Carbs made simple: a complete guide for adventure-lovers
Carbs, like so many things in our current culture, has become polarizing. People love to argue and fight over the dietary significance of carbs.
One the one hand, carbs have gotten a bad rap, and I understand why. When most people say low carb, they typically mean, “I’m going to cut out pancakes, pizza, pasta and sugar.” My own fitness journey started with a paleo diet, and it worked. I then tried keto for a while, and that worked too.
On the other hand, carbs are insanely healthy. They’re fruits, veggies, beans, lentils and fiber. They’re also a great source of fuel. When I ran a marathon and a Spartan Ultra 50k, I switched to a high carb diet. That worked too.
So although my typical recommendation is a balanced macro diet, I’ve also coached and lived high and low carb diets.
The problem is that the concept of “carbs” is a human abstraction and an oversimplification. People don’t eat “carbs”. They eat food. Real food and nutrition is far more complicated and nuanced. With this guide, I hope to put the “food” back into the abstract concept of “carbs”.
So I’m not going to try to talk you out of a high or low carb diet. I don’t really think it matters much. If your low or high carb diet is working, then keep at it. Either way, you can use this guide to improve your diet.
I’ll show you. . .
This article is part of a series that covers the three macronutrients and veggies. You can check out the other articles in the series with the following links.
Let’s dive in!
How to make smart carb choices
1) Whole carbs versus processed carbs
The first step in putting the “food” back in “carbs” is to understand the difference between whole food sources of carbs and ultra-processed sources of carbs. There’s a world of difference, and in terms of your health and physique, lumping them together makes ZERO sense.
Instead, I recommend seeing carbs along a spectrum. On one end, you have whole foods such as fruits, tubers, veggies, whole grains, beans, lentils, etc. On the other end, you have processed foods like soda, energy drinks, juices, sugar, crackers etc.
Many of the most offensive “carbs” are also rich in unhealthy fats and don’t fit neatly into the carb category. These include cakes, pastries, cookies, chips, French fries, candy bars, ice cream etc.
How much of a difference does this make?
The difference is huge. For one thing whole food sources of carbs are vastly more physique friendly. There are several reasons for this, but one is simply caloric density. It’s hard to eat as much whole food. Consider the difference between a 12 oz. can of Coke and a box of blue berries. One can of Coke is 140 kcal. You’d have to eat 175 blueberries to eat 140 kcal. Sure, they’re both carbs, but lumping them into the same category is silly.
This is also true of whole foods more generally. One recent study compared eating a diet of whole foods with a diet of ultra-processed food. The people eating whole foods ate 500 kcal less, and they weren’t counting calories or trying to eat less. They did it because whole food leaves you feeling fuller for longer with fewer calories.
Whole food carbs are also MUCH more nutritious and healthy. Think again about those blue berries. They’re loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals and micronutrients. The coke doesn’t compare.
Again, you can see this with whole foods generally. In one recent study, a 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed food led to a 14% higher risk of all-cause mortality.
Because of all of this recent research, Harvard researchers have begun focusing on food quality rather than macronutrient ratios. In other words, they’ve started prioritizing “food” rather than abstract concepts. In one study, they found that focusing on better quality food (including healthy carbs) made a big impact on health and longevity.
So rather than see all carbs as just carbs, you can break them down into a spectrum of choices. With whole food carbs on one end of the spectrum, and ultra-processed carbs on the other end of the spectrum.
Long story short, it makes no sense what so ever to lump a can of coke in the same category as a salad. Yes, biochemically they are both carbs. But that concept is useless for most dieters, who just want to look, feel and perform their best.
As I’ll explain below, there may be an exception. Some people may have a carb intolerance, and in that case, “carb” as a food category may be useful.
2) Whole food sources of carbs contain fiber
One thing that makes whole food sources of carbs so special is fiber. Fiber is the parts of plants that your body can’t digest. Unlike protein, fats and regular carbs, fiber passes through your digestive track intact. In the US, food labels count fiber as carbs, even though their calories don’t count and they don’t elevate your blood sugar levels.
The benefits of fiber are amazing.
Fiber will help you feel fuller for longer. According to one study, increasing your fiber intake by 14 grams per day reduces your caloric intake by 10%. In other words, it can help you get leaner without counting calories or feeling hungry.
Fiber can help you control your blood sugar levels.
Fiber can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.
High fiber diets are associated with a reduced risk of all cause-mortality. In other words, fiber can help you live longer.
Fiber can improve your bowl movements.
Bottom line: fiber can help you look better, feel better, and live longer.
The American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
3) Whole food carbs include fruits and veggies
Another thing that makes whole food carbs so special is fruits and veggies. They’re highly anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, a phenomenal way to lose weight, loaded with micro-nutrients and phytochemicals and a great source of fiber. All of this translates into incredible health and longevity benefits.
A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that eating 10 servings of fruits and veggies provided a massive reduction in all-cause mortality. That’s 800 grams of fruits and veggies.
The study showed a:
24 percent reduced risk of heart disease
33 percent reduced risk of stroke
28 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
13 percent reduced risk of total cancer
31 percent reduction in premature deaths
It also showed that eating BOTH fruits and veggies provided the greatest advantage. In other words, eating only veggies was less protective than eating both fruits and veggies.
Putting it into practice.
Look through your current diet and look for opportunities to make smart switches. Here are a few examples.
Switch your processed snacks for some fruit or chopped veggies
Trade your white processed bread for some whole grain bread.
Ditch the fries for a side salad or some fruit
Add some fruit to your breakfast. Berries in particular are phenomenal, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
Do carbs matter for weight loss?
Gary Taubes, among others, has argued that higher glycemic foods cause a spike in insulin, which causes people to gain fat. He argues that this is independent of energy surplus or deficit. In other words, in the presence of chronically elevated levels of insulin, your body will gain fat even in a caloric deficit. The body does this by robbing from other energy sources. For example, it might make you more lethargic or rob energy from your lean mass.
It’s a completely plausible argument, and there are LOTS of success stories of people who have lost fat going low carb. I’m one of them!
But study after study after study after study has shown that the glycemic load of a diet makes no difference what-so-ever on fat gain or loss.
And if you spend significant time among athletes, bodybuilders or people with highly active jobs. Many of them eat highly glycemic, insulin-spiking diets. Yet they maintain lean bodies.
So what’s going?
For most people, myself included, the weight loss is completely explained in other ways. If you want to learn more about those alternative explanations check out my articles 10 ways to manage your hunger for year-round visible abs and Why is it so hard to stop overeating?
For other people, it’s possible they have an intolerance for carbs and that taking a break from a high carb diet has merit. The only way to confirm this is through blood tests, but there are some signs to look for.
If you are a healthy weight, exercise regularly or have built a muscular physique, it’s unlikely you’re intolerant. All of these attributes improve insulin sensitivity. Moreover, if you have a normal carb tolerance, then after a high carb meal, you might experience modest lethargy and feel full for a normal amount of time.
On the other hand, if you are older, overweight, inactive and less muscular, there may be a chance your intolerant. If you have an intolerance, then after a high carb meal, you would feel extreme lethargy and quickly become hungry again.
Based on the available data, it isn’t certain that carb intolerance is a real thing. It’s certainly debatable. Moreover, it’s likely that only a minority have a carb intolerance. Consequently, struggling to lose weight is NOT a sign of carb intolerance.
Long story short, if you are lean or a normal BMI and eating an overall healthy diet, there is no advantage to eating a low carb diet with regards to general health or weight loss. On the other hand, if you have reasons to suspect carb intolerance, you could try going lower carb. Just make sure you do it healthfully.
How to make a low carb diet healthy
A healthy ketogenic diet is very similar to a regular healthy diet. The best sources of fat and protein remain unchanged. The only difference is that carbohydrate consumption needs to be dramatically reduced. Most people will need to cut back to 50 grams of net carbohydrate or less per day.
There are two important points to keep in mind. First, net carbs equal total carbs minus fiber. Second, with only 50 grams of net carbs available it is paramount that those carbs are healthy, nutrient rich and high fiber.
Here is a list of ideal sources of carbs that should be prioritized to increase fiber and micronutrient consumption.
Avocado 1.8 net carbs per 100 grams.
Coconut 6 net carbs per 100 grams.
Cacao/sugar-free dark chocolate, 80% or higher.
Green vegetables
Broccoli rabe: .15 net carbs per 100 grams
Bok Choy: 1.2 net carbs per 100 grams
Celery: 1.4 net carbs per 100 grams
Spinach & Mustard Greens: 1.5 net carbs per 100 grams.
Asparagus, Radish, Arugula, Zucchini, Swish Chard: about 2 net carbs per 100 grams.
Broccoli & Green Beans: 4 net carbs per 100 grams.
Kale: 5 net carbs per 100 grams.
Cauliflower 3 net carbs per 100 grams. (tip: you can make rice and ‘potato’ mash with it)
Mushrooms 2.25 net carbs per 100 grams.
Shirataki noodles 1 net carb per 100 grams. (if tolerated)
Tracking carb intake using Precision Nutrition’s Hand-sized Portions
Counting, weighing and measuring your food can be cumbersome. Fortunately, for most people it isn’t necessary. Instead, I typically recommend using the Precision Nutrition Hand Portion system. It’s simple, doesn’t require any measurement tools and ensures that you’re getting plenty of healthy carbs.
For a balanced macro diet, I recommend tracking your non-starchy veggies separately from your carbs. See my guide to Eating Veggies.
Here’s how it works:
First, make a cupped hand. One serving of carbohydrate equals the amount of carbs that would fit in your cupped hand.
Moreover, your hands match your body size. For example, a 6 foot 5 inch man has bigger hands than a 5 foot 4 inch woman does. This means the measure naturally adjusts to your unique requirements.
Here are some approximations for you, so you can get a feel for cupped-hand portions of carbs.
For Men:
1 cupped handful = about 2/3 of a cup or one medium-sized tuber or fruit
Each Handful contains about 3g protein, 25g carbs, 1g fat, 120kcal
For Women:
1 cupped handful = about ½ of a cup or one medium-sized tuber or fruit
Each Handful contains ~ 3g protein, 22g carbs, 1g fat, 110kcal
Second, when you sit down to eat or prepare a meal, estimate how many cupped-hand-sized portions of carbs you have. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Close is close enough. You’ll get better with practice, and eventually it will just be routine. You won’t need to measure or track.
Third, it’s usually ideal to have some carbs before and after your training sessions. It isn’t strictly necessary in most cases, so if it doesn’t easily match your lifestyle don’t worry about it. However, some research shows that carbs can increase your workout intensity, recovery and muscle development.
Forth, aim to eat about 1/3rd of your calories from carbs. So in the course of a day, your total cupped handfuls of carbs would approximately match the total palm-sized servings of protein and thumb-sized servings of fats. For active men, this will be about 2 cupped handfuls of healthy carbs per meal. Active women should aim for about 1 cupped handful of healthy carbs per meal.
After that, monitor your results and make adjustments if needed. For example, if you want to lose weight, you could reduce your total number of cupped handfuls of healthy carbs by one or two.
Depending on your level of activity, bodyweight, body composition, training schedule and goals the daily total can definitely vary. For clients, I create individualized recommendations that take their specific goals and circumstances into account.
How to track caloric beverages
A cup of soda, fruit juice or a serving of alcohol will typically equal a cupped handful of carbs. This means caloric beverages add up very fast. They are also nutritionally poor and not very filling. Therefore, I recommend minimizing caloric beverages if fat loss is a goal. Here are five ways to get started.
Before you reach for a soda reach for a glass of water. You should drink roughly two liters of water per day to stay hydrated. If after the water, you still want the soda, feel free.
Drink zero calorie drinks. Diet soda is better than regular soda.
Put fresh lemon or lime juice in your water to make it tastier.
Track how much you are currently drinking and slowly cut back.
Get it out of the house. If it is not in the house, you are less likely to drink it.
Thanks for reading! I hope you take one of the above tips and get after it! You don’t need to do it perfectly. You don’t need to over think it. It typically takes a few weeks to lock in a new habit, so give yourself permission to make mistakes along the way.
