RND Bern Atencio-Medina

Today’s Weya’s carb of choice: Langka! 😁

For lunch, baon ni Weya ay:

✨ Bacon
✨ Scrambled eggs
✨ Langka 😋

Breakfast niya ay halos pareho rin, pero walang langka.

At oo, may fruit siya today. 😊

Pero gusto ko ring sabihin ito:

Hindi kailangan may fruit araw-araw.

At hindi rin dahil fruit ang source of carbs niya ngayon, ibig sabihin pwede na itong unlimited.

Sa bahay namin, tinitingnan pa rin namin ang fruit bilang source of carbohydrates. Kaya gaya ng ibang carb-rich foods, may portion pa rin.

Kaya imbes na gawing snack ang fruit alone, ginagawa namin itong kasama lang ng protein-rich foods gaya ng bacon at eggs.

Isa rin itong paraan para hindi puro carbs lang ang kinakain at para mas nakakabusog ang meal.

At para malinaw lang, hindi namin tinitingnan ang pagkain bilang “good” o “bad.”

Ang tinuturo lang namin kay Weya ay may iba’t ibang foods na may iba’t ibang epekto sa katawan, at bawat tao ay iba iba ang natotolerate at hindi.

Ito rin ang isa sa mga reasons bakit kami nag iintroduce unti unti ng iba't ibang carbs para malaman din namin ano ang triggers nya 😊

Kaya today, langka ang napili niyang carb.😄

Kayo, ano ang prutas na natotolerate ng mga bagets ninyo? 👇❤️

Let’s settle this.

Sa mga naguguluhan pa rin kung kailangan ba talagang kumain ng carbs ng mga tao — eto po ang sagot based on physiology and established nutrition references.

👉 Walang established na essential carbohydrate requirement ang human body.

Ibig sabihin:
Walang minimum na “kailangang kainin” na carbs para mabuhay ang tao.

Bakit?

Dahil ang katawan natin kayang gumawa ng glucose on its own through gluconeogenesis — gamit ang protein at fat — para sa mga tissues na kailangan pa rin ng glucose (like red blood cells).

At habang nasa low-carb state, we also produce ketones as an alternative fuel source, especially for the brain.

⚠️ Important nuance (para malinaw):
May recommended intake (like ~130g/day RDA for brain glucose needs), pero recommendation ≠ essential requirement.
Ibig sabihin, hindi ito “kailangan mula sa pagkain” in the same way as essential amino acids or essential fatty acids.

📌 Kaya ulitin natin:

✔ Carbohydrates = NOT essential nutrient
✔ Body can survive and function without dietary carbs (given adequate protein + fat intake)
✔ Glucose demand ≠ carbohydrate requirement from food

⸻

SOURCES / REFERENCES:

Official Reports & Guidelines
1. Institute of Medicine (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids.
* Quote: "The lower limit of dietary carbohydrate compatible with life apparently is zero, provided that adequate amounts of protein and fat are consumed."
* (Chapter on Carbohydrate, National Academies Press).
2. FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation on Protein and Amino Acids in Human Nutrition (2007).
• Quote: "There is no evidence of a minimal requirement for dietary carbohydrate, provided that adequate amounts of protein and fat are consumed."

Textbooks & Reviews
3. Gropper SS, Smith JL. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th ed. Cengage Learning; 2017.
• Notes that glucose can be synthesized from amino acids and glycerol through gluconeogenesis, meaning carbohydrates are not essential.
4. Feinman RD, Fine EJ. "None of the Macronutrients Are Indispensable: Redefining Essentiality." Nutrition & Metabolism. 2007;4:23.
• Discusses how carbohydrate is not essential because the body can produce all required glucose from protein and fat.
5. Guyton & Hall - Textbook of Medical Physiology (14th ed.)
"If carbohydrates are not available in the diet, fats and proteins can supply all the energy needs of the body through gluconeogenesis and ketone body production." Carbohydrates therefore are not essential macronutrients.

Biochemical Basis
6. Volek JS, Phinney SD. The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC; 2011.
• Explains that humans can thrive on very low-carb diets because ketones and gluconeogenesis supply necessary fuel for the brain and red blood cells.

📌 Share this para hindi na umiikot ang misinformation tungkol sa “essential carbs.” At i-save mo na rin ito para next time na tanungin ka “bakit hindi ka nagca-carbs?”, may references ka na. 😊

Lord, when people show me who they really are, help me believe them.

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Ready to start your devotional journey? You can purchase your copy through this link: https://s.shopee.ph/9zrfqP1kpc

JUNE 22, 2026

WHAT I ATE IN A DAY AS A MEAT-BASED PREGNANT DIETITIAN 🤰🥩🫶

Glad na wala pa din tayong carb intake today. Mas insulin resistant na kasi tayo sa stage na ito ng pregnancy kaya mas disiplinado na dapat. 💪

Tsaka honestly wala din akong cravings lately. Para bang naumay ako sa mga kinain ko nung nakaraan 😄

Sana bukas uli 🙏

Papasok na ang 3rd week! 😄

Kumusta na, mommies and daddies? Nakaka-survive pa ba tayo sa pag-iisip at pagpe-prepare ng food ng mga bagets? 😅

Ito ang baon ni Weya today:

🍰 Snack: Burnt Basque Cheesecake Cupcake
🍳🥩 Lunch: Egg + Stir-Fried Pork + Konting Rice (2 spoons lang, flinat ko lang para mukhang marami 😆)

Breakfast niya is halos same din sa lunch, minus the rice. 😊

At yes, yung stir-fried pork ay leftover lang mula kahapon. Hindi naman kailangang laging bagong luto o complicated ang food para maging masustansya.

And yes, mommies and daddies, pwede naman may konting carbs pa rin. Ang goal natin is hindi perfection, kundi mas maraming nutrient-dense foods at mas maraming protein from animal foods sa plato ng mga bata. ❤️

Minsan ang pinakamalaking pagbabago ay hindi yung pagtanggal ng lahat, kundi yung pagdagdag ng mas maraming tunay na pagkain.

Simple. Practical. Sustainable. 🤗

Put on the lens of love and see how different you will view the people around you.

————

Ready to start your devotional journey? You can purchase your copy through this link: https://s.shopee.ph/9zrfqP1kpc

JUNE 21, 2026

WHAT I ATE IN A DAY AS A MEAT-BASED PREGNANT DIETITIAN 🤰🥩🫶

Father’s day ngayon pero steak and keto burnt basque cheesecake naman ang handa kaya marked safe tayo 😊