2 STUPID questions.. sorry: Whats wrong with white rice & Carbs?

I missed the memo
I hate Fads so I ignore then..

But lately all I hear is LOW CARB LOW CARB
I freaked out when I saw an add for a smart ones meal that said 'Only 13 grams of carbs' what happened to 'Only 5 grams of fat?'

I totally missed this boat. So someone tell me.. what so bad about Carbs.. what do they do (as sugars) that are so harmful? What is it that is so unhealthy that people are willing to completely exclude them from their diets as much as possible?

or and what is wrong with White rice?

Just curious. I know.. i sound like a idiot, guess I have been living under a rock.

Some carbohydrates (sugars) are better for you than others. The glycemic index ranks foods on how they affect our blood glucose levels. This index measures how much your blood glucose increases in the two or three hours after eating.

The higher the index, the quicker you need to burn it off, or it will be stored as fat. If you are sitting on your butt at work, you are not burning it off.

White rice has a high Glycemic Index. More so then, lets say, whole grain rice. White enriched flour also is extremely high, but stone ground whole wheat is lower.

Low GI foods are more Complex carbs, and High GI foods are more in the simple sugars range of carbohydrates.

If you eat high GI foods minimally, and eat protein, good fats and fiber along with them, your total Gglycemic index of that meal will be lower than if you ate rice by itself.

Does this make any sence?

When you think about it...humans have only been eating these processed carbs for 10000 years...out of the 40-100K we've been around...


our bodies haven't really evolved to process these foods...


bu the ones that fit into the 'twigs and berries' category are OK



I wish I could practice it though...

Ignore all this low-carb stuff, X, it'll kill you. Especially after reading the post about your dad being heavy, I'm assuming (correct me if I'm wrong) that there is a history of heart disease in your family? From Day 1, even Atkins acknowledged that his diet was not good for people with heart problems and heart disease in the family. As I've said to more than one post, when your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn, it burns protein. During the breakdown process, there is a chemical produced which in large doses can cause heart issues.

The above post about good carbs vs. bad is absolutely true. Keep eating all that rice you love, but switch to brown if you're really concerned about it. I'm contemplating the switch to whole-grain pasta, myself, and I've already switched to brown rice.

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Posted by PrincessRose

Ignore all this low-carb stuff, X, it'll kill you. Especially after reading the post about your dad being heavy, I'm assuming (correct me if I'm wrong) that there is a history of heart disease in your family? From Day 1, even Atkins acknowledged that his diet was not good for people with heart problems and heart disease in the family. As I've said to more than one post, when your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn, it burns protein. During the breakdown process, there is a chemical produced which in large doses can cause heart issues.

The above post about good carbs vs. bad is absolutely true. Keep eating all that rice you love, but switch to brown if you're really concerned about it. I'm contemplating the switch to whole-grain pasta, myself, and I've already switched to brown rice.

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Dad hasnt yet had a heart issue but I always worry.

On his side:
Every male has died of heart related issues or died on dialsys machines.. (sp)

I wanted to know because this low carb thing seems insane.. I live by the idea of 'moderatin' and low calories.. you can eat anything you want as long as it's in moderation. You can't eat a whole pizza and be healthy but you can have a slice and not die. These fads all seem so extreme.

Have healthy foods, fruits, veggies, less sodas, less fried items, work out a little walk those stairs, walk quicker to your destination, it's all moderation.

JMHO

JMHO

I'm with you Veronica!
My mother is a nurse and has been warning us about Atkins since he showed up years ago.
My father is on a LOW card diet and he lost 80 lbs and has kept it off for 3 years....but it allows some carbs....just not at every meal.
Moderation and exercise are the safest ways to stay healthy as far as i'm concerned. cutting something totally from your diet is unhealthy - especially if it happens to appear on the food pyramid (or whatever shape that thing is these days)

A little story that scared me away from Atkins....a few years back my friend's father was on Atkins and lost a bunch of weight.....then hedecided to get off of it - and his body continued to lose weight.....while that might seen like a good thing - he couldn't stand to lose any more weight....it was like a Stephen King story (Thinner). His body was so used to the diet that it continued to process foods the same way......
He has since gained all of the weight back, so it wasn't a long term thing - but i scared the hell out of me!

Diet alone will not change your health. Exercise along with a good diet of natural whole grains, vegetables and protein is the best thing.

Also, adding exersice to you daily schedule will allow you to eat carbs without worry.

It is a good choise to substute enriched bleached flour foods, like white bread, with whole wheat breads, for instance.

And just eat one serving of a starch, protein and vegetable. People are eating way too many servings during one meal!

Do you eat sugery drinks, like snapple, and soda?

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Posted by yabbobay

When you think about it...humans have only been eating these processed carbs for 10000 years...out of the 40-100K we've been around...

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I agree! And lately we are consuming so much more processed high glycemic sugars now. Much more than we did 20 years ago.

That's why diabetes is such a big problem today.

There is a link to weight gain, with eating too many of these simple sugars, so it is important to eat few (if any) of them per day. Stick with whole grains. Rice is fine, just try less servings per day.

Sorry! I am very interested in diet, nutrition and exercise, so I tend to ramble on and on...

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Posted by Snowboardgirl

Diet alone will not change your health. Exercise along with a good diet of natural whole grains, vegetables and protein is the best thing.

Also, adding exersice to you daily schedule will allow you to eat carbs without worry.

It is a good choise to substute enriched bleached flour foods, like white bread, with whole wheat breads, for instance.

And just eat one serving of a starch, protein and vegetable. People are eating way too many servings during one meal!

Do you eat sugery drinks, like snapple, and soda?

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My point is.. drastic changes such as no carb are extremes.

I grew up with a wacky freak mother. My only snacks were apples and yogurt (PLAIN YOUGURT) For treats I ate oranges that were ice cold. I didn't have a chocolate bar till i was 11.

It's habits.. I have healthy habits. I can't remember when I last had candy of any type. I can probably name the last time I had a bag of chips. Almost all of the food I eat is made fresh at home, with exception of some canned veggies. I don't eat a lot, I eat what others would consider small portions and I eat a variety of foods (veggies, meats, starch) one meal.

Work out? For now I have PT twice a week which is MORE that enough. Normal tho, I keep active. I don't sit at home on weekends. Im up early and out the door. My feet hurt by the time I get home.

I have IBS as well, but starch is ok for me. It's fatty foods I have to avoid. That means cheese, milk, pork, ham, fried and other high fatty items. I can eat them but only in smaller portions.

So it's moderation that I find key. I just really don't understand these fad diets. Even if you lose weight, Aktins plateaus, you have to maintain these habits. Starving your brain of carbs and your body of essential stuff. Fine, take a pill to compensate but at what cost? No matter what the diet fad, your health is important and upkeeping a healthy diet isn't an over night or over a month change.. It's a slow and gradual change of life that stays with you forever, not just until you fit into a that bathing suit.

I used to be addicted to Dr. Pepper. haha it's true. I went through withdrawal after my kidney infection that was nearly a kidney failure. It was horrible. Now I see friends and coworkers show similar reactions when cutting off carbs.... the headaches and tiredness.

This is supposed to make us happy? I find it all sad.

JMHO

I wish we had an area here for healthy suggestions such as chicken Veronique (no I didn't name it) but it's made with grapes, lemon and white wine with chicken. Low in fat and god awful delicious! Enough with fads... what about life changes for healthier lives?

I think the best thing to get yourself in shape is:

1) get your butt moving (which I have a hard time doing, I am so tired all the time!)

2) cut the sh*t. By this I mean, less junk food, fast food, ect.

I notice that even if I dont decrease the amount I eat, if I eat 'real food' like stuff I cook at home and skip the trips to McDonalds, ect, I drop weight.

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Posted by Imagin916

I think the best thing to get yourself in shape is:

1) get your butt moving (which I have a hard time doing, I am so tired all the time!)

2) cut the sh*t. By this I mean, less junk food, fast food, ect.

I notice that even if I dont decrease the amount I eat, if I eat 'real food' like stuff I cook at home and skip the trips to McDonalds, ect, I drop weight.

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Thanks.
I don't like most fast foods (I know Im an odd ball)
I can't eat more than a hershey's kiss worth of pure milk chocolate without pain so I just dont (yep.. im WAY werid)
I can't have high fat content foods (pork, cheese, milk, bacon!!) without causing extreme tummy pains
I can't get that 'full' feeling or else I can have really bad tummy pains from that too.
I actually like to snack on veggie and fruits (got dried unsweetened cranberries right here)

So I find it hard to force myself to change my diet. It's pretty solid as it is now. I get lots of veggie and fruits. I like to chow down on granola at least twice a week as a treat with plain yogurt and strawberries. I do eat red meat and I really see nothing wrong with that.

Only so-called bad thing is.. I eat pasta or rice every day at some point. And in the world of anit carb.. I am a SINNER!!! but it's not like Im eating a cup of rice or a huge serving of pasta. *shrug*

AS far as working out.. see my other updated post.. I am one girl who doesn't mind a work out.

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Posted by groovypeg

i have been told by my doctor to give up eating starchy foods such as corn, potatoes, white flour breads and pastas. i have irritable bowel syndrome and she believes that alot of my troubles stem from carbs and starches. i have been on the south beach diet for over a month and it really works.i dont have the bloated feelings anymore and i have lost weight. yesterday i had potatoes and pasta for the first time and today i feel so bloated and sick. so i will definetly be staying away from those types of food as best as i can.

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I also have IBS and I find that eating the foods that you avoid (potatoes, pasta, white flour breads, rice...) HELP my IBS because they contain soluble fiber. It is the insoluble fiber that kills me. Also fats and oils and dairy products. There is no way I would survive on the South Beach diet.

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Posted by julz33

I also have IBS and I find that eating the foods that you avoid (potatoes, pasta, white flour breads, rice...) HELP my IBS because they contain soluble fiber. It is the insoluble fiber that kills me. Also fats and oils and dairy products. There is no way I would survive on the South Beach diet.

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ditto that.
I have IBS as well. But there are two types.
I am the one that can't have fatty foods (which includes dairy products) and I can have all the pasta and red meat I want.

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Posted by julz33

I also have IBS and I find that eating the foods that you avoid (potatoes, pasta, white flour breads, rice...) HELP my IBS because they contain soluble fiber. It is the insoluble fiber that kills me. Also fats and oils and dairy products. There is no way I would survive on the South Beach diet.

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I thought soluble fibers were found in beans, corn, oats, barley, peas, Brussels sprouts, lentils, carrots, cabbage, okra, apricots, prunes, dates, blackberries, cranberries, and insoluble fibers were found in brans, whole grains, cereals, edible skins of fruits and vegetables, celery, brown rice, and some vegetables.

I guess IBS affects each person differently. My doctor has said that I need to stay away from starch-y foods. Have you ever been on any medication for IBS? My dr. prescribed for me Levsin (sp?) but I have not taken it yet.

I have so many friends with IBS and it is true that everyone is different. A diet that is good for one person may not be for another. I actually just got these 2 books- they are amazing! 'The First Year IBS' and 'Eating for IBS' both by Heather Van Vorous. This is where I got the info about soluble vs. insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber (rice, pasta, oatmeal, barley, white flour breads, bananas, potatoes) dissolves in water and forms a gel in the colon, preventing both constipation and diarhea. I have had IBS for 5 years now and eating this way for only 2 weeks but it seems to be working so far. Before this nothing seemed to work- research online, Dr. advice, medication. In fact this book goes against what my dr. told me to eat. She said fiber, and then said like whole wheat, whole grain, nuts, seeds, etc, which is insoluble fiber. The diet in the book requires you to still eat insoluble fiber but only after eating soluble fiber. I am probably really confusing right now but I really recommend this book.
As for medication I have been on anti-spasmodics and they really don't help me at all. Levsin is one of these. So far changing my diet has worked much better.

As for the South Beach diet - don't you have to eat a lot of cheese? I am also lactose intolerant.

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Posted by jenny2penny

portion, portion, PORTION!!!!

they don't have much nutritional value, white floor probucts don't.

I do eat them, cause I love them, but moderation and on days I will burn them off through heavy teaching/aerobics.

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Yep, which is why I push moderation as a diet change not exclusion of foods.