I sat next to Linda Mathews at the Metaphysicians Circle Sunday meeting and she asked how my journal back to health was doing. I told her I’d dramatically changed my diet and now, 4 years later, had zero problems. Since watching fat grams is basically the only change I made (which cut out meats and fried stuff), she suggested I also cut carbs, always eat a protein with a carb, and pay attention to portion control. 

I emailed her:

“I thought I did so well since I don’t eat sweets, and the only processed food I eat is bread, pasta and the occasional canned soup.  I figured since I wasn’t having a problem, I was doing fine.

Thank you for the upgrade to my consciousness about the carbs.  I seldom eat a protein with my pasta or bread, and I eat too much of each.  You have motivated me to work on portion control.  I asked about the carb content of one cup of pasta, however I am one of those people who will have a 4 cup serving.  Your answer stunned me.  Thank you, I needed to be stunned.

I do eat lots of raw broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and fresh romaine, tomatoes, carrots and basil.  The occasional avocado or cucumber.  Bananas are now cut from my list, they were a staple before, an emergency food I would grab often when I couldn’t figure what else to eat quickly.  Almost each day what I eat for lunch is a giant Asian soup, usually a pho from Pho Cali  and a pho contains lowfat beef or chicken broth, raw broccoli , cauliflower and cabbage, scallions, onions, lime juice, bean sprouts and basil.  I usually get a romaine salad to go with it, with a vinegar type dressing.

In the evenings is when I may have pasta with garlic and olive oil, with toast.    A few times a week I might cook some chicken with rice, or some fish with rice or a potato.  And yes I have gone back to white rice and white pasta…  Mostly I cook rice and beans and might put it in a tortilla – more carbs!

I actually lose about 10 lbs quickly if I eat chicken or fish or turkey each day, but don’t like the idea of ingesting so much animal protein.  I could use some education in the nutrition department.  Actually, I have and have read a lot of books on it, but I’d like to know what happens to different foods as they go into my system, how they are broken down, what is used for what, etc.

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