House guests who ‘don’t eat carbohydrate’

[Littlemessymiss]

The second time a particular house guest has brought a girlfriend who does not to eat ‘carbohydrates’ in the form of starch/ gluten. There is no chrohns/ coeliac. There is a limit to how many roasted cauliflowers and sweet potatos I can stomach.
We would not have evolved as a species if there was an absence of carb!
WIBU to educate these Americans of the joy of a nice rib of beef with roasties and Yorkshire’s?

I'm not a scientist but as I understand it we eat to get hold of various substances that are essential for the functioning of our bodies. Foods containing protein give us amino acids. Foods containing fat give us essential fatty acids. Eating a good range of foods of all types gives us an excellent chance of getting all the vitamins and minerals we need.

The other key requirement we have is an energy source. We need glucose, a simple sugar, to be carried round in the bloodstream to every cell in the body. The glucose is our fuel, like the petrol in a car. We get it from digesting our food. All carbohydrates except cellulose can be broken down in the body into glucose. So that means sucrose, fructose and lactose (all sugars), but also starch. In an extremity the body can break down both fat and protein to convert them into glucose. If there is more glucose available from our food than we need at the time it gets converted into fat and stored for another time.

The problem with refined carbohydrate is that it's incredibly easy to eat a lot in a short time and scarcely notice we're doing it. Eating high-fibre foods takes a long time because of the chewing and the fibrous part bulks out the stomach and makes us feel full. Eating fat and protein for some reason makes us feel full quite quickly so we stop eating. Eating bread, sugary foods and so on unfortunately doesn't.

I assume that's why low carb diets help people lose weight. Like most weight loss diet programmes, if someone follows the advice carefully they will end up eating fewer calories than they did before.

I'm sure for many people there is also the advantage of eliminating things their body finds difficult to tolerate, like newer additives or gluten.

PS Reverting to the fascinating topic of how our species adapted to the introduction fo agriculture, isn't it the case that:

1. Once we grew our own food rather than relying on what we could get from hunting and gathering, we usually had a reliable food supply and could put food by for lean years, so population increased.
2. Once population increased it became possible to settle down in villages, towns, cities and develop specialist trades, and once somebody does a job full-time they get better and better at it and technology/culture develops in leaps and bounds.
3. However, living in close proximity to our domesticated animals meant we got a lot more infectious diseases from them (cf bird flu now) and living in much more crowded conditions meant those diseases could spread very quickly through populations. Probably didn't help that the diet would have been less varied and obviously sanitation would have been an issue too.

So we ended up with higher mortality from diseases and permanent health effects on those who survived, e.g. not being as tall as a hunter gatherer, but there were far more of us than ever before.

The spread of our species right across the globe and the fact that we survived in almost every climate is proof of the fact that our bodies are incredibly adaptable and can keep us alive on almost any diet.

Actually most of the archeological and other evidence supports the theory that early humans did eat a carb-based diet (mainly fruit, starchy vegetables like yams, plaintains and sweet potatoes).

Yes, which is very similar to modern hunter-gatherers. The amount of protein is actually very low, and they rely heavily on the gatherers, who collect mainly roots, seeds, fruits and maybe some small animals.
A diverse diet compared with the more monotonous diet followed by most agricultural societies. Our diet can be more varied because of transport and modern agriculture.

Animals store carbohydrates as glycogen, which is the equivalent of starch, mainly in the liver.
So, even animal based diets can have some carbohydrate content.

For the Inuit it could be 15-20% in carbohydrates from animals, it seems.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_cuisine

@TigerDrankAllTheWaterInTheTap

That was an excellent summary!

Except on a tiny detail. More diseases don't necessarily mean a higher mortality rate.
People can survive many illnesses, but more rarely hunger from a sudden lack of resources.
So, agricultural populations could be less healthy overall, but still have a lower mortality rate. Which might be coupled with a higher fertility rate too, leading to population increase.

We very rarely eat carbs in the evening... there is now lentil pasta! which is delish

@AmeliaRose16, is your lentil pasta (will have to look up) one of the evening meals when you do eat a bit more carbs as lentils does include carbs, although obviously they are fibre rich and have some protein so relapse sugars more slowly?

My non scientific take from reading a bit online is unless you have a medical condition or allergy a diet not too high in refined carbs is probably good for many. I know I couldn’t follow long term low carb. Also I do prefer to eat meals with mainly good proteins, veg and oil but it is more expensive than a meal of rice and beans.

Great post tiger, my understanding of it all from a non scientifically trained perceptive.

The spread of our species right across the globe and the fact that we survived in almost every climate is proof of the fact that our bodies are incredibly adaptable and can keep us alive on almost any diet.

Adding to this, I've recently been reading a book that contained an analysis of the colonization of Greenland by the Inuit vs the Norse. The Inuit were successful because they adapted to the local sources of food. The Norse didn't because they tried to persist with foods and agricultural systems that they were used to from their homeland. Their colonies eventually disappeared completely, whilst the Inuit kept going, even if in a continuous struggle.
It looks like our minds are more problematic for survival than our bodies.

Typo, perspective.

ime the No Sugar crew are existing on honey and dried fruits and the No Gluten lot like brown toast and wholemeal pasta

What a crock of shit

I think that nutrition should be taught in schools in terms of what a food item is made up of and how this is metabolised when consumed.

I am biased as I have been eating low carb for over 25 years to control blood sugar and is now just my common sense in that I don't have to think about it. Eating out is fine - I can order what I want and control the intake of any carbs that come with it. A traditional roast or BBQ at friends is fine as I can pick and choose.

The only problem I have is with PIL who will serve a lunch with numerous types of carb (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) in abundance with a small amount of protein 'for taste'. I literally can't pick and choose unless I take all of the one can of tuna (to serve 6 adults and 2 teenage boys) and have nothing else on my plate. There is not even salad. This is not a financial issue (or a cultural one) but is ever so slightly passive aggressive as it places me in an awkward position - do I a) make myself ill; or b) appear 'rude'? It is all so unnecessary.

By the way, it is polite, and kind, for a host to accommodate a guest without causing them embarrassment - it is very bad manners, and unkind, to expect a guest to be embarrassed or experience discomfort in order to spare your feelings as the host.

Togaandsandals - yeah exactly its basically when im fed up of salad and want something abit heavier but not as heavy as pasta, its a good compromise!

I can’t stand bullshitters. It’s like people who are part time vegans or vegans that eat eggs 😒 or vegetarians that eat fish 😠 . Either commit to your dietary beliefs or shut up.

Well said!

Dp's "vegan" niece eats trifle with jelly and cream, even after it was pointed out to her that both are animal products. She also asked what I was making when I was mixing batter for Yorkies (she had "no idea that you could make them", having previously only ever had Aunt Bessie's) and ate several, happily, despite knowing that they included milk and egg! And she eats chocolate.

She still claims to be a vegan though.

If you're eating beans you need to have a grain with them AFAIK - like how Americans crush crackers on chilli con carne to provide the 'grain' element. Ah, googled...
Both beans and grains are examples of incomplete protein -- they contain some, but not all, of the essential amino acids. They also represent complementary proteins, which means that when you consume beans and grains together, their complementary amino acid contents provide your body with all the essential amino acids. For example, many grains are deficient in the essential amino acid lysine, a nutrient found in beans. Conversely, many beans contain only small amounts of methionine, an amino acid found in larger supply in grains.

Native Americans do a type of planting called Three Sisters - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture)

It really is only in MN land that fruit=Sugar! Bad!
Fruit is marvellous and very good for you. I'm off out right now to forage for blackberries. Free fruit is the very best.
Oh, and I agree with you Lweji about the mind being more of an impediment than the diet. Humans are amazingly adaptable.

what our bodies are made to eat, not Yorkshire puds unfortunately.

My body was totally made for Yorkshire puddings - I'd forego the whole roast for a plateful of them!

I agree with PP - just cook your regular meals, and remove the death-carb portion from hers, add extra veg. Anyone with an ounce of manners wouldn't grumble at being served up a home cooked meal!

I'm vegetarian and have Crohn's, so am super awkward at home, but at other people's houses, I'm just grateful. My last Christmas dinner was just a plate of veg because I didn't want to stress my brother out by insisting on special potatoes (he used goose fat) and a veggie-roast replacement. It was lovely!

What's an easy way to steam veg that doesn't involve a steamer or a microwave?

I have a metal colander and a saucepan whose lid happens to fit it. I boil some water in the pan, put the colander on top of the pan, the lid on top of the colander and steam away.

I have both a steamer (in back of cupboard and never used 😁 ) and one of those Chinese bamboo things which I do use. Less than a fiver, very good value.

It's interesting to see that anyone who makes food choices is somewhat mocked on this thread,,,oh but they eat cookies, they eat fruit, they had chips, when we all know that yes there are a few that get it wrong, but overall people who stick to a specific way of eating tend to do so correctly and for good reason, and if it works for them. Good for them. There is nothing wrong with trying to make health choices.

There are many reasons eating a low carb diet scientifically works, from diabetes reversal to weight loss or management, some folks struggle to control them selves around some carbs,

Personally if I invited guests to my home for dinner, yes I'd ask if there's was anything they didn't eat and if they said they were low carb, I'd simply cook the same meal but add extra veg, more of the cauliflower cheese for example, or broccoli, peas, green beans, whatever, and still have the Yorkshire and roasties for anyone who wanted them.

I think for people who true dietary restrictions, or even who refuse to eat certain types of food, it helps if they say specifically what they don't eat (as in, no wheat please) or what they do eat (meat and vegetables are fine, thanks).
It's the generic restriction that makes hosts look up what they can and can't cook that can be annoying.

We have had some great ones this year karatide . Good excuse for the garden being mostly brambles!

Good carbs are so good for us! How can eating mostly meat and cheese be better than wholegrain and veg and fruit? World's gone mad I tell ye!

Good carbs are so good for us! How can eating mostly meat and cheese be better than wholegrain and veg and fruit? World's gone mad I tell ye!

Eh? Who eats mainly meat and cheese?

Meat, cheese, eggs, fish, seafood, vegetables, salads, yoghurts, there is a myriad of things that folks eat.

I understand low carb suits some people best. Re low carb and weight loss there have been studies that show in the long term low carb doesn’t lose any more weight than medium carb. However, I take on board it’s easy to binge on refined carbs. I have done it.

Bluntness yes if people are sensible, but unfortunately I know a lot of non careers who fill up with ham, cheese etc thinking it's healthy because it's non carb!
IMO it's no to refined carbs but yes to fist sized amounts of wholemeal pasta, rice and grainy breads.

Non carbers not non careers lol!