JJ Virgin4x NYTimes Best Selling Author, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Hall of Famer

What Are The Best Carbs to Eat?

30 Jun 2025 · 3 min

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2:32

In this video JJ Virgin explains that carbohydrates are not inherently harmful and outlines the specific plant‑based carb sources that best support muscle mass, heart health, and longevity. She first highlights nitrate‑rich vegetables (spinach, arugula, celery, beets, radishes, turnips) that boost nitric‑oxide production for vascular health. Next, she recommends leafy greens (kale, spinach, chard, beet greens) for polyphenols that aid DNA methylation. She then stresses daily consumption of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) for sulforaphane‑driven NRF2 activation, a longevity pathway. Starchy carbs with resistant starch—legumes, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, barely ripe bananas, cooled potatoes, and cooled rice—are presented as butyrate precursors that enhance fat‑burning. Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) are advised for anthocyanins that lower oxidative stress. Ultra‑processed carb sources (fruit juice, dried fruit, refined flour) are discouraged because they promote inflammation, impair muscle protein synthesis, increase hunger, and cause insulin resistance. Finally, she emphasizes eating a wide variety of plant foods—about 30 different species per week, herbs included—to maximize polyphenol and fiber diversity and support gut microbiome health, citing the American Gut Project. The overall message is to choose whole, minimally processed carbohydrate foods that provide specific bioactive compounds for optimal metabolic and longevity outcomes.

Chapters

Now that we know that carbs aren't the bad guys, let's talk about which ones are the best ones to be eating and which are the ones that could really support muscle mass and longevity. And the first thing I want to give a shout out to are nitrate-rich foods because your body converts these nitrates into nitrite and then into nitric oxide. And nitric oxide is super good for your heart health. It helps support blood flow. So nitrate-rich foods are spinach, arugula or rocket salad, celery, beets, radishes, and turnips. Speaking of leafy greens, kale, spinach, chard, chard, beet greens are also awesome because they're rich in polyphenols that support DNA methylation. And then other thing I want you to focus on are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts. And every single day, by the way, eat at least one of those 'cause of the sulforaphane That activates NRF2. It's a longevity pathway. The other thing I want you to focus on are starchy carbs. Starchy carbs have resistant starch. So things like legumes, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, barely ripe bananas, and cooled potatoes, cooled rice have resistant starch. Name this because it resists digestion and helps raise butyrate, and butyrate helps support fat burning. Other one I want you to do, I know this is gonna be hard, but eat some berries. I eat berries every day. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. About a cup or two every day. They have anthocyanins that help reduce oxidative stress. You will notice though that I didn't say, hey, have some fruit juice, have some dried fruit, have some flour. I'm really getting to as close to nature as possible here when we talk about eating carbohydrates and moving away from the ultra-processed foods. First of all, we know that these ultra-processed foods can be pro-inflammatory. They can lower muscle protein synthesis because inflammation kind of blocks muscle protein synthesis. But the other, um, thing here is they can drive more hunger and they have a lower effect of food. They can also cause insulin resistance, which of course, that also impairs muscle protein synthesis and accelerates aging. The other thing to notice here is that I had a big variety of different types of plants and colors of plants because I want you to get a lot of different polyphenols, a lot of different fibers. So you'll get really good gut microbiome diversity. There was a project, it's called the American Gut Project, where they found that optimally eating about 30 different types of plants— herbs count, by the way, thankfully— a week is what you really want do for the best gut microbiome diversity.