In this post, we’re going to tackle a HUGE myth that’s been floating around for decades — and that is the idea that you need carbohydrates to survive.
Spoiler alert: you don’t!
Today, I'm going to break it down for you, with some science the experts conveniently forget to mention.
Alright, so let’s start with the basics:
Are carbohydrates essential?
Meaning — is there a biological requirement for you to eat them?
The answer is: no.
Your body has zero dietary requirement for carbs.
Unlike essential amino acids from protein and essential fatty acids from fat — which your body must get from food — there are no "essential carbohydrates."
Now you might be thinking, "But wait, doesn’t my body, especially my brain, need glucose to function?"
Good question — and yes, your brain does use a small amount of glucose.
BUT here’s the part they don’t tell you:
Your body can make all the glucose it needs — through an amazing process called gluconeogenesis.
Gluconeogenesis literally means "making new glucose."
Your liver — and to a lesser extent, your kidneys — can take non-carb materials like amino acids from protein and glycerol from fats and convert them into glucose on demand.
It's like your body's backup generator — it steps in whenever dietary carbs aren't available.
And here's the cool part:
When you’re not constantly flooding your body with carbs, your system becomes way more efficient at regulating blood sugar.
No more sugar crashes.
No more energy rollercoasters.
You’re running on steady, clean-burning fat for fuel, with just a little glucose made as needed.
Now, what about glycogen — the storage form of glucose?
Glycogen is stored mostly in your muscles and liver.
When you're on a low-carb or carnivore diet, your glycogen stores naturally decrease, but they never completely vanish.
And your body can easily replenish those stores through — you guessed it — gluconeogenesis, not by eating bowls of pasta.
In fact, even elite athletes can adapt to using fat for fuel — it’s called becoming "fat-adapted."
Their performance doesn’t drop off like you might expect — and in endurance sports, they often outperform their carb-loaded counterparts because fat is a much more efficient and long-lasting fuel source.
So why have we been told for years that "you must have carbs"?
Honestly, a lot of it comes from old science, corporate food marketing, and a misunderstanding of how the human body works.
Carbs are cheap to produce, easy to sell, and highly profitable — especially when you process them into snack foods, cereals, and sugary drinks.
And here's the kicker:
By keeping people hooked on carbs, we also keep them on the blood sugar rollercoaster — feeling constantly hungry, constantly tired, and often developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity.
And that’s a goldmine for the processed food industry and the pharmaceutical companies selling blood sugar meds, heart meds, and more.
But you don’t have to stay stuck in that cycle.
When you lower carbs, you teach your body to burn fat, stabilize your blood sugar, lower your inflammation, and honestly — just feel amazing.
You are fully equipped, biologically, to thrive without carbohydrates.
Your body is built for it.
Let me know in the comments — have you ever tried cutting out carbs? How did it change the way you felt?
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