How Necessary Are Carbs in Our Diet? by Joan Kent, PhD

People ask me why I don’t recommend the keto diet for my clients.

 

A recurrent observation in my coaching practice may explain why. We all know followers of keto who do well: they lose cravings and have increased energy boosts and a feeling of well-being.

 

But then some of them are suddenly off the keto diet. When I’ve asked why they went off the diet, it can be difficult to get an answer that helps me zero in on what happened:

“I don’t know; I just stopped.”

“I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”

 

Reasons like that. A standard keto diet is about 75% fat, 10% to 30% protein, and about 5% (or less) carbohydrate. Right, the percentages don’t add up, but it works out to roughly 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. When I ask why they quit, I’m hoping to learn something rather basic – that they’ve given in to a sudden onslaught of carb cravings, for example.

 

But, as mentioned above, too many say they don’t know why they stopped, they just stopped. More significantly, they don’t want to return to keto, or have tried to return to it and failed.

 

When the Atkins diet (similar to keto) was popular in the 1970s and beyond, I had clients who tried it and stopped. When I asked why, the answer tended to be, “I felt unhealthy on it.” Well, fats were considered unhealthful back then, so that might have influenced the feeling. I don’t typically hear that reason now that keto has become so popular. (Which doesn’t necessarily mean some of my clients don’t feel unhealthy on keto, but I digress.)

 

I submit that carbs feel necessary for some people because they affect mood and energy. Some clients of mine miss the feeling of drowsiness at night. Some just miss the taste of their favorite starchy foods.

 

Clients’ reasons may vary, but I do recommend healthful carbs. Examples are quinoa, sweet potatoes, lentils, brown rice, turnips, squash. And, as always, I continue to be a strong advocate for protein – and vegetables – for many reasons.

 

If you’re having trouble finding a good food plan and would like some help, just visit LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Healthy Eating Consult. Discover how easy it is to find a plan that really works, one you can do – with great results.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.