The Low Carb Lifestyle

[Tolley]

We have had this discussion before but all things being equal diet is more important than exercise.

With a healthy diet you will naturally be active.

However overtime a poor diet will not be completely offset by excercise no matter how active you are.

Get the diet right and you will do the exercise anyway.

Further when there are times through illness or a schedule that doesnt allow much exercise, or even old age then the habits of good diet will carry you through these times.

Sorry to disagree, but if a person is too lazy to get off their butt to exercise, no diet in the world will get them started... and even more so with you trying your best to convince them that exercise is not important for losing fat.

Laziness is more than just a diet issue - it's a state of mind. Better to develop some willpower and drive. The effort of getting up to exercise gives motivation to eat better.

I eat a good diet, but getting out to exercise still requires a lot of mental effort. It doesn't come naturally. It never has and I've been at it (gym) for 36 years - eating well and exercising. If I waited for the natural urge to exercise I'd either be dead by now or weighing 400 lbs.

Both a good diet AND exercise are important - equally.

I know plenty of people in my father's generation who never did much serious exercise but were very active working and walking but still maintained low weight, good blood pressure etc. I attribute that to good diet. It would be interesting to see if there is any serious research into the subject.

[dingdang]

I know plenty of people in my father's generation who never did much serious exercise but were very active working and walking but still maintained low weight, good blood pressure etc. I attribute that to good diet. It would be interesting to see if there is any serious research into the subject.

our food changed... animals are drugged a lot, and vegetables do contain much more pestizides...

the types of wheats, fruit trees etc were selected by their resistance to the nature, easy maintenance etc..

also, a lot of stabilizers, colorstuff and so on is added...

maybe, these changes attribute to sicknesses like "ADHD", prostate and other hormone problems - which (faik) go hand-in-hand with blood pressure issues...

maybe, we cant compare the diets of previous generations with ours anymore (...and expect the same results...)...

Edited July 9, 2012 by dingdang

[tropo]

I know plenty of people in my father's generation who never did much serious exercise but were very active working and walking but still maintained low weight, good blood pressure etc. I attribute that to good diet. It would be interesting to see if there is any serious research into the subject.

"Good diet" is never a guarantee of good health because "good diet" is too difficult to qualify. Many of us try our best, but it's not always possible to get great results and environmental factors (climate, pollution, local availability of good food etc) can be difficult to control.

I know plenty of people living in poor rural areas (Philippines) who have atrocious diets (due to poverty) who work from sunrise to sunset on sugar cane plantations and rice farms, 7 days a week, and who are not overweight. Their activity is a matter of survival, not good diet.

The people of your father's generation tended not to be as lazy as people are today. These days everything is automated and people are lazier. Their comparative leanness is just as easily attributed to their more active lifestyles back then.

[tropo]

I know plenty of people in my father's generation who never did much serious exercise but were very active working and walking but still maintained low weight, good blood pressure etc. I attribute that to good diet. It would be interesting to see if there is any serious research into the subject.

our food changed... animals are drugged a lot, and vegetables do contain much more pestizides...

the types of wheats, fruit trees etc were selected by their resistance to the nature, easy maintenance etc..

also, a lot of stabilizers, colorstuff and so on is added...

maybe, these changes attribute to sicknesses like "ADHD", prostate and other hormone problems - which (faik) go hand-in-hand with blood pressure issues...

maybe, we cant compare the diets of previous generations with ours anymore (...and expect the same results...)...

Spot on. They weren't making any effort to eat well. They knew far less about what comprises a good diet back then. By default their diets were better due to the food being less contaminated.

They were more active because they had to be. For example, when I was young we mowed the lawns with a hand mower, which was replaced by a power mower 10 years later.

It seems to be that people embrace easy ways to do things no matter how fit and healthy they are. I'm a good example of this. I'll train for up to 2 hours per day yet I just had to get 2 remote control fans for my lounge and bedroom because I just hated getting up out of my chair to turn them on and adjust them.

Edited July 9, 2012 by tropo

[Tolley]

I know plenty of people in my father's generation who never did much serious exercise but were very active working and walking but still maintained low weight, good blood pressure etc. I attribute that to good diet. It would be interesting to see if there is any serious research into the subject.

"Good diet" is never a guarantee of good health because "good diet" is too difficult to qualify. Many of us try our best, but it's not always possible to get great results and environmental factors (climate, pollution, local availability of good food etc) can be difficult to control.

I know plenty of people living in poor rural areas (Philippines) who have atrocious diets (due to poverty) who work from sunrise to sunset on sugar cane plantations and rice farms, 7 days a week, and who are not overweight. Their activity is a matter of survival, not good diet.

The people of your father's generation tended not to be as lazy as people are today. These days everything is automated and people are lazier. Their comparative leanness is just as easily attributed to their more active lifestyles back then.

Yes people today are definitely not as active as they were in the past but that is a matter of choice in many cases.

As for quality of food that is an interesting one.

You can get really good quality food now if you are prepared to pay for it especially in Australia.

Organic meats fruit and vegetables are all available if you can afford it.

I think it is more a combination of the size of meals and the type of foods that the average person is consuming that is causing a lot of the health problems.

I was brought up on porridge for breakfast, sandwich and fruit for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner. Never had soft drinks, chips or chocolate in the house. Walked to school and played sport everyday.

[tropo]

I think it is more a combination of the size of meals and the type of foods that the average person is consuming that is causing a lot of the health problems.

Yes, that's the trick - to limit carbohydrate load at each meal. Spread it out over the day to avoid insulin spikes. Add protein and good fats and you'll start leaning out without ever having to count a calorie - and of course, exercise frequently.

These days the gym is even more important because it makes up for a general lack of activity during the day. This computer I'm typing on is probably the worst offender. It even saves me a trip to the cinema.

[tominbkk]

I don't get involved much in the technical side of dieting but have followed Atkins with some success.

First two weeks very little carbs.

After this I plunge in with my own variations I have one very interesting one.

PORRIDGE OR OATS.

100grms are about 59 carbs

You can make an 'oatmeal' with flax seed. Almost no carbs and certainly does the oatmeal trick for me. Plus, lots and lots of fiber!!!!

[tropo]

You can make an 'oatmeal' with flax seed. Almost no carbs and certainly does the oatmeal trick for me. Plus, lots and lots of fiber!!!!

That's interesting. Can you explain how you make your porridge from flaxseeds? Do you grind them first or use them whole?

[mommysboy]

Low carb? What arer we really saying? lay off the rubbish food like cakes. But it must be a mistake to avoid good quality carbs, full grain rice, wholewheat bread, spuds, and pasta all extremely important foods. Granted some people, eg, diabetics need to be careful.

Perhaps most people place too much emphasis on diet and not enough on exercise, walking is easy to do and enjoyable, whether outside or in a gym. If you can jog, swim, or cycle so much the better. You don't need to over exert.

[ronz28]

Regarding carbs,

If its white= don't bite.

No sugar,

No potatoes,

No white bread,

No white rice,

No salt,

No ice cream,

No flour,

No cake,

No cookies,

etc, you know.

[tropo]

Low carb? What arer we really saying? lay off the rubbish food like cakes. But it must be a mistake to avoid good quality carbs, full grain rice, wholewheat bread, spuds, and pasta all extremely important foods. Granted some people, eg, diabetics need to be careful.

Low carb means laying off the fruit too - and carrots, beans, pumpkin, oats etc.

[tropo]

Regarding carbs,

If its white= don't bite.

No sugar,

No potatoes,

No white bread,

No white rice,

No salt,

No ice cream,

No flour,

No cake,

No cookies,

etc, you know.

The potatoes I eat are yellow - so they should be ok then?

[Tolley]

Regarding carbs,

If its white= don't bite.

No sugar,

No potatoes,

No white bread,

No white rice,

No salt,

No ice cream,

No flour,

No cake,

No cookies,

etc, you know.

The potatoes I eat are yellow - so they should be ok then?

This is all good in theory and i agree with what is on the list, and I generally subscribe to very healthy living but you have to be realistic the majority of people have absolutely no chance of sticking to such a diet and in fact the people that do go on these diets or any diet for that matter usually end up fatter in the long run.

You need to make fundamental lifestyle changes which include of course better eating habits, exercise and moderation in alcohol comsumption etc.

Of course there is also the emotional factor working with food intake. I believe the majority of people these days have some idea on good nutrition but due to emotional problems or disorders many people cannot control their eating habits.

[tropo]

Of course there is also the emotional factor working with food intake. I believe the majority of people these days have some idea on good nutrition but due to emotional problems or disorders many people cannot control their eating habits.

LOL. I don't prescribe to very restrictive diets. This is one reason why I like to do a lot of exercise, because it gives me more freedom to eat delicious and healthy carbohydrates - like fruit, whole grains and starchy vegetables. The exercise keeps my insulin metabolism in prime condition so I don't pack on fat.

Going very low carb will eventually cause emotional disturbances. These very low carb diets are doomed to fail because carbs are the most delicious foods one can eat. I love a nice steak and other meats, but a meal isn't complete without some delicious carbs. There's no way I'm going to stop eating carrots, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, beans, milk, yoghurt, oats, bread, fruit etc etc. Anyone who suggests a diet with these foods is not natural due to the "Paleo diet theory" is way off base as far as I'm concerned.

Cave men didn't live long - so saying their diet was optimal is meaningless. Cacti can survive in a dessert, but give them a lot of water in your back yard and see how much better they can grow.

Eat nutritious carbs moderately and enjoy life I say.

[mommysboy]

Low carb? What arer we really saying? lay off the rubbish food like cakes. But it must be a mistake to avoid good quality carbs, full grain rice, wholewheat bread, spuds, and pasta all extremely important foods. Granted some people, eg, diabetics need to be careful.

Low carb means laying off the fruit too - and carrots, beans, pumpkin, oats etc.

In this case then, perhaps it should be renamed the disaster diet- a superfood ban!!

I agree exercise is most important. The war generation have been the healthiest in general, their diet was not good, but they could not overeat, and were more active.

[mommysboy]

Forgot to mention, did anyone read the 2 reports that came out last week?, suggesting people who eat a lot less live a lot longer and those people who walk half an hour daily live a lot longer too.

Interestingly one report made a distinction between being fit and being slim, the 2 were not necessarily a neat fit as we might think. A person who carries a bit of flab but who still keeps fit is likely also to live longer.

Sorry no refs, but should be able to google the reports.

[tropo]

Low carb? What arer we really saying? lay off the rubbish food like cakes. But it must be a mistake to avoid good quality carbs, full grain rice, wholewheat bread, spuds, and pasta all extremely important foods. Granted some people, eg, diabetics need to be careful.

Low carb means laying off the fruit too - and carrots, beans, pumpkin, oats etc.

In this case then, perhaps it should be renamed the disaster diet- a superfood ban!!

They're claiming it's the way to be perfectly healthy. They figure it was good for cavemen, so it must be the right diet for all modern men. Of course they don't take into consideration the fact that most of the world's population live on carbs.

[robblok]

The fact that we ate something in the past does not mean its the best for us. Cavemen might not have had the diseases we had because they never got old. It was a hard life. I am sure that they did not select the food that was best for them but just took what was available.

[Tolley]

The blood type diet is very interesting because it is based on how we evolved. The basic premise is that depending on your blood type which comes from your ancestty you are more susceptible to certain diseases and you should eat certain foods and even exercise in a certain way.

I am blood type A and a lot of what is mentioned in the diets for blood type is right for me.

http://www.dadamo.com/bloodtype_O.htm

[tominbkk]

That's interesting. Can you explain how you make your porridge from flaxseeds? Do you grind them first or use them whole?

Grind a few tablespoons in the coffee grinder. Boil about a half cup water with a splash of cream in it, add the seed, stir a minute, and it is nice and thick. Add a pat of butter, some stevia, and cinnamon. good stuff!

[tominbkk]

Low carb? What arer we really saying? lay off the rubbish food like cakes. But it must be a mistake to avoid good quality carbs, full grain rice, wholewheat bread, spuds, and pasta all extremely important foods.

Empty carbs, all of them. Get your carbs form fresh veg, the more colorful the better. Leave the grains for the cattle.

[tropo]

That's interesting. Can you explain how you make your porridge from flaxseeds? Do you grind them first or use them whole?

Grind a few tablespoons in the coffee grinder. Boil about a half cup water with a splash of cream in it, add the seed, stir a minute, and it is nice and thick. Add a pat of butter, some stevia, and cinnamon. good stuff!

That's interesting. I've never considered making porridge with them straight up. I put a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed with my oats after they're cooked. That's 60 grams of oats with 30 grams of ground flaxseed on top.

This meal doesn't cause a blood sugar spike.

[glbv]

beware that flax has a tendency to kind of gum up in high quantities especially in oats. Its not horrible but you will definitely get some globs of just flax. If anyone's found a decent coffee grinder that doesn't cost 50$ id love to know where. Went and bought a nice food processor that i figured could multi task, but the flax is to fine i guess and it barely gets touched. Had a coffee grinder from the states but one of the pieces wore out.

[tropo]

beware that flax has a tendency to kind of gum up in high quantities especially in oats. Its not horrible but you will definitely get some globs of just flax. If anyone's found a decent coffee grinder that doesn't cost 50$ id love to know where. Went and bought a nice food processor that i figured could multi task, but the flax is to fine i guess and it barely gets touched. Had a coffee grinder from the states but one of the pieces wore out.

I don't have a problem with ground flaxseed globbing up in oats because I always mix some milk in after adding them. All you need is the blender grinding attachment which is included with every blender I've ever seen sold here, even the cheap ones. My Phillips blender has been on special for well over a year at the big stores at 890 baht (Homeworks, Big C). It does an amazing job grinding both flaxseed and coffee.