How Many Carbs Do I Need?

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So what is the percentage in terms of grams of carbs per day?

Depending on your total caloric intake you will consume some where between 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates per day to eat the recommended 50% carbs.

Some low carb diets reduce carbs to 20 grams per day! This is about 2 slices of bread, a cup of fresh blueberries, or a half cup of cooked spaghetti.

Some low carb diets forbid bad carbs such as white flour, white bread and white sugar.

Low carb / high protein / high fat diets are based on the unproven theory that carbohydrates make people gain weight. It has been proven that eating too many calories is the basis for weight gain.

A diet high in protein and saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and other health conditions. Low carb diets have been very controversial for the past 30 years.

Many experts believe that the weight lost on low carb diets is because the food restriction results in a reduction of calories.

People have been known to gain weight while following a low carb diet. This is due to the high fat content in a lot of high protein foods. So if you decide to go low carb, you’ll also want to watch your fat content.

It’s interesting to note that the first known diet book is a low carb diet. Written in 1864 “Letter on Corpulence” is William Banting’s strategy for losing weight.

If your body does not get enough carbs your body induces an unnatural state called ketosis. Supporters of low carb diets claim that your body burns more fat while in ketosis. This point remains controversial. Opponents argue that being in ketosis for more than a few weeks can cause serious complications.

According to Wickipedia …
“Ketosis (key-toe-sis) is a stage in metabolism occurring when the liver has been depleted of stored glycogen and switches to a fasting mode such as occurs during sleep, during dieting, and during the body’s response to starvation. Energy from fat is mobilized to the liver and used to synthesize glucose (a process called gluconeogenesis) from lactic acid, glucogenic amino acids, and glycerol carbon substrates.”

For more information on carbohydrates read our article
Are carbs good for me?

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