OK sugar or carbs what is worse

[Bujingodai]

So always hearing to fix weight and inflammation etc. What is the big enemy.
Sugar, Carbs, salt, fats.

We have moved from Margerine, which as a genx was most of what we used for most of my life. to butter.

However trying to reduce the carbs and sugar, is crazy as well as enjoy life

 

[Gyakuto]

None of them are the enemy if one eats the recommended quantities. We often exceed those recommendations.

As for butter…which I love…

Is Butter Good Or Bad For Your Cholesterol?

If you're trying to follow a heart-healthy diet, a new study suggests that butter is not processed and metabolized like other sources of dairy fat.

arnoldspumpclub.com

Comparison of the impact of saturated fat from full-fat yogurt or low-fat yogurt and butter on cardiometabolic factors: a randomized cross-over trial - PubMed

GOV: NCT05589350, 10/15/2022.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Dirty Dog]

As @Gyakuto said, it's not an either/or situation. It's a balance situation. You need some sugar. You need some carbs. Pretty much any diet that says "eliminate [whatever]" is a non-starter.

 

[MetalBoar]

You need some sugar.

It depends on how you define "need". We can survive without consuming sugar and can in fact live without even consuming any carbs at all. It might not be the healthiest option in the long term, and it likely isn't ideal for athletic performance, but carbs aren't necessary to stay alive (which is one, solid, definition of "need"). Even if we need carbs in some sense (for optimal health or optimal performance, perhaps), I think saying that we "need" sugar is an easily misunderstood statement and I'm certain no one needs added sugars in anything. I'm not suggesting that people cut out all fruit, or avoid vegetables because they naturally contain some sugars, but that's not what most people mean when they say "sugar". I know from personal experience that the fewer fast carbs I consume the better I feel and the better my health markers and I know I'm not the only one.

 

[Gyakuto]

There’s also this misrepresentation that our digestive system is like a formula 1 engine and requires highly refined fuel to function whereas it’s more like a basement heating furnace that will produce heat with old chair legs, old yea chests and cardboard. It’s not very efficient but will burn any old cr*p. Our GI system is designed to smash up anything shoved into it as that’s what we did when roaming the planes of the savannah, and convert it into energy down one of the many biochemical pathways available to it. It converts carbs —> simple sugars, complex sugars —> simple sugars, proteins —>amino acids and fats —> fatty acids.

Thus a little bit of everything is fine. The issue is the sheer quantity we eat these days. That’s the problem.

 

[Bujingodai]

Thank you. I have issues with eating. Bad habits, I'm one of those anxiety cases. Was much heavier before 5'5" was about 235lbs and yes type2. Not injection yet, just pills. But an emotional eater. I got sick enough years back. Ate a can of broth and a spoonful of peanut butter for 9mo, it's all I could. I lost 90lbs. Now, I am able to eat again all reversed. Did not get that high of weight. I'm at 180. I was down to 135.

My diet though mostly home cooking. But too many sugar sources, too much crap but so hard to scale back.
My wife is the opposite she's on that ozempic and now is eating almost nothing. But her glucose is perfect

 

[Badhabits]

I'm also in the camp of eating too much being the big issue. But for all the bad things we hear about carbs- awhile back after reading a good book I switched my calorie intake to about 75% calories coming from carbs, the remaining 25% was split between fats and protein. Lost weight and my guts felt better than they had in a long time. I love meat though so that ratio is hard for me to keep up. We also eat almost exclusively home cooked, good stuff too, lots of veggies and grilled foods, but yeah I eat too much at supper. Eating too much at supper is terrible- major negative effect on sleep. It sucks to be sweating while you sleep due to overeating! We've been eating a lot of soups lately, highly recommend it.

 

[Gyakuto]

It sucks to be sweating while you sleep due to overeating!

I think something is sending you an urgent message there!

I’ve adopted the ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper’ model (although I usually can’t face much of a breakfast) and try to go to bed slightly hungry. It really suits me and I sleep so well. But we’re so indoctrinated to have our main meal in the evening, it feel slightly strange and at times antisocial to only have what is essentially a snack in the evening.

The Okinawans have a saying ‘Hara hachi bu’ which means only eat until you’re 80% full and they attach their longevity to that habit amongst other things.

 

[Bujingodai]

Breakfast never works for me. My guts are not ready for it yet. During the day trying to find time to do anything other than snacking is impossible. My job just doesn't permit it. haven't taken a lunch in years.
Dinner normally home cooked. It's the night snacking. Just kills me.

As for sleep I've been on sleep meds for years. My iron levels went so low when I was sick my rhythm was blown out. I went days with no sleep regularly. Anxiety case I guess. My Iron was a 2 and hemoglobin a 66 at the time. Transfusions were fun.

 

[MetalBoar]

Thus a little bit of everything is fine. The issue is the sheer quantity we eat these days. That’s the problem.

Sure, but sugar and fast carbs add to the problem of quantity, sugar in particular. First, there's the issue of satiation. If you eat a bowl of extra frosted, poofy puffs cereal with 3 tablespoons of added sugar and a quarter cup of skim milk for breakfast you're going to be hungry again much faster than if you ate an equivalent number of calories in the form of fat, protein, and high fiber foods. At the same time, you are likely to eat a lot more calories in a sitting if you consume it in the form of frosted poofy puffs because it's so calorie dense and this is a much, much bigger problem if you drink it in the form of soda pop. Also, if you're trying to train in martial arts, or do anything else to increase your fitness, you actually need sufficient protein and nutrients to support that. That requires a baseline caloric intake all by itself, and calories from added sugar just represent a waste of one's caloric budget. Finally, for a lot of people, sugar consumption has addictive qualities which lead them to consume more and more sugar in an unhealthy cycle.

So, yeah, if someone can keep their caloric intake and expenditure balanced while consuming fast carbs and sugar and still get all the protein and nutrients they need then sure, it's mainly just a matter of quantity. That's not how it works out in the real world for most people, especially as they get older. Or at least it doesn't seem to work very well for most Americans, maybe people are doing better in the UK.

 

[Gyakuto]

So, yeah, if someone can keep their caloric intake and expenditure balanced while consuming fast carbs and sugar and still get all the protein and nutrients they need then sure, it's mainly just a matter of quantity. That's not how it works out in the real world for most people, especially as they get older. Or at least it doesn't seem to work very well for most Americans, maybe people are doing better in the UK.

The U.K. follows the USA closely and many are obese and don’t exercise.

I was in the park the other day, and in the distance, I saw one of those families, having a picnic, in which every member was massively obese. One of the children, whose eyes were almost closed-over by fat cheeks and brows, had a frisby, and I thought ‘good on you for thinking of doing some exercise’. As I got closer it became apparent he was using the frisby as a plate and eating Malteasers off it

 

[Buka]

The U.K. follows the USA closely and many are obese and don’t exercise.

I was in the park the other day, and in the distance, I saw one of those families, having a picnic, in which every member was massively obese. One of the children, whose eyes were almost closed-over by fat cheeks and brows, had a frisby, and I thought ‘good on you for thinking of doing some exercise’. As I got closer it became apparent he was using the frisby as a plate and eating Malteasers off it

Obesity is a complex disease that differs from one person to another. Here in the states it’s charging downhill and picking up speed.

I hope it’s more under control in the U. K.

 

[Gyakuto]

By chance I came across this book about semaglutide and it’s good and ‘bad’ effects.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1526670151?psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

It seems the author, a type II diabetic, was a comfort eater and by taking semaglutide for his metabolic disorder, his desire for food was taken away and thus his source of comfort, causing him great psychological issues! I can’t wait to read my copy.

 

[Gyakuto]

Obesity is a complex disease that differs from one person to another. Here in the states it’s charging downhill and picking up speed.

I sometimes think we make it complicated and there’s only one solution, but getting to that solution is where we make it complex. I ‘feared’ being hungry, especially when I was out and about. Eventually I just thought what is there to fear about a sensation? So I confronted it, and allowed myself to get hungry, perhaps for the first time in years. And of course it wasn’t that bad at all, in fact it made me feel light and agile. In a short time, this silly fear passed and I lost weight and am so much happier.

I hope it’s more under control in the U. K.

We follow the USA so we’re in exactly the same situation. High sugar, high fat food is tasty and favoured by humans (for evolutionary reasons) so while people have nothing of seeming value in their lives, they will continue to sate their issues with too much of this kind of food.

 

[Badhabits]

The U.K. follows the USA closely and many are obese and don’t exercise.

I was in the park the other day, and in the distance, I saw one of those families, having a picnic, in which every member was massively obese. One of the children, whose eyes were almost closed-over by fat cheeks and brows, had a frisby, and I thought ‘good on you for thinking of doing some exercise’. As I got closer it became apparent he was using the frisby as a plate and eating Malteasers off it

Man this made me laugh hard

 

[Bujingodai]

The U.K. follows the USA closely and many are obese and don’t exercise.

I was in the park the other day, and in the distance, I saw one of those families, having a picnic, in which every member was massively obese. One of the children, whose eyes were almost closed-over by fat cheeks and brows, had a frisby, and I thought ‘good on you for thinking of doing some exercise’. As I got closer it became apparent he was using the frisby as a plate and eating Malteasers off it

Damn I love me some malteezers, my wife a fan of whoppers the obviously uncultured.

Starting to see the base of my problem.

 

[Hot Lunch]

Sugar IS carbs.

On another note, neither the US nor the UK tops the list for obesity. The worst countries are in the Pacific Islands. Like Fiji, Tonga, and Somoa.

 

[Gyakuto]

Sugar IS carbs.

On another note, neither the US nor the UK tops the list for obesity. The worst countries are in the Pacific Islands. Like Fiji, Tonga, and Somoa.

Yes, they’re big fellas! When I go to Switzerland, I see many huge, wealthy Arabs and they’re really tall too!