Another argument for real food

[wosnes]

In the past I've mentioned that I have congestive heart failure and my doctor told me he didn't care how much salt I used in cooking and at the table as long as I avoided processed foods and fast/casual chain restaurant foods. It's not the standard advice, but it works very well for me. This does mean that I cook nearly everything from scratch and use ingredients that meet the criteria of is it real food?" as in NoelFigart's post the other day.

BrightAngel has written a lot lately about Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes.

I've been formulating a response to one of her posts and it suddenly occurred to me -- if you want to lower the carbs in your diet, do as my doctor suggested to me and avoid processed (and fast/casual chain restaurant) food. Eat real food.

Yesterday gettheweightoff posted about this great, filling yogurt she found. I checked the ingredients list:

cultured grade A reduced fat milk, water, fructose, sugar, inulin, modified food starch, contains less than 1% of milk protein concentrate, modified corn starch, red wheat bran, rolled oats, rolled white wheat flakes, kosher gelatin, agar agar, citric acid, natural vanilla flavor, sodium citrate, Vitamin D3

Contains the active cultures L.Bulgaricus, S.Thermophilus and Bifidobacterium Lactis DN 173-010

Four of the first eight ingredients are simple carbohydrates: fructose, sugar, modified food starch, and modified corn starch. (It also makes me wonder how many live cultures are in the yogurt. The way I typed it is exactly how the ingredients are listed.)

For the last couple of years I've been eating Greek yogurt. Ingredients: milk and active cultures. I generally use the full fat variety, but sometimes the 2%. It's quite filling as is, but I've occasionally added homemade granola and/or nuts or fruit.

All manner of simple sugars and starches are added to processed foods and they're either not necessary or added in greater amounts than we would use if we made the foods at home. Just like salt.

[reinhard]

Hi Wosnes,

Great point. I think a big problem with approaches that directly target calories and carbs is not (necessarily) that they are wrong on a biochemical level, but that is not the right level for human action to work on. It's too small. We can't intuitively get it. But we can intuitively get "eat meals" and "prepare your own meals whenever possible." Not only is this bigger picture, behavioral approach easier to comply with, but it also has huge beneficial side effects: profound relaxation, joy in eating again.

Reinhard

[wosnes]

I should add that I'm not rigid about avoiding processed foods. I think if 80% of what I eat is real food, I can be flexible about the remaining 20%.

[BrightAngel]

BrightAngel has written a lot lately about
Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes.

I've been formulating a response to one of her posts
and it suddenly occurred to me -- if you want to lower the carbs in your diet,
do as my doctor suggested to me
and avoid processed (and fast/casual chain restaurant) food.
Eat real food.

wosnes, That is very true.
The majority of carbohydrates in our modern diet comes from processed foods.
Great Insight.

[BrightAngel]

I think a big problem with approaches that directly target calories and carbs
is not (necessarily) that they are wrong on a biochemical level,
but that is not the right level for human action to work on.

It's too small. We can't intuitively get it.
But we can intuitively get "eat meals" and "prepare your own meals whenever possible."
Not only is this bigger picture, behavioral approach easier to comply with,
but it also has huge beneficial side effects: profound relaxation, joy in eating again.

Reinhard, I totally agree with this concept. .
..........However...........
As you know, it is not a "one-size-fits-all" world.

I speak for many of us, who are obese or reduced obese,
who find that making your Excellent rules into Intuitive Habits are not enough.
I, personally, (at a 5'0" height) am unable to profoundly relax and have joy in eating
while allowing my weight to climb back past the 200 lb mark,
......which is what will happen in MY body,
if I choose to follow ONLY the recommended No S eating Behaviors.

Calorie Counting...as an addition to No S eating behaviors...is necessary for me,
and most everyone here is aware that this has actually become an enjoyable Habit for me.
Now, I'm experimenting to see if some sort of additional low-carb modification of my eating behavior
will help me achieve greater satisfaction...with my weight...and my food.

[osoniye]

Hi BA,
Just curious, so far have you found that eating lower carb curbs cravings or lets you eat more calories witout gaining weight?

[BrightAngel]

Hi BA,
Just curious, so far have you found that eating lower carb curbs cravings
or lets you eat more calories witout gaining weight?

Yesterday I made a post about that in my check-in Thread.
Here's a link for easy access.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... &start=400