I've heard of essential fats and also heard you can't live without fat in your diet. I've never heard of essential carbs or that you can't live without carbs in your diet. Are you saying there are essential carbs?
I wouldn't call them that, but yes. Yes there are.
For your body to work right, you need protein, carbs and fats. There is a general balance of all three you should maintain, and each person is +-10% of each. Generally it hovers something like 30% protein, 35% carbs, and 35% fats... don't quote me on that.
Anyways, think of it like a car.
Carbs=fuel
Fats=oil
Protein=transmission fluid.
You need all three or you will wreck your car.
Not a perfect comparison by any means, but hopefully it gets the point across.
Any diet that eliminates one or more is dangerous, could be life threatening.
Any diet that severely restricts one or more is not healthy, and will never see long term gains.
FWIW, there are always exceptions, though not many. If you have a medical condition where this is the case, you know who you are and are probably working with docs or specialists to try to fix or help you live with it.
Thanks for the info. I was under the impression our bodies can either burn carbs or fat for energy. So in your explanation above, Fats would equal fuel. Though my guess is that the essential fatty acids, which I assume are fats, provide some benefit other than energy. But again, I'm no nutritionist so asking based on what I've heard.
Could quite well be a better comparative, so yes, that would work too. In reality I just picked 3 fluids you can't go without and used those. 😅
Also yes, you can swap and adjust the balance, just some work better than others, and each person has tolerances that can help with that. However, if you decide to eliminate one completely or mostly, like many fad diets do, it is most often trouble. At first it seems to go well, but what is happening is your body is being cannibalize for the missing nutrients. Like if you cut out carbs, you will have to make it up with protein, in that your muscles will be scavenged, turning the protein into the needed carbs. That is really hard on the body, not healthy st all.
IMO, best is to keep all three balanced, but reduce intake (portion sizes, avoid excessive sugar, soda, etc.)
Was interested enough to do a bit more research to see if in fact there are essential carbohydrates. It seems the answer is no, which doesn't mean that you don't need any specific carbohydrate in your diet, but maybe you just need some source of carbohydrates. I was wondering about the Inuit people as I believe their diet is pretty low in carbohydrates. I found this:
After hearing that some people think that no only did the people who proposed the food pyramid get it wrong, but totally opposite on what it should be. Whether that's true or not I don't know, but it certainly seems to be questioned. Wondering whether the same might be true for the suggestion of what the typical carbohydrate intake should be.
I've heard of essential fats and also heard you can't live without fat in your diet. I've never heard of essential carbs or that you can't live without carbs in your diet. Are you saying there are essential carbs?
I wouldn't call them that, but yes. Yes there are.
For your body to work right, you need protein, carbs and fats. There is a general balance of all three you should maintain, and each person is +-10% of each. Generally it hovers something like 30% protein, 35% carbs, and 35% fats... don't quote me on that.
Anyways, think of it like a car. Carbs=fuel Fats=oil Protein=transmission fluid.
You need all three or you will wreck your car. Not a perfect comparison by any means, but hopefully it gets the point across.
Any diet that eliminates one or more is dangerous, could be life threatening.
Any diet that severely restricts one or more is not healthy, and will never see long term gains.
FWIW, there are always exceptions, though not many. If you have a medical condition where this is the case, you know who you are and are probably working with docs or specialists to try to fix or help you live with it.
My $0.02.
Thanks for the info. I was under the impression our bodies can either burn carbs or fat for energy. So in your explanation above, Fats would equal fuel. Though my guess is that the essential fatty acids, which I assume are fats, provide some benefit other than energy. But again, I'm no nutritionist so asking based on what I've heard.
Could quite well be a better comparative, so yes, that would work too. In reality I just picked 3 fluids you can't go without and used those. 😅
Also yes, you can swap and adjust the balance, just some work better than others, and each person has tolerances that can help with that. However, if you decide to eliminate one completely or mostly, like many fad diets do, it is most often trouble. At first it seems to go well, but what is happening is your body is being cannibalize for the missing nutrients. Like if you cut out carbs, you will have to make it up with protein, in that your muscles will be scavenged, turning the protein into the needed carbs. That is really hard on the body, not healthy st all.
IMO, best is to keep all three balanced, but reduce intake (portion sizes, avoid excessive sugar, soda, etc.)
Eat to live, don't live to eat.
Was interested enough to do a bit more research to see if in fact there are essential carbohydrates. It seems the answer is no, which doesn't mean that you don't need any specific carbohydrate in your diet, but maybe you just need some source of carbohydrates. I was wondering about the Inuit people as I believe their diet is pretty low in carbohydrates. I found this:
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/75/5/951/4689417
After hearing that some people think that no only did the people who proposed the food pyramid get it wrong, but totally opposite on what it should be. Whether that's true or not I don't know, but it certainly seems to be questioned. Wondering whether the same might be true for the suggestion of what the typical carbohydrate intake should be.