[ExI] Carbohydrates and energy

[Harvey Newstrom]

"J. Stanton" <js_exi at gnolls.org> wrote,
> A high-carb diet is a high-fat diet.

And I was trying to explain how a high-fat diet is the same as a
high-carb diet.  Maybe we are not in as much disagreement as I had
thought.

> My approach is to eat an amount of glucose more proportional to my
> body's actual use for it: ~20% of calories, more if I'm doing hard
> aerobic work.

I thought you were arguing *against* eating carbs for your energy needs.
 But now it looks like you prefer to get your primary energy needs from
carbs, as long as you don't overdo it by eating more carbs than needed
for energy.

That's the same as I do in my diet.  Only instead of eating ~20% of my
calories from glucose, I could eat ~80% of my calories from fructose. 
Since fructose has 25% of the glycemic index as glucose, you and I would
be experiencing the same glycemic load, even though you would call your
diet "low-carb" and call my diet "high-carb".

> Also keep in mind that glycemic index is far more dependent on the fat
> content of the meal than on the "complexness" of the carbohydrate

You eat high-fat to lower your glycemic load.  I eat more complex
carbohydrates to lower my glycemic load.  I don't think it matters which
factor is "more" of an influence, if the resulting glycemic load is the
same.

I think the real point of contention was *why* modern humans need to
stop eating too many carbs.  I was saying that we are so well adapted
(or evolved) to be so efficient at absorbing carbs that we get too much
of it.  You seemed to be saying that we are so maladapted (or unevolved)
at absorbing carbs that we get too much of it.  We agree on the outcome,
but I still think my evolutionary reason makes more explanatory sense. 
(Especially given my other posting showing that Neanderthals had a
history of eating cooked grains.)

--
Harvey Newstrom, Security Consultant, <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>
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