Beware: Carbohydrates will ruin your health

International Herald Tribune ^ | March 26, 2004 | Dave Barry

[condi2008]

"You wanna do some 'drates?"

[GATOR NAVY]

Don't bogart those 'drates, my friend...

[solitas]

Remember: research has shown that, since the beginning of time, most of the people who have eaten bread have died.
Statistically speaking, if you've EVER eaten bread, you WILL die.

[jjames001]

lol.........according to the food guide pyramid, aren't we supposed to be eating 8 servings of carbohydrates a day?

[Luna]

I don't eat the Atkins way, so how come I'm not overweight? Oh, I know. I don't overeat and I exercise.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't eat the Atkins way, so how come I'm not overweight? Oh, I know. I don't overeat and I exercise.

How exquisitely obnoxious of you to say! That is all these folks you belittle are trying to do: not overeat, and exercise.

[HairOfTheDog]

Today, of course, nobody eats bread. People are terrified of all carbohydrates, as evidenced by the recent mass robbery at a midtown Manhattan restaurant, where 87 patrons turned their wallets over to a man armed only with a strand of No. 8 spaghetti.

This is a funny article.... and it's more true than satirical!

[RosieCotton]

Heh...this is my favorite part:

I know, I know. It was wrong. But we were young and foolish, and there was a lot of peer pressure. You'd be at a party, and there would be a lava lamp blooping away, and a Jimi Hendrix record playing (a "record" was a primitive compact disc that operated by static electricity). And then, when the mood was right, somebody would say: "You wanna do some 'drates?"

Dooooood...'draaaaates!

[HairOfTheDog]

Funny article you might enjoy about the War on 'Drates!

[HairOfTheDog]

Jen too.... I ferget who all is doin' this thing.

[RosieCotton]

Seems like just about everybody these days, doesn't it?

[JenB]

I'll keep doing it as long as it works... been on it for about 16 months now and it's done wonders.

[MamaTexan]

When we wanted to lose weight, we went on low-calorie diets in which we ate only inedible foods such as celery, which is actually a building material, and grapefruit, which is nutritious but offers the same level of culinary satisfaction as chewing on an Odor Eater.

LOL! Why is it the better something is for you, the worse it tastes?

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - I have seen that in you, and ecurbh and all the other folks that have done it.

I get a little nonplussed listening to Rosie and 2J talking about buying flax seed and whatnot, because I don't ever want to live that way measuring amounts of carbs in things that sortof resemble flour. But when I ~do~ get to where I am actually tired enough of being pudgy to do something, I know more about it than I did before.

But I get even more nonplussed at skinny people who eat whatever they want and scoff at those who pack on pounds easier. I was hard as nails no matter what I ate too, till I hit 30. I am looking more like my Norwegian roots now ;~D

[RosieCotton]

I know I'll always struggle with my weight...my mother always did, bless her heart. And even five years ago, when I was VERY active, I was never tiny. I never will be. But at least now I have hope that I'm not doomed to getting heavier year after year.

I don't count carbs. And the carb counting is one of the things that made Atkins unattractive to me. But I'm happy with South Beach, since it's very unrestrictive.

2J has done a lot more experimentation than I, partly because Atkins is more strict (I can do whole wheat and such), but you don't HAVE to do anything that fancy! We just like to cook.

But in it's most basic form, it doesn't have to be complicated at all.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - I think I could do it in simpler form. I am just never gonna be that scientific about it.... just try a little common sense.

[JenB]

One can just eat meat and broccoli... that's Atkins, I think...

[Lil'freeper]

I don't ever want to live that way measuring amounts of carbs in things that sortof resemble flour.

It's only like that 'till you reach your goals. By then you'll have a feel for what foods are appropriate for your needs and you don't have to do so much *measuring*. I hate measuring. I'm a dash-o-this, pinch-o-that, pour-till-it-looks-right kinda gal.

Over time we've accumulated a whole heap of recipes that we like and that suit our needs. No counting or measuring. You'll also develop different habits when planning meals. I used to prepare pasta for side dishes (ok, ok, main dishes) routinely but now the thought doesn't even occur to me because I've discovered so many other alternatives.

I gave up on flax seed ages ago.

Can't stand the stuff.

[RosieCotton]

I don't know how well I'd do counting even at first. I'm just lazy that way. I think I'da done it for a few weeks before giving up in disgust and diving for the ice cream.

But being told "Here is the list of foods you can eat. Mix 'em up however you want." works pretty well for me.

I DO like flax seed cereal and pancakes!

[2Jedismom]

LOL!!! Oh Hair!!! How long have we been friends?? You should know by now that all my obsessive nitpicky measuring and fretting is purely just my nature!

You don't have to do it that way and really, most the time, I don't anymore, when preparing things for Steve...the only time I really obsessed on measuring was his first two weeks. And like Lil' says...after a while you get a feel for it.

I measure and put the carb counts only for reference...when giving someone a recipe.

I read this article a ways back...really funny. We love this diet...