4 Carbs For Fat Loss

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

Carbohydrate intake has replaced fat as one of the most talked-about issues in body change. Body change or body transformation is a term I like to use to not only distinguish weight loss from fat loss but also to take fat loss one step forward. Fat loss is when weight is reduced with as little muscle lost as possible. The body fat % goes down, but it is still possible to be losing some lean tissue when you lose fat. Body change is fat lost and muscle gained; a very difficult process to pull off, and widely regarded as the Holy Grail of physique development. While fat loss can be accomplished fairly easily with the reduction of all or most carbohydrates, many will often watch some lean muscle be lost in the process. When we are talking about body change and want to lose fat but also add muscle, it is almost impossible to avoid the smart use of carbohydrates.

4 Carbs to know

In particular, there are 4 carbohydrates that seem most beneficial in physique development. For quite some time, this information was handed down by physique coaches and bodybuilders in more of a "folklore" capacity; it was just the way it had been done. In my late teens and early twenties when I first got into bodybuilding, the advice I got was to eat only oats, brown rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes......that was it. Because this was a little heretical to my Italian roots, I asked why I could not have pasta. The answer I received was "it will make you hold water"...the look I got was more, "shut the hell up and do what I tell you". So I did.

As I watched my good friend Gary Leake become a national level bodybuilder in the 90's, I saw him doing the same thing. Oats, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes. When I met my wife Jill Coleman, a natural professional physique competitor and coach, I watched her go through the same process....oats, rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Over the years I continued to wonder what about these carbs made them different and why they were used over others.

Oats, potatoes, rice, and sweet potatoes, when eaten together in a mixed diet, have three main characteristics that make them uniquely suited to body change. They are generally hypoallergenic (i.e. are less likely to cause allergic reactions), they have a lower acid load compared to an entirely grain-based carbohydrate diet, and finally, the four together allow for smart manipulation of the glycemic index (a measure of how fast a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream).

Hypoallergenic:

This is a concept not very well understood by most in the bodybuilding and physique competitor world. Mostly because their interest is usually centered on purely biochemical considerations and rarely focuses on immunology. Food allergy is a misunderstood term. Allergies are usually thought of as immediate reactions to things the body does not "like". Examples are reactions to peanuts, shellfish or bee stings where there is an immediate reaction of redness, swelling and potentially life-threatening reactions (i.e. anaphylaxis). These immediate reactions are mediated mainly by an immune compound called IgE. However, most food "allergies" are not nearly as noticeable as the reactions just mentioned. Instead, most reactions to food are more aptly described as "delayed sensitivity reactions" and are mediated through a different immune compound called IgG.

This distinction is important because in delayed reactions to food the immune reaction is more subtle and can occur up to 4 days after consuming the food. This makes connecting a food to a symptom very difficult. In traditional allergies, the hallmarks of inflammation are immediate and include redness, swelling, and pain. In delayed reactions, they are more subtle and will usually result in digestive upset, diffuse joint pain, increased mucus production and most important for physique athletes, water retention. The most common delayed sensitivity reactions I see in my clinical practice are to dairy and grains (soy is a close third); especially gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, etc.).

The major reason wheat is such an issue is because of the protein gluten. Gluten can trigger subtle inflammatory reactions in many people. Rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes are "gluten-free" and the gluten like compound found in oats, called avenin, is not reactive, or at least less reactive, in most individuals. However, oats can become significantly contaminated with other gluten molecules if they are processed in a factory that also processes wheat. Here is an excerpt from The Paleo Diet Update 
(Vol. 4 # 16) to understand gluten: "Gluten is a water-soluble protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats.1 It is composed of an insoluble fraction called glutenin and alcohol-soluble proteins (prolamines) called gliadin in wheat, hordein in barley, secalin in rye and avenin in oats.1 It is believed that the gliadin proteins constitute the fraction in gluten responsible for celiac disease (CD).1 Recent reviews on gluten sensitivity show it is far more prevalent then we believe and does not necessarily result in outright celiac sprue." In other words, many people react to gluten without even realizing it and the gluten compound they are most reactive to is gliadin from wheat. This reaction can cause whole-body inflammation and result in an appearance of looking puffy/bloated...hence the common dogma that bread and pasta make you "hold water".

Potatoes, rice, and sweet potatoes are very well tolerated by even the most allergic individuals and the gluten, avenin, in oats is not reactive in most people. This is one reason these four carbohydrates are preferred for body change.

Acid load

Acid-base balance is perhaps the most confusing issue in all of medicine and is not usually a consideration for physique athletes. None-the-less, I believe it is a benefit of these 4 carbs, especially potatoes and sweet potatoes. The blood must remain within a narrow PH, not too acid and not too alkaline. All food, when eaten, enters the bloodstream and will transiently alter the blood PH. The body then works to restore tight control of acid/base balance via the kidneys and lungs. Recent research has shown acid-base balance to be a factor in health, muscle development and recovery from exercise. This is important when considering carbohydrate intake since the two major sources of acid load in the diet are protein and grain-based carbs. Vegetables and fruit, on the other hand, are net alkaline-producing.

Most starchy carbohydrates are acid-producing in the body especially grains, including whole grains. However, two of the 4 carbs for fat loss are alkaline. Potatoes and sweet potatoes have a net alkaline effect on the blood PH. Oats and rice remain acid-producing, but when balanced with potato and sweet potato the impact is far better than a high grain-based diet without the use of potato. Interestingly, most bodybuilders and physique athletes prefer potatoes in the post-workout period. The benefits of this have been thought to be all about glycemic index, but the alkaline nature of these two carbs is likely another positive benefit of this practice. Two other carb sources I often recommend as substitutes for oats and rice are banana and quinoa. Bananas and quinoa are also more alkaline-forming in the body.

GI manipulation

Glycemic index (GI) is a concept many people talk about. However, it is misunderstood by many including those helping people try to lose weight. There are times when you want higher glycemic index carbohydrates and times when you don't. Higher glycemic index carbohydrates after a workout can be useful. Low glycemic index carbs are best done away from workouts. Rice and oats are often seen as low glycemic index carbs. However, that is only the case for brown rice and whole oats. White rice and quick cook oats have a higher glycemic impact than their less refined counterparts.

Potatoes are the most misunderstood carbohydrate in my

opinion. It always amazes me to see many weight loss experts telling people to avoid them. There is a reason potatoes are the preferred carbs of many in the physique development world. They are easy to cook, require no extra preparation and travel easily. Many people have been misled by nutritionists, trainers, and physicians who don't have the experience to combine with their book smarts. Potatoes are NOT the high glycemic index bad guys they are portrayed to be and can actually range from 5o (low GI) to 85 (higher GI) on the glycemic index depending on what type (new, sweet, russet), how they are prepared and processed. The glycemic index of potatoes can then be lowered further by cooling potatoes down to room temperature or less. This "adjustable GI" of potatoes allows for a very versatile carbohydrate source when working for body change.

When a potato is cooled its starch becomes "resistant" to digestion effectively lowering the glycemic index between 10 and 20%. Ironically most fat loss competitors eat their potato at room temperature as a matter of convenience. By doing this they are reducing the glycemic index of the food substantially. This is very different than the mashed potatoes and gravy many people think about. A room temperature potato eaten like an apple with the skin on is an entirely different animal than a hot baked potato with butter and sour cream.

Sweet potatoes too, especially the white ones are very beneficial. Like regular potatoes, sweet potatoes can be manipulated to have a greater or lesser glycemic impact. Removing the skin, eating hot and mashing raises the impact on blood sugar allowing an extra insulin kick for muscle building. Leaving the skin on, eating them cold and covering them with cinnamon controls insulin levels to decrease the fat-storing potential. White sweet potatoes, in particular, have an even greater beneficial impact on blood sugar. Several studies have shown the pale variety of sweet potato has compounds in it that improve insulin sensitivity in even the most insulin resistant populations; diabetics.

Final Thoughts

Carbohydrate intake is essential for those who wish to go beyond fat loss and build muscle as well. Low carbohydrate diets need to be replaced with smart carbohydrate diets. These 4 carbs have been used by physique competitors for decades. Combining these 4 carbohydrates with ample vegetable intake and adequate protein can create the correct environment for fat loss and muscle gain. By working within your carbohydrate tipping point (what ME refers to as "enough carb to train hard, but not enough to store fat") these carbs provide a great tool kit for smart insulin manipulation and effective body change.