A Little Nutritional Anecdote

[Deleted]

It isn't new though, is it? I mean it's true but nothing new at all.Personally I have this problem, I've never really had a meal without bread/pasta/rice, only when it's something with potatoes but you can't eat those all the time. An honestly I really can't imagine not having a side of something "solid/dry" to even out the meat, sauce etc.

I replaced Mash potato with Broccoli or a Cauliflower mash. Does take some getting used to but after a while carbs don't become a "must have" portion of your meal.

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/16575988...iflower-mashed

[Grimbold21]

You sure aren't! You've just been told countless times that fruit is really great for you and bought into it, so much so, that you'll preach the virtues of it without knowing anything about it.

Oooor maybe i like eating fruit and it's a great source of energy for when you're about to exercise

[Deleted]

Why do you people fuss so much over food? I just eat what I like and never get fat, just stop eating like a pig and you'll be fine.

[Azshira]

Firstly this really does belong to the Sports and Fitness section in my opinion. However, I do like the topic, I will want to take a look off the book myself so I'll try buy it soon I like adding things to my reading list when I can. I'm a personal trainer, and I love learning new things and as part of my job I learn new things all the time. I'd like to offer my 2 cents.

Refined carbs are a main source of gaining weight, it really comes down to the Glycemic Index (GI) often in food choices, many refined carbs are high up on the list, the higher on the GI the faster the carbs work their way into your blood in which you will experience bursts of energy and shortly after tiredness, all thanks to our great friend Insulin. Eating food generally found in the lower or medium GI bracket will give you sustained energy and will prevent such crashes. One poster has already commented on hyperglycemia and their experiences with crashes, what this poster most likely is doing is eating plenty of refined carbs. In my opinion it's not best to avoid them completely or even say all carbs are bad, this is totally false. The timing you take them is the crucial factor and the quantity.

Grimbold21 I'm taking you as an example here with your fruit. Fruit is good for you, you are correct and it is nice to take some daily as long as not too much. Fructose is in a 'different' category of sugars and to be honest too much of anything is bad for you, so it's best to have some but not too many. Banana's are a prime culprit however, and should be kept to a minimum on a weekly basis. Banana's are high GI and they have their place; they should be used during a period of intense physical effort to prolong your energy, they are fine to be used then, however once or twice a week I'd say is best as I've learned. Banana's are NOT to be eaten at any other time because all you're doing is spiking your blood levels, it is much better to take an apple.

On the subject of Juice, I recommend to avoid juice bought in supermarkets. Juice from packets is mixed with lots of sugars to preserve it, unless you grow your own stuff, be careful. Rice/Pasta is best to be ate as a dinner only and after exercise preferably and watch the portion. In terms of general food, I believe in America most of the food from the major manufacturers is full of corn, because it is cheap, this doesn't do you much good either does it. Read the labels to help you make good choices on what you're eating.

I can give you a diet that focuses completely on high protein and high fat (strict diet of certain foods) and make you drop several pounds in 2 weeks. But it is not something that should ever last more than a short period. So where does that leave us? Good proteins (meats!), low/med GI foods: green veg, as a prime example and healthy dose of fats. Your ancestors did not have access to many foods you see nowadays, and certainly there were no epidemics of worldwide obesity. Think of it.

Think of carbs like this: Do not avoid them completely, they are our main source of energy. Be smart, think good choices and earn your right to eat carbs.

Think on that line, it will do you a lot of service.

---------- Post added 2012-10-07 at 05:05 PM ----------

Why do you people fuss so much over food? I just eat what I like and never get fat, just stop eating like a pig and you'll be fine.

It does not work that way and never will unfortunately.

[belfpala]

My only problem is making good sauces without flour. Cream is alright since it emulsifies as it gets hot, but it isn't the same. :|

I really wouldn't worry about the tablespoon or so of flour it takes to make a roux...

But, if it really matters to you, whisk some butter in at the end of making the sauce. Or try cornstarch (make a slurry with a little water, and add).

Or, depending on the kind of sauce, egg yolk, tomato paste, mustard, and even garlic can act as emulsifiers.

[Elegiac]

I really wouldn't worry about the tablespoon or so of flour it takes to make a roux...

But, if it really matters to you, whisk some butter in at the end of making the sauce. Or try cornstarch (make a slurry with a little water, and add).

Or, depending on the kind of sauce, egg yolk, tomato paste, mustard, and even garlic can act as emulsifiers.

Espagnole and Veloute have their flavours ruined by the latter. I might just add roux into my carb allowance. :P

[belfpala]

Espagnole and Veloute have their flavours ruined by the latter. I might just add roux into my carb allowance. :P

Yeah. That's what I would do.

[Elegiac]

Yeah. That's what I would do.

My firm belief; anything can be improved with a good sauce.

[belfpala]

My firm belief; anything can be improved with a good sauce.

If you're cooking meat in a pan, I feel it's a complete waste of the good brown bits on the bottom if you don't make a sauce...

Or if you end up with drippings from roasting...

Or...

Yeah. Sauce. Sauce is good.

[Elegiac]

If you're cooking meat in a pan, I feel it's a complete waste of the good brown bits on the bottom if you don't make a sauce...

Or if you end up with drippings from roasting...

Or...

Yeah. Sauce. Sauce is good.

Is it bad that I add cream, butter, and pepper to bacon drippings to make a sauce for the bacon? :|

[belfpala]

Is it bad that I add cream, butter, and pepper to bacon drippings to make a sauce for the bacon? :|

I've... never tried that. I do save the rendered bacon fat to cook other things in, though.

Something to go do right now!

(Although, that's not much different from biscuits and gravy, sans biscuits: pan fry some sausage, then make basically a bechemel with the rendered sausage fat).

[Elegiac]

I've... never tried that. I do save the rendered bacon fat to cook other things in, though.

Something to go do right now!

(Although, that's not much different from biscuits and gravy, sans biscuits: pan fry some sausage, then make basically a bechemel with the rendered sausage fat).

Biscuits and gravy. FEH!

Try making Sauce Espagnole for your Turkey this Thanksgiving. Your tastebuds will thank you that the French invented decent cooking.

[belfpala]

Biscuits and gravy. FEH!

Try making Sauce Espagnole for your Turkey this Thanksgiving. Your tastebuds will thank you that the French invented decent cooking.

I'm trained in French techniques, thank you.

My favorite cuisines are Mexican and Thai, though.

[Elegiac]

I don't know but it seems stupid to me to stop eating bread and fruit.

As far as I know dark bread and fruits are among the healthiest things around.

As said, fruit is full of sugar, and bread is full of refined carbohydrates.

[belfpala]

As said, fruit is full of sugar, and bread is full of refined carbohydrates.

I just can't give up either. I like fruit too much. And bread is the best part of certain meals (a bowl of mussels in a wine, butter, and herb broth... dunk the bread... heaven).

I do use moderation, though. Mostly I eat meat, beans, and vegetables.

[Deleted]

Thanks OP, I just bought the book on amazon.
Though I'm not a qualified nutritionist, I am 22 and very interested in food, what is in food and how it affects the body.
However I have no need to lose weight as I am 182cm and 66kg and I can see my abdominal muscles, but I do like to add to my repertoire of nutritional information.

[Kasierith]

Human metabolism is extremely complex and can be varied by a number of factors. In this situation, the lack of carbohydrates is believed to stimulate the body to burn through adipose tissue more quickly to make up for the energy loss, sort of like a controlled starvation method. Just because lack of carbs can cause weight loss does not mean that too much carbs is the cause for weight gain; its just how the complex feedback systems work in the body. There are also other ways to lose weight; if his theory was correct, than statins would not work. Theory is nice and all, but application shows the true importance of medical science.

The formation of "modern carbs" is also a ridiculous concept. The source of the carbohydrates does not matter when compared to the carbohydrates themselves; they are independent. And if you want to disagree with me on this, well... nature has multiple methods to get the same substances into your body, does it not? Or is vitamin A from butter different from vitamin A from green veggies?

One warning to people who take this to an extreme: watch your blood pH. Acidosis can be pretty common for those who overuse this diet.

[Envisionist]

It is pointless to argue with the fact that fruit is sugar-packed, and bread is refined carbohydrates. Of course in moderation it is okay, but your weight can significantly improve just by cutting out sugars and carbs especially. I still believe that calories is the #1 issue when it comes to weight loss, but for extra effect, cutting out carbs and sugars is great.

[vizzle]

The only thing I can imagine without rice/bread/pasta is an omelette... and even then, I usually eat that with toast bread. I guess I'll be omeletting from now on.

[FathomFear]

So recently I read a -very- interesting book entitled We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes. His theory about weight gain is that caloric surplus is not the correct reason for gaining weight; the problem is that the modern diet includes a surplus of refined carbohydrates, hence the obesity epidemic in America. According to Taubes, losing weight is as simple as a few nutritional modifications in the form of limiting the intake of sugar, cereals, and fruit. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm comfortable with my weight - but almost everyone has a few pounds they would like to shed. In the vein of empiricism and the Mount Everest mentality, I decided to follow his advice.

So I started cutting out his no-no foods for the most part. I stopped drinking juice or eating fruit related products, switched from milk to cream, stopped buying light butter, stopped eating bread, and portion controlled my amount of rice, pasta, and potatoes. In turn, I increased the amount of red meat and green vegetables I eat, and have started supplementing my diet with things like protein shakes.

Two weeks later, with no exercise to speak of, I have dropped six pounds and am feeling fantastic. Perhaps Atkins was right - either that or it's the world's greatest placebo. I highly recommend Taubes' book, if only to expand your repertoire of nutritional information. And for those of you seeking to drop a pound or two, perhaps it is worth a try.

The goal of a diet should be health. It something causes you to lose weight it should not be deemed healthy for that reason only. While it's healthy to be at an acceptable weight, it needs to be done in the right way.

I'm extremely skeptical of any diet that recommends limiting the intake of fruit, considering the overwhelming amount of evidence that shows how healthy fruit is for us. I do agree that cereals/breads/etc are complete trash, though. They're basically empty calories.

If you're interesting in reading about a variation of the approach you recommended--where fruits/veggies are encouraged in unlimited quantities with breads/cereals/etc are discouraged due to low nutrient density, I'd recommend "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman (http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/ETLBook.aspx). "The China Study" is also excellent: http://www.thechinastudy.com/

---------- Post added 2012-10-07 at 02:06 PM ----------

The only thing I can imagine without rice/bread/pasta is an omelette... and even then, I usually eat that with toast bread. I guess I'll be omeletting from now on.

It's difficult to drop those foods at first. It's basically an addiction. For the last 6-7 years I've limited myself to one serving of breads a week (eg, one slide of toast, a pita for a wrap, etc). Previously I would eat these things 4-5 times a day.

Dropping these foods is a great because 1) they are not nutrient dense, which means you're not missing much by not eating them, and 2) any unneccesary weight you have will melt off.