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Carbs Good? Carbs Bad?

The Truth That Actually Works

Hey friend,

Something funny happened the other day.

I was sharing with someone about one of my favorite cheat meals, and how I love to go to the movies and get a giant bucket of popcorn all for myself 😬

And like clockwork, when people hear things like this—or see me out in the wild with a burger, fries, or a tub of popcorn—they’re often shocked.

Like they assume I only ever eat perfectly “clean” meals and would never indulge myself in food like that.

But in reality that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I get to enjoy meals and treats like this regularly, and they don’t sabotage my results or the health I’ve worked hard to build over the years.

I think this “shock” response happens because the entire weight loss industry has conditioned people to think in extremes—especially when it comes to carbohydrates.

You’ve got one camp that says “carbs are life” and brags about crushing 500g per day while staying lean…

And then there’s the keto camp that says “carbs are the devil” and you should eliminate every gram of carbohydrate, sugar, and joy from your life forever 😂

Honestly? I shake my head anytime I hear people preaching from either side of the carbohydrate gospel.

Because like many things in life, the truth lives in the nuance—the space in between.

So in today’s Tuesday Deep Dive edition of The Practical Health Journal, I’m setting the record straight.

What you’ll find below are the simple, practical carbohydrate principles I’ve learned through my own journey—and through coaching hundreds of clients over the last 10+ years (including many who’ve reversed Type 2 Diabetes in the process).

Let’s dive in 👇

🧠 Carbs Are Not Inherently Good or Bad

What if carbohydrates weren’t inherently good or bad?

Because that’s actually the case.

Even refined sugar 😱 is not “bad” by default—it all depends on the person and the context.

Here’s what most people don’t know:

• Carbohydrates are the brain’s preferred fuel.

• They’re also the body’s go-to energy source for high-intensity activity like sprinting, heavy lifting, and high-effort sports.

• That’s because carbs can be used very quickly—which matters a lot when you need fast energy.

Now, do we need carbs to survive? No.

That’s why you’ll see people promoting keto and carnivore diets as the “optimal” solution. But are those approaches sustainable long-term—or even superior for health?

Nope. The research doesn’t support that.

So if carbs aren’t good or bad… where does that leave us?

Right in the middle—with nuance. And that’s where real progress lives.

🪣 The Bucket Analogy: How Our Clients Eat Carbs + Reverse Diabetes at the Same Time

The first core concept to understand is what I call Carbohydrate Capacity—and I teach it using something called The Bucket Analogy.

I teach the concept in great detail in this video...

But here’s the short version:

Think of your body’s ability to store carbs (in your muscles and liver) as a bucket.

When you eat carbs, they’re stored in this bucket as glycogen.

And when you move, lift, or do anything physically demanding, you drain the bucket—making space for more.

But here’s the problem…

Most people are filling the bucket faster than they’re emptying it.

They’re eating more carbs than their activity level can handle, which means once the storage (aka the bucket) is full, there’s nowhere for the excess to go…

So the body converts it to fat and stores it in fat cells and the liver—often resulting in weight gain and fatty liver.

The fix?

Start living within your carbohydrate capacity—which means eating enough carbs to fuel your current activity levels, but not more.

This one shift alone can:
✅ Normalize blood sugar
✅ Lower cholesterol and triglycerides
✅ Reverse fatty liver
✅ Kickstart steady, sustainable fat loss

I know, because we do it all the time with clients just like Pam here, who completely reversed her type 2 diabetes and got low key shredded in her 60's...post menopause 🤯

Now here's HOW we do it...

⚖️ The Activity Aligned Eating Method

With our Healthy & Whole clients, we use what I call The Activity-Aligned Eating Method.

That’s just a professional way of saying:
👉 Let’s match your carb intake to your activity level, so you stay healthy without obsessing over it.

Here’s how we break it down (1 serving = ~200 calories or ≤50g carbs):

• 🚶 6K or less steps/day & no strength training
  1–2 servings of carbohydrate per day (or 50–100g carbs total)

• 🏃 8–10K steps/day & 2–3 strength workouts/week
  2–3 servings of carbohydrate per day (100–150g carbs total)

• 💪 12K+ steps/day & 4+ intense workouts/week
  3–4 servings of carbohydrate per day (150–200g carbs total)

Our goal with clients is to get them to 8-10k steps a day and 3 strength training workouts a week so they can tolerate a nice healthy amount of carbohydrate each day and reap all of the benefits of that daily activity and exercise for long term health.

Sure, while you CAN be successful in correcting blood sugars and losing weight at 6k or less steps and no strength training if you restrict calories and carbohydrate intake enough, it’s not ideal for long term sustainability, health, or the quality of the end results.

When our clients follow this method, they don’t just lose fat—they reverse high blood sugar, improve other blood markers like cholesterol and trigycerides, and build a sustainable lifestyle in the process.

Speaking of making it sustainable...let's talk about that next.

🥪 The Carbohydrate-Preserving Substitutions Method

Now that you know how to balance carbs with activity, let’s talk about how to make it feel easy and enjoyable.

Enter: The Carbohydrate-Preserving Substitutions Method.

This strategy lets our clients eat food that feels high-carb—like bread, pasta, and desserts—without blowing their carb budget.

How?

By replacing traditional high-carb staples with low-carb, high-protein alternatives.

Example:
Instead of regular bread, one of our favorites is Lewis Keto Hawaiian Bread—over 60% protein and 0 net carbs per slice.

By swapping 80% of their old daily staples with alternatives like this, our clients preserve their daily carb budget for meals and treats they really love.

So instead of feeling like they’ve restricted carbs, they still feel like they eat plenty—just smarter.

This is why so many of our clients feel that for the first time in their lives...it actually feels sustainable.  

Ok look, I know this edition is dense, so let me bring all this together for you to make it SUPER actionable.

✅ Putting It All Together (Your Action Plan)

For most everyday working folks who aren’t professional athletes, here’s how to apply this:

1️⃣ Stop labeling carbs as bad.
Start seeing them as useful fuel for the brain, for high-effort movement, and for a healthy, vibrant life.

2️⃣ Match your carbs to your movement.

• 🚶 6K or less steps/day & no strength training
  1–2 servings of carbohydrate per day (or 50–100g carbs total)

• 🏃 8–10K steps/day & 2–3 strength workouts/week
  2–3 servings of carbohydrate per day (100–150g carbs total)

• 💪 12K+ steps/day & 4+ intense workouts/week
  3–4 servings of carbohydrate per day (150–200g carbs total)

3️⃣ Substitute smart.
Find low-carb replacements for your favorite daily staples:

• Bread → zero carb bread

• Tortillas → low-carb wraps

• Ice cream → protein ice cream (like the recipe we shared here)

• Sodas → zero sugar sodas like Pepsi Zero or Zevia

• Chips → high-protein chips

• Candy → protein bars & pastries

These changes may take a few weeks to fully implement, but they’re how our clients lose weight, reverse Type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and feel in control again.

When you're ready, here's how I can help:

If you're looking to lose weight sustainably while building a flexible lifestyle that you enjoy, I can help.   Apply for coaching here in the Healthy & Whole Mentorship Program.  

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.