In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial? - PaleoHacks.com

In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-29T15:15:14Z

I have constantly heard Paul Jaminent mention that in some cases high carbohydrate diets are better for some people. I'm not too clear on his reasoning, but I have been experimenting with a higher carbohydrate intake from sweet potatoes and white rice (close to 500 grams) the last few weeks and surprisingly my libido has returned after being non-existent for 10 months. Many of my digestive issues have also disappeared and my mood has improved tremendously. Does anyone know the reasoning behind this? Am I better adapted to a higher carbohydrate diet because of my Mexican ancestry, or do I have some kind of infection, virus, disease that benefits from a higher carbohydrate intake?

Answer by The Quilt for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-29T15:33:17Z

If youre a hunter gather in New Guinea........and you dont exert yourself often and have no internet or western lifestyle to hype up your cortisol levels.

Answer by Thomas Seay for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-29T15:34:30Z

Well, Rob, this is my experience as well, however there was no way I was going to let it go on for long. It would appear that from your experience, it's not a question of just waiting it out. I see Danielle is having similar issues. Danny Roddy gives a mention to this issue briefly in this article and promises a longer article soon. My ancestry isn't Mexican. It's French. I don't have any reasoning really. I could speculate about cortisol, etc, but it would just be speculation. Thank goodness it is easily corrected with larger quantities of carbs.

Answer by Stabby for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-29T15:46:12Z

Well if you lost your libido it might me. Paul Jaminet generally recommends like 20% carbohydrate for people, he notes that there is such thing as a glucose deficiency and people eating only low carb vegetables for glucose probably aren't even getting any since gut bacteria eat it first. There is often too much need for glucose to be sufficiently met by gluconeogenesis, and gluconeogenesis can sometimes elevate cortisol levels, especially in the case of exercise.

However there is the propensity in the health and nutrition types to think in false dichotomies. 0 carb didn't work well, therefore eat a very high carb diet? Really?

Robb Wolf says to correlate carb intake with exercise level. Paul Jaminet says to make carbs 20% minimum.

Answer by cliff for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-29T15:48:21Z

I think the questions should be in what circumstances is a high carb diet not beneficial? many people heal/control metabolic issues(diabetes,obesity,diseases) with very high carb diets and even people with type 1 diabetes apparently get benefits from high carb diets. The longest lived cultures all supposedly eat very high carb as well and a real paleo diet is a probably a lot higher carb then most people think.

The only (modern)hunter gatherers who subsist on high fat are inuits so unless your an eskimo your probably far higher likely to be adapted to a higher carb diet.

very high fat diets are therapeutic diets that are pretty unsustainable long term for average people unless you have epilepsy and are pretty deficient if not carefully planned,

just my 2 cents.

Answer by Namby Pamby for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-30T03:38:42Z

I think that goes without saying: if you have diabetes or metabolic issues, then a high carb diet is out of the question. Also, if your libido is low, you might wanna try high carbing.

Now, my question here has to do with those without diabetes. Should you be on a high carb (safe starch) or low carb diet? Let's also put aside those who exercise and have constipation problems. For them, a high carb diet could help.

My only problem with a safe-starch / high carb diet is: doesn't this still elevate your insulin? Your BG is gonna rise and your insulin will be deployed much more so than in a low carb diet. Supposedly, elevated insulin levels may result in cancer development, inflammation, AGEs, and leading to overall accelerated aging.

One of the supposed benefits of a low carb diet is that it will FLATLINE your insulin. So doesn't this benefit alone make a LC diet preferable than a HC diet? Again, for those without the above exceptions.

Answer by Kirill for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-30T05:12:12Z

I don't see why anyone should bother with macros at all. With paleo type diets, the main effect is from improving the quality of food, not ratios. Dump the fructose and don't worry about starch. Your body is a much better satiety regulator when food is not garbage.

Answer by steve for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-30T10:19:39Z

Upping muscle mass is easier with high carbs.

Answer by animalcule for In what cases would a high-carbohydrate diet be beneficial?

2011-05-30T16:59:55Z

Adequate starch intake is beneficial or even necessary for lean and/or active people with normal glucose metabolism. It's also pretty much essential if you want to build muscle without eating pounds and pounds of meat every day (which I, personally, feel is unnatural and unhealthy).

People like me. I've gained both muscle and fat on a paleo/primal grain-free diet, but I am still underweight, have lowish body fat, and have trouble building strength and muscle in my arms and shoulders (being a pear-shaped kind of girl). I tried VLC for a while, about a year ago, and just didn't feel well in several ways...

I also am a very active person. I work on my feet, I don't drive a car so I bike and walk places, I have a large vegetable garden to maintain, and two dogs to exercise. Additionally, I love yoga and am currently training to be a yoga instructor. I burn a lot of sugars every day! If they're not there to burn, I don't feel well.

Now, for a congenitally thin person, I have more trouble with my blood sugar than seems to be usual (just like my daddy). My fasting blood sugar is always on the low side and from my symptoms I suspect that it dips lower than normal if I 'fast', and spikes up have an adverse affect on my whole body (migraines, etc). I have to be aware of my daily carb intake and activity level and adjust accordingly, otherwise I will crash and feel like hell. So unless I was running a marathon or lifting hundreds of pounds in the gym each day, I couldn't safely be eating 400g per day of potatoes like some paleo people do (although most of them seem to be running marathons or lifting heavy). But 100-250g is just right, depending on my activity level.