Carbohydrates are not the enemy. Humans have long relied on starchy goodness for fuel. In short, carbs make me happy. How comforting is warm sticky rice, a fresh slice of bread, or a big bowl of noodles? Your brain runs on carbs and it is what you crave from birth.
America has exploited its availability and abundance and has tainted the sanctity of sugar. What they don't tell you is that in moderation (like everything, even moderation), sugar has healing and soothing abilities. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses honey for dryness, black sugar for warming, and rock sugar for lubrication.
Since becoming vegetarian, naturally my diet has shifted to heavier on carbohydrates and fats. Most of my protein sources contain carbs as well - beans, dairy, tofu - and I ain't mad at it. When I went to a primary care physician at UCLA a couple years ago, she told me to watch out for what I ate because, "you know, carbs are bad." What a toxic blanket statement. It stems from ignorance, adherence to mainstream media, and living in a gluten fearing society. I'm so disappointed at the misleading information that the medical community disperses about nutrition.
My 93 year old grandmother has been eating close to >80% carbohydrates for most of her life. That's what you learn from growing up in the motherland and in poverty. I see her have congee for breakfast, bread or noodles or steamed sweet potato for snacks, sweet bean soup as a treat, and rice and soup with veggies and some meat for lunch and dinner. Her portions are small - a small pat of rice, a few bites of noodles, half a bun or potato. She's a small person. But she eats at least 4-5 times a day. And I know genetics is more reliable than food trends.
If you're sitting at home in front of a screen for most of your waking hours, then yes, you indeed need to evaluate your carbohydrate intake to energy expenditure ratio. On days I'm working out or going on long walks, I'm going to eat more carbs. On days I'm sedentary, I have less. It's not a particularly refined system. There are weeks of endless birthday cakes or bags of bagels waiting for me in the fridge. But life's going to keep happening, and I'm going to keep learning to listen to my body.
Enjoy your carbs - a variety of them. Measure when you need to. Choose whole grains. Listen to your body, learn what it needs.
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A zhong zi (bamboo wrapped sticky rice with mung bean, peanuts, mushroom,
and fatty pork) wrapped by my carb loving grandmother |
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| The most delicious grilled onigiri at Iron Chef House in Brooklyn Heights |
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| Legit veggie xiao long baos at The Bao on St. Mark's |
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| My new favorite bagel - the radish crunch layer and double fat necessary |
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| Always choose sweet plantains, breakfast at Yuca Bar |
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Sweet mung bean soup sandwiched between a fan tuan (fried cruller, pickled veggies,
and meat floss wrapped in sticky rice) and beet bone broth by my aunt |
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| The sweet yellow dragon fruit, my choice of the summer |
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| Fresh housemade pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce at Giardino 54 |
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| Southeast Asian bananas are smaller and sweeter |
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| Thank goodness Ping's is back for business, I need the cilantro rice noodle rolls |
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| That glorious day I decided to mix purple rice congee with butter rice |
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| Scallion pancake before the cold noodles at Hwa Yuan Szechuan |
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| Apple butter pancakes and homefries at Friend of a Farmer |
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| Not spicy spicy cheese fries from the original Shake Shack |
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| Homemade mochi balls with gingko nuts |
