Consume Fewer Carbs

Why limit carbs?

If you follow Step 1 & Step 2 you are already well on your way to an anti-inflammatory diet. Why should we care about reducing inflammation? Because chronic inflammation is the underlying driver of most modern day disease states that we face.

If we’re not careful, carbohydrates can be a contributor to blood sugar fluctuations and an inflammatory eating pattern. The body breaks digestible carbohydrates down into glucose, which affects our blood glucose (blood sugar). The short- and long-term effects of consistently consuming large amounts of refined carbohydrates can be similar to those of excessive sugar consumption, which we discussed in Step 2.

Another reason that it’s important to be mindful of carbs, especially in the US, is that many of the options available to us are highly processed, refined carbohydrates containing unnecessary chemicals and additives. Hopefully, by this point, you’re committed to Step 1 and reading ingredients labels to avoid those products. But you’ll probably notice that simply by implementing a low-carb diet, you automatically eliminate many ultra-processed foods.

I feel it is necessary to call out that reading labels is still imperative here. Many products on the market claim to be “low-carb” or “keto-friendly,” but these options are often filled with ingredients I personally avoid. Be sure to commit to a clean, low-carb lifestyle by continuing to read labels carefully.

Low-carb in practice

There is no single universally accepted definition of a low-carb diet, but fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrates per day is a commonly used cutoff. A ketogenic diet is more restrictive, typically limiting carbohydrates to approximately 20–50 grams per day.

I personally do not count carbs, as I find it unsustainable for a long-term lifestyle commitment. Instead, I stick to certain foods and avoid others. I created a grocery list of the foods I rotate through. I encourage you to start by sticking to this list, then add clean items you come across over time that allow you to maintain a low-carb lifestyle.

Thoughtfully incorporating carbs

In Step 2, I mentioned that sugar can sometimes be incorporated with fewer negative (and occasionally positive) effects on the body. Because digestible carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, I similarly follow these guidelines when consuming clean, whole-food carbohydrates.

As you’ll notice in my grocery list, some of the clean, starchy foods I consume include:

• Legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, peas
• Potatoes: White potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes
• Other vegetables: Pumpkin and squash

I’m also a fan of consuming certain packaged or processed carbohydrates in moderation. But remember to proceed with caution and read the ingredients. These products are especially prone to sneaky additives if you aren’t paying attention.

Some options I incorporate include:

• Organic pasta
• Organic rice
• Freshly baked sourdough bread

Low-carb hesitations

Many people are hesitant to adopt a low-carb diet for several reasons. One concern is that they will miss out on important nutrients by limiting carbohydrates. The fact is that dietary carbohydrates are not essential nutrients. This means that while our bodies rely on protein and fat from our diets to survive, we are fully capable of generating our own carbohydrates through a process in our livers called gluconeogenesis. Therefore, we are not required to consume carbohydrates from our food in order to survive. And actually, our bodies are designed to thrive when we’re not constantly consuming high amounts.

Another concern that often comes up is whether consuming more fat is harmful. I think context matters here. A diet high in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and low-quality fats is very different from a low-carb diet built around nutrient-dense, whole foods. Within a clean, low-carb diet, thoughtfully incorporating fats from the right foods can be a powerful part of feeling satisfied and living a healthy life.

For more information on this topic, I highly encourage you to watch Fat Fiction, a documentary available for free on YouTube. It was quite eye-opening for me.

A note on cholesterol

Finally, there is often concern about elevated cholesterol levels as a result of following a keto or low-carb lifestyle. Let me give some background.

Cholesterol itself isn’t bad, and in fact, it is an essential building block that the human body could not function without. Our bodies use cholesterol to build cell membranes, produce hormones and vitamin D, and make the bile acids needed for digestion.

Atherosclerosis (plaque formation) is a complex process involving cholesterol, specifically LDL-containing particles. This is why LDL has acquired the label “bad cholesterol,” but it should not be interpreted entirely in isolation. Aside from LDL, there are many factors involved in plaque formation: inflammation, damage or dysfunction within the artery walls, genetics, and other risk factors.

But what if your labs come back and your cholesterol levels are high? Should you immediately start a statin? The answer is not necessarily, because it should be considered in the context of your other cholesterol values and risk factors. A basic lipid panel routinely ordered by your doctor includes four main values:

• Total cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• Triglycerides

One calculation you may encounter is the total-cholesterol-to-HDL ratio, which is found by dividing your total cholesterol by your HDL. A lower ratio is generally considered more favorable, and a ratio around 3.5 is often cited as desirable, while 5 or higher may indicate greater cardiovascular risk. Remember though that your LDL, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, age, family history, smoking status, and overall cardiovascular risk all matter. So while this ratio does not provide the complete picture, it gives a better indicator of the relationship between your “good” and “bad” values.

What I want to emphasize here is that high cholesterol results do not automatically mean you are in danger or need medication, especially if your other risk factors are in check and you’re committed to an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. Find a doctor who is willing to discuss your complete risk profile and health goals before you quit low-carb or begin medication.