What's wrong with carbs, anyway? - Page 3

[CoBabyMaker]

This is a fascinating thread.  I tend to agree with the "everyone's body is different" approach.  I have couple questions for those that are grain free if that's ok...

1.  I notice that if I try not to eat grains I have a really hard time getting full and staying full.  Do you think that this is likely something that would go away and become less of an issue once my body adjusted to being grain-free?

2.  When you talk about detoxing from grains are you referring to just your desire for grains and your perseved dependence or physically detoxing?  I am nursing so I would  need to be careful.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by CoBabyMaker 

This is a fascinating thread.  I tend to agree with the "everyone's body is different" approach.  I have couple questions for those that are grain free if that's ok...

1.  I notice that if I try not to eat grains I have a really hard time getting full and staying full.  Do you think that this is likely something that would go away and become less of an issue once my body adjusted to being grain-free?

The getting/staying full is what I call the munchies. It usually lasts about a week for me. That's a week of being constantly hungry. I have to plan in advance for plenty of snacks. And it's perfectly normal. Once I get through that week though, then it's the opposite. Then I have appetite suppression.  

2.  When you talk about detoxing from grains are you referring to just your desire for grains and your perseved dependence or physically detoxing?  I am nursing so I would  need to be careful.

It is actually a physical detox, but not in a way that is dangerous for your nursling, so long as you're still eating/drinking enough. Your body is physically addicted, it's not a perception, and the withdrawal period can be brutal. If you eat plenty of other carbs though, it's not nearly as bad - fruits, veg, beans, starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.). When you go from SAD to low carb/grain free, that's probably the worst adjustment period.

[plantnerd]

They are very calorie dense and break down to basically sugar in the digestive tract.  Good for energy, bad for weight loss and weight maintenance.  Your body will burn the carbs for fuel before anything else.

[newcastlemama]

It sounds like your diet works for you and a lot of mamas hold onto the last 10 pounds while nursing. I would not start messing with your body (metabolism ect) if you are feeling good otherwise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NevadaMama 

I have been asking myself the same question since I started checking out the nutrition threads on MDC. My diet has been pretty carb-heavy since childhood, but in a slightly different way.

My family is Scandinavian (from Denmark originally), and I grew up eating lots of meat, fish, breads, root veggies (especially potatoes), and LOTS of dairy. Fruits and vegetables were a complete afterthought in our house - we would have horrified a lot of vegetarians & vegans! The only veggies we ate occasionally were green beans and broccoli, and virtually no fruit, just berries or jam once in a while. I never thought anything was "weird" about my diet til I met my husband at 23, and he couldn't believe that I didn't eat fruits or veggies!

To this day I rarely (and I mean RARELY) touch fruit or veg. I think I have had a salad maybe 3 times in my lifetime. It just doesn't appeal to me at all. My ideal lunch is a big hunk of homemade rye, a wedge of cheese and a glass of wine. Yum!

My health and my family's health has always been excellent. My father was a competitive cyclist for years and also cross-county skis. My grandparents lived well into their 90s. My weight as always been about the same - I'm 5'3" and hover around 125, I am curvy but definitely not fat (I think my boobs must weigh a good 10 lbs, lol). I always feel fine, am very positive and happy, and haven't been seriously sick since I had the flu at 17. I was 117 before I got pregnant with DD but gained a lot during my pregnancy because I was on bedrest for so long, I am trying to lose that last 10 lbs. which is what brought me here.

My husband, on the other hand, has been doing Paleo/GF for a year and is doing well. He has multiple issues, despite being thin and very active - pre-diabetes, lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, sick/colds often. He is amazed at my health and immune system since we eat completely differently. However, our new neighbor, who is Swedish, eats virtually the same diet that I do, and is also thin, happy, healthy, and active - and she is a ski and yoga instructor!

I am trying to limit my carbs (bread, potatoes, rice) but it's been really difficult for me. I've been eating this way for 29 years, and I'm still not convinced that changing my diet is the way to go. This is an interesting thread though, I love to read different people's perspectives on food and to see what works for them. I really think that everyone is different, and that you have to do what works for you. Like a PP mentioned, Asian cultures have been eating meats, rice, and veggies for eons, but give them dairy and they can't handle it. I think it's the same with me and being Scandinavian, it's just in my blood to thrive on meats, grains, and dairy.

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by cristeen 


When you go from SAD to low carb/grain free, that's probably the worst adjustment period.

 

Agree with all that Cristeen said (she's a smart patootey!), but also wanted to add: I actually went from SAD to organic to higher fat to low-grain and then when I cut out grains (I'm back to very very low grain now), I didn't have as much of a strong reaction to the withdrawal. I think the fact that my body was already mostly there helped make the transition easier. 
 

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by staceychev 

Agree with all that Cristeen said (she's a smart patootey!), but also wanted to add: I actually went from SAD to organic to higher fat to low-grain and then when I cut out grains (I'm back to very very low grain now), I didn't have as much of a strong reaction to the withdrawal. I think the fact that my body was already mostly there helped make the transition easier. 
 

Awww, shucks!

Definitely!  The small changes are much easier to get through.  We did a similar progression, although we went SAD to LC (which was tough), back to semi-SAD, then to organic, back to LC, then to low-grain, then grain-free/sugar-free.  When I got pregnant, diet became whatever I wanted, and then since DS was born, I've been eating a lot of grains. Over the last month I mindfully backed off of them knowing that on the 1st I'd be going GF.  And the transition wasn't nearly as difficult - in fact I seem to have skipped the munchies completely and gone straight to appetite suppression, which rocks.