shamrockmommy said:
My weakness is carbs- crackers, toast, bagels, you get the idea.
You know, there's not a thing wrong with carbs. Well, maybe crackers and oversize bagels aren't the best idea, but there's nothing wrong with carbs. Throughout the world and throughout history (and even now) the healthiest people eat a diet based on carbs (grains or starchy vegetables) with lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes and smaller amounts of meat and dairy.
I have a cartoon from a local newspaper. One frame shows a Chinese person with a bowl of rice in front of him and the caption is "Healthy with rice." The next frame shows an Italian with a plate of pasta in front of him and the caption is "Healthy with pasta." The third frame shows a French woman with a loaf of bread and the caption is "Healthy with bread." The last frame shows an American man in a recliner and the caption reads "I"m so fat! It's gotta be the carbs..."
Now this gets even more interesting when you realize that most Asians eat white rice, most Italians eat pasta made from white flour and the French eat bread made from white flour. All eat other carbs in addition to those they're most "famous" for. What's the difference? Well, it's the amounts they eat in addition to what they eat along with it. Their portions are smaller. While there's no doubt that whole grains are more nutritious than refined grains, when you eat a lot of vegetables, legumes and fruits along with smaller portions of carbs, it all balances out in the end.
So much of what many Americans eat is so overly refined and processed and our portions are so huge that it's no wonder we think it must be the carbs.
One thing I've noticed in reading about the eating habits of people around the world is that they don't fear foods (like carbs) like we do. I've also read that various eating disorders are far less common than they are here. I think it's because they have strong traditions and habits regarding food and eating and they're so much a part of their culture that no one really gives it a second thought. They don't have a tradition of stuffing themselves (except possibly on holidays) and eating 24/7 like we do. It's just not in good taste to do that.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
I have not yet failed today but MAN, this is getting hard. I am hungry all the time. I don't know if it is because of nursing my dd exclusively (she's 4 months) but I'm eagerly anticipating every meal. Starving!
Evil stomach monkeys!!
