Slim and starch in the same sentence? Gasp! Hang on to your sweet potatoes kids, there’s more:
Archaeological evidence shows that humans experienced a proliferation of copies of the amylase gene in the last 50,000 – 100,000 years. ~ Nathaniel Dominy, PhD, Biological Anthropologist, Dartmouth College
Lest high school physiology has slipped a bit from the memory bank, amylase is the enzyme that serves as
Nathaniel Dominy, PhD, Biological Anthropology, Dartmouth College
catalyst for breaking down starches in the foods we eat into sugars. It’s an important part of the digestive process. And our bodies are all over it.
We are, to quote a favorite new term from Dominy, “starchivores”. Designed to eat starch. The amylase gene progressed amylase from our pancreas to our mouth, where it set up shop in our saliva, some 50,000 years ago. The result? We are marvelously equipped to digest starches for energy.
And if the word “starch” has you conjuring up mental imagery of blue bottles from the laundry section of the supermarket, think again. We’re talking starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, turnips, parsnip, and all their yummy relatives. We’re talking whole grains such as brown rice, oats, rye, and barley. For starters.
And if you are still harboring residual shreds of carbophobia – and you’ll recognize yourself if you were one of those heard gasping with the previously mentioned ‘slim’ and ‘starch’ in the same sentence – then it’s time for a refresher course on how those spuds and whole grains will provide you with satiety and a season ticket to slim.
No wonder starchy foods are our original comfort food – we are supposed to eat them! As long as you keep them pretty close to the form in which they came, you can eat starchy vegetables and whole grains according to appetite and still get your skinny on.
As a matter of fact, it may depend on it. Which brings us where the happy herbivore meets the slim starchivore.
3 rules of satiety, plant foods, and putting it all together
As a plant-based eater, the person following a healthy and slimming vegan diet needs to respect the 3 rules of satiety. Starches cross the finish line as winners with all 3 with their high water and fiber content hitched up with high nutrient density. Nothing trips up the quest for healthy eating faster than aspiring to the ideal of straight bunny food that is an endless parade of green leaves, shoots, and flowery cruciverous veggies only. Yes, these plant foods play an important role in your health, energy, and body composition goals. Yet without the companion calorie density of the starchy veggies and whole grains, you will be haunted by a growing hunger that will turn into a roar and leave you helpless in the face of any calorie dense temptation.
When you invite the healthy starches to share equal time with the more watery vegetables, you have the best of both worlds: Calorie density and hunger satisfaction pair up to keep you slim.
Here’s a good rule of thumb: By day’s end, if you were to pile all of the food you ate over the course of the day onto one large
Chef AJ, author of Unprocessed
tray, 1/3 to 1/2 of the tray would be piled with starchy vegetables and whole grains; 1/2 to 2/3 would be piled with high water content, perishable vegetables. Beans fruits, nuts and seeds decorate to a certain extent, depending on your calorie needs.
With the advent of Autumn and harvest time for all the glorious pumpkins, winter squash, and abundant potatoes of all color, it’s time to let this dream team work its wonders on your taste buds and your shape.
P.S. Looking for great new ideas for whole foods, vegan meals for the upcoming holiday season? Chef AJ, author of Unprocessed, will be my guest on the October Success Club Teleclass and you can sign up now HERE.
Lani Muelrath, M.A. is Vegan Mainstream’s new Health & Fitness Expert. Watch for regular articles from Lani on how to be a strong, healthy, fit vegan.
Lani is also “The Plant-Strong Fitness Expert” and creator of The Body Transformation Formula and Fit Quickies™. She has a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and over 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and trainer. She has received awards for her instruction, created and starred in her own CBS TV Show, and her expertise in the area of health and fitness is called upon by examiner.com, Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center and Dr. Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program. She is Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition Certification through Cornell University.
