You Don’t Need to Cut Carbs.

Ketogenic Diet (noun): an extreme low-carbohydrate diet that aims to promote the metabolism of fats into ketone bodies (rather than carbohydrates into glucose) to provide the body's main source of energy.

The Ketogenic diet is precisely <10% of your calories from carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, and 70-75% from fat. Within the past decade, the ketogenic diet has been glorified as the “prime” diet for weight loss. By doing so, individuals remove all forms of carbohydrates from their diet including fruits, starchy vegetables, whole-grains, and added sugars. Not only are carbohydrates extremely limited, but protein is also limited. When our body digests protein, if needed, excess protein can be converted to glucose for energy. Thus, if we eat protein in excess, it would prevent the body from entering ketosis. 

But what is ketosis? Ketosis is a state our body enters when it is starved from glucose. It begins to convert ketone bodies, fatty acids produced in the liver, to enter the necessary cycles to create ATP (energy)! 

Carbohydrates in our body are carried through our bodies with water molecules, which is why when people cut carbohydrates, they may initially see rapid weight loss. When in reality, the weight loss is mostly water weight. Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred source of energy. In addition, complex carbs contain increased fiber for sustained digestion and satiety, micronutrients, and increased mental clarity. Our brain prefers carbohydrates for energy, so when we remove them, the issue with brain fog arises. Micronutrients are plentiful in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains, which are essential for energy regulation, hormonal function, and overall metabolism. People who remove carbohydrates from their diet are putting themselves at risk for gastrointestinal side effects, micronutrient deficiencies, and poor energy with decreased mental clarity.

Not only are we missing out on the benefits carbohydrates provide us, but we are adding in many unhealthy fillers into our gut microbiome. Many ketogenic diets are filled with artificial sugars, sugar alcohols, or increased saturated fat to make up for the lack of carbs. When eaten in excess, these sugars can wreak havoc on our gut microbiome and cause dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is an imbalance of healthy gut bacteria that keeps our digestion running smoothly. Without proper balance in our gut, we risk poor digestion, inflammation, and decreased serotonin production. But what is serotonin? Serotonin is a key hormone that modulates mood. 95% of our serotonin is produced in our gut!

Now that we brushed over the science, let’s get into the reality of a restrictive diet. 

An extremely restrictive diet, such as the ketogenic diet or low-carbohydrate, are not the answer to your health. While initial removal of carbohydrates may show you the weight loss you have been wanting, it is not sustainable in the long run. 

Ask yourself this and close your eyes. Picture yourself 20 years from now and the life you envision for your future. Do you see yourself still not eating fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, cake, and a slice of pizza with your family? What kind of life are we living if we are cutting out so much joyful food just to “potentially” look a certain way?

You can still eat carbs and be healthy. You can still eat a slice of cake and reach your goals. Carbs and goals are not separate from each other.  We can live a life of good, whole foods with cookies and cake sprinkled in it! Science supports eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, lean meats, fish, plenty of olive oil, moderate wine consumption, some dairy, and moderate sweet consumption. Not only is this diet backed by science for supporting long-term health including increased cardiovascular health, but it is known for creating a steady metabolism with plenty of antioxidant protection. 

If you need permission to eat a piece of fruit, or enjoy a slice of fresh bread, here it is. You have permission to eat carbohydrates and still meet your goals.

Carbs are not our enemy, they are our friend.