What Are Carbs?

1. I am having a very difficult time trying to figure out just what is meant by "carbs". Some diets say they are good and others say they aren't. Isn't broccoli a carb? What exactly am I suppose to avoid when avoiding carbs?

Word play and shenanigans! People love using word play to muddy the waters and commit their scams. I can appreciate this question though because things do become muddied and a carb is not a carb, any more than a calorie is a calorie.

The main confusion comes from the term "carb" itself. This is because fiber is included under this umbrella but the carb you want to eliminate/restrict is glucose. Glucose comes in the form of sugar or starch. You want to eliminate sugar and restrict starch. Fiber, in all forms, is irrelevant.

All plant based foods are carb sources because they are made up of fiber and glucose, except for plant oils. Oils aren't carbs even when they come from seeds, nuts or fruits. Oils are simply fats. This means that carbs are all fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, legumes, fungi, algae, nuts, roots/tubers....

You know what, let me just make this simpler as there is always someone who becomes easily "confused" - the only things that aren't carbs are meat and dairy. Full fat dairy is not a significant source of glucose, so when we speak about carbs, it isn't included though it contains lactose.

Low carb diets are not "no carb diets". Instead, we are speaking of diets that eliminate or restrict specific carb sources, from that huge list I wrote above, to 150 grams a day or less depending on the protocol followed.

Before I continue, let me clear up another "confusion" that people seem to persistently have. What exactly is meant by "eliminate" and "restrict"?

• Eliminate - Completely remove, get rid off, exclude from even consideration.
• Restrict - Put a limit on, keep under strict control, confine to a certain amount.

Now that we have an understanding of what we are doing, let's proceed. What specific carb sources are low carb diets targeting?

• Sugar - All sugar, regardless of what plant source it comes from. Whether it's added or natural. Here is a complete list of sugar.
• Grains - All of them and in any form they come including oats, rice and all "pseudo grains". Here is a complete list of grains.
• Seeds/Nuts - All of them and in any form they come.
• Fruits - All of them and all their derivatives (jams, jellies, preserves, smoothies, purees). (Squashes are considered fruits but that's not how I will categorize them here.)
• Legumes - Basically any bean for those that aren't familiar with the term. This includes cashews and peanuts.
• Squashes/Roots - Pumpkin, squashes, all potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, beets, carrots, parsnips, yams...etc. Basically any starchy "vegetable" that grows below or semi below ground. (Potatoes are considered nightshades but that's not how I will categorize them here.)

No other carbs, not included in any of the categories above, are eliminated or restricted in any way. This means that all above ground vegetables - leafy greens, cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage), nightshades (tomato, eggplant, all peppers), low sugar fruits (all zucchini, "yellow squash", patty pans, cucumber), algae and fungi (all mushrooms) can be eaten ad libitum and with every meal. You do not need to count their carbs as they are all mostly indigestible fiber.

Now that we have a list of categorized carb sources, you need to eliminate some and restrict others. The specific carbs you want to eliminate are the ones that are mostly glucose.

• Sugar - Eliminated.
• Grains - Eliminated.
• Seeds/Nuts - Restricted. Because nuts are mostly fiber and fat, rather than glucose, they aren't eliminated but they should only be used as a garnish and up to your fat allotment.
• Fruits - Restricted. Only stone fruits (plums, peaches, apricots) and less hybridized fruits like berries are eaten on occasion and/or seasonally as a garnish and up to your carb allotment. Olives, avocados and coconuts are more fat than glucose so they aren't a significant glucose source and can be eaten more freely but they should still be used as a garnish and up to your fat allotment.
• Legumes - Restricted. These are only eaten on occasion as a garnish and up to your carb allotment. Pole beans and green beans are exempt because they are more pod than pea.
• Squashes/Roots - Restricted. These are only eaten on occasion and/or seasonally as a side dish and up to your carb allotment. Bulbs (all onions) are exempt because those are typically used as a condiment for flavoring food, not as a side or main dish.

So, you can technically say that low carb diets are really low glucose diets. Dietary glucose will not allow you to regulate your blood glucose. So, don't let people try and gaslight you with Jedi mind tricks. They know exactly what is meant by a "low carb diet" and it doesn't mean a "no broccoli diet".