Martha wrote:

>
> Jesse Meyer wrote:
> > Bree > wrote:
> > > I would like to know what can I advise him to eat with his pasta,
> > > rice and bread so he gets enough healthy nutrition (fiber, protein,
> > > .etc.) He isn't into taking supplements, he has loads of time to cook,
> > > but I think I would have a better chance giving him subtle food
> > > suggestions rather than providing a lecture. I am not a big eater
> > > of carbs so I need advice.
> >
> > Nothing wrong with carbs, no matter what those Aitkins folks think.
>
> Eating white bread, white pasta, white potatoes, white sugar,white
> rice, etc. are not healthy choices. Carbs are not bad, the empty carbs
> are bad. Fresh fruit, whole wheat choices in pastas, breads,
> rice,sweet potatoes, etc. are what are called the good carbs. Along
> with beans and veggies.

There seem to be a couple of (fairly common) misunderstandings here.
First of all, there is no such thing as "empty" carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates come in two basic flavours: simple and complex. Simple
carbohydrates like sugar (regardless of white or brown) go into the
blood stream immediately after eating, complex carbohydrates either
require time for digestion (like starch) or are indigestible and leave
the body with the stool (like cellulose), increasing stool volume and
hence aiding in digestion.

Because of the rapid uptake simple carbohydrates make the regulation of
blood sugar (glucose) concentration difficult for the body, this is the
main reason why their intake should be limited.

In addition, some foods come into the shops in "refined" form, this
includes in particular flour and rice. In white flour the protein,
fibre, vitamin and mineral containing outer layers of the wheat grain
are removed during milling. In white rice, the outer layers with these
goodies are removed mechanically by "polishing". In both cases the
purpose is to have an optically more pleasing product with a more
neutral taste, at the expense of lower nutrients content.

The colour of potatoes on the other hand has little to do with their
nutrient content. However, potatoes should be boiled in the skin, to
prevent water-soluble nutrients (and flavours!) from leaching into the
water. After boiling the skin can be removed if desired without
ill-effect, it contains no nutrients by itself. Note that the potato,
contrary to its public reputation, is actually a very healthy component
of our diet.

> A typical fast food diet is filled with fat, bad carbs and unhealthy
> protein. There's really nothing to dispute.

Proteins are not unhealthy, but their intake should ideally be limited
to the needs of the body for anabolic (forming new body parts) rather
than catabolic (supply energy) purposes. Excessive protein intake causes
problems with nitrogen metabolism, resulting for example in gout, and
possibly in cancer. It is particularly bad for people with liver
problems.

Food with a lot of protein (in particular meat) often also contain a lot
of fat, and in particular satturated fatty acids and cholesterol,
resulting in artheriosclerosis.

Thus in a healthy diet 60-80% of the energy intake should come from
(mostly complex) carbohydrates, about 10% from protein and the reminder
from fats, of which a third each should be saturated, mono-unsaturated
and poly-unsaturated.

Note that (complex) carbohydrates are not only a cheap and healthy
source of energy, but also an essential nutrient. Several organs in our
body use mostly or even exclusively blood sugar as energy source. Sugar
levels in blood are therefore tightly controlled, if carbohydrates are
not present in the diet in sufficient amount the body has to produce
sugar from proteins (it can not do so from fatty acids). This results in
metabolic problems, including a potentially fatal loss of water and
minerals. This loss of water indeed is the reason why the low
carbohydrate Atkins diet seems to work in weight loss, of course the
initial "success" does not last.