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If the low-carb craze has you ditching hamburger buns and tortillas in favor of lettuce, or if you’ve been avoiding pasta for the past decade, I have some good news for you.
Pasta might not be as bad for you as you think.
New research shows that this comfort food might actually be associated with lower body mass index (BMI).
Researchers studied the diets of thousands of Italians (no, not all from Pittston), many of whom regularly eat pasta, in addition to the Mediterranean diet. This diet stresses eating fruits, vegetables, beans, olive oil, grains, fish and poultry and is thought to be a very heart-healthy way to eat.
Those who ate pasta occasionally had healthier BMIs and lower waist circumference. Higher waist circumference is associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, among other health issues.
Many diets in the past decade-and-a-half have focused on cutting carbs drastically or eliminating them completely to help people lose weight.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the Department of Health and Human Resources and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, recommends that 45-65 percent of a diet is made up of carbohydrates. That’s 225-325 grams of carbs a day. A low-carb diet might recommend as few as 60 to 130 grams per day.
Carbs have gotten a bad rap. But they’re not all created equal—some are good and some are bad.
Many healthy foods contain carbohydrates, including fruits, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers, starchy vegetables like potatoes and squash, legumes and grains. And then there are refined carbohydrates like sweets, white bread and pasta.
With refined carbohydrates, the fiber out is stripped out; that gets us into trouble and can cause weight gain. Refined carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood stream quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar, which can contribute to diabetes and other health issues.
So, does this mean you can eat spaghetti and meatballs everyday?
No, of course not, but as with many other things in life, you can enjoy pasta in moderation. You should incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and healthy fats into your diet.
Including pasta into your diet occasionally can be good, but you should certainly pay close attention to what your pasta is served with.
Pasta with vegetables and lean protein is good, but be sure to limit the amount of cheese on your pasta. Remember, some pasta sauces, like Alfredo, include a lot of cheese and are high in saturated fat.
So go ahead, head out to one of the scores of great Italian joints in our community. Have some delicious pasta, salad, vegetables, and maybe one glass of red wine and fruit for dessert. And relax, it’s great for your attitude and not so bad for your body! Thank goodness!!
