The role of carbs in the paleo diet

Last week, I tried to cover the role of fruit in the paleo diet. I have also covered dairy in the past. I have decided to cover more of the grey area in the paleo lifestyle. I have already pointed out that the paleo diet is extremely flexible (there is more than a single paleo diet) and that, evolutionarily speaking, it’s the only diet that fits us. Long time readers know that I stress the importance of avoiding dogmatism by tweaking the diet for their own needs. Today, we will attack one of the most controversial subjects in the paleo diet community : carbs. Good or Evil? To avoid or to not avoid? You will have to keep reading to know.

Carbs are the new fat. By this, I mean that fat used to be demonized by our societies (due to bad science, but that’s for another topic). It seems that fat is gaining its popularity back and that we are now demonizing carbs. I mean, carbs are quite evil. First, they are probably the reason why our society is so unhealthy. It has a huge impact on insulin that often leads to obesity or diabetes. Second, you don’t need carbs to survive. Obviously, protein (which can be converted to glucose via gluconeogenesis) is needed to rebuild your body. Fats are needed for a bunch of things too. In my opinion, the most important thing fat does is helping us absorb fat soluble vitamins (vitamins  A, D, E, K). Carbs, on the other hand, seem to bring nothing to the table except an insulin spike and diseases. Or, do they ?

Most of us are led to believe that all hunter gatherers enjoyed a diet with a very low carb content (which is ”somewhat” true). However, the research of Cordain and al. definitely shows a different reality that what is promoted around the Internet. They found out that modern hunter gathers get between 20% and 40% of their daily energy from carbs. This means that for a 2000 calories diet, the carb content would range from 100g to 200g (more or less). It’s still pretty low compared to government and conventional wisdom recommendations. However, it’s also higher than the 0-100g of carbs recommended by most paleo bloggers or experts. Which brings me to my next point.

I think that we should care more about the quality of the carbs we eat than the quantity of carbs we eat. I feel like too many people get stuck with the mindset that we should avoid carbs or that we have to eat in certain zone (0g-100g). What I am trying to say here is that all of us – paleo bloggers, experts or enthusiasts – hate the fact that conventional wisdom put an emphasis on the quantity  instead of the quality of the food you eat : ” Eat X calories, Xg of protein, Xg of fat, Xg of carbs, and you will lose weight”. Why are we replicating this behaviour then? If you focus on the quality of the food, there is no doubt that you will end up with a lower carb content than the Western diet anyway.

So what’s a good carb and what’s a bad one, you might ask. Probably anything that you can pick up in the nature, and that is not poisonous (grains, for instance), is a good carb in my opinion. That means that you can eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and the occasional root vegetables (sweet potato is a good choice here). Probably anything that is man-made is a bad carb. Cake, candies, sodas, pastries, bread, etc. are obvious examples. Add to that list grains and sugar and you are all set. The moment you start categorizing carb-rich food in two groups (healthy and unhealthy), it becomes way easier to manage your diet. This way, you don’t have to count grams of carbs, calories or other time consuming activities like that. That’s right, weight loss or health improvement does not have to be boring.

However, in my opinion, carbs are not necessary and the amount one eats will depend on a few factors. First, we have to consider your current health. The leaner you are, the more carbs you can eat. Or, in other words, the healthier you are (free of any diseases of civilization such as diabetes, obesity, etc), the more carbs you can enjoy. Second, we also have to take into account the amount and the type of physical activity you do. Obviously, an elite marathoner won’t need the same content as the sedentary office worker. Third, we have to consider your goals. If you want to lose weight, it’s probably wise to go at the low range of the spectrum and if you want to gain weight, it’s probably safe to aim for a higher carb content.

Now that we know the type of carbs you should eat and that we have identified the factors that influence the amount of carbs you should eat, I should probably share my own eating strategy. If you use this strategy, I am pretty sure you will be able achieve your goals. First, I use the 50/50 rule. I make sure that half my plate is filled with animal foods (meat or eggs) and the other half is filled with plant food (which happens to be the carb foods). Second, if I was quite active during the day, I will choose foods that are higher in carbs (sweet potatoes instead of other vegetables, for instance). The goal here is to personalize your ”carb” half of the plate so it fits your level of activity. Third, I avoid all man made carb heavy foods and all grains. Fourth, if you need it (you are quite active, for instance), add extra fat. This is a simple strategy that prevents you from counting calories, and grams of nutrients. For the most part, it will probably put you in the place you want to be (moderate-high protein, moderate-high fat, low-moderate carb).

In conclusion, I think that we should stop demonizing any nutrient. Instead, we have to acknowledge the benefits and the disadvantages of different type of foods. And, really, in the case of carb heavy foods, I think that if we avoid the processed ones, we will do ourselves a huge favor. We have to think in food terms, not in nutrient terms. Fruits, vegetables and nuts definitely don’t bring the same thing to the table as sugar and grains. That’s why I think that if we focus on animal food first, then add the proper plant food to our diet, we will be healthy.