Oddbean

As a biochemist I like the approach of Paul but would add some tubers for more carbs. I would avoid pure carnivore as low carb over a long period leads to physiological insulin resistance and suppresses the thyroid (which is why organs like brain and thyroid NEED to be eaten when going carnivore). Another issue would be too much iron and Neu5Gc when you eat mostly red meat.

Yes, especially because of resistant starch. To put it simple: with constant fat burning mode your body unlearns carbohydrate burning. That's why people after a long low carb diet say they dont feel well on carbs. It's your own fault. There are endless of studies for that effect. If you lived low carb for a longer time you need to add carbs slowly.

Interesting. So your body is always adapting to what is available. How do carbs influence hydration? I think that’s the tricky part for me because I’ve heard insulin spikes affect your electrolyte balance.

Glucose helps transport sodium and potassium molecules into cells. Btw, a common misconception is carbs = insulin (and insulin = bad). Proteins are insulogenic too, often even with a higher insulin response. Whey for example is VERY insulinogenic but still promotes fat loss.

So how do you know how much carbs you should eat? Carbs like fruit don’t seem to have the same satiety signals as fat/protein. And I know about protein causing insulin spikes too. They are smaller spikes but I still find it funny that the reasoning against carbs is based on insulin.

It's not that easy to answer as it comes down to genetics. Africans for example would need more carbs than northern europeans. However, at least 150-200g should be the minimum for everyone. A good start would be a 33:33:33 approach — one third carbs, one third protein, one third fat. From there you can individually test if your body prefers more fat or more carbs. (That is, however, when you dont have insulin resistance which tricks your body in prefering fat.)