CARBS ARE VICTIM OF A VAST CONSPIRACY

Today's food of the day is Pasta. Before I start, I acknowledge that pasta is mostly "carbs," as are rice, beans, bread, potatoes, baked goods, and a number of vegetables.
Why do carbs get a bad rap? Simply because they get broken down into sugars, which can then be turned into fat, IF, and ONLY IF, you eat more than you burn off. But remember, carbs in and of themselves are not bad. In fact they are the MOST ESSENTIAL fuel for your metabolism, and without them you would not be able to walk, exercise, or even get out of bed. So please, don't avoid carbs entirely, unless you are on the Atkins diet. Just use them wisely. If you are overweight, you need to use them in small to moderate amounts. But NO ONE, in my opinion, needs to avoid them altogether.


FOOD OF THE DAY: PASTA
If you view pasta as a vehicle for sauce, you quickly realize that the Universe of Pasta is boundless. I can't think of any other food that can be paired in so many variations with so many wonderful sauces. And even if you are watching your weight and need to cut down on carbs, you can still use small portions of pasta noodles and pair them with tasty and satisfying suaces of all sorts. If you want to emphasize the pasta, eat alot of noodles with a light sauce; if you want to minimize the carbs, eat a few noodles heaped high with suace. You get the idea.
What I did not realize is how healthy pasta actually is. This is in part because most flour used in bread and in pasta is fortified with extra B-vitamins and iron. For example the pasta on my desk right now has 10% of the iron, 10% of the fiber, and 35% of 4 different B Vitamins I need on a daily basis- per serving. And I usually eat 3 servings at a time!

PASTA: BENEFITS
-Relatively high in iron, fiber, and B vitamins.
-Loaded with carbs, pasta is a good "fuel food." It's a great thing to eat the night before you run a marathon, go on a long bike ride, or box for 12 rounds.
-Easy to cook. You really have to be a retard to mess up a pot of pasta noodles.
-Stores well- dried pasta stores for many months, even up to 2 years.
-Cheap.
-As simple or as complicated as you want it to be, depending on the sauce.
-It's filling. If you eat pasta slowly, you will find yourself full without eating much.

PASTA: DRAWBACKS
-Want to eat too much pasta? Just order some pasta at a typical restaurant. You will be served 1/3 to 1/2 pound of pasta drenched in sauce at many venues, and this provides approximately 850 calories- just the noodles! Moral: it's easy to get too many calories eating pasta.
-Pasta goes down easily with minimal chewing. It's therefore easy to inhale a large amount and get stuffed.

IN SUMMARY: Read the nutritional information on your next packet of pasta noodles. Learn how to make a healthy sauce, such as a marinara or other tomato-based sauce. Get used to eating a smaller portion than you want, and actually chewing it. But don't think you can't eat pasta and still be healthy!