Carbs!

[diamondsrock]

This topic is pretty important to me right now. I've been reading a book called the Carbohydrate Addict's diet or something like that. It pretty much describes me to a T!! I crave carbs a lot, sweets, etc. Sometimes I write down what I eat and seriously, it's mostly carbs, and not good ones either.
Also, DH has high triglycerides and has been told to limit his carbs for this reason. I don't want to go as extreme as Atkins - I've seen people on that and it doesn't look healthy or fun for that matter. We actually took a class in triglycerides and it focused mainly on carb reduction, but didn't give too many actual options for the carbs.
Also, I'm curious about the term "carb bloat" - what causes this and is it only from refined carbs, like sugar, white flour, etc. or can you get it from whole grains as well? I notice a huge difference in the size of my stomach from the morning when I wake up (and look relatively lean) until the evening when sometimes I think I look pregnant!

I do generally feel bloated a lot of the time. Any options for low carb snacks or quick breakfasts would be helpful.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Lorelei]

I am trying to limit carbs ( love them!) and I get the same bloated feeling at the end of the day, it drives me crazy, so I am trying to stick to more protein these days.

 

[Po10472]

This is an interesting topic, one close to my heart. I decided 2 years ago to radically change my diet, not just because I needed to lose weight, but because of the constant bloated feeling in my tummy and the sluggishness I felt constantly. So, I did lots of research and I have now modified my eating habits to the extent that its now become a lifestyle change.

Your body needs carbs so you need to determine which types of carbs you are going to cut down/cut out. Carbs which cause bloating, for me anyway, are all types of bread, pasta, some types of rice and couscous, pizza, cakes and floury foods. The key to eating enough is to have protein at every meal, so in the morning I''ll have an omelette or turkey bacon or fresh fruit with a low-fat macrobiotic yogurt. Mid-morning I''ll have maybe 4/5 almonds or some pistachios, no salt to keep my blood sugar level up and for lunch salad with fish or chicken or humous n rice cakes or wheatfree oatcakes or better still chopped up vegetables. Dinner is protein and veggies, no refined carbs at all.

I do have carbs occasionally but they''re few and far between and I really notice a difference when I do eat it them. I find my tummy gets really sore and if there''s a build up of wheat/carbs and refined sugar it makes it worse and really gets me down.

I use a combination of Jillian Michaels and Dax Moy''s plans, they are very similar and have just worked them into my lifestyle. I am proud to say that from someone who lived on bread and pasta and who''s tipple was beer, I have not had a beer for 2.5 years since I''ve changed my eating habits and can''t tell you the last time I had bread and pasta.

Its hard work and takes a lot of dedication but the key to this working is planning ahead and keeping a diary of foods you have eaten. I found that after a while, your body will tell you what it doesn''t like and this makes it easier to stick to.

 

[Lorelei]

Great post, thanks Po! Do you notice a difference in how lean you are, or is it easier to maintain a healthy weight since doing this?

 

[Linda W]

Great post Po.

I was diagnosed last month as pre-diabetic. I almost fainted. I had been on a great diet and lost 30 pounds, due to a medication that I had been on.

I was feeling great then had my yearly blood test and was hit with this. I still have trouble knowing what to eat. I love carbs also. Love my french bread toast in the morning. I really have to knuckle down and get to it.

Linda

 

[Po10472]

You would eat the following, 3 meals a day and 2/3 snacks, for 10 days until you rid your body of caffeine and sugar:

Dairy - eggs, butter, milk

Meat/fish - beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, haddock, sardines, mackeral, tuna, salmon

Vegetables - asparagus, aubergine, broccolli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, cucumber, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes

Fruit - apple, avocado, lemon, lime, orange, grapefuit

Miscellaneous - olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

You have no wheat/rice/potatoes at all for the first 10 days, then you start to add certain foods back into your diet, and you can then gauge what foods cause you problems.

An example of what I would eat for the first 10 days and what i would introduce after that:

Breakfast - 2 egg omelette, with some mushrooms (breakfast burrito - add turkey bacon, veggies and roll up in a wholeweat tortilla)

snack - an apple or a hanful of non-salted nuts like pistatchios, almonds, cashews - very good for fibre and full of good fats

Lunch - chicken salad with some olive oil and lemon dressing - add some rice cakes

snack - orange - or a yogurt or smoothie

Dinner - grilled fish with roasted veggies - add maybe a baked potato

snack - piece of fruit or a glass of milk

What you do have to get over is that for the first 3/4 days, you have bad headaches cos your body is getting rid of the sugar and caffeine in your system, but once that wears off, you do feel amazing and 'empty'. What I craved tho was tea, that was the hardest thing to get over. But I treat myself now and again.

If you want recipe ideas etc, let me know.

 

[Linda W]

Thank you so much Po, this is a great start. Oh No, I have to give up caffeine?? My Dr. didn''t say anything about that. I also love tea and coffee.

 

[Po10472]

Linda - try it for 10 days and then see how you go. This plan is about elimination and then introducing things back into your diet. If you rid your body of all the toxins at first then you can see which foods your body disagrees with and which foods/drinks your have an emotional attachment to.

It sounds silly but I loved nothing better than a beer every now and again, cos I love it and my tipple of choice was belgian wheat beer and its making my tastebuds go even typing this, but I realised that it didn''t love me and when I had a couple of glasses of it, I would always be horribly ill the next day, like big time hangover and that was only drinking a pint. I realised that my body couldn''t tolerate it and I gave it up, it was difficult but its worth it, 21/2 years without a sip!!!

Tea, is my vice, I always thought it was chocolate, but no, its tea, it warms you up, its comforting, its just the best and I realised after 3 months of not having any that I still couldn''t get over my craving and I made a decision to try it, my body was fine with it and I now have the occasional cup of tea and you would think it was ambrosia I was having.

Now that I have the food side worked out, although I do have slip ups and when I do, I suffer for it, so it always gets me back on track, I need to combine that with exercise to reach my goal. But I''ve learned that working full-time and studying part-time and having a family life and social life, I don''t have the time to spend on ''me''. That is something I need to do.

 

[lyra]

Date: 6/2/2008 2:25:02 PM
Author: Linda W
Great post Po.

I was diagnosed last month as pre-diabetic. I almost fainted. I had been on a great diet and lost 30 pounds, due to a medication that I had been on.

I was feeling great then had my yearly blood test and was hit with this. I still have trouble knowing what to eat. I love carbs also. Love my french bread toast in the morning. I really have to knuckle down and get to it.

Linda

I am diabetic.

Just some bare rules to follow: keep carbs to 40grams per meal, plus 2 snacks of 15grams each. You can find carb values on labels or online, it''s fairly easy to get that info. Eat your meals a minimum of 4 hours apart, but eat at regular times every day, do not skip breakfast. If you are craving carbs, best to have them at breakfast as you''ll have all day to work it off. Keeping regular blood sugar by reducing carbs helps you feel full and not get that shaky "gotta eat!" feeling. You''ll tend to not overeat if you force yourself to eat at regular hours. Protein is a must at every meal, lots of choices for protein.

For pasta, I love Dreamfields brand. It does cause gas for some people, but I''m fine with it. It is the only pasta that I can eat and not have it affect my blood sugar. Be wary of breads that tout their multi-grain status. Look at the carb value per slice. Also be wary of low-carb breads--I bought a certain one and it was incredibly *awful*. Couldn''t even eat it, it was like eating a sponge in texture and taste. Bleah! Less is more with bread. I mostly avoid it completely now, along with potatoes, and although I love both dearly, it hasn''t been that big of a deal. Everything in moderation. Brown rice is great. Took me a while to learn how to cook it, but it works really well for me.

Avoid grapes and jelly beans.

Seriously, both are high carbs per piece. Avoid fruit juice--this can be a hard one, but if you check your labels, a glass of juice can be as high as 30grams of carbs. I''d rather have a meal myself.

It is definitely true that the longer you go without eating a particular food, the less cravings you will have. For me it''s easier because I have the extra incentive of having to do blood tests twice daily which tell me exactly where I''m at with what I''ve eaten, exercise, etc. Good luck!

 

[Linda W]

Thank you so much lyra,

My Dr. said definitely NO fruit juice. I love orange juice, but she said it was OK, just to swallow my morning meds with it. That is all I do now.

I only eat whole wheat bread. If I have that, I only have half a slice with sliced turkey on it for a sandwich. I am avoiding all sweets, except over the weekend I had a slice of key lime pie

. Other then that, I am really watching it.

I am due for another blood test in a few weeks, so I''ll see how I am doing.

Thank you so much for your tips too. I had no idea that grapes were bad for us.

Linda

 

[lyra]

Linda, you might also want to try upping the fiber in your diet. As much as possible, obviously. One thing I use daily is sugar-free metamucil. It tastes like orange juice. It''s not thick and gross (unless you let it sit before drinking it, which isn''t what''s recommended either). This helps me a lot. Gets digestion working well, and gives you a few more grams of fiber in one small drink. I had a lot of digestive issues before I started using it. Now I rarely ever have gas or anything. Hope that wasn''t TMI.

You can have 2 slices of bread for breakfast or lunch btw. No need to deprive yourself to the point where you''re going to actually make your blood sugar worse by not getting enough. It can be tricky that way. If you end up going too low in your blood sugar, either by not eating on time, or not eating enough of a balance, then you can be hit with a high later that day in compensation. Also, the only real diagnostic test for diabetes is the glucose tolerance test, not just a fasting glucose test. In that test, you are given a sugary drink, and have your blood tested before, at one hour, and at 2 hours. The doctor would also do a A1C test, which gives an average blood sugar figure for a 3 month period (it''s just one blood test). Stress and illness will raise your blood sugar. I''m just giving you some tips so it''s not so scary, and so you can prepare for the next test without being fearful.

 

[diamondsrock]

This is really interesting. Everything I''ve read so far says to have eggs for breakfast. I can''t eat eggs on an empty stomach (which I have every morning) because they make me nauseous. I have no idea why - I know it''s weird!
Is there anything else for breakfast besides bacon that is low carb?

 

[Mara]

my breakfast every morning is egg whites, a piece of bacon and 1/2 an english muffin. i have a snack at 10am which is mostly yogurt or protein, and sometimes a fiber wrap. lunch is mostly protein with some type of complex carb or fiber rich veggie. i always have a sweet snack in the afternoon, like tart yogurt with fruit, and then for dinner i try to eat lightly but def higher on protein than carbs. carbs DO bloat me out, i have seen the difference big time...so i try to keep them limited during the week since weekends are typically free for alls on eating since we always have events and/or go out. but i find that the more i don't eat simple carbs...the less i miss them. when i have a hamburger now, i eat all the meat and like 1/3 of the bun. same with stuff like rice and sushi. i just don't CARE About the rice. so i don't eat it. i pick it off. i tend to become really choosy about my carbs. i love sourdough bread so i will eat that if we are at a restaurant though!

for me i just try to eat more protein, less carbs, and if i do eat simple carbs, i make them count and i don't do it that often. i do eat a fair amount of sugar though...i should cut back more on that but i love it and i love to bake so i figure that's my thing...i'd rather cut out the other stuff than my daily sugar!!

interestingly enough a lot of people are allergic to the wheat glutens....and that can cause bloating and indigestion as well. i also eat a lot of yogurt with active cultures and probiotics which help keep me regulated digestion wise..and i do eat a lot of fiber as well, if i eat carbs during the morning or day, i try to make it fiber rich, it helps big time with bloating.

for breakfast, i'd try to have a fiber rich english muffin with your eggs so that you don't get sick...or a yogurt instead of egg whites. i know a lot of people don't like egg whites but i don't mind them at all and they are the absolute best way to get quick protein with low calories and zero fat into your body...one egg white is like 20 cals and 6g protein. can't beat that. string cheese is another good one..60 cals and like 7g or 8g of protein. nonfat milk. yogurts.

it's hard to learn to eat like this on a regular basis, it's been about 1+ years and i finally have it down pat for the most part. honestly i love pancakes for breakfast on the wkds, but i STILL have to have an egg white or two...because i need a fair dose of protein to keep satiated. i just KNOW how my body works better and i try to give it what it wants rather than what my brain wants to feed my mouth. doesn't always work but the majority rules!

 

[Linda W]

Thanks Mara, you are always such a big help. Do you buy the egg whites that are in the carton???? I see those at the store.


Linda

 

[diamondsrock]

Date: 6/3/2008 7:54:03 PM
Author: Linda W
Thanks Mara, you are always such a big help. Do you buy the egg whites that are in the carton???? I see those at the store.


Linda

I was going to ask the same question. It would be easier if they were in a carton since I am usually short on time early morning.

Thanks Mara! I think maybe having the eggs with something else - like the whole grain eng. muffin (which I have in the house - yay!) is a good idea. I know eggs alone really do make me feel sick for some reason.

I guess I''m still at that trying to get over the urge to eat carbs phase. I do enjoy sugar as well - very much so in fact - but I do find that if I don''t eat carbs I get hungry. For example, I can have a great salad, with grilled chicken, different vegetables, etc...and an hour later I am hungry for carbs. It''s like I''m not full until I eat carbs or something. If I had a roll with the salad, then I wouldn''t feel that way later (or at least not so quickly). I guess the less I eat them the less I will crave them hopefully. For now it just seems like I need them, but I know I will look leaner and probably feel better without them. Then again, I don''t want to feel hungry. Plus don''t carbs give energy? I wonder how people on low carb diets can sustain their energy levels throughout the day.

I do love string cheese, though, so will start snacking on that as an alternative. Plus I do like nuts as well, especially almonds, so may try snacking on those too, although I know those can be high in calories.

 

[Linda W]

diamondsrock,

I experience the same thing. My Dr. told me to limit my carbs. I have a salad with chicken or something like that and an hour later I am really hungry. Now if I would have had a whole wheat sandwich, I wouldn''t have been so hungry. It still is confusing to me.

I guess we will get the hang of it soon.


Linda

 

[Linda W]

San Diego Lady, Posted this on another thread. Here is the link. Mara also stated she used egg whites from a carton.


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/great-egg-white-omelet-recipes.86719/

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/3/2008 7:22:59 PM
Author: diamondsrock
This is really interesting. Everything I''ve read so far says to have eggs for breakfast. I can''t eat eggs on an empty stomach (which I have every morning) because they make me nauseous. I have no idea why - I know it''s weird!
Is there anything else for breakfast besides bacon that is low carb?

You''re probably allergic to eggs. I use to get nauseous at the very same time EVERY day and then after eliminating eggs, that went away. I don''t even eat trace amounts in bread goods. I eat meat, so I''m not a vegan, but when I eat baked goods, I ONLY eat vegan ones since I''ve also eliminated dairy for the exact same reason.

The bloating issue and carb cravings are due to an inbalance of probiotics in your body. The best would be to eat A LOT less carbs for a few months and take large doses of probiotics (60 billion + viable cells). . . just eat brown rice and whole grains. No refined products, if possible, and also cut out dairy and see if those things help. Flourless, sprouted grain bread is also much better than the regular wheat bread in the stores, which is wheat flour with sugar added. A good test to see if you''re body has too much bad bacteria is if you get frequent yeast infections!

 

[Linda W]

OMG MC, I have a yeast infection right now, that I am having trouble getting rid of. My Dr. has give me a second pill to get rid of it.

Can you please explain what causes the bacteria??? Thank you so much.


Linda

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/5/2008 12:55:55 PM
Author: Linda W
OMG MC, I have a yeast infection right now, that I am having trouble getting rid of. My Dr. has give me a second pill to get rid of it.

Can you please explain what causes the bacteria??? Thank you so much.


Linda

What pill is your dr giving you? Diflucan and others are only moderately successful at long-term recovery. The issue comes down to low amounts of good bacteria in the gut and the "other area" which usually has been caused from either too many anti-biotics at some point in your life or possibly the birth control pill and that has resulted in candida over running the good stuff, like acidophilus and all the other strains necessary.

One of the best *natural* ways of fighting off a yeast infection is boric acid powder OR a product called Yeast Arrest (which is a pre-packaged boric acid w/herbs). The Yeast Arrest is VERY expensive since it needs to be taken for months, but plain boric acid powder works just as well and can be purchased on amazon.com and you can get capsules from ebay. The capsules need to be OPENED up before using!!!

Boric Acid: http://www.amazon.com/Boric-Acid-Powder-Vaginal-Infection/dp/B000NB3W7O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1212700787&sr=8-1

Yeast Arrest: http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Arrest-Vaginitis-suppository-capsules/dp/B0002BB6YQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1212700787&sr=8-3

Keep in mind that if you have chronic infections, you need to eliminate all refined sugars and carbs and also there is a connection between your pre-diabetic condition and candida. Sugar levels are high, which will feed the candida and make it much more difficult to defeat your yeast infections.

Have you read up on the glycemic index? It's useful in explaining which carbs are less likely to spike sugar levels. Some foods like potatoes and carrots are really bad for sugar levels.

ETA - I just wanted to clarify, the boric acid is NOT to be eaten. It's used up "in there." I don't want to be more graphic than necessary, but can explain if needed.

 

[Linda W]

MC,

Thank you so much for all of this information. Yes, I am on my second dose of Diflucan. This is the first time I have had the yeast problem. Other then getting them after taking antibiotics.

A friend of mine had one for 3 months and her doctor had her stay off of sugar and carbs as you stated. I am sure that will be my next step.

It is strange how it appeared all of a sudden out of nowhere. In the past, I have been on a lot of antibiotics, due to bronchitis, maybe it is catching up to me now. No birth control pills for me, I am 58 HA!!

Again, thank you so much for your help and I am going to check out the two websites you provided.

Linda

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Fun anthropology fact about processed carbs: We can easily tell if a person ate a lot of processed carbs in their childhood because people who don''t have straight teeth. Have you ever wondered why animals have straight teeth when so many humans don''t? That''s it. It''s also why developed countries have more problem with crooked teeth, although that is changing.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 6/5/2008 8:01:13 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
Fun anthropology fact about processed carbs: We can easily tell if a person ate a lot of processed carbs in their childhood because people who don''t have straight teeth. Have you ever wondered why animals have straight teeth when so many humans don''t? That''s it. It''s also why developed countries have more problem with crooked teeth, although that is changing.

I don''t think this is necessarily true! Both my kids eat the exact same things, yet my older son has straight teeth and my younger doesn''t.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Its not a given, my mother has very straight teeth and my were very crooked, but people who don''t eat that stuff growing up have straight teeth, but it is not always true in the reverse. Kalahari bushman have straight teeth, as did many past generations of Americans, but the profliferation of a processed diet has made it much more common. It is one of the fastest way to seperate groups in mass graves since diet tends to reflect social class.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Just curious here. . . what field are you in? Are you in dental or Anthropology/Archeaology? I took about six classes in college and almost majored in that field

My interest was mostly Mesoamerican.

I never read up on teeth much, though, lol, mostly just aspects where teeth were significantly worn down due to course grained foods. My son was looking at a Eyewitness News Mummy book which showed examples of worn down teeth and it was cringeworthy. Imagine how much pain that would cause! They weren''t eating refined carbs, either, so whole grains aren''t necessarily all their cracked up to be.

 

[Linda W]

Now I am confused. Our dentist always told us crooked teeth run in families.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 6/6/2008 1:52:17 PM
Author: MC
Just curious here. . . what field are you in? Are you in dental or Anthropology/Archeaology? I took about six classes in college and almost majored in that field

My interest was mostly Mesoamerican.

I never read up on teeth much, though, lol, mostly just aspects where teeth were significantly worn down due to course grained foods. My son was looking at a Eyewitness News Mummy book which showed examples of worn down teeth and it was cringeworthy. Imagine how much pain that would cause! They weren''t eating refined carbs, either, so whole grains aren''t necessarily all their cracked up to be.

I start my masters in biological archaeology in two months. Odontology is a large part of our work, but it is not my focus. I tend to be more interested in pathologies, bone wear patterns, injuries and micro things like DNA and strontium isotope analysis.

Whole grains are sort of mixed. If they are not at all prepared, they can be too fiberous and wear down the enamel of the molars. Meat and fruit and veggies are the best things for teeth. In fact, Jared Diamond, who wrote "guns, germs and steel", argues that the switch to faming was the worst thing humans ever did for themselves for a lot of reasons, one being its detrimental effect on the body, especially teeth.

What happened to the Egyptians though is that they were using stones to grind the flour, so they were basically chewing on little rocks with their food and that really wrecks teeth. The other thing with Egyptians is that they believed no modifications could be made to the body during life, so while many mummies have false teeth, they were added post mortum, leaving the teeth exposed during life. In many cases it was dental absses that kiiled the Egyptians when they became infected.

Mesoamerica is very cool too. My college advisor was a specialist in the Moche, now there was a truely frightening, but facinating group of people. They sometimes filed their teeth to look like fangs, which is also supposed to be very painful.