, and because our focus is low carb vs high carb, we will focus on that aspect and not the entire pyramid. 

How can we make the SAD diet work for weight loss? The most important thing to do is eat as close to whole foods as possible. What I mean is eating whole millet, amaranth, barley, whole oats, quinoa, and rice (NOT white or brown but wild, whole rice). I know what you are going to say, “Um, what are amaranth, millet, and quinoa?” They are the weird grains that are in the hippie dippie natural stores that you haven’t gone to but you have always been curious about. They are “old world” grains that are higher in protein and gluten free. Making whole, gluten free grains the carbohydrate you eat is a better choice than the overly processed white rice, rolled oats, corn/ bran flakes, and definitely bread and pastas. Don’t get too upset, though. Find yourself a nice millet, oat, barley, or buckwheat flour and make the bread or pasta yourself. It’s really not that hard, and there are many recipes out there you can use. Eating these and fruits and vegetables to round out your carbohydrates will definitely be the best decision for healthy weight loss and overall health.

There you go folks; the winner of Low Carb versus High Carb is… wait for it… YOU! You can most definitely lose weight with the Primal lifestyle, and with higher carbohydrates that are whole grain and as close to what you would find on the farm or naturally you can lose weight. So I guess it comes down to making good, healthy choices for you. I am sorry if that was too anti climatic of an ending for you, like the finale of the Sopranos.  Until next time!