The healthiest people in the world eat refined carbohydrates

Espressocycle

So I'm always reading about how we shouldn't eat carbs, but then I think about Japanese people whose diets are mostly white rice, those slim long lived Italians with their pasta, etc. And so I found this article and I think it does make a very compelling point that it's the increased sugar and vegetable oils that are doing us in, plus regular old overeating. I find the suggestion that the lack of omega 3 in most vegetable oils is a problem since we used to eat most of our fat from butter and meat, which generally do contain a decent amount of omega3

http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/how-do-some-cultures-stay-lean-while-still-consuming-high-amounts-of-carbohydrates

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I vote for regular old overeating.

dbmata

It's overeating, nuff said.

neanderthin

Overeating is why. Lifestyle is never accounted for but it's a big part of the equation. Low carb biases will always point to sugar, glycemic load, insulin etc. I agree that the over consumption (over TDEE) of refined sugar, refined carbs can mess with our physiology. It's a little more complicated than omega balance.

just_fur_luck

I'm putting my vote in that the Italians and Japanese are dead on the inside from all of their pasta and rice. It's the only answer because it's a scientific fact that white food kills on contact.



Either that or being part of the Axis Powers in World War II counteracts the carb death. How did the Germans fair in that study?

Timshel_

Anyone mention overeating yet?

johnwhitent

I thought you were going to point to pro cyclists. Those guys eat crazy high carbs and are incredibly healthy and fit.

Carnivor0us

*facepalm* Japanese diets are NOT 'mostly white rice', they eat tons of seafood and eggs.

And as others have said, lifestyle and overeating are two important factors.

Francl27

Overeating and GMOs. I've never seen a country that eats as much fried stuff as the US.

Espressocycle

*facepalm* Japanese diets are NOT 'mostly white rice', they eat tons of seafood and eggs.

And as others have said, lifestyle and overeating are two important factors.

Mostly refers to 70%

VorJoshigan

I love Peter Attia.

melindasuefritz

I vote for regular old overeating.

slkehl

Personally, I find it easier to avoid overeating if I limit my refined carbs. They go right through me, and I get hungry much faster on the same amount of carbs. If you can eat refined carbs and stay within your calorie limits, good for you.

ahamm002

Japanese are not immune to diabetes! Looks like white rice causes diabetes in Japan too!

http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1454

ahamm002

I'm putting my vote in that the Italians and Japanese are dead on the inside from all of their pasta and rice. It's the only answer because it's a scientific fact that white food kills on contact.

The classic mediterranean diet is not a high carb diet. It's a balanced diet with plenty of protein and healthy fats too.

rosemaryhon

Personally, I find it easier to avoid overeating if I limit my refined carbs. They go right through me, and I get hungry much faster on the same amount of carbs. If you can eat refined carbs and stay within your calorie limits, good for you.

This ^^ is true for me too.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

This makes so much sense. Well, it does when you narrow down that list to "regular old overeating."

icimani

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The French drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.


:laugh:


attribution http://www.citehr.com/10746-speaking-english-apparently-what-kills-you.html#ixzz2RQvz2t7W

highervibes

I have plenty of round relatives living in Italy.

highervibes

double post

akp4Him

bump

kiwanda88

I've spent some time in rural Okinawa-- think "small island with 900 people" --and ate the local diet the entire time. While I was served rice at meals more often than not it was not very much...perhaps a cup per meal. A much greater proportion of the meals was soy (tofu) and fish (in every form imaginable). For example, a typical Okinawan breakfast was a small omelet, soy w/shaved bonito flakes, shaved onions w/vinegar, and a small salted plum. Lunches probably had rice or noodles as the main ingredient. Dinners were often a soup, 2-3 kinds of fish or shellfish, some veggies, and a small bowl of rice. No sweets, little/no dairy (cream in coffee mostly), and no snacking between meals. Almost everything was fresh and either locally produced or from the Okinawan mainland.

In any case, there was no way rice was even 1/3 of the calories I consumed daily. The diet was largely dictated by what came in on the fishing boats that morning and who was preparing the food. After a month I felt so good I never wanted to leave...wish I could find a way to eat that way in the U.S..

ahamm002

I've spent some time in rural Okinawa-- think "small island with 900 people" --and ate the local diet the entire time. While I was served rice at meals more often than not it was not very much...perhaps a cup per meal. A much greater proportion of the meals was soy (tofu) and fish (in every form imaginable). For example, a typical Okinawan breakfast was a small omelet, soy w/shaved bonito flakes, shaved onions w/vinegar, and a small salted plum. Lunches probably had rice or noodles as the main ingredient. Dinners were often a soup, 2-3 kinds of fish or shellfish, some veggies, and a small bowl of rice. No sweets, little/no dairy (cream in coffee mostly), and no snacking between meals. Almost everything was fresh and either locally produced or from the Okinawan mainland.

In any case, there was no way rice was even 1/3 of the calories I consumed daily. The diet was largely dictated by what came in on the fishing boats that morning and who was preparing the food. After a month I felt so good I never wanted to leave...wish I could find a way to eat that way in the U.S..

Yep, but people with an agenda will still to use misleading statistics in an attempt to justify their point of view.

Espressocycle

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The French drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.


:laugh:


attribution http://www.citehr.com/10746-speaking-english-apparently-what-kills-you.html#ixzz2RQvz2t7W

You might have a point here!

Carnivor0us

*facepalm* Japanese diets are NOT 'mostly white rice', they eat tons of seafood and eggs.

And as others have said, lifestyle and overeating are two important factors.

Mostly refers to 70%

They don't eat 70% of their calories as white rice.

neanderthin

*facepalm* Japanese diets are NOT 'mostly white rice', they eat tons of seafood and eggs.

And as others have said, lifestyle and overeating are two important factors.

Mostly refers to 70%

They don't eat 70% of their calories as white rice.

Agreed. Their carb consumption is around 70%

Sqeekyjojo

They also eat significantly fewer calories and their average stature is much, much smaller than a person of American or European descent.