Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Carbs.....If Loving You is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

Good-ness!  Where do I even start?  Oh, well let's start with the main subject of this post, carbs!  I get it, carbs are bad.  How bad?  Well, it depends on who you are talking to.  Personally I refuse to believe that everybody should cut all carbs out of their diets and all will be right with the world.  Everybody would be thin, healthy and fit....but then again some people do truly believe this, and that's fine.  Seriously, there are books out there that will give you all the science, facts and studies to prove the authors theory, and a lot of them will make sense to you, and if it works for you then hooray!


I base my belief on living with someone who has never ever had a weight "problem" and eats plenty of carbs.  I base my belief on having friends that have never had a "weight problem" and they eat plenty of carbs.  I base my belief on the fact that I've traveled a bit to other countries, and have known people that live here from other countries, and a lot of them do not have weight "problem" and do not "track" their carbohydrate consumption.  They enjoy desserts, pasta, rice, bread...did I mention bread?

Do I think carbs are great and everybody should live on carbs? No, I don't.  From my own experience I feel better, and I think I look better when I keep all of my nutrients balanced.  Some days my carbohydrate consumption is lower than other days, and then some days I can't seem to get enough Grape-Nuts.  At the end of the day I have to ask myself what kind of life do I want to live?

Sure, I am confident I can live a life completely devoid of Grape-Nuts, that's a fact. I didn't eat Grape-Nuts for at least 5 years, no big deal, and except for a 2-3 month period when I learned how to make my own Kettlecorn I haven't had popcorn in the same amount of time and don't plan to start eating it regularly again. If I never eat another bagel it may be too soon, lol!

I can live my life without a lot of things except for joy.  Being overweight is not joyful.  Stuffing myself on a regular basis and overeating when I'm not hungry does not feel joyful.  Being weak and sick is not joyful.  Being obnoxiously obsessed with every morsel that passes my lips is not joyful....oh and then telling everybody about it is not joyful.

When I was writing the diet section of my book, "The Swing", I wanted to encourage others to find their own way based on what worked for me.  What worked for me?

Making my own foods., no eating out....never eating out. (feeding myself)
Not overeating. (calorie counting)
Putting my nutrients in order based on the physical effects those nutrients create by becoming an expert on how my body feels when I eat certain foods so I can make the choices I need to produce the results I'm looking for, at the time.(food journaling)

Sure, believe me, I can tell you exactly what to eat and when, and maybe it will come to something like that at some point, but I trust you.

I know the science behind different types of nutrients.  Science says that 1 gr carbs hold 4 gr water, versus 1 gr salt which holds 20 gr water.  Protein holds no water and actually sheds water.  So I get it.  I get that those who chose to exclude foods and nutrients based on how those foods make them feel, bloated and sometimes truly sick, I get it.  Personally I know that pizza does not make me feel good.  A whole bag of cookies does not make me feel good.  French fries rarely make me feel good...I get it.  If fish oil and protein powder makes you feel on top of the world then great!  Most people would not consider plain yogurt with sliced toasted almonds and lime a "treat" on the same level as ice cream, but I do.

I know what I eat and I feel dang good about my choices, in fact I'm proud of how I feed myself and my family.  Who could ask for more?  Carbs?  I am not cutting carbs completely out of my life today or ever, so if loving carbs is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

11 comments:

Juci SFG said...

I freaking love this!

Diana said...

Ditto to what Juci RKC said!

Nadine said...

I hear you! I have never been over weight and have always loved my carbs - what else would I eat for breakfast? I start my day with either blueberry pancakes (4) or quinoa with fruit! Yum! Also, as a vegan, almost all I eat is carbs!...aren't veggies and fruit carbs? Oh,and I am not giving up my veg. sushi and ineri (sp?) anytime soon- or my challah on friday night....hmm I think I maybe a carboholic!! ha ha :)
Also, you need carbs for energy....

great post!!

guy said...

I agree w/ something Dan John wrote in "Never Let Go" he said, "I feel better when I am eating lo-carb & I feel better when I"m eating higher fiber, the two are'nt always easy to balance."
I try to keep my carbs at 50-100g daily. Something I picked up from "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson. Which has alot of similarities to "The Swing Diet" Esp the emphasis on eating fresh real foods. You have to go w/ what works for you. Now my Saturdat night free-meal involves either Mexican, Italian, or Hungarian quisine,freshly made of course...but carby as hell:)

Mark Reifkind said...

guy, I disagree. High fiber, in the forms of LOTS of green( zero carb) veggies and protein/fats go together perfectly. In fact, imo, that is the key.

if one uses fat for fuels instead of carbs you really need more veg to balance things out, minerally as well as fiber.Don't agree with Dan on this one.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Juci,

I see more of your home made bread in my future :)))

Tracy Reifkind said...

Diana,

I truly believe most people know what's best for them, just don't bore me with the details, and unless you are "perfect" don't preach.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Nadine,

Can't really agree with pancakes for breakfast, but it works for you, super! Maybe I should try it (kidding...maybe!)

Mark used to be a big time bread baker when he was single and living as a competitive athlete with no money! (I can't picture it, lol) He says challah was one of his best breads!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Guy,

as I mentioned, we all find what works for us....if it's really working!

I can't tell you how many times I listen to people that are perplexed about why they are overweight when they eat "pretty healthy".

My only complaint that if you want to change it, and you don't change your diet, consider there's no magic going on! You need to change it!

guy said...

I stand corrected, the qoute was not from Dan John's "Never Let Go" instead it was from an .mp3 interview done by Geoff Neupert. I agree w/ Mr. Riff, b/c when I have done lo-carb in past, i've predominately eaten green veg and unprocessed meats, with a little fruit thrown in occaisonaly (berries).
I wonder if he (Dan John) meant getting in the required daily allotment of fiber that we are supposed to intake, on a lo-carb diet is difficult? I'd have to email Dan John, I quess?

Tracy Reifkind said...

Guy,

Really who cares...is your food working? Sounds like you are a smart guy (no pun intended...you must get that a lot!)...go with your gut (again, no pun intended!)