Why is fat preferable to carbs, blood sugar-wise?

[Snowdog63]

So there's something I'm still not clear on. (Not sure if this is the right place, but I can always move it if needs be,)

So carbs convert to blood glucose & increase blood glucose levels & blood glucose is what the body uses for energy. So we go on to a High Fat, Low Carb diet to encourage the body to use fat instead of sugar as an energy source.

But doesn't the fat just convert into blood glucose so that the body can use it as energy &, when it does so, would that not cute the exact same effects as carbs do?

In other words, the body is producing insulin in response to blood glucose, which would surely be produced by both cards AND fat.

So why is fat better?

 

[Northerner]

So there's something I'm still not clear on. (Not sure if this is the right place, but I can always move it if needs be,)

So carbs convert to blood glucose & increase blood glucose levels & blood glucose is what the body uses for energy. So we go on to a High Fat, Low Carb diet to encourage the body to use fat instead of sugar as an energy source.

But doesn't the fat just convert into blood glucose so that the body can use it as energy &, when it does so, would that not cute the exact same effects as carbs do?

In other words, the body is producing insulin in response to blood glucose, which would surely be produced by both cards AND fat.

So why is fat better?

Basically, it's to do with the speed at which the food source will hit your levels. Fat takes considerably longer to convert to glucose (I think protein is slightly faster than fat), whereas most carbs will hit your blood levels within seconds to a few hours, depending on what it is 🙂

 

[Snowdog63]

Thanks!

 

[trophywench]

They reckon you need 50% of the carb insulin your body needs, to convert protein, and only 10% to convert fat. BUT if you are getting more than enough carbs to satisfy your cells glucose needs - your body doesn't even attempt to start on the protein or fat. (cos it's harder work, to convert either)

 

[Martin Canty]

When on LCHF the body is metabolizing fat into ketone bodies for energy rather than glucose. The body prefers to get energy from glucose but the backup is ketones.

 

[Snowdog63]

Hence ketosis. Right! But we need some carbs, right? I limit myself to 30-60g of carbs per day but I wonder what a healthy minimum is?

 

[Martin Canty]

Hence ketosis. Right! But we need some carbs, right? I limit myself to 30-60g of carbs per day but I wonder what a healthy minimum is?

Hmmmm I'm sure that this will generate debate.... Actually we don't, the body manufactures enough glucose to keep essential functions running. the rest of the energy requirements can be satisfied by ketone bodies. Personally, some days I may have 5g; supplied by the veggies in my dinner. Other days I may have a carb fest ranging between 20-40g.... Other days I may go off the reservation.

When talking about fats, it's essential to note that the quality of the fat is very important, there are a number of youtube lectures by Phinney, Noakes & Fung on the subject of LCHF & fats. Personally I take High Fat to be a misnomer as I actually have probably a little more fat in my diet than I used to, just that the ratio is balanced away from carbs.

 

[Maz2]

Gosh that is quite low carbs Martin. I just wondered what you eat, if you don't mind my asking. I have cut my carbs down as I am pre-diabetic but not that low. I do eat more fat now but find it difficult to have too much because we have been lectured for years about "low fat" which now seems to have been the incorrect advice.

 

[trophywench]

Thing is - it is almost impossible to go Nil carb, since if you happen to eat any veg - it always contains some carbs - even lettuce cucumber and celery - all have a smidge of carbs along with the water. And if you eat any more substantial veg - a tomato (yeah yeah that's a fruit LOL) a pea or a bean - or shock horror probe - a root veg - then you'll eat more carb.

Whereas when 99.9% people think of carbs - they only think of starchy ones (cereals, flour, rice, spuds ...) or sweet ones (Fruit, sugar)

 

[Martin Canty]

Martin. I just wondered what you e

Low carb veggies along with my protein....
e.g. Omelet
Meat & green veggies (last night was broccoli & spinach
Frittata (omelet on steroids)
Lots of cauliflower
salads based on mostly lettuce
cabbage..

 

[Lindarose]

Hi Martin that looks like a very low calorie diet. Do you find you're losing weight? Or are you trying to lose? I'm just curious where you're getting enough energy (calories) from.

 

[Snowdog63]

Don't even go there with calories!!! I can't even figure out what those buggers are! (Apart from being small creatures that sneak into your wardrobe & sew your clothes a little bit smaller every night!)

Like, I can go out & drink vodka & soda all evening. Zero carbs (apart from the lemon & lime wedges) so completely safe. Except quite calorific! Calories... What are they? Where do they come from? Do they affect my sugar levels?

 

[Lindarose]

I'm no expert Snowdog but I know from my constant need to keep my weight under control that a calorie is a unit of energy found in all foods. Most adults need between 2000-2500 a day to maintain weight. Therefore to lose weight the numbers need to be reduced. For every deficit of 3500 calories you should (in theory) lose 1lb of body fat. Most weight loss diets are based on reducing calories. The calories in foods is easily found on packets or online. Hope that helps and doesn't cause even more confusion 😱

 

[Snowdog63]

Haha! No, it's cool. Thanks for the reply. I suppose my confusion is as follows... If the body gets its energy from blood glucose (or ketones, as mentioned above) & an alcoholic drink such as vodka is zero carbs, what does it contain that provides the units of energy & makes it calorific? Is alcohol high in fat?

 

[Lindarose]

It's something to do with the alcohol sugars. I don't really understand but think there are still calories in vodka but I don't drink spirits so haven't much idea. Maybe someone else can help with that. Sorry

 

[DaveB]

Don't even go there with calories!!! I can't even figure out what those buggers are! (Apart from being small creatures that sneak into your wardrobe & sew your clothes a little bit smaller every night!)

Like, I can go out & drink vodka & soda all evening. Zero carbs (apart from the lemon & lime wedges) so completely safe. Except quite calorific! Calories... What are they? Where do they come from? Do they affect my sugar levels?

Hi. Calories have little meaning in practice as the calorific value measured by lab burning has little to do with the way the body metabolises different foods and the priority it gives to using some foods rather than others (and stored fat) for energy. So, in general forget calories, keep the carbs down and have enough protein and fat to keep you feeling full. One day they will put the carb value on the front of food packaging in place of sugar and hopefully remove the calorie value.

 

[Bill Stewart]

your a type 2 so the fat stuff is less of a problem for you as you produce insulin... for type 1 its different the insulin we use doesn't work anywhere near as fast as normal insulin although FIASP may do (new product) so the effect of fat in our diet is that it holds back the sugars in the meal so that the insulin we use is spent before the sugars are fully released and we get rather high sugar levels after eating curries for example and have to work out where in such meals we should take the insulin. Pumpers have different shaped deliveries of insulin to cope with this very problem and the artificial pancreas also cannot react fast enough so can only pump basal insulin, but with FIASP we might see a big change in the near future.

 

[Martin Canty]

Hi Martin that looks like a very low calorie diet. Do you find you're losing weight? Or are you trying to lose? I'm just curious where you're getting enough energy (calories) from

It appears that calories are not a problem, my weight tends to be in the 160-165 range & FBG around 5.... (far cry from 2 years ago where my weight was 225 & FBG 14). I actually have more energy now than before, but that is likely down to BG being under control than an excess of calories.
My approach is to make meals from scratch using quality ingredients.