Bread With Your Meal

[Steve Kroll]

or the "scum" of homemade chokecherry or wild grape jam. You know what I mean, being from MN and all. Did you watch the debut of Fargo?

I know exactly what you mean. And no, I haven't seen Fargo. I haven't even seen the original movie. One of these days, though.

 

[taxlady]

What is everyone's deal with carbs anymore? I just don't get it. It's like the new taboo food - sort of like fats were in the eighties. Humans have been eating carbohydrates for millennia, and in the last 10 years it's suddenly become a bad thing?

Pick your carbs wisely and you shouldn't have to worry about including them as part of a healthy diet.

Too many carbs is the problem. The Drinking Man's Diet came out in 1964 and was very popular. It was probably the first weight reduction diet that was low carb. Low carb works for some of us for weight loss/weight loss retention.

Nowadays there are a lot of type II diabetics, and they certainly have to be careful of carbs.

 

[FrankZ]

What is everyone's deal with carbs anymore? I just don't get it. It's like the new taboo food - sort of like fats were in the eighties. Humans have been eating carbohydrates for millennia, and in the last 10 years it's suddenly become a bad thing?

Pick your carbs wisely and you shouldn't have to worry about including them as part of a healthy diet.

Because main stream media needs a boogie man to keep people scared and watching the news to find out what the next boogie man is.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

What is everyone's deal with carbs anymore? I just don't get it. It's like the new taboo food - sort of like fats were in the eighties. Humans have been eating carbohydrates for millennia, and in the last 10 years it's suddenly become a bad thing?

Pick your carbs wisely and you shouldn't have to worry about including them as part of a healthy diet.

My problem with them is the effect on my blood sugars. I've had to tone down my bread ingestion. No more white bread with butter to mop up gravy, etc. Somehow whole wheat and other breads just don't taste the same, so I do without.

I've been eating a lot of rye bread lately, doesn't have the same impact as white bread.

 

[CarolPa]

Not an English tradition as far as I'm aware but if they were poor they probably couldn't afford to eat bread and potatoes at the same meal.

He worked in the mill but they had a lot of kids, so yes, they were poor. But so was my family growing up, and filling us up with lots of cheap starches was what prevented us from going hungry. Meat was a rarity in our house. He was illiterate, couldn't read or write, not even his own name, so that's why I think it was not a nutritional decision. Just an odd quirk, I guess.

 

[CarolPa]

My problem with them is the effect on my blood sugars. I've had to tone down my bread ingestion. No more white bread with butter to mop up gravy, etc. Somehow whole wheat and other breads just don't taste the same, so I do without.

I've been eating a lot of rye bread lately, doesn't have the same impact as white bread.

Unfortunately, I have not found a bread that does not spike my blood sugars. It is no longer part of my diet except on rare occasions. I have even tried some labeled as high fiber. I did hear that rye bread is a much better choice. It's easier for me to go without than to stop at one slice.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Have you tried sourdough bread, Carol? It also has a lower impact on my blood sugar. Not perfect, but sometimes worth the higher levels.

 

[CarolPa]

Have you tried sourdough bread, Carol? It also has a lower impact on my blood sugar. Not perfect, but sometimes worth the higher levels.

Yes, I tried it recently but didn't like the taste. I could probably eat it on a sandwich where there would be other tastes mingled in, but not by itself.

 

[Steve Kroll]

My problem with them is the effect on my blood sugars. I've had to tone down my bread ingestion. No more white bread with butter to mop up gravy, etc. Somehow whole wheat and other breads just don't taste the same, so I do without.

I've been eating a lot of rye bread lately, doesn't have the same impact as white bread.

That's what I mean by people choosing their carbs wisely. And I do understand that diabetics have to watch anything that will spike blood sugar.

But mainly I'm talking about the Paleo-Atkins adherents. By way of example, I have an acquaintance who is always on the latest fad diet. For the last year, that's been the Paleo diet. Every time I see her she makes some big pronouncement about how she doesn't eat this or that and how great she feels now that she's eliminated all these evil carbs, etc. etc.

The thing is, it seems like she's gained about 60 lbs.

 

[Addie]

What is everyone's deal with carbs anymore? I just don't get it. It's like the new taboo food - sort of like fats were in the eighties. Humans have been eating carbohydrates for millennia, and in the last 10 years it's suddenly become a bad thing?

Pick your carbs wisely and you shouldn't have to worry about including them as part of a healthy diet.

Carbs have become the nemesis of today's society due to the explosion of Diabetes II. I think if someone ran a poll asking Do you have Diabetes II, the "Yes" bar would need a second page due to the number of responses. Diet and controlling what foods a diabetic eats is the very center of how to control the disease.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Carbs have become the nemesis of today's society due to the explosion of Diabetes II. I think if someone ran a poll asking Do you have Diabetes II, the "Yes" bar would need a second page due to the number of responses. Diet and controlling what foods a diabetic eats is the very center of how to control the disease.

This is a gross oversimplification. Type II diabetes has a genetic component, but is also triggered by lifestyle factors - primarily obesity. Obesity can be caused by eating too much of anything, not just carbohydrates alone. This comes from the American Diabetes Association, and has been backed up by a number of studies.

Complex carbohydrates can also be a healthy part of a diabetic's diet. This, again, is according to the American Diabetes Association.

But as I said earlier, I'm not talking about diabetes - or at least not directly. I think the primary reason carbs have gotten such a bad rap is because the majority of carbs consumed in this country comes from unhealthy sources, including soft drinks, restaurant super-sizing, and an overall increase in the number of processed food products on the market. Rather than cut back on these foods, the nature of our society is to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Instead of reducing the consumption of "bad" carbs, the knee jerk response is to eliminate carbs altogether.

 

[taxlady]

This is a gross oversimplification. Type II diabetes has a genetic component, but is also triggered by lifestyle factors - primarily obesity. Obesity can be caused by eating too much of anything, not just carbohydrates alone. This comes from the American Diabetes Association, and has been backed up by a number of studies.

Complex carbohydrates can also be a healthy part of a diabetic's diet. This, again, is according to the American Diabetes Association.

But as I said earlier, I'm not talking about diabetes - or at least not directly. I think the primary reason carbs have gotten such a bad rap is because the majority of carbs consumed in this country comes from unhealthy sources, including soft drinks, restaurant super-sizing, and an overall increase in the number of processed food products on the market. Rather than cut back on these foods, the nature of our society is to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Instead of reducing the consumption of "bad" carbs, the knee jerk response is to eliminate carbs altogether.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

 

[pacanis]

This is a gross oversimplification. Type II diabetes has a genetic component, but is also triggered by lifestyle factors - primarily obesity. Obesity can be caused by eating too much of anything, not just carbohydrates alone. This comes from the American Diabetes Association, and has been backed up by a number of studies.

Complex carbohydrates can also be a healthy part of a diabetic's diet. This, again, is according to the American Diabetes Association.

But as I said earlier, I'm not talking about diabetes - or at least not directly. I think the primary reason carbs have gotten such a bad rap is because the majority of carbs consumed in this country comes from unhealthy sources, including soft drinks, restaurant super-sizing, and an overall increase in the number of processed food products on the market. Rather than cut back on these foods, the nature of our society is to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Instead of reducing the consumption of "bad" carbs, the knee jerk response is to eliminate carbs altogether.

What does that mean, Steve?
Not that I'm a carb counter, but if I make my own mac and cheese does it have less carbs that the Kraft box version or frozen Stouffers (sp?)? If I make my own bread does it contain less carbs than comparable storebought bread?
We're just talking carbs here. I realize it's supposed to be healthier to make your own, less preservatives/chemicals/salt and all, but why would processed food contain more carbs?

 

[Andy M.]

What does that mean, Steve?
Not that I'm a carb counter, but if I make my own mac and cheese does it have less carbs that the Kraft box version or frozen Stouffers (sp?)? If I make my own bread does it contain less carbs than comparable storebought bread?
We're just talking carbs here. I realize it's supposed to be healthier to make your own, less preservatives/chemicals/salt and all, but why would processed food contain more carbs?

I think he's referring to processed carbs like flour and sugar rather than natural carbs like beans and whole grains.

 

[taxlady]

Lot's of processed has sugar, where a normal person wouldn't put sugar if they were making it "from scratch".

 

[pacanis]

I think he's referring to processed carbs like flour and sugar rather than natural carbs like beans and whole grains.

I guess my lack of understanding then is the word "processed".
What is a processed carb as compared to one that isn't processed?

Lot's of processed has sugar, where a normal person wouldn't put sugar if they were making it "from scratch".

Why wouldn't they? Bread likes sugar to feed the yeast, tomato based sauces like sugar to cut the acidity... you totally lost me. Why wouldn't a "normal" person not use sugar whereas a storebought food would?

And could someone tell me what "processed" means? It seems to be a general term for something not homemade. I know I must be missing something.

 

[CarolPa]

As a type 2 diabetic, I would like to say that if I followed the rules of the ADA of eating 45 gr of carb at each meal and 15 gm of carb with 2 snacks I would have to be on a lot more medication than I am on. I can eat about 35 to 50 gm of carb per day to keep my glucose levels within a safe range.

I think cutting carbs has become so popular because it is possible to lose weight very quickly by doing so.

 

[Andy M.]

pac, processed carbs are those found in processed foods like white flour and granulated sugar. Carbs that are eaten in their original form like those in beans, veggies, fruits and whole grains are preferred.

 

[Aunt Bea]

As a type 2 diabetic, I would like to say that if I followed the rules of the ADA of eating 45 gr of carb at each meal and 15 gm of carb with 2 snacks I would have to be on a lot more medication than I am on. I can eat about 35 to 50 gm of carb per day to keep my glucose levels within a safe range.

I think cutting carbs has become so popular because it is possible to lose weight very quickly by doing so.

My experience is very similar to yours. I choose to restrict my carbs so that I don't have to go to the next step of taking insulin injections to control my blood sugar, the tradeoff is worth it to me. I think the key for folks like us is that we do it under a doctors care and with periodic laboratory testing.

 

[pacanis]

pac, processed carbs are those found in processed foods like white flour and granulated sugar. Carbs that are eaten in their original form like those in beans, veggies, fruits and whole grains are preferred.

So what's the difference between homemade bread and storebought when it comes to carbs?
Don't they both use granulated sugar and white flour?