Old eating habits difficult to overcome

Hi all,

   Over the past several years, I've become aware of how so many of our society's medical problems are probably a result of our unhealthy eating habits.  There's been suggestions made by some posters that GERD is caused by fermentation of undigested carbs......which sounds really quite possible to me.   Sometimes people can find out what they're doing wrong, nutrition-wise, and change it, and thereby become much healthier people who feel really good.

   Maybe I'm just weak or something, but gosh........it is sooooooooo hard for me to cut back on carbs.   I do know that carbs beget carbs, and the more you eat, the more you want.  It is truly a type of addiction.   But for me, even though I go through really healthy spells, and eat in a way that makes me feel good and stay healthy, I find it pretty much a daily battle most of the time to not eat the "bad" stuff.     I think alot of how we eat depends on the biochemistry we inherited.  For some, it's easy to pass up deserts and carbs.........like my husband.  He just doesn't have a problem saying no to deserts, and second helpings.  His whole family is like this.  I know there's alot to be said for nature vs nurture, but I do think some of us have some bad luck, genetically.  Anyhow......I was wondering if some of you also struggle to quit eating those things that give us conditions like GERD. 

   It just never made sense to me that our bodies would crave things that were bad for it.  But mine sure does.........and I wish it would stop it!!  I think a big problem is that our bodies ARE primitive.  They sense when we might find a "food" that would sustain us for days at a time (high fat), and give us a huge search of energy (sugar).  But in today's world.......there's an endless supply of it out there, and our bodies haven't figured out that we can't just keep eating and eating that stuff..........unless we're going out every day to hunt a wooley mammouth or outrun a tiger!    Sorry to ramble.  I just get tired of this seemingly endless struggle to not want to eat things that give me pain.

Good Morning,
I know it seems like a daunting task to cut out the carbs. I have been low carb for over 1.5 years. The way I am able to do it is 1. Learning about carbs, protiens and healthy fats. 2. Making sure I have ample substitutions for the carbs.

I think some people try to reduce carbs but still have "low fat" instilled in them from upbrining, food pyramid and 30 years of brainwashing by the medical community (low fat didn't work and never will). The result is your new diet turns out to be low carb / low fat. You will be hungry and have a deficiency in fuel.

Vanessa, you need substitutions for potatoes and bread. Try one half or 1/3 third sweet potato in place of a whole potato. Add some spinach salad with feta, a couple of cut up strawberries. You can add a sliced almonds or cracked walnuts (don't use the candied ones). Use balsamic and olive oil for dressing. A rasber vinegerette would taste the best, but you may have to make your own sweetening with splenda. Use low carb wraps in place of bread. Have an extra helping of Brocolli and butter. A good substitution for potatoes is boiled cauliflower mashed with butter (like mashed potatoes). Diane Carpenter (15 minute low carb recipes) has some recipes for rice dishes made from cauliflower. Have a glass of dry red or white wine with dinner. Finish off dinner with low carb ice cream (4 g / 1/2 cup), or low carb brownie. My book has many more ideas on this concept.

Best of luck,
Dr. Norm

I hear you Cathy,
They are everywhere. The day before yesterday, they had those big cookies at my lunch meeting. Chocolate chip, cranberry and white chocolate and dark chocolate cookie with chocolate chips. I ate two. I just find those hard to resist when I see them. Luckily I follow the guidelines in my book that allows for occasional cheating while remaining heatburn free. If I cheat too much (and begin to have symptoms) I just use my "ace in the hole". Secret ace in the hole: reduce my carbs again. There, it's out there. The important part of my diet is to be strict for the first week or so, then gradually add back carbs after determining your optimal (net carb) level to remain symptom free.

Best of luck,
Dr. Norm

Hi Cathy,
I hear you, when they're in your face it can be hard. While researching my book I had my son help with some of the research. I got him reading Protein Power, etc. The next thing I know, my son Joe and his girlfriend (both slim and fit) decided low carb was for them. That decision was based on what he read on the health benefits alone (though Joe did have some heartburn previously). If you can develop a carb conciousness in your family it definately helps. We are a heartburn family so it's easier, I suppose. Protein power is a great book overall if you are interested in really understanding all the illnesses that carbs are behind. I was amazed. Carbs are behind obesity, cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and, I have now added GERD.

The other thing I never realized is that I am much calmer now. With all the carbs I was much more high strung and nervous. Low carb puts you on an even keel. I literally don't miss them now. Like you said, you can do better if you don't buy them and have them in your house. The closest thing I have is some nothern California river rice. This rice is composed of complex carbs. The rice is grown at high elevations in Northern California and takes one hour to cook. I will serve it occasionally if I have house guests, but I will have only a small portion, if at all. An interesting thing about rice in general, by the way, is that it is absorbed very efficiently in the intestine. If I had to pick a carb that would exacerbate GERD the least, I would pick rice. Otherwise I keep carb intake in check.

When you say its more than a matter of discipline, I tend to agree. A guide for good carbs, fun tastey carbs is a must. I have my book and several others in my library that help a lot. If you look in my freezer, I have six containers of low carb ice cream of assorted flavors, low carb fugicles and ice cream bars. After dinner tonight, I had vanilla ice cream with strawberries. It could be worse.

Wishing you all the best,

Dr. Norm