Healthy Eating: Understanding Starch and Gluten

Starches in Your Diet

Dietitians and scientists tell us that research based recommendation is that 45 to 65 % of your calories should come from carbohydrate. You should know which carbs are simple (they are a simplest form of sugar and are not good for your diet) and which carbs are complex (healthier choice.)

Also:

Because many carbohydrate foods contain starch, we should balance our carb intake between starchy and non starchy foods. If you incorporate the knowledge I am providing you with in this article while making food choices, you will be able to avoid weight-gaining- problems.

Clue: Fill 1/4 of a 9-inch plate with a low-starch food (no more than 1/2-inch high.) Options include legumes and starchy vegetables. Choose starch foods high in fiber and low in fat.

Although eating too much starchy food can contribute to weight gain, it is an essential component of a balanced diet. Eat them in moderate quantities.

Grains:

Refined grain products are among the foods highest in starch. Do yourself a favor and limit the intake or avoid them entirely.

They are:

White bread and such baked goods (bagels, muffins, etc..)

White pasta

White rice

Corn meal

Pearl barley

Couscous

                Note: You may be surprised to see couscous listed together with the white breads and white rice. Couscous is a cracked wheat product which will have the normal carb levels of other wheat products and is high in starch. Just looking at the calories and macro-nutrients, you can be confused by the fact that brown rice has more calories and more carbs than white rice, but it is typically given as a healthier choice. That is because the composition of nutrients and the complexity of the carbohydrates play the major role in classification of the foods. Buckwheat and brown rice should be the food of your choice due to the nutritional benefits and composition of the carbs, even though:

 (1 cup): Couscous Calories-176; carbs- 36grams, Protein- 6grams.

                                                White rice Calories-169, carbs-37 grams, Protein- 4 grams

                                                Brown rice Calories- 216, carbs-45 grams, Protein- 5 grams

                                                Buckwheat Calories – 583, carbs – 122 grams, Protein – 23 grams.

But, if you have to choose pasta or couscous, go with couscous. It has a glycemic load per gram 25% below that of pasta. It has a superior vitamin profile to pasta, containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and containing four times as much thiamine.

Corn is high in starch despite being a whole grain. Corn contains a high level of starch, even when it's cooked.

All foods made with or of grains contain starch. These include bread, pasta, rice, bulgur, couscous, pretzels, crackers, cereal and tortillas. Do not load your plate with them. Use the recommended ¼ portion of your meal.

Whole grains and whole grain products containing less starch and more fiber:

Whole-grain breads

Brown rice

Wild rice

Oats

Buckwheat

Millet

Vegetables:

Starchy vegetables contain up to three times more carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables. The starch stays with the potato even when it's cooked. These have delayed digestion.

High starch vegetables are:

Potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Yams and parsnips

Squashes

Pumpkin

Summer squash and zucchini are less starchy options.

Legumes:

All legumes contain starch. In fact, some familiar meals often combine beans with other starches like tortillas and rice. So be aware that these meals contain more than a single serving of starch. Those will contribute to your weight gain. (…Sorry if I just spoiled your excitement about having Mexican for dinner)

High starch legumes:

Green peas

Lentils

Kidney beans

Lima beans

Pinto beans

Good news: We know that Legumes are rich in protein and fiber. But, you were just told that they also contain starch. Although they contain significant amounts of starch, much of it is resistant starch, which behaves as a beneficial dietary fiber (non digestible carb.)

For less starchy legumes, try black beans, Italian beans and wax beans. But, avoid combining them with another starchy food like tortillas.

Fruits:

Although few, there are several fruits that contain starch. Low in citric acid, these fruits include:

Bananas

Winter squashes

Pumpkins

 It is best to limit consumption of starchy fruits, as they can contribute to weight gain.

In conclusion, Your healthy diet clue:
Do not combine starchy legumes or grains with another starchy food like chips, crackers or tortillas. You will double carb consumption. Choose the less starchy foods to maintain healthier diets.

Gluten in your diet

Gluten is a protein composite (7 different proteins) found in foods processed from wheat. It gives bread its structure (like glue.) People with celiac disease cannot eat gluten (celiac disease is a disorder resulting from an immune reaction to gluten.) The glue like gluten interferes with and prevents the absorption of the nutrients in our digestive system. It is elastic protein that is left behind after the starch is removed from the food. Gluten causes gut inflammation. Our bodies are designed to get rid of the gluten by using antibodies that attack gluten; however, the research has shown that the same antibodies attack the hearth tissues. Gluten free diet will help you to lessen or eliminate health problems. If our body naturally gets rid of the gluten, do we need it? The answer is NO. However, being on the gluten free diet is not easy. Gluten is added everywhere including salad dressings and soy sauce. You should not pull out all grains from your diet just knowing that they have gluten. You need to be aware and minimize the intake, though. The easiest first thing to do is to switch all your breads to gluten free. Look for Black Rice Gluten Free bread at the Health Food Stores. It is delicious when toasted. I personally love it.

Grains containing gluten:

Wheat

Couscous

Barley

Rye

Oat*

 Oats do not contain gluten but are usually cross-contaminated by wheat. Only oats specifically labeled "gluten free" are safe.

Learn which grains are gluten-free and how to include them in your meals. These grains are versatile and nutritious.

Buckwheat

Millet

Quinoa

Teff

Wild Rice

Amaranth

Learn about gluten-free flours. All the gluten-free grains are ground into flour. Go for buckwheat pancake mix instead of the traditional whole wheat mix. Gluten-free flour is also made from potatoes, tapioca, nuts and beans. You can buy them in health foods stores and increasingly in supermarkets and on the Internet. You will find gluten-free recipes everywhere. There are also easy-to-use gluten-free baking mixes for breads, cookies, muffins and other baked goods.

        Take good care of your body; you will need it to enjoy your yoga practices now and years to come. ;-)
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