How Sweet It Is - Confessions of a Carboholic

Celebrate with me! The foundation of the food pyramid is carbs!  For me, that's the equivalent of a clothing pyramid having shoes at the bottom. As if I need to justify eating carbs or buying more shoes?!

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved carbs. I ate pasta. I ate it hot on my plate, cold in the strainer and uncooked - straight of the box (I emphatically do NOT recommend eating it uncooked as I broke a tooth eating uncooked ziti).
When I was a child, I used to take a slice of white bread, tear off the crust and eat it. Then I would roll and squish the rest into a neat little ball and eat that. I KNOW some of you have tried this! Matt has admitted that he did the same thing as a child.

I remember wanting to help out in the kitchen.  My mother let me peel the potatoes for dinner. I also remember enjoying eating a raw, peeled potato as a snack while I worked.  As far back as I can recall, I remember loving carbs, being active and  being thin.  I grew up Irish in an Italian neighborhood.  My mother was an excellent Irish AND Italian cook.  We ate as much pasta as we did potatoes in my home.  I believe my activity levels are what kept me thin and in shape.  I was always sent outside to play.  I rode my bike, played kick ball, shot hoops, swam and ice skated. I cannot recall one heavy child in my neighborhood. We didn't sit around watching TV or playing video games.  In order to fuel this active lifestyle, I ate a balanced diet - one that included lots of carbohydrates.

As a nurse, I understand the  importance of substituting whole grains for white grains. Brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole grain breads are by far, a better choice nutritionally.  The are higher in fiber and nutrients and help stabilize blood sugar levels.  Sweet potatoes are a much better choice over white potatoes.  So when it comes to carbs, I choose sensibly.  I choose the ones that offer me the best nutritional value with the least amount of guilt.

So I ask myself why do people deprive themselves of the very foundation of the food pyramid in order to maintain or lose weight? Food deprivation often leads to diet failure.
Carbohydrates - breads and grains - are the foundation of the food pyramid.  They are an essential part of a balanced diet.  For this carboholic, knowing that it is recommended I have  6-11 servings of carbs per day,  is something worth celebrating. How sweet it  is!