My idea of the perfect breakfast: Eggs, sauteed spinach, avocado and black coffee with maybe half a piece of toast with olive oil. There are very few carbs here and no sweets of any kind, not even fruit, nothing that will excessively raise blood sugar and insulin levels and then drop them later in the morning leaving you shaky and hungry. Just food that powers me though my day with steady energy, alertness and an even temperament. It keeps my weight at a steady 110.
I believe one of the greatest myths of civilization---besides man made global warming---is that we need a lot of carbs, simple or complex, and starches in our diets. We obsess about eating dietary fat, but keep loading up on carbs, starches and sweets which, of course, are all converted to fat in our bodies! Sugar and carbs of all kinds are addictive, the more we eat, the more we crave.
The conventional food wisdom of eating carbs tobe healthy could be utter hogwash! The less carbs, the healthier we'll be, the more our weight will be our ideal, our energy steady, our hearts healthy and our frame of minds solid. And we'll sleep like we did when we were babies.
Let's talk more about food and weight, food and diabetes, food and heart disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases of civilization this month.
LOOKING FOR NUTRITION IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES
Meanwhile, the photo below is my idea of the most deadly breakfast of all, even as it's couched in the words "weight control" and is flavored with artificial maple syrup----ugh! These carbs still turn to fat in the body and leave us with food cravings for more sweets and carbs just a few hours later. This foolishness clogs our arteries and slowly kills our zest for living. Look at yourself and other people and what they eat and test this theory for yourself. If you're waiting for authority figures and the MSM to tell you this, then you'll likely be waiting for a very long time.
REMEMBER, carbs and sugars are converted to fat, are stored as fat in our bodies, even as we obsess about eating low fat diets. Everything is backwards here.
It's not rocket science really. We kid ourselves if we believe this kind of foolishness. And if you have a doctor who still believes it, fire him and find another, and one that is trim and healthy too.
Healthy, happy New Year! From your Cruella de Vil of Sugar, Starch and Carbs in 2008.
While you're at it, check this out.
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you've been watching your diet! Do you workout as well? If so, I have some great routines if you'd like to trade notes...
Carbs aren't completely evil, they are still a required nutrient for our body...so don't eliminate all of them! You're definitely right about the oatmeal with the added sugar. :-)
We've reduced sucrose a lot in our family, but we don't worry about fructose and lactose much. We've been adding a lot of fiber, too--whole wheat (not enriched bread), more veggies, more fruit, more bran, more beans. 2007 was a good year for us in that department.
Take care, Web!
Tom, thanks for this comment. Am running out the door literally, but want to respond to your food comments more fully later. I am not a big gym goer nor a body nazi, as my old friend Paul Bruun used to say. I pump up and down hills and mountains and do most of it outdoors.
ReplyDeleteLet's go at this more in 2008. All best to you and your family.
Sounds great, Web! I'll be taking a Nutrition class and a resistance class (that should be an easy one) at Columbus State this quarter so I'm hoping to get even more information. I've been trading notes with a nutritionist on some things for my routines and for my family also.
ReplyDeleteHey, exercise is exercise, as long as it's mixed up enough that you're body doesn't get used to it. Matter of fact, the best exercise you can get is using hills--climbing, hiking, etc. I've been sprinting hills lately. I'm starting a 50 day routine (one developed by Ross Enamait) this month that I'm hoping will take me to the next level in 2008. It features lots of variety, i.e., explosive and maximal strength, speed strength, and strength endurance, etc. It also includes conditioning and...rest. Couple of intense work, and a week of rest and restoration.
I can't wait to get started on it!
Could you come and make me breakfast each morning????
ReplyDeletewould love to!
ReplyDeleteI agree totally. Carbs in the form of cereals, grains, pasta, bread, ... don't need 'em. Of course some are worse than others, like white bread and pastries, but for me, I do without.
ReplyDeleteYour breakfast looks great. Personally, I'd replace the toast and eggs with fruits and nuts, and/or maybe some fish.
Everybody is so consumed with 'fat free,' silly. I replaced carbs in my diet with fats in the form of nuts and olive oil, and my total cholesterol dropped from 223 to 150, and i lost 12 lbs. I'm 47 and weigh what I did in high school, 146 lbs. I'm sure being a competitive 5k runner doesn't hurt, I run at least 15 miles a week.
Did you know fast food chains are now selling deep fried cheesecake? Only in America, the home of the obese.
What, no turnip greens for breakfast. You're backsliding.
ReplyDeleteI remember the shock when the Weight Control oatmeal came out - twice the sugar of the store brand oatmeal I eat every day! No thanks Mr. Quaker!
ReplyDeletehg, they don't know anything about turnip greens in Mexico....that's for more mundane venues like the Cracker Barrel. But my favorite early morning CB breakfast is eggs and green beans...the best!
ReplyDelete"Carbs in the form of cereals, grains, pasta, bread, ... don't need 'em."
ReplyDeleteI have to respectfully disagree with that statement. There isn't a nutritionist/dietician worth his or her salt (not trying to make a quick buck off of fad dieting) that would ever agree with that statement either.
The only problem with whole wheat breads, cereals or pasta is a lack of portion control. Most people who do have to worry about the intake of these are already sedentary and/or obese. Plus, they never tend to eat whole wheat in the first place. With portion control and proper activity levels, carbs are used by the body as the preferred and primary energy source.
I understand that you've had personal success with what you're doing. If you choose to do that and you're comfy with it--fine--that's your choice. But you won't catch me eliminating all whole wheat breads, cereals, grains, and pasta from my diet, because I don't think it's a wise thing to do.
Naturally sourced carbs ingested from fruits, veggies, and whole grains are the good guys, not the bad guys.
:-)
well, it's a worthwhile thing to debate this year, Tom and William. I come by my current food principles after years of experimenting. Ultimately I let my body, and energy level, give me feedback as to what works and what doesn't.
ReplyDeleteToday, I find much of any starchy food unnecessary, except in small doses and only occassionally. Find veggies like zucchini, squash and brocolli, French green beans all have ample carbs for my life style. And my greatest source of energy is extra virgin olive oil.
For the next few days I'm working on a book review for Pajamas that I hope you'll find interesting. So I will wait to post more food stuff on this blog till I finish this. But I intend to keep the conversation open on this topic and post much more.
Think there are many, mnay myths on food that really need to be talked about. To be continued.....
You are, of course, right about carbs and sugar. Of course, now I am being told to watch anything with cholesterol, saturated fat, transfat.
ReplyDeleteThere's probably a lot of truth to that, Bob. I don't think you should concentrate on pork chops right now; however, I hope to make the case, and certainly Gary Taubes does in the book I'm reviewing, that there is far to much obsession with dietary fats.
ReplyDeleteBut you probably should not eat fast food hamburgers etc.
You will find the story on Eisenhower interesting, I believe.
Best wishes to you and your recovery, Bob.
Looking forward to your book review, Jane. I just got my books today for the Nutrition and Weight Training classes I'm taking this quarter.
ReplyDeleteI have a sneaking suspicion they'll be more fun to read than the Human Anatomy and Physiology classes I just took...
:-)
Tom,
ReplyDeleteAgreed, one piece of wholegrain bread or a half cup of brown rice a day I'm sure is fine. I find eating sweet grains/baked goods too habit forming and am prone to excess. For me, I have trouble limiting portions so it's easier to just avoid. But, I do really think refined grains, flours, and most baked goods are unnecessary, despite their yumminess. Best for special ocassions only, like that French pastry cafe breakfast in Paris.
What I find about all those sweets and baked goods is that they make me feel tired and sleepy several hours later....my energy is so much more solid and steady when I leave them off, for the most part.
ReplyDeleteWilliam:
ReplyDeleteHey, it looks like we're on the same page after all! :-)
For my reward for going through this new 50 day intense workout routine, I'm going to allow myself one slice of chocolate cheesecake....with a cup of 2% milk instead of skim to wash it down....
....mmmmmmmmmmmmm.....cheeeeeeesecake....
(:-D)