When the Atkins craze finally bit the dust, you couldn’t have found a happier girl than me. However, all too often I still hear my friends, family members, and fellow bloggers voice a fear of:
The Big, Bad Carbohydrates
Dun dun dun.
(Click for more on the Alfredo Pasta meal above)
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Pick up any health magazine, and you have a good chance of seeing a celebrity interview where said celebrity credits her slim physique to:
1. An absolutely-no-bread diet
2. Eschewing all carbs after 7pm
3. Steering clear of pasta at any cost… after all, pasta is Satan in noodle form, right??
This is RIDICULOUS! I would argue that these celebrities are thin thanks to regimented workout routines (hello personal trainers!), low-calorie diets that do not include very many Mexican-restaurant gorges or Dunkin Doughnut runs (meal delivery service, anyone?), hectic, on-the-go schedules, and industry pressures that motivate and remind them to keep up these practices. It’s NOT the carbs! I feel so sad every time one of my beautiful bloggie friends (or real-life friends) admits to a fear of carbs—pasta in particular.
Girls, you deserve to eat pasta! Real pasta. There’s a reason that carbohydrates exist: protein repairs and rebuilds cells, fats provide hormonal functions for cells, and it’s the job of the carbohydrates to energize cells. Cut out carbs, and you cut out energy. You’re doing your body a major disservice, especially if you’re highly active. We live in a society that deems any weight loss a good thing. But on low-carb diets, the major source of weight loss is muscle loss (which, in term, slows one’s metabolism) and water loss/dehydration (which presents a problem for one’s kidneys and can cause one’s body to go into a very dangerous state called “ketosis”). So yes, one may initially lose weight (water weight and muscle weight) on a low-carb diet, but in the long run, it means a sacrifice of one’s metabolism and muscles.
And a lack of carbs in one’s diet has also been associated with inferior athletic performance and brain function. Glucose (from carbohydrates) is the favored fuel for one’s muscles, brain, and central nervous system, so a breakdown of glycogen (the storage form of glucose) causes fatigue and confusion, thus inhibiting the desire and ability to exercise. Part of the reason carbs get a bad rap is that people fill up on highly-refined grains—cookies, white flour, etc. But restrict whole-grain carbohydrates and you’ll be missing out on fiber, B vitamins, thiamin, niacin, and even protein (surprisingly enough, grains offer quite a bit of protein).
Most of you are probably rolling your eyes at me right now, because how can one little blog post successfully counter a message that’s been drummed into Americans’ minds for years and years and years? But consider the source. While I’m not going to get into specific numbers (the subject of this post is NOT my weight; if you’re interested in that, please see my faq page), it’s quite obvious I’m nowhere near overweight. I adore carbs. You know this. Carbs fuel my super-active runner lifestyle, fill my body with essential nutrients, and—most importantly—taste delicious 
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Where I’d be without my beloved blended grains, I shudder to imagine.
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And a life without warm, homemade whole-wheat bread? No thanks.
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Nor vegan pancakes made with love by my Daddy?
Oh the horrors!
And yes, I eat pasta too.
Some CCK Pasta Lovin:
(More on this dish here: This Gourmet Meal brought to you by Chef CCV)
Rain, Rain, and Vegan Lo Mein on the Brain
Soba at Souen
That infamous Betty Spaghetti
Pasta Substitutions
One of my friends told me that the reason she stays away from pasta, in particular, is that it’s such a small serving and, for the same amount of calories, she can eat a much bigger serving of say, spaghetti squash .
True, a big bowl of something like my favorite insanely-voluminous oatmeal recipe can be much more filling than a small bowl of pasta. But sometimes you don’t want to feel bloated after eating (such as if you have a date that night!). Also, I’d argue that if one tries to fake oneself out with a pasta substitute, he or she subconsciously won’t feel as satisfied after eating because his or her brain knows it’s a substitute and therefore doesn’t register that the food craving was met. This can thus lead to bingeing as the brain attempts to satisfy the craving for the desired food, so, in the long run, a person can end up taking in way more calories than if he or she had simply indulged in a small amount of the real stuff to begin with. It’s like those studies that have shown people who use artificial sweeteners actually end up consuming more calories than those who don’t.
This isn’t to say spaghetti squash is not satisfying in its own right; it’s only when such foods become replacements for others that a problem can arise. Although spaghetti squash, zucchini spirals, mushroom pasta, and those Asian shirataki noodles can be super-fun to eat it’s sad when they completely replace pasta in one’s diet. You can have both! And guess what—it won’t make you fat! That’s right: Pasta does NOT make you fat! I don’t know who started that crazy rumor (Someone looking to make a buck on a diet book, most likely), but whoever it was, he or she is probably laughing at people in society right now, saying “Haha, I got everyone scared to eat something that is high in fiber, protein, and nutrients (if it’s whole-wheat pasta), doesn’t cause obesity in the slightest, and tastes delicious!”
This doesn’t mean one should quaff down a quadruple serving of Fettuccine Alfredo every day because “CCK said it’s ok” (especially since the sauce, not the pasta, is filled with unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol). Everything in moderation. But it’s recommended that the average person take in 6-11 servings of grains per day (depending on activity level; athletes obviously need more carbohydrates than sedentary people).
So go ahead and eat those carbs (especially if they’re served to you by a cute boy) !
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Love,
CCK (who just finished off a big, comforting bowl of Cream of Kamut)
What are your thoughts about all this?
{ 97 comments… read them below or add one }
THANK YOU!! I love carbs and HATE when people cut them out. They DO serve a purpose!
can’t agree more with you girl!!! Carbs are sooooo necessary to our body!
I totally agree! I never understood the Atikins craze. A healthy diet can’t exclude carbs. Can you image never eating pasta or bread? That would be horrible!
I am loving your blog and have passed on a Kreativ Blog Award to you! Check it out here http://www.lettucelove.com/2009/09/kreativ-blogs/
All I can say is, here-here! We loves carbs at Skint Vegan Towers – how else am I going to keep my little vegan dynamos fuelled? Plus on a cold and miserable day, when you’re alone in the house and feeling down in the dumps, what better mood-enhancer than a big baked potato with watercress pesto and a grating of cheeze? Or baked beans on wholemeal toast? Or a bowl of wholewheat pasta with spicy tomato sauce and loads of nooch? Not much in my book…
I LOVE CARBS too… they’re just so darn tasty!
) yummmy. your blog is super cute, too!
i love your pasta stirfry! i can never quite recreate it as beautifully
i used to ‘fear’ carbs during my latter high school years… i wouldn’t eat any bread or pasta and ended up feeling deprived
i agree that when i eat my carbs (COMPLEX carbs – whole grain not white) i am HAPPIER and can run FASTER 
I love carbs! Well, I actually don’t like pasta or rice… but I love bread, and oatmeal, and oat bran, and most other grains. Have you ever tried cooking oatmeal in the rice cooker? I just did that for the first time yesterday and it totally rocked. I’ll post my method soon
Yay for Katie! I never understood the no-carbs craze either. Carbs are good for you, they are incredibly tasty (homemade pasta, anyone?), and keep you fueled up and full longer than a plate of salad ever will.
On another note, whole grain carbs (like brown rice) are better than processed carbs (like white bread), so maybe that’s how things got out of hand. Someone could have thought white bread is ‘bad’, so maybe whole grain breads, other whole grains, and thus all carbs must be ‘bad’ too. Or, because people eat a mountain of spaghetti and think it is one serving when it’s actually five or six, and thus blame carbs for being overweight and unhealthy. That’s overeating + under-active in general, not those carbs you just ate. I don’t know. Society has issues.
If people stopped labelling food as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ the world (at least North America) would be much better off. Even full-fat double chocolate sundaes with chocolate chunks, chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles is absolutely fine to eat once in a while! (Unless you’re diabetic.) Everything in moderation people…
I hear ya. Give me carbs or I will be crabby. I could not live without oats, ww pasta, brown rice, whole grains…not worth doing
I love love loveeee pasta. And most carbs in general. And I never shy away from them.
I think the problem is with the “white” carbohydrates.
I don’t eat those because I know they are “bad” for you.
I tend to choose whole grain bread, brown rice, ancient grains like quinoa, oatmeal and whole wheat, soba or brown rice pasta.
I also do the “fake” pasta sometimes like zucchini or spaghetti squash.
But truthfully, sometimes I just want a big ‘ole plate of white spaghetti and tomato sauce
there is nothing better than a big plate of carbs! in fact my favorite foods are bread and cereal.. i could never survive on a low carb diet. PLUS we need carbs for energy! great post
Amen sistah friend!! I hate it when people tell me they won’t eat carbs after a certain time…really they aren’t evil, but clearly we all know that it is probably better to have some whole grains than a cookie. Yet…my cookie isn’t going to kill me either.
Well put Katie. A low carb runner?….count me out!!! Eating a post run porridge creation right this minute
Take Care x
Hear, hear! I actually have a tee-shirt that says “I Love Carbs!” And I do. I steer away from white pasta and white flour, unless I’m eating out or at someone else’s house. And then, it’s game on. At home, I eat tons of whole wheat pasta, whole grain breads, oats, brown rice, quinoa, all that yummy stuff. People who cut out carbs are trying to find an easy way to lose a few pounds without getting off their lazy asses … and that just ain’t healthy.
Amen, I feel like I wrote this post. When I was like 15, I tried the Atkins diet and ended up gaining weight on it because I would ultimately give in and eat carbs. A diet that banned fruits and veggies? WHAT!? Still, I agree that though the no-carb diet phase is sort of over, I know a lot of people who either swear off carbs or feel guilty when they eat them. I’m personally not a huge pasta girl–and I prefer the veggie and tofu replacements. But, do not get me started on rice. It’s my carb of choice (you know we all have a #1), and I can’t get enough. And couscous, ahhh. I would never deny myself something I love just because it is “calorically dense.” I truly believe that no food should ever be off limits in a diet–even for someone trying to lose weight. There’s always a way to fit in what you love with a little will power and moderation…
Ah I’m ranting but seriously great post. I love that you love yo carbs!
Being a vegan, if the good carb didnt exist then i have no idea what i would do with my life (especially seeing that a ‘no carb’ pancake is DO-able, but not edible to say the least. Also, and i am SO glad this is over with… but having recently overcome an eating disorder (where i was the same ‘carbs are the devil’ way) i cannot tell you how much i relish in taking in a clif bar in the morning. Or making some pasta or brown rice stir fry. Hell, i was even scared of things like sweet potatos and bananas. These are staples in my diet now and i thank the Pancake gods daily for them. And im nowhere NEAR being a runner… but lifting weights… thats another story!
Also, i think you might have a tuba player for the Banana Butter Band. Actually just had some on a bagel and i think i want to marry it, or at least take it out for a wonderful steak dinner. Check it out – panclayke.blogspot.com
I never understood the low-carb phase. I bought into the fat-free hype big time, but carbs…never seemed fear-inducing to me. Though I have never been attacked by a potato so maybe I am just living a sheltered life. Weight issues aside, if my diet is lacking in grains, my mood plummets- I need serotonin at frequent intervals. BRING ON THE BREAD!
I’ve tried life without carbs, and it just wasn’t a life worth living. I’ll admit, pasta and bagels still frighten me, but give me a big bowl (and I mean BIG) of grains, and I am a happy girl.
Love you Katie…oh, and guess who just bought some ripe bananas this morning? Guess what I’ll be making very soon??????
I did atkins once back in my crazy days maybe 5 years ago. It was not any fun. Carbs are an important part of my meals!! I’m not afraid of carbs, infact that’s one thing that has never bugged me…fancy that !:)
I was also glad when the Atkins craze dwindled. I never really understood why it emphasized consuming lots of animal protein and deemed nutritous foods such as whole grains and fruit as fattening.
I am a big fan of whole grain carbs and I have them at most meals. I eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oats, and whole grain breads most often. Sometimes I have bulgur, quinoa, amaranth, ect. I don’t have access to a health food store so I don’t get to eat more exotic grains as often as I’d like.
i’m sorry katie, but it doesn’t count if it’s 90% veggies and like 4 noodles
Bring on the carbs!
4 noodles? Wow, anon needs her eyes checked. Jealous much, anon?
Katie, this post was beautiful! Exactly what a recovering anorexic like myself needed to hear.
Love carbs! Love ‘em!
come on, i mean look at those 3 first plates of pasta; if that’s called a plate of PASTA i’m a greek goddess. jealous much? of my plates looking a whole lot more full of pasta? hmmm.. not really, especially considering i have a bmi of 18.5; not underweight not overweight, just perfect.
Hmm, your bmi might be perfect, but your manners suck. And OBVIOUSLY you have disordered eating, because a NORMAL person wouldn’t spend her time writing rude anonymous comments on peoples’ blogs!
HA, get a life. just because YOU are a recovered anorexic doesn’t mean we have all been. me eating is pretty ordered thank you and i love how my body looks
and i’m sorry but a NORMAL person wouldn’t spend her time writing rude comments on other people’s own comments. POINT MADE.
I’m not denying I have eating issues. You are.
But you’re right. I’ll stop wasting any more of my precious time with you. Bye bye poor troll.
Excellent article! I hear this all the time..”no bread” blah blah blah. It isn’t the bread and pasta it is the gluten being pumped into it preventing the body from absorbing nutrients. Yes, if someone eats white bread then they should have “no bread”. Great pics and again well done!
katie, if i was standing next to you right now, i’d be hugging you. i couldn’t agree more with this post. i think the problem is that people were told to stop eating refined carbs and those got lumped with real, whole grains. we need to eat the right carbs, just like we need to eat the right fats or the right proteins. i thought the most ridiculous part of atkins was how even fruit was limited because of its carbs. i mean – fruit? seriously?
i agree that it’s fun to experiment – i love zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash and eat them happily, but i also love soba and udon, not to mention other grains. i really love your whole food philosophy!
mmm i love pasta!
the key if you’re worried about it being bad for you is to fill it up with veggies-i add broccoli to the pot i cook the pasta in, and then there’s an added veggie without using an extra pot! more veggies is better-but keep some noodles!
THANK YOU KATIE! I hate it when people think that carbs are bad for you. There are even people who won’t eat fruit because there’s “too many carbs” ! I love carbs, there is no way that I’d be able to follow a low-carb diet. I do limit my intake of white flour and try to stick to mostly whole grains though. Don’t even get me started on how ridiculous the Atkins diet is!
HAHAHAHA – “healthy controversy”: check. But mostly you’re getting comments of agreement, which is absolutely appropriate! I think our society is slowly but surely just starting to recover from carb fear, thank goodness. I for one am WAY happier since I abandoned the South Beach mentality many years ago. It’s easier said than done, but the bottom line is very simple: it’s the QUALITY of the calories that matters, whatever the food may be!
here-here katie. well said. i’m gonna go eat a bread factory now. i kid, i kid. i do love me some carbs, though.
Yay for this post! Carbs are definitely my food group of choice (yummy bread, oats, rice, pasta, squash, corn, I can go on and on!), and I would hate it if I could never have it. I do admit though that I’m afraid to have it in larger quantities sometimes, but a serving or so per meal is no problem at all, and in fact, is required for that taste satisfaction (for me at least)!
I also completely agree with your “no substitution” theory. A little bit of the real thing is a whole lot better than a lot of the fake stuff.
Love ya too, girlie!
AMEN!!!
I love my carbs too
I could never give up pasta or nice crusty bread!! I actually tried spaghetti squash the other day and liked it a lot, but it could not replace noodles!
Thank you SO much Katie! I’m currently staying with my dad and step-mum, and both of them swear by a low-carb, high (animal) protein diet. They say it totally works for them. I love them both, but sometimes I feel like pointing out that it obviously doesn’t work because, well… neither of them is slender, to be blunt. I feel awful saying that, but it makes me so sad to see them cut out such yummy foods and it’s not even doing what they want it to do
Maybe I’ll show them your post! Love!
xx
Carbs = Love.
I don’t like pasta but give me bread or grains any day and I’m in heaven!
love this post!
wow Katie…I was seriously having the worst day ever and you just made my day so much better with that post. Since I’m a holistic nutrition major this is like music to my ears. And since I know all the science behind this stuff I’m so impressed with how well you know your stuff! p.s. you guys high protein low carb is the worst worst worst thing for athletic people…it will kill your performance and put a huge burden on your liver/kidneys. Don’t do that to yourselves!! I love grains so much I’m naming my next dog oatmeal…yea I’m a huge weirdo
I’m so happy for your carb defense!! Carbs don’t make you fat. I certainly find it easy to eat too many of them when there’s fresh bread from the oven…but it’s worth it every time! There are few things better in life!
I really loved reading this post.
everything is so true that you said about carbs, it is so sad when girls are afraid of them, myself included,well i am not scared of them as much as i have been in my past, i eat starch at each meal now…and i know all the benefits of carbs, and kitosis, been there, not lovely at all, you get a metallic smell to your breath its disgusting, and aswell like you said it slows down your metabolism…well having anorexia, my ED is always making new fears around foods or certain food groups, but i am so happy that now in my life carbs and fat are not on that list of fears at all 
off to make a brown rice squash, kale and cashew stir fry
lots of love
xo
Eliza
Hi Katie.
I’ve been reading your blog for a while but this is my first time commenting…
Earlier on this year, I completely avoid carbs. Of course, as a result of this, I became extremely skinny and weak, my immune system went out of whack (this was probably due to a lack of food in general – but I’m sure the low carb diet was a major contributor), and I was almost always tired and grumpy. It wasn’t until I started reading health blogs – like yours – that I realised that carbs will not make me fat, and are indeed the basis of living a healthy and energetic lifestyle. Now that I’ve become addicted to whole grains, my body is finally starting to get back on track.
What I don’t understand is why the media gives carbs a bad image, when they are obviously an essential part of staying alive.
Reigne.
Super post.. I could not agree with you more!! Your bod need em.. dont deprive yourself. THe photos are fab.. Im gonna go make myself a nice bowl of noodles! mmmmmmmmmmm
Girl. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!
You rock!
<3 jess
xoxo
Ok Katie, I feel like this post was written for me! Just last night I wrote a post about craving carbs like mad because my brekkie and lunch were lacking them. I came home and had a carb fest….not cool. I mean, I really need to incorporate them into most meals/snacks so I don’t go crazy. I will admit that I get a little kooky about eating too many carbs and is something I need to work on for sure. My goal this week and maybe next, is too eat healthy carbs at most meals/snacks and see how much better I feel! Great post.
Don’t worry, anon is just jealous
I have to admit that I bought into the ‘fear of carbs’ craze years ago… and I was miserable!!! I have tried every ‘diet’ on the planet, but have NEVER been happier than I am now, where I eat my beloved carbs in balance with plenty of veggies, fruit, and other good stuff
!
Hip Hip, Carbs!
Great post! We were just discussing how the Atkins diet is dangerous (and why it doesn’t work) today in kinesiology class. Carbs are the most efficient source of fuel for our bodies. Your brain needs glucose (from carbs) in order to function! If you exercise at moderate to high intensity without enough carbs in your diet, you’re gonna eventually conk out. And even if you never get to the point where your brain can’t get enough glucose, you’ll be sluggish because your fuel system isn’t working efficiently.
AND in order to burn fat, you need to have carbohydrates. In the words of my professor, “fat only burns in a carbohydrate fire!” And since we WANT to burn off the extra fat, it makes no sense to avoid carbs.
No idea where the carb hatin’ came from. Thanks for helping get this info out there
Your pasta dishes look delish!
i love carbs, too, but i actually think that the recommendation for 50% of our diet is too much. carbs do give us the quickest source of energy, but they are not our only source of energy- the body can also convert protein and fat into glucose as well. (carbs or glucose can not become protein). the reason i think that 50% is too much is because you can get a much more concentrated source of the nutrients in whole grains from vegetables than pasta, bread, rice, etc. too many carbs over time can cause insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. obviously, whole grains are a much better choice and are easier on your insulin than refined carbs, but i think a greater portion of the calories in our diet should come from proteins and fats.
also ketosis is not a dangerous state at all…it just describes the higher levels of ketones that occur when the liver breaks down fat for energy. it is completely normal. ketosis is frequently mistaken for ketoacidosis, which is dangerous! ketoacidosis occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin to control ketone production. ketoacidosis commonly occurs in type 1 diabetes; a low carb diet will not cause this condition.
all that being said, i love my whole grains. i think we can be healthy without them, but i’m still going to eat oatmeal in the morning. i guess i aim for a lower carb diet without avoiding carbs completely (because really fresh bread and homemade pastries are sooo good!). it’s all about balance and moderation. carbs aren’t the best thing for you, but they are not the worst either. especially if you avoid sugar. sorry if my comment was a downer, but those are my thoughts!
Oh so true! Veggies are all carbs – yay! A well balanced diet of healthy foods is always the best choice IMHO.
Personally, I choose to get my carbs from fruits and vegetables over grains because my body doesn’t digest grains well at all, even my gluten-free ones. Eating them give me a sore belly, and other unpleasant effects, and leave me sluggish and tired (even the healthy ones, which I choose over processed foods.) But I’m definitely not a lowcarb girl. I can’t imagine not eating fruit any more! Crazy!
It’s only taken me all day to read this and write back
As the 52nd comment, it’s all been said. But girl, I love agave, fruit, oats, sugar (yes real cane sugar not fake sweeteners), and I love chocolate and all things that have sugar in them. I too am super active with running, yoga, and runnin after my 2.5 yr old 
so I need fuel. I find that nothing fuels me better than carbs. I could never be a low carber. Heck no, I love sweet things and since I am not over weight I indulge, with pleasure 
Great post and I also cringe when I read people carb-bashing, or even bashing fruit b/c it has “sugar” in it. Yeah, so? LOL girl. Anyway, I dont eat as many processed grains as others b/c I am GF and cannot digest gluten but that’s ok. Bottom line, carbs are cool. Thanks for the post!
xoox
ave
Exactly. And someone can eat 1200 kcals a day in chocolate cake and not get fat either (I mean only the 1200 kcals ferom cake–and this does in fact lead to many healthy problems, but makes a point), it is calories in general. Calories in=cals out to maintain your weight. And yadda yadda, we all know where this is headed. Great rant on the pasta and carbs. There’s specific proportions for all macronutrients throughout the day that are science based. All the foods looked great.
I’m going to disagree, and agree. I’m a huge believer in different strokes for different folks, I just can’t function happily and normally without carbs in my life, I LOVE them. Pasta makes me happy and I want to be happy.
But then I have met people who do better on less carbs and more protein because it makes them feel fuller for longer and keeps them more satisfied. Note I said LESS carbs, not NO carbs.
So yeah, I agree, but I disagree too. Hope you don’t mind!
I love carbs, but sadly they don’t seem to fill me up!! Grrrr! I love love love anything carbalicious- and I’m only just now introducing “Real” bread (vs “light” bread) back into my life. I cannot resist sweet potato fries, and I ate all (ALLLLL!) of my brown rice at sushi lunch today- shocked even myself. Thanks for the post though and for making the point that many people can live carb-friendly lives. Sure more delish, no doubt! Man (woman) can’t survive on egg whites and lettuce alone- I should know…I tried!!
Once again, we are SO on the same page. My view is, as long as they’re whole grain, healthful carbs, and I get enough of the other macronutrients, why hold back?? I have a post from a while back entitled “True Life: I’m a Carb Queen.” I think that pretty much sums up my feelings on the issue:)
Hey Katie I love carbs! But i actually got another question for you – ive been vegan for about a year now and I recently had a blood test done and it showed that im anemic. How do you make sure you get enough iron and B12?
i am definatly one who fears pasta
and ALL foods. such as pasta, and bread.. 
sigh
I dont want to fear it.. i just do.
i want to learn to love my carbs, and protiens, and so on.. I want to learn to nourish my body.. and feel i DESERVE good for me foods
Carbs have always been a problem…but this positive reinforcement is really what I needed. Bring on the carbs–we NEED them to live, after all:)
I never understood carb free diets. Now do I understand ANY diet. I LOVE carbs and I am glad there are supporters of them!
So very well said!!! Bravo and thank you!
I was at the gym today and I heard a heavyset diabetic lady talking about how she eschews CARROTS because of carbs! It completely made me think of this entry. Yes there are carbs in carrots, it is a vegetable high in sugar relative to other veggies, but diabetic or not, the benefits of the micronutrients – potassium and vitamin “A,” plus the blood-glucose-balancing macronutrient, fiber – totally outweigh the potential negatives.
And really, when you think carbs, do you think *carrots*? I’m still amazed. THEN she and the other lady in the conversation went on to praise sugar-free chocolates…! Good lord, the sugar alcohols and crazy artificial substitutions….I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences with sugar alcohols, and I’m glad I realized what was causing my problems before I developed some real nutrient deficiencies. I just hope people like that can educate themselves as well – it’s not worth the ignorance or the health detriment!
The “forbidden foods” discourse in general is, I think, a bad way to look at things because it’s definitionally negative. Learning to listen to your body is a slow process, yes, but it creates the framework *within* you for a successful daily diet, instead of putting the blame outside of you and displacing responsibility.
Anyway, I’m rambling because I’m avoiding work on my thesis, but that’s my two cents. I’m a veggie queen! Had to defend my carrots =)
FABULOUS post Katie, thank you so much for addressing this topic!
This is one of my pet peeves, actually. When people here that I’m vegan they sometimes say ‘oh, i could never be vegan, all the carbs would make me fat.’ First of all, it isn’t just carbs I eat, a vegan diet has plenty of protein, fat, etc, too! And second of all, look at ME! 3 years veganism and I’m slender and fit!
HEALTHY carbs, like whole grains, fruits, veggies, etc, are HEALTHY. Unhealthy carbs, like fried chips, white flour, white sugar, in overabundance are unhealthy.
Simple!
Well written, Katie, I enjoyed reading this.
what a great post! I love carbs-but still avoid simple carbs, i.e. non wholegrain/whole meal.. but if its in front of me, and i like it, i’ll eat it!
There’s good carbs and bad carbs, it’s just all about making HEALTHY choices as with anything else. Obv if you eat pasta smothered in fat-laden Alfredo sauce or something it’ll be worse than pasta in homemade tomato sauce, ya know? And of course everyone’s bodies respond differently, so some may have carbs “stick” to em more, but man–I love me some carbs!!
wow i can’t believe how many comments are here already! i am a registered dietitian and hardcore vegan, and i am here to tell you that you’re absolutely right….carbs ARE good for you! they are the ONLY ONLY ONLY form of energy your brain can use. ONLY. and YES ketoacidosis is dangerous for your body when deprived of carbs. it causes a lot of inflammation, not to mention decreased immune function, delayed wound healing, lack of concentration, poor memory, and general irritability. all from no carbohydrates. i work in an eating disorder inpatient treatment facility and it looks like a lot of people commenting on here could be patients of mine. i think everyone needs to take a look at their own intakes instead of criticizing katie, or other commenters. myself included. 50% of your intake is the MINIMUM amount of carbohydrates you should have each day…and what kind counts, too. whole grains are obviously more nutritious than processed, “white” grains. i think people who aren’t educated in nutrition or dietetics should really go see a dietitian if they have questions about food and diet, so they don’t do anything dangerous or harmful with their diets and lifestyles…and there are vegan dietitians out there! check us out!!
While I don’t have an issue at all with other people’s decision to remove or limit carbs per se, I certainly do object to the holier-than-thou reasoning behind it and the tendency to impose such rigid dietary restrictions on others via the media’s favourite medium: guilt. I dislike the virtuous attitude attached to low-carb regimes and (for the most part) the people who follow them. Obviously I don’t support diets where animal protein is consumed in the sickeningly vast quantities that they generally are with low-carb regimes, but I suppose it boils down to how you define ‘carbs’ ~ for example a raw diet wouldn’t include them aside from the naturally occurring variety in fruits and some veggies and I wouldn’t say that that’s necessarily unhealthy.
I practically live on carbs so I’m in total agreement with you about them from the pleasure perspective. I’d find it extremely miserable to be deprived of my lovely sweet potatoes and gluten-free bread.
Fantastic post as always
<3
I really have to disagree with you. I lost 150 lbs by cutting out grains and sugar. My brother recently lost 50 by cutting bread from his diet completely and limiting his grain to only brown rice.
I don’t workout heavily anymore, I haven’t for months and the weight still is kept off of me.
I don’t limit my carbs, but the definitely don’t come from grains. Grains are a very poor choice when it comes to nutrient density per calorie. When I eat grains it makes me want MORE grains, and they never satisfy me.
For years I argued that I could eat my grains (pasts, bread, cereals…and all whole grain I might add) and be healthy, and that i was just meant to be fat. Not so. As soon as I cut the grains down to 1 serving of whole grains a day (1 slice of ezekiel bread is 1 serving) the weight melted off me. I lost 30 lbs in the first 3 months, and I was only walking, no other exercise at all.
Grains are drugs. I highly recommend the book “Eat to Live” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman as he spells out why you shouldn’t have a lot of grains in your diet.
also I suggest looking into the SCD diet, as it improved the lives of many people (especially those with autism).
I don’t get kickbacks by any of these people or diets, but I know it worked for me.
150 lbs weight loss…you cannot really argue with that.
carbs are the best!!!
I would never cut carbs and think the idea is also crazy. We need to stop looking for one evil food/ingredient!! There is no magic secret!
How crazy is this…someone I know does the South Beach Diet pretty religiously for like many years (at least 6..maybe 10..you get the idea). So she started running. Still restricts carbs. Verrry little pasta when she does allow it, no potatoes, and nothing white obviously. Breakfast from what I have seen is like 1/2 cup of egg beaters or cottage cheese, lunch-salad w/cheese, and dinner chicken/some other protein and vegetables. Maybe like 3 spoonfuls of rice. I don’t know how this person survives. Maybe they eat more when I’m not around. So she tells me she just ran 13.1 miles for the first time and we were discussing race aid stations. I said they have water and sports drink at least every 2 miles, and she said she doesn’t drink the sports drink, just water. So I asked about energy gels or some other ENERGY source during these long runs, and she said no just water. Meanwhile she was running for over 2.5 hours on NOTHING BUT WATER! Then she told me she didn’t even eat anything before, but had a banana after!! This is sad….and she’s an adult. like 50′s
I have to add that it bugs me when people say “OMG bananas are the worst fruit for you”!
What?!!
Sorry Marissa, but I have to disagree with you. Maybe you’re the exception to the rule, but whole grain carbs, which are high in fiber, have been proven to keep peoples’ weights in check. Why do you think the Atkins Diet went bankrupt? I’d say it’s the types of carbs you choose to eat. The slimmest and most energetic people I know, such as Katie, eat lots of carbs, while many many many of the people I know who are overweight are carb counters. Carb counting just doesn’t work!
Mmm…I love carbs. Carbs baby all the way – whole grain that is, w/ a healthy dose of veggie and all else that makes a whole, balanced diet. It so bugs me when girls won’t dare have “bread w/ pasta” or pasta alone when at a restaurant or w/e. You gotta have some bread w/ the pasta ladies! too delish. Great post CCV
makin’ me hungry for tm. nt’s meal already! 
seriously, please continue with more posts like this one!
thank you thank you Katie <3
THANK YOU for this post! I have tried the substitutes for pasta, but when I want pasta, I want the REAL thing! And bread? If there is fresh bread in front of me, I’m attacking it every.single.time, and LOVING it!
fabulous post and great discussion!
love me some carbohydrates!!
I agree with Katie, but I can also see others’ points about carbs. Just because Katie is thin and eats carbs doesn’t mean that ANYONE can eat lots of carbs and be skinny. Katie is thin because she has a fast metabolism, runs 8 miles five days a week, and eats an extremely healthy vegan diet. She is not gorging herself on white bread, white flour, crackers, pretzels, and french fries. She is right when she says that all carbs are not the enemy. However, carbs in the form of white sugar and white, refined flour are just not healthy. (Katie does not eat these though; she eats whole grains to get her carbs.)
Personally, I am also naturally thin and very athletic, and I eat plenty of carbs. I try not to eat too many sugary or refined foods, though – I try to eat whole grains for carbs instead of white bread and sugary cereals. I think it’s easy for thin people to say “carbs aren’t bad!!!” because we can eat them and still be skinny. But, if you’re overweight and struggling, I can understand wanting to cut out some carbs in order to jump start weight loss. Carbs can be addictive and unsatisfying. It’s better to eat mostly lean protein and veggies with some whole grains as well. Moderation, moderation, moderation. Katie’s meals are mostly vegetables with small servings of carbs. So yes, carbs are OK — whole grain carbs. And if you’re skinny and burn 800 calories a day, eat them up because you’ll need them. For most of the rest of civilization, I can understand limiting refined carbs.
I think it is a case of different approaches to whatever works best for an individual – Marissa gets her carbs from fruits and veggies but not from grains.
I eat about one serving of whole grains a day and wouldn’t be able to lose weight on much more. I don’t have Katie’s metabolism and am not a runner.
I eat my zucchini noodles and am 100% satisfied. I’ll eat an occasional piece of bread paired with protein or white rice if I’m in a situation (like a conference yesterday) when that was my only choice, but I don’t choose to eat that regularly. I also feel like I’m “losing control” if I eat corn items so I avoid them.
I’m certainly not afraid of carbs, but I’ve experimented enough to know what works better for my body.
Remember that Susan Powter chick – she said you should eat like 6 bagels a day! Now, that was nuts! But I know that’s NOT what Katie was saying. Carbs have their place. I hear ya!
So I know I’m late to chime in, cutie, but I really enjoyed this post! Bravo. Obviously, the quality and quantity of grains eaten matters (quality for all of us, quantity depending on the person), but the tendency to villify carbs is absolutely wrongheaded and so frequently misunderstood. Way to call attention to this!
Hey Katie, or anyone else,
I have a dilema. I want to like carbs and want them to be my friends, but I’ve been scared of them for so long that I don’t know how to start adding them back in. I’m worried that I’ll eat a normal sized bowl of pasta and not feel satisfied afterwards and then it will trigger a binge. Or my body will think that I’m going to restrict them again, so it will want to get as many carbs in as fast as possible. I know a lot of you have struggled with a fear of carbs in the past, and I was wondering if you had any advice or personal stories to share with me about how you got over this fear. I’d really like some reassurance that if I start eating grains like bread and pasta and even starchy veggies and fruits again, I won’t gain tons of weight. I want to have a good relationship with carbs again!
Thanks!
-Liz
Hi Liz!
My only advice would be to start off slow. Maybe add a banana in as a snack, or just cook as much pasta as you’re going to eat in one sitting (no left overs) so you cant binge.
Good luck, I’m so glad that sharing the carb love has made you want to join in!
ABB
Hey Liz!
I have been in your exact position
I would suggest going very, very slow, or else you might freak out….since it is fall and more root veggies are coming into season, why not take advantage? Make a stir-fry or a soup and add some yams (not a lot, just some dices), for example. I just had an amazing vegan split-pea-spinach-yam soup that 4 years ago I would have been terrified of. The key is to make sure you know what you are taking in is going to be recognized by your body, only going to fuel you, and that there are no “bad” ingredients (unneccessary oils, tons of butter, heavy cream). Add some banana slices to your fruit salads. Eat even just half a high-fiber, whole-grain bar like Gnu (which will clean OUT your system, not stick TO your system!).
I still do not eat many bread-y carbs, but I am not afraid of them, nor have they been completely cut from my life…I found the ones which worked for ME. It’s all about finding your personal balance
good luck!!!
Marissa – I completely agree with you. (And I love Dr. Fuhrman – after reading Eat to Live, I immediately became a vegan). I think it’s much better to get your carbs from nutrient-dense sources (i.e., fruits and veggies). And I do not think you should ever restrict your fruit and veggie intake due to their carb count or the amount of sugar they have in them. Grains are very addicting – just look at people’s comments on here. I think, generally speaking, people crave carbs much more than say spinach or carrots or other vegetables. Now I know some people are going to jump all over this comment and say, “I crave spinach, carrots, etc”. So please don’t get defensive; this is just my opinion. Another way to look at it, which shows that carbs have an addicting potential, is would you ever overeat a plate of red bell peppers or mushrooms? No. But do people have problems overeating breads, pastas, chips, cake, etc? Yes. I try to avoid any food which could cause me to overeat and then feel guilty and bloated afterward, because in my mind that tells me that those foods have control over me. So basically that leaves me with fruits and veggies and beans, which I believe are the best choices, any ways!
Katie – you have a very nice blog, but sometimes I think you forget that all your readers cannot eat like you do and stay as thin as you are. You have made comments before about how you don’t have to count calories and how you think counting calories is a “big, fat (excuse the bad pun) waste of time”. Now it’s easy for you to say that, because you are thin even if you consume 2,000+ calories. But to someone who needs to count their calories (or avoid carbs, as in response to this post), it may seem a bit offensive… as if you are rubbing in their faces how you stay thin and can eat “x” amount of calories or carbs. Now, I really don’t think that is your intention… but you may want to consider that when you post some of the things you post. But this is your blog, and you can post whatever you want… of course, that goes without saying. But it’s just a thought. Because, again before everyone jumps on my case, aren’t this comments supposed to stimulate thought and sometimes be the opposite of what the original poster thinks? I think it would be quite boring if every comment was, “Yes, Katie, I totally agree with you !!!”. Unless that is what you are shooting for when you write your posts…
Hey Scarlatina,
I actually just addressed this in my most current post:
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/10/04/raisins-on-steroids/
I definitely do NOT want everyone to always agree with me 100%. Debates are much more fun. So thanks for taking the time to leave your honest thoughts.
I have to disagree with Marissa and Scarletina.
Maybe WHITE, REFINED carbs cause people to overeat more than something like a plate of red peppers would. But would you seriously want to live a life just eating veggies and beans all day without ever allowing yourself a slice of cake or piece of bread? I mean isn’t the whole point of life to LIVE it?
Yeah, you might die three years later, and you might weigh five pounds less if all you eat are “safe” foods all day, but at what cost?
Liz -
I’ve been there. Very recently, actually. Before this summer, I restricted my intake – not too low, but I always ended up cutting carbs along with fat because I was trying to maintain my weight without exercise (<- *alarms going off*). Then this summer, I reintroduced carbs into my diet, and I did exactly what you fear. Every time I ate a snack bar or handful of graham crackers…BINGE. I did that all summer, and I gained a good 8 pounds.
I'm telling you this first of all because I think it's very, very good that you're being realistic, and reaching out for help. You really need to give yourself credit for that.
And second of all, I'm saying this because readjusting your diet is a *process*. God, I hated that thought, because that meant *time*…that I didn't want to spend.
So it's not summer anymore, obviously, and now I'm 3 pounds away from my normal weight again. But most importantly, I can eat carbs until I'm comfortably satisfied, and then STOP.
So what happened in-between?
Time. Trial-and-error. Frustration, too, but always optimism. It's so important to know that this is a process whereby you'll learn a lot about yourself. For instance, I had previously assumed that I'd just always have my mom's extreme sweet tooth and it would always be something I'd have to deal with, but now I see that I don't even *like* extremely sweet things very much – which seems so crazy to me still! I know what foods I can't put down, I know how far pre-portioning foods will go in terms of helping my self-control, I know that I prefer crunchy carbs when I'm snacky but when I balance it out with smooth/chewy foods I can better control myself…
So in the end, what you learn is SO important, and that's what you have to keep in mind. I don't even really care about those last few pounds, because now that I know so much about myself, I know that they will come off without my worrying. *WITHOUT my worrying* (I had to say it twice…it's so freeing). What you learn about yourself, as long as you consciously make smart decisions, is priceless, and will last you much longer than any pitfalls you might encounter. I know this isn't providing you with any solutions, but I hope it helps, and I wish you luck with your own process!
- Jenna
Dear Katie,
I know I am SO late in posting this comment, but THANK YOU FOR THIS POST. its about time someone said this. My friend, who is constantly dieting, always tells me that it isn’t fair that I can eat carbs and be thin. I feel so bad for her that she fears whole grain good carbs. pasta is one of the best meals. ever. Carbs allow for our bodies to function. We need them. End of story.
Love,
Peanut Butter Bliss
I have never seen a reason to not eat carbs. Any diet that tells me I “shouldn’t eat something because it will make me fat” screams big ol’ lie. Eatint food x doesn’t make you fat. Eating too much of ANY food will make you fat – if your calories in are greater than your calories exerted, you will gain weight. Plain & simple. Whole grain products offer so many beneficial nutrient/vitamins, as do fruits, veggies, legumes, dairy, meats, etc. Any real food should never be excluded from your diet if you enjoy it. It’s all about balance. And you know, it’s even okay to enjoy a piece of fluffy white bread from time to time too – it’s not going to kill you.
As for carbs being addictive – I don’t buy it. You like what you like, and you are going to crave those foods you really enjoy regardless of their nutrient make up. I think alot of the “addictions” we hear about stem from other issues, not the food itself. But it’s alot easier to blame the food that face what’s the true cause.
And let’s not forget – you cannot survivie without adequate carb intake. Certain cells in your brain cannot function without carbohydrate intake. I believe the minimum carb intake is 120g, but I I’m only remembering that off the top of my head, and I could be wrong.
Liz -
It may help you to add in carbs alongside your regular meals, starting small and gradually adding them into your diet:
- Adding a handful of barley, rice, or small pasta to soups
- Adding some granola or toast to your breakfast
- stuff half a pita (or a mini pita) with salad, if you’re eating plain salad
- fill a tortilla with tofu scramble or stir fry to make a burrito
- serve stir fry over a little bit of noodles or brown rice – not much to start, just 1/4 cup or so.
- Mix 1/4 cup oats with chopped medjool dates, chopped nuts, and dried fruit, cover it with almond milk and let it sit in the fridge overnight – it makes a great tasting (and filling) addition to any breakfast.
If you add just a little bit, but keep eating what you normally do, you should feel full already. That way, you won’t have to worry about the carbs making you feel empty. On the other hand, a toasted sandwich with peanut butter and banana or an oatmeal carrot muffin will always fill me up.
Your meal or snack doesn’t have to centre around grains to incorporate them into your diet. Adding them in small amounts to things you are already eating should help prevent the binge. Avoid processed carbs like cookies, white flour, etc. since those have empty calories and leave you empty -> and that leads to binge – avoid it.
And, Jenna (above) has some very good points in her post too.
I’m not saying it will be easy for you, but if you make the grains available at every meal, they shouldn’t be so scary after a while. Best of luck!
Thanks so much to everyone who left me advice! And thanks Katie, for mentioning it. It really helped me a lot.
Love,
Liz
Anne…
First off I never said carbs were bad. I said I don’t believe grains are necessarily healthy.
I don’t believe in diets, and especially do not trust any diet that apparently “went bankrupt” because I also don’t think that “diets” should be businesses. I have also never seen any study that shows that a high intake of whole grains keeps any group of peoples’ weight “in check”, unless you mean it keeps them at a set weight, which is possible…but I am not going to say that it would necessarily be a healthy weight.
Atkins, by the way is a low carb diet, I do not recommend that at all. I say grains aren’t the best for you, and I can show you studies that show that information to be true. But when it comes down to it studies aren’t really going to tell you much. We can debate all day long about this as there are opposing studies. I can tell you that I lost 150 lbs and the main things I did was to cut the grains and cut the sugar.
I was 300 lbs, I was fat, and I could tell you all I ate was junk and sugar…but that wasn’t the case. I lived on whole grains, ate who grain pasta, Ezekiel bread, Oatmeal…you name it. And I was still morbidly obese.
Carb counting DOES work when it comes to weight loss. I don’t believe it is healthiest, but yes…it does work. But let me say it again, I don’t count carbs.
Thank you so much Katie from bringing some sense to this so-often nonsensical topic.
Ugh, my mom went on a low carb diet once, and IT SUCKED!! Without carbs, i’m like a zombie. I’m one of those people who needs carbs (preferable whole grain). Without them, i won’t be able to run 3-4 miles a day
Carbs are just the new whipping boy for people bad habits. If they were that evil, the fruity people (LFRV) would all be fat, have diabetes and die of heart attacks.
Its no surprise that cutting out processed junk and exercising will make you healthy. Any change in diet for the purpose of getting healthier usually comes with other changes usually like drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Those two changes alone make a world of difference and yet people give credit to the twinkies.
LOVE your yummy healthy blog!
Aww thank you! And I definitely agree with ya
.
I agree totally, Katie. People need to realize that it’s calories in and calories out. It’s not what you eat that makes people gain fat, it’s how much. Of course, nutritionally dense foods are better for overall health, but it’s not rocket science to listen to your hunger and thirst signals. GO CARBS!!!
Well said, girl!
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