Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

I'm glad your legs are feeling better and that you had an enjoyable run. I'll check out that video when I have some time.

I watched the lecture. Very interesting.

I have a question. Is fructose that occurs naturally in whole fruit okay? He talks about carbohydrates and my understanding is that fruit and vegetables, as well as grains, are carbohydrates. When he says carbohydrates, does he mean grains specifically, or is it broader than that?

That's a great question, Carolyn. All sugars, once they reach the blood stream, look alike to the pancreas, and the insulin responds the same. So in that respect, fruit isn't any different. Banana, whole grain, donut -- other than the issue of glycemic load (how much sugar), they are all the same in the blood stream.

Actually, fructose is supposed to be one of the more insulin-provoking (not sure that's a good term for it) sugar than others. That is why the high fructose corn sugars are so "fattening."

The amount of fiber matters as well. If you are measuring carbohydrates, fiber is included in that measurement, but is not digested and therefor not counted. Hence the term "net carbs," which are the total grams of carb minus the fiber grams. It doesn't amount to much of a difference except in non-starchy vegetables.

I hope you will have a look at Taubes' book, which goes into far more detail, with far more science. I think you would enjoy it.

Here is an example:

A slice of whole grain bread has about 12g net carb. A small banana has 21g. An apple has about 17g.

Of course, the fruit might contain more nutrients for health as well. Everyone's tolerance and insulin sensitivity is different (mine sucks), so we all have to weigh many factors in our food choices. :)

I watched the lecture yesterday too and had the same questions as Carolyn. Guess I have to check out his book when I find the time to read and "digest" all the scientific findings. GOOD stuff, Sno!

I'll check today to see if my library has the book.

Also, I normally have 1 egg, a fruit (a banana or a half grapefruit), and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Because of watching that lecture last night, today I had two eggs and skipped the cereal (I also had the grapefruit instead of the banana, which is probably better).

Don't forget plenty of butter! :D

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

They were scrambled eggs cooked in real butter.

Snoqualmie, can you give us some examples of what you eat in a typical day?

I just walked to the library and got the book.

My diet is "under construction" right now. Let me get back to you on specifics because what I've been eating for the past 3 weeks is not my "normal" diet, but it might become the norm. I have always been a big meat eater. Right now I am tipping the balance more towards fat, with a lower than normal carbohydrate intake. I did my 23 miler a couple of weeks ago on very little carb intake (during the run) and my 19 miler with none at all. When my little experiment is finished I will give a full report - I promise!

I hope you like the book. I think it will eventually be considered a major historical work.

I'm just curious what you eat to get the fat without increasing the protein too much.

I add fats to cooking, mostly butter & coconut oil. (They are more stable at higher temps, esp. coconut oil.) I also drizzle virgin olive oil on foods. Cream in coffee (1 c in the AM and 1 decaf in the pm). A tablespoon of cream can also serve to head off a sugar craving. Another food I use is full fat coconut milk, in soups or my "un-desserts." I eat a bit of cheese too, but not a lot.

If you are worried about the saturated fats, you won't be after you read Taubes. :)

Thanks for all the great questions.

Mmmm, this conversation is making me hungry. Especially about the fats. I do like that book, but haven't listened to the lecture. I've been experimenting more with not using carbs during the longer runs too. I noticed that during the marathons it just didn't agree with me so much. I've been using these Pro Bars, cut up into chunks instead, as well as nuts. I have also used squeeze packs of p nut butter. My body seems to like to burn fats as fuel. I guess we are all different. Immediately after a long run, I drink down a coconut juice, which is LOADED with potassium. It does the trick.

Thanks Sno - my diet is in shambles and it's good to get information like this. Hard, and deadly habits to break!

JD, it would help us all if you would remove the picture of the doughnuts :)

Haha! Doughnuts, my nemesis!