Happy New Year Everyone! I’m sure some of you made a new year resolution that involves loosing some spare tires. And part of getting a 6 pack abs does lie in the kitchen. So here’s the article I hope will help you get into a better shape. One thing I must emphasize is that if you are into paleo diet, a lot of cultures started eating carbs even during the hunter gatherer phase (the one that is considered as the model life style for the paleo crowd), they just happen to eat tubers (yam, potatoes and sweet potatoes) instead of grain. Some Papua tribes technically still living in hunter gatherer phase and they consume lots of sago pith which is 99% carbs (wheat and barley contains more protein, fat and fiber).
So without futher ado, here’s my top 6:
Brown Rice
Asians simply eat lots of rice. Brown rice is simply rice that still has its edible hull and endosperm while white rice already had the edible hull and endosperm removed. Compared to white rice, brown rice has more than 3 times as much magnesium in it (important nutrient) and almost 5 times as much fiber. And because of the high fiber content, your digestion system will ingest it at much slower rate, preventing sudden spike in blood sugar. Of course some people cannot tolerate the texture of cooked brown rice, hence I highly recommend mixing 3 parts of brown rice with 7 parts of white rice on your first trial.
Potatoes!
Anybody that has watched the martian probably knows that potatoes almost has all the nutritional content the body needs. Its almost a perfect food. Even Adam Smith (The Adam Smith that wrote “Wealth of Nation” and pretty much started the theory of economics) praise it for its nourishing qualities. You can boil it, bake it, steam it, or turn it into mashed potatoes to suit your taste buds and it will still be healthy. Just make sure you use the right type of potatoes for your type of cooking and don’t fry it because fried potatoes are simply bad for your health.
Quinoa
Food of the American Indians! This pseudo-cereal (its technically not a cereal) is probably the closest thing we have to a perfect food. One cup of serving contains 5 grams of fiber, more than double the fiber content of brown rice and 8 grams of protein. its has one of the lowest glycemic index among the cereals, perfect for both people with diabetes, and those that wants to loose weight. Unlike most plant based proteins, the protein composition of quinoa has all the essential amino acids, hence comparable to animal protein. And even boiled egg only contains 6 grams of protein. Last but not least, its also very easy to cook, just throw it to the rice cooker.
Barley
Another one of my favorite grain. Barley is highly nutritious and widely used as drink in multiple culture, and if you are on a diet, I would recommend adding it to your rice mix. A serving size of 200 grams will get you a whooping 31 grams of fiber and 20 grams of proteins! It is also a good source of Manganese and Selenium. The added protein and fiber will help keep you fuller for longer.
Rye
Yes, I know a lot of people go gluten free because its trendy although they are not really gluten intolerant. But there are also plenty of people that eat lots of noodles or bread and got bloated afterwards. Should that be the case, then rather than consuming food that has been chemically processed to separate the gluten, I would highly recommend them to replace the wheat with rye instead. Rye has been used instead of wheat in bread for centuries in Scandinavian countries and Russia. And unlike wheat, rye very low in gluten, hence more suitable for those with gluten intolerant. 1 cup of rye (128 gr) contains 29g of dietary fiber and 18g of protein, manganese, phosphorous, and magnesium.
Yam
Probably one of the most affordable food widespread in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania. Although yam is quite low on protein, it still has a low glycemic index, i.e. takes a while to digest, hence suitable for people on a diet. And since its cheap, it won’t break the bank.
In the end, I personally think diet is not something a person must do to an extreme in order to get an extreme result in short amount of time. This sort of method will only lead people crashing out in the long term. Diet should be a gradual change you can maintain over the long run. Hence if a particular diet is too emotionally taxing for you, don’t do it. If its too expensive for you to maintain in the long run, don’t do it. If it leads you feel lethargic, don’t do it. Best of all in 2017!
