Mango - more info on something you said please

[Lohman446]

Ok.. you once made a comment to avoid whites in diet... now I have been loosely trying to alter my diet little by little - nothing drastic. I have cut out most everything containing flour and sugar - well mostly, I know theres some even in whole grain bread, or assume there is.

My question is - I have also cut out potatoes - and that really sucks for me because I really like them -ditto that rice. Are these included in "the whites" - I have a bad feeling they are.

Just curious as to what theory that comment followed, and what ideas one should follow to be in line with it.

Of course I would take answers in hypotheticals Please

[MantisMag]

if you're talking about cutting carbs rice and potatoes are nothing but carbs. they have very little other nutritional value.

[Lohman446]

But I got the feeling from Mango that just cutting carbs was not it, that there was something else that you were aiming to cut - and by cutting carbs you just happened to cut it.

[Mango]

What I was saying when I made that comment was, that the "white" forms of starches and carbohydrates offer little to no nutritional value at all. They are highly refined and striped of any natural nutrients that were once present. Later, they are "enriched" with vitamins and minerals in an attempt to regain these nutrients. However, it is a far cry from the natural form before being highly processed. For example, turn over any loaf of white bread next time you are shopping and read the first ingredient. It will say something to the effect of "enriched wheat flour" and this tells you that it has been highly processed and thus stripped of its original "whole wheat" form.

Whole wheat breads and pastas are so good for us because they have not been chemically altered or crushed and so they retain the entire wheat germ. This germ is the key to its health benefits and contains a few things, among which is folic acid, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is extremely healthy for us to consume these whole grains whenever we can.

If you saw what it takes to take "cane sugar" and turn it into the processed form of sugar that we use in EVERYTHING we have today, you would be shocked. It takes hours upon hours of processing, chemicals, etc. to make what we know as "table sugar" and that is used in all processed foods today.

Now, to address regular potatoes (russet, idaho,etc.). The standard potatoe is high in vitamin C and B6 among others. The problem is they are lacking in flavor and people tend to put many high fat toppings on them to compensate. So you can say the problem is not so much the potatoe, but what we DO to the potatoe!

A smarter potatoe choice would be a Sweet Potatoe. It's one of the superfoods in the veggie world since it offers the same complex carbohydrate lasting power of every other potatoe but it is high in calcium, potassium, vitamins C and A as well as fiber. They are a smarter choice overall because they are naturally sweeter and more pleasing to the taste buds.

We can all benefit from limiting the "white" starches and carbohydrates from our diets since this almost always means the nutrients have been striped out due to chemical processes. Focus on bringing more color to your daily diet through fruits, veggies and breads and you will be a much happy and healthier person! Your body will thank you.

[Mango]

Oh I forgot to mention, white rice is white because...yep you guessed it, it is highly processed and has been striped of its casing which is what holds all the flavor AND nutrient value. It is also a different type of rice genetically speaking.


Brown rice, whole grain rice or long grain rice is typically better because of the vitamin and mineral benefits as well as being relatively "untouched."

Obviously, anything whole grain is considered the best option. Also don't forget what the true serving size of rice is! 1/2 cup cooked!! People typically eat 2 to 3 times that in a single sitting. America needs to learn serving sizes but thats another rant.

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2000/document/build.htm

[WicKeD_WaYz]

What I was saying when I made that comment was, that the "white" forms of starches and carbohydrates offer little to no nutritional value at all. They are highly refined and striped of any natural nutrients that were once present. Later, they are "enriched" with vitamins and minerals in an attempt to regain these nutrients. However, it is a far cry from the natural form before being highly processed. For example, turn over any loaf of white bread next time you are shopping and read the first ingredient. It will say something to the effect of "enriched wheat flour" and this tells you that it has been highly processed and thus stripped of its original "whole wheat" form.

Whole wheat breads and pastas are so good for us because they have not been chemically altered or crushed and so they retain the entire wheat germ. This germ is the key to its health benefits and contains a few things, among which is folic acid, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is extremely healthy for us to consume these whole grains whenever we can.

If you saw what it takes to take "cane sugar" and turn it into the processed form of sugar that we use in EVERYTHING we have today, you would be shocked. It takes hours upon hours of processing, chemicals, etc. to make what we know as "table sugar" and that is used in all processed foods today.

Now, to address regular potatoes (russet, idaho,etc.). The standard potatoe is high in vitamin C and B6 among others. The problem is they are lacking in flavor and people tend to put many high fat toppings on them to compensate. So you can say the problem is not so much the potatoe, but what we DO to the potatoe!

A smarter potatoe choice would be a Sweet Potatoe. It's one of the superfoods in the veggie world since it offers the same complex carbohydrate lasting power of every other potatoe but it is high in calcium, potassium, vitamins C and A as well as fiber. They are a smarter choice overall because they are naturally sweeter and more pleasing to the taste buds.

We can all benefit from limiting the "white" starches and carbohydrates from our diets since this almost always means the nutrients have been striped out due to chemical processes. Focus on bringing more color to your daily diet through fruits, veggies and breads and you will be a much happy and healthier person! Your body will thank you.

My white complex carb powder works wonders stacked with protein and glutamine after workouts.

[ScatterPlot]

All that might make you healthy, but I have lost probably 25 lbs in like 6 or so months by simply taking out the crap foods I eat. Little stuff- like when you go get a snack, think twice before getting a coke and an oatmeal cream pattie. That's like 400 calories right there. Just a little under what you should get from an entire meal. Now I don't even know the beginnings of real healthy livings, but I do know that more calories=bad. I have tried to cut back on driking cokes (or "soda" or "pop" ) unless they're diet. Don't get me wrong, those have bad stuff as well, but it will help with overall weight. Cut out the snacks and just try to eat less food in general. I switched to sweet tea which helped a bunch, as well as splenda instead of real sugar. My basic rule of thumb is to eat very little snacks at all, if I do get some yogurt or something, drink less fattening milk, eat less food in general, etc.

DISCLAIMER- I know that a lot of what I mentioned might not be completely good for you. What I said was what I did to lose some weight. Now I don't THINK Splenda is bad for you, but then again I've heard that it is. And I know that Diet drinks still contain bad stuff, but at least in my book it's worth the fewer calories.

Try to remember this- See if you can keep daily calory intake to 2000 or less. Remember that much of that will be spent in an OK manner, in mealtime. What gets ya is the snacking. Keep that at an absolute max of 400 a day, and that's if you eat light meals. Better goal is 250 or so, but better yet is zero. A rough estimate about this is that 3000 calories=1 pound of fat. So the less you eat, the less you weigh. Might not be the HEALTHIEST way you can live, but IMO it's better than being fat.

[Mango]

My white complex carb powder works wonders stacked with protein and glutamine after workouts.

Yes because it is replenishing lost muscle glycogen after your workout. You could get the same effects from drinking a glass of orange juice and eating a half or whole cup of cottage cheese. Plus it would be much more satisfying and healthier for you. Supplements are just that, supplementing things you are not getting in your diet.

[Mango]

1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories actually.

It is quite obvious that anybody can lose weight by simple caloric restriction. Truth is this method is easier said than done. Telling people to lose weight by "not eating" will not work and is not a sustainable lifetime change. Also, snacking is a GOOD thing. It just depends what you snack ON. It is good that you incorporate lower fat foods and yogurt.

The most effective ways for people to adjust thier diet AND lose body fat in the process is always, and research backs this up, by eating every 3 hours or so. Grazing, so to speak. Snack on fruits, veggies, heck even snack on your favorite chips or cookies, just keep the serving sizes under check. The great thing about snacking on fruits and veggies and whole grains is you can really eat a LOT of them and still keep the calories in check.

Snacking throughout the day keeps your metabolism steady and blood glucose from going on a rollercoaster ride. Also, cutting the soda is a good idea as well but again, its not something you can simply tell somebody. Thats something which people need to work on slowly.

Sugar substitutes like Splenda, which is derived from regular sucrose (table sugar) is actually seen as being up to 400 times sweeter than standard sugar, by the body. While it may not be as high in calories as regular sugar, the bodies response to it is vastly different. In this case, it is better to use standard sugar because it is easier to utilize as energy by the body.

Also, you cannot just tell people to keep thier calories under 2,000 for a day. You will lose much more than fat by doing this. The body will start to use muscle for energy. If you workout or plan to workout, you will need much more than 2,000 calories a day AND you will still lose body fat because these two processes are interrelated.

All that might make you healthy, but I have lost probably 25 lbs in like 6 or so months by simply taking out the crap foods I eat. Little stuff- like when you go get a snack, think twice before getting a coke and an oatmeal cream pattie. That's like 400 calories right there. Just a little under what you should get from an entire meal. Now I don't even know the beginnings of real healthy livings, but I do know that more calories=bad. I have tried to cut back on driking cokes (or "soda" or "pop" ) unless they're diet. Don't get me wrong, those have bad stuff as well, but it will help with overall weight. Cut out the snacks and just try to eat less food in general. I switched to sweet tea which helped a bunch, as well as splenda instead of real sugar. My basic rule of thumb is to eat very little snacks at all, if I do get some yogurt or something, drink less fattening milk, eat less food in general, etc.

DISCLAIMER- I know that a lot of what I mentioned might not be completely good for you. What I said was what I did to lose some weight. Now I don't THINK Splenda is bad for you, but then again I've heard that it is. And I know that Diet drinks still contain bad stuff, but at least in my book it's worth the fewer calories.

Try to remember this- See if you can keep daily calory intake to 2000 or less. Remember that much of that will be spent in an OK manner, in mealtime. What gets ya is the snacking. Keep that at an absolute max of 400 a day, and that's if you eat light meals. Better goal is 250 or so, but better yet is zero. A rough estimate about this is that 3000 calories=1 pound of fat. So the less you eat, the less you weigh. Might not be the HEALTHIEST way you can live, but IMO it's better than being fat.

[Morfesto]

You got any suggestions for ppl who are under weight , that are picky eaters , that tend to only be able to tone and not increase muscle mass. My friend would like to know

[Southpaw]

Potatoe

HAHAHA Are you really Dan Quayle

[ScatterPlot]

I realize that just telling people to "stop" is easier said than done, but it worked for me. And I was under the impression that about 2000 was a good range to shoot for, guess not. But then again I don't do much working out or anything, and almost never check how many calories are in what I'm eating at mealtimes. I just sorta use it as a gauge to be like, you know, this is almost a meal's worth of calories. I shouldn't eat this" kinda thing.

And I would like some more info on Splenda. I've heard different things; from it doesn't digest at all to it gives you tumors. I just don't know, cause it's all heresay. If you had a link that would be awesome.

[Mango]

Sure. First, to address the picky eater topic, that is something that the person has to deal with on an individual basis. I do not know what they like or dislike.

In order to gain any amount of muscle mass to accompany a weight lifting program, or any physical training program, it all comes down to simple calories. The myth that there are "hard gainers" is just that, a myth. It has been debunked countless times. The fact is, these people labeled as hard gainers just have a fast metabolism and they tend to store body fat differently. Also, there is such a thing called the "set point" that the body sets for the amount of tissue (fat AND muscle) that it will want to maintain. Sometimes, breaking this set point is quite difficult!

First, an underweight individual needs to increase calorie consumption. It depends by how much but I would say if the person is regularly active (30 min a day minimum) they could safely increase thier daily caloric consumption by 1500 calories. If they are more active than 30 minutes, just tack on an aditional 500 to 800 calories per 30 minutes of activity.

This should idealy come from small meals throughout the day. Make sure they are getting enough protien (about .8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight). Also, carbohydrates are vitally important.

Use the link I posted above to guide food choices!

You got any suggestions for ppl who are under weight , that are picky eaters , that tend to only be able to tone and not increase muscle mass. My friend would like to know