Don't Have A Whale

Comic strip from Mutts by Patrick McDonnell

Hehehe, I just opened up my e-mail and got this little strip from my comic subscription. Hehehe.. Aside from the fact that I look like a whale now, I find that what the little crabby said is true. :P

It is funny as it reminded me of what I'm supposed to cut out from my diet, which is CARBS!!!!

So, what constitutes CARBs or Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates (from 'hydrates of carbon') or saccharides (Greek σάκχαρον meaning "sugar") are simple organic compounds that are straight-chain aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group. Carbohydrates are the most abundant biological molecules, and fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy (starch, glycogen) and structural components (cellulose in plants, chitin in animals). - Taken from Wikipedia.

Anyway, from a nutritional standpoint, carbohydrates provide the energy necessary for us to do work. However, if you do recall your high school science, excess carbohydrates will be converted into sugars and later fat deposits in your body.

Have you ever felt sleepy after taking a lot of rice during lunch? Well, that is because your body has been through a temporary "sugar high" after your body has absorbed too much sugar to convert it into glycogen (fats), leaving your blood with a low sugar level. You feel tired, fatigued and even sleepy. [source]

Hence, "carbs" are a dieters nightmare. Not only that, but I think the food pyramid taught in school is just all wrong. We should be taking less carbs and more fruits and vegetables instead. So, controlling carbs is everyone's nightmare now!! (^ ^)

However, when you are starting to work out. You might find that your trainers or some nutritionists who tell you that you still need some carbs in order to give you energy in your workout. This means that although we are encouraged not to take white rice, we are encouraged to take more cereals, unpolished rice and fibre in order to "fill-up" the stomach.

By the way, white bread is not good idea as it contains too much refined sugar which is tend converted into fat. It is better to take wholemeal/high fibre breads instead.

Anyway, I've been cutting out rice from my diet for the past 3 weeks and substituting it with a bit of pasta, and wholemeal breads.

What are the effects? I'm feeling lighter and more alert after lunch. If I do feel hungry, I take some fruits to feel full. However, I try to stay away from the very sweet fruits but opt for stuff like guava or apples. I've not tried taking green apples as my stomach tends to get very acidic after that.

Anyway, it is a battle but I hope that I can win the war. (^ ^)