Confessions of a Carboholic
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I must admit that I miss the days when bagels were the new donuts and people were flocking to bring them to work as meeting goodies. When I lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I worked at a company where bagel Fridays were a common occurrence. I had two favorites: the chocolate chip and the salt bagel. Both were warm and chewy on the inside with a outer layer that was slightly browned and had just the right “snap” sound when you broke it in half. There was no need for any spread on a fresh bagel like this. The salt flavor had just the right amount of salt on the bottom that made it taste even better than a warm pretzel. It has been 15 years since I lived there but my mouth still waters from the carbohydrate memory.
Looking for a lover of pasta? I’m your girl. A cup of fresh brewed coffee and a delicate pastry was my idea of how to start a great day. Staples on my weekly grocery list were red wine and bread from the bakery. I could certainly never give up pizza. Thin crust or Chicago deep dish, I love it all. I was perfectly happy until the Atkins diet became popular and all of a sudden, my favorite foods became my enemies.
I tried to be good but it was hard. As I dined out with friends, it would be my turn to order and although I meant to say, “I’ll have a salad with fat free dressing” the words that escaped were, “grilled chicken rigatoni” or “the seafood Alfredo chef’s special.” I still have a hard time resisting a great glass of wine with a homemade pasta dish. Truth be known, I’d give up a sugary dessert for a fresh loaf of sourdough bread.
Carbohydrates are nearly impossible to exclude from your diet. Grains, fruits and vegetables all contain carbohydrates. I began to realize that moderation was the key for me. Of course, I still have my weaknesses. If the following statements are true for you, than you may also be a carboholic:
1. You can name 10 different kinds of pasta in less than a minute.
2. You are perfectly satisfied having fresh bread, homemade pesto and wine for dinner.
3. When you tasted the “better than sex” rich chocolate cake, you did not think that the name was an exaggeration.
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Add a Comment3 Comments
I could never give up bread! When we were in San Francisco we brought back 6 loaves of sourdough. I would gladly take bread over chocolate.
April 22, 2011 - 7:04pmThis Comment
I'm working on only eating better-for-me carbs (and then in moderation) for the most part. But this article was a bit like food porn to me. I guess that means I'm a carboholic.
July 23, 2011 - 3:50amAlthough carbohydrate is the only non essential macronutrient there's nothing wrong with sourcing them from fruit, veg and nuts, however fruit especially the tropical varieties should be limited due to high fructose levels. The concern is softening the real issue which is sugar addiction, carb-o-holic is just a nice way of saying sugar addict, which is precisely what most consuming a western pattern diet are and in particular those referring to themselves as 'carb-o-holics'.
January 2, 2012 - 4:54amCome on people, to have any chance of addressing the matter in hand (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer) we got to start and say it like it is.
It's of little surprise you find it a problem when making low fat choices which are particularly unhealthy. Avoid these damaging products every time, full fat is fine so long as it's not processed. Sugar and grains are the evil not fat.
On your last point:
1. You can name 10 different kinds of pasta in less than a minute.
- Hardly inspiring and quite sad.
2. You are perfectly satisfied having fresh bread, homemade pesto and wine for dinner.
- This is sugar addiction, however satisfied is the wrong term as the sugar rush from this meal is short lived, rapid rises and falls of blood sugar not only effect emotions but are also considerably damaging to your health (diabetes, cancer, alzheimers). All in all a very poor meal choice.
3. When you tasted the “better than sex” rich chocolate cake, you did not think that the name was an exaggeration.
- I don't believe I'm on my own in saying "perhaps you're not doing it right!"