Low-Carb Living

Lesson 4: Nutritional Myths

Carbohydrates

As the Food Guide Pyramid illustrates, it is widely believed that a diet high in grain carbohydrates and low in fat will lead to fitness and good health. Many have faithfully followed this diet, yet failed to lose or maintain their weight, stave off hunger, or prevent the ‘diseases of civilization.’

The reduced amount of carbohydrate foods present in the paleolithic diet is what most prominently differentiates it from the mainstream, Western diet. Our ancestral diet was naturally low in carbohydrates because it didn’t include high-carb food sources such as grain foods. It included only fruits and vegetables, low-glycemic carbohydrates that normalize blood sugar and insulin levels because they break down slowly during digestion and gradually release sugar. Not only are fruits and vegetables easier on our bodies than grain and legume carbohydrates, but they are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other disease-preventing nutrients.

Besides lacking nutrient content, grains and legumes contain phytic acid which interferes with our absorption of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, many people are sensitive or intolerant of grains and legumes which triggers an immune reaction and further interferes with the absorption of nutrients. The refinement of grains strips them of nutritional value, and increases their glycemic index value.

The higher glycemic a food is, the more quickly it breaks down in our bodies, and the more quickly and dramatically it raises our blood sugar levels. Over time, a diet high in high-glycemic foods will reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin and lead to the development of diabetes and other health problems.

Glycemic Index Values. GI values of 55 or less are considered low, and values of 70 or more are considered high.

Agricultural Foods
1 Serving Dry Cereal with Milk = 120
(3/4-1 cup dry cereal = avg GI value of 80)
1 Baked Potato w/o Fat = 60 - 110
1 Serving Rice = 45 - 100
1 Serving Bread = 50 - 75
1 Serving Pasta = 40 - 70
1 Serving Corn = 60
1 Servings Beans = 15 - 60

Paleo Foods
(Most paleo foods have such low GI values so as not to have warranted being tested.)
1 Apple = 40
1 Banana = 50
1 Orange = 30 - 48

Agricultural carbohydrate sources, such as products made with refined sugars, grains, and dairy products, have addictive qualities that interfere with our body’s hunger and satiety signals and cravings. The digestion of certain food proteins such as those in wheat and dairy may produce substances having opiate or narcotic properties. We’ll discuss carbohydrate addiction and recovery later in the course.

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