Carbs and Fats etc

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Carbs and Fats etc

Postby hrcfokn » Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:47 am

Hi,

So if I switch my pescatarian way of eating (it's been about 20 years now) to closer to full vegan, it will be dropping a protein I am familiar with to rely on proteins in plant based foods. I'm ok with this and feel it is a good thing to try but how can carb/fats-heavy wheat pastas and grain be helpful? Am I just swapping it with the fats in oils and cheese? I have been struggling with finding a better way to eat that makes me happy as well as trying to eat in a way my body likes so I can enjoy weight loss. Can someone please clarify how vegans are healthy if they have grains in their diet which I always thought was a big no-no overall. If you look at the carb content of whole wheat pasta for example, it's worse than the white processed stuff.
Thank you
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Re: Carbs and Fats etc

Postby michaelswarm » Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:59 am

hrcfokn wrote:Hi,

So if I switch my pescatarian way of eating (it's been about 20 years now) to closer to full vegan, it will be dropping a protein I am familiar with to rely on proteins in plant based foods. I'm ok with this and feel it is a good thing to try but how can carb/fats-heavy wheat pastas and grain be helpful? Am I just swapping it with the fats in oils and cheese? I have been struggling with finding a better way to eat that makes me happy as well as trying to eat in a way my body likes so I can enjoy weight loss. Can someone please clarify how vegans are healthy if they have grains in their diet which I always thought was a big no-no overall. If you look at the carb content of whole wheat pasta for example, it's worse than the white processed stuff.
Thank you


Welcome,

The doubts you have are normal, and the nutrition and evidence is broad and complex.

Exclusion of grains is very recent development in some corners of modern culture, and an big error. Feel free to enjoy starches, including grains, normally whole grains, in abundance. Unless you have auto immune celiac, wheat is an excellent staple food, as it has been for thousands of years.

I regularly enjoy whole wheat in pasta and breads, brown rice pilafs and steamed, sweet and white potatoes, and various beans and lentils. These are the staple foods that provide the bulk of energy and satisfaction in my weekly menu. To this I add sauces, soups and stews from vegetables, and fruits for desert and snacks. I cook fresh and from scratch, but that is not a requirement. This is what peasant farmers ate for most of human history. If you buy packaged products, learn to read the nutrition labels, especially the ingredients.

There is big difference between whole food like whole wheat and refined foods like white flour.
There is big difference between complex carbohydrate in grains and other starches, and simple sugars.
There is big difference between all plant foods as category and all animal foods.

At the level of recipes and meal planning, you want to think of food categories (plant/animal) and food groups (grains, beans, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats, dairy, etc.), not macro nutrients. All foods in a food group will tend to have similar macro nutrient profiles. For example, all grains are high in carbohydrate (complex), and low (but sufficient) in protein and fat. For weight loss, you also want to consider energy density, for example the difference between boiled pasta (~600 cal per pound) and baked bread (~1200 calories per pound).

If you have not already done so, explore the resources in the Free Program. I feel the Starch Solution best outlines the understanding of food, nutrition, health and disease, and history.

The McDougall Plan excludes all animal foods, including fish and cheese, and excludes or limits processed plant foods like white flour, white sugar, and oils.

The Starch Solution
- The basic McDougall diet is made of starches, vegetables, and fruits - no animal products of any kind and no added oils. This video will explain to you why we recommend you center your diet around common starches, such as rice, corn, beans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes

The Starch Solution Video Presentation
https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/mc ... -solution/

The Starch Solution Article
http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/feb/starch.htm.

How To Begin Pt 1 - Starting the McDougall Program
https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewt ... 14&t=58221
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Re: Carbs and Fats etc

Postby ETeSelle » Thu Dec 16, 2021 2:59 pm

What fats are you imagining in pasta?? There pretty much aren't any.
Elizabeth
Weight now: 124 (20.0 BMI)
Weight in 2010: 207 (33.4 BMI)
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Trust me on this: One day you'll wake up and realize that it no longer feels like "being strict." It just feels GOOD. :)
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