BeanDiet

That's right, I'm a high-carber, and proud of it.

In fact, we should all be eating diets very high in carbohydrates, since fruit, veg.s, whole grains, nuts, peas, seeds, beans and lentils are primarily composed of carbs. If we all were to eat more like this, we would get plenty of protein (although not dangerous levels), and the good fats, like Omega-3 and monounsaturated fat. But yes, 75% or so of our calories would be carbs - good carbs.

And guess what? Our bodies are designed to run on carbs. Carbohydrates are fuel for every single cell, especially brain cells, if you consider them important. Without enough carbs, our body literally thinks it's starving, and it's tricked into breaking down its tissue to keep itself alive. First it breaks down muscle tissue (and we all know that's no good), and then it starts breaking down fat tissue (which is why low-carb diets cause crazy weight loss).

And as I posted yesterday, the catabolism of all that protein and fat creates a ton of acid, which is neutralized at the expense of our bone density.

Not to mention that the minute you step off one of these diets, you'll gain every pound back and then some. I remember thinking how every time I saw a picture of Dr. Atkin's when he was alive, he was at a different weight. And then of course he had that not-too-well-media-covered massive heart attack, followed by breaking so many bones from falling on an icy sidewalk that he had to be hospitalized...

Considering that our bodies are designed to fuel on carbs (good carbs, not processed ones), it makes sense that when we don't eat enough we create something as dangerous as ketone acids. Ketone acids not only cause bone loss, but can create a condition called ketoacidosis, which can be deadly. It can cause heart arrythmia, heart damage, and birth defects in children whose mothers had high levels of ketones when pregnant.

I've heard stories of people who went on low-carb diets and got very, very sick. I've had people tell me how sickly looking their friends became after going on this diet. And I've met a man who lost 100 pounds - and gained all of it back, after going on and off this diet. Not to mention the kidney stones.

So speaking of low-carb/high protein diets, I suddenly remembered that's what the Southbeach diet is. It's definately not as extreme as Atkin's, but it is amazingly high in protein. I do like that it emphasises whole grains, fruit and veg.s, and removes refined foods. But it's still not as high in carbs or fiber as it should be.

So there.

And if you really want to lose some weight, become a high carb/high fiber person yourself. (See first several posts for more on this).

Well, the season is getting warm, so I think it's time to venture to salad recipes. This is one of my all-time favorite salads.

Asian Cabbage Slaw - 15 minutes
(Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)

2&1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

* dressing *
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
dash of Tabasco (optional)

1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Combine cabbage, carrots and bell peppers in a serving bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and optional Tabasco. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Just before serving, mix the slaw well and add the chopped nuts if you like.