The misleading idea that starch and carbohydrates make you gain weight has been embedded in most people. If this is real, among the 1.73 billion Asians living on rice-based diets, there will be an epidemic of obesity.
In all of the healthy eating plans that have emerged in recent years, fried potatoes, rice, and grains are the number one, two, and three public enemies. One doctor, however, urged individuals to follow a totally different path, and he did not falter.
After witnessing how the health of Asian immigrants dramatically began to worsen when they swapped their rice-heavy diets for more Americanized foods, John McDougall, MD, started promoting a starch-based diet 40 years ago.
And what does the starch diet look like exactly? Dr. McDougall found that 80 percent of foods came from complex carbohydrates, 12 percent protein, and 8 percent fat, which is the healthiest breakdown. Meat and dairy are off-limits due to the vegan slant, while refined flour, nuts, sugar, and salt are limited.
When people adhere to the starch diet, there are several advantages, such as :
Weight loss: While many medical professionals relate carbohydrates to weight gain, on a starch-based diet, Dr. McDougall noticed that his patients actually lost weight.
"All large populations of trim, healthy people, throughout verifiable human history, have obtained the bulk of their calories from starch," Dr. McDougall says.
More energy: The body makes this diet particularly good for athletes by using carbohydrates for fuel.
Lower risk of diabetes: The fiber in starchy carbohydrates helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Better digestion: Fiber hits again as a big explanation of why this eating strategy has good outcomes, a crucial component of having healthy digestion.
But before you peel away potatoes, the other side of the coin is worth remembering. Despite the aforementioned facts, empirical evidence still points in the other direction, saying that starchy diets are closely connected to obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
There is one thing about the diet that is indisputable though the debate is still out when it comes to starches: taking out processed and sugar-laden ingredients is guaranteed to do wonders for your health regardless of the diet you are doing it on. There is also strong evidence linking small meat intake and good health over the long term. And as for fiber, starchy food is by no means the only way to get it, which is the crux of this eating program. When planning out your desired eating schedule, all these points are worth remembering.
