Hopefully you have read part one to this article, and you are ready to learn how to incorporate this newly found science. Let’s go over how and why you should use this information.

In reviewing the main idea in part one, starch is not the enemy you may think it is. The science is in how it is prepared. When you compare our nation with others, you notice how we are the only country who bakes and frys our starches. Most others steam and boil their starch. This explains the mystery behind why Americans have an obesity epidemic. When you boil or steam starch, you retain the health benefit of its long chain carbohydrate structure. This long chain is what stabilizes your energy levels by slowing down the digestion/conversion of the starch into blood sugar or glucose. When we bake and fry starches we break the long chain into smaller pieces called dextrose molecules that are easily converted into blood sugar. This creates high spikes in insulin to combat the quick release of sugar. The detrimental effects are explained in this article.

Now that we know this, let’s look at how we introduce it into our diet. Since starch is a source of energy for our body, we need it throughout the day, but the amount we need to eat varies by what we are going to do after the meal. Here is a simplified version of what to do, and always remember that every meal should include a moderate amount of protein. A more detailed article of how to organize your nutritional plan around your day will be coming soon.

When you first awaken, you are in need of energy since during the night you fasted for 8 or so hours, and you are about to start the day. Hence the name - Break-Fast. So, for breakfast you should eat a moderate amount of carbohydrates including your starch, plus a protein of course. The starch can be grits, oatmeal, teff, or a type of boiled potato. Now starches are densely packed with calories, so do not go crazy. All you need is a small amount.




For lunch you may eat a minimum amount of starch because you may be heading back to 4 more hours of sitting behind the desk. Since sitting and working on the computer does not take a lot of energy, why would you consume a lot of carbohydrates/starch? But, if you are the type that lifts weights (anaerobic activity) in the afternoon, then you should eat a moderately heavy amount of carbs since you are about to do something that has a high energy need.

Now for dinner most people just watch TV and then go to sleep. If this is you, then your dinner should contain a very small amount of carbohydrate/starch. The bottom line is eat for what you are about to do — NOT for what you have done.

Now if you have read this article, then you will understand how you need to eat more frequently throughout the day. Every three or so hours is a great start. This is so you are constantly introducing a small amount of energy and nutrients into your body throughout the day. It is also very important not to forget that when you eat more frequently you need to eat significantly less per meal.

If you are wondering where the ‘without hunger’ part comes in, here it is. There are two reasons for the easing of hunger. One, since starches are hard to digest when boiled or steamed, it stays in your digestive track for longer periods of time, unlike most foods that are quickly assimilated and gone. There have been many experiments that have measured the satiety index (how long you feel full) for many foods. If you are wondering what was the highest in satiety — it is mashed potatoes. Go figure. Out of all the foods out there, mashed potatoes leave you feeling the fullest the longest.

The second reason you’re not as hungry is that it triggers the stabilization of insulin levels that creates the storage of glycogen. Glycogen is your biggest combatant against a sweet tooth. It is glucose that has been stored in the liver and in the skeletal muscles. When you are craving sweets, your body is screaming for energy, sugar energy. If you are in the habit of infrequently eating quickly digested carbs, you are not allowing your body to store these essential sugars for use throughout the day. With this habit your body has no “emergency funds”, it will communicate that it needs sugar now! To the contrary, if your body is well stocked in glycogen, it pulls from the liver or the muscle for the needed energy.

The best way to incorporate all that you have now learned from this article is to introduce boiled or steamed starches slowly into what you normally eat. If you just jump into this new nutritional ideal, you will shock the body into rejection. Start slowly and add little by little. Figure out the right amount of starch you will need to curb your hunger pangs and sweet tooth. Remember, just like anything else, you can have to much. Take it easy and find the road to moderation.