Brian wrote: Question for you whole wheat eaters. How do you handle all that fiber? I mean, don't you eat like 3500 calories a day if you are running more than 80 mpw? I simply can't handle all that fiber from a gastrointetinal point of view.
I dunno if bodies acclimate to it or what, but I eat whole grain cereal and bread and sometimes whole wheat pasta and generally plenty of fiber, and it doesn't bother me. Often when I'm running and eating a lot I'll spend quality time in the bathroom twice daily, but that just means I get more reading done. The only thing that seems to bother me in a GI sense is running too soon after a meal especially if it's got significant fat.
If you eat some protein/fat with your white pasta, it greatly diminished the glycemic effect.
Yes, exactly. If you add some sausage (turkey based for healthy eaters, meatless for masochistic health nuts, the genuine article from a good Italian store once in a while if you have a soul) the glycemic index deal is no longer an issue. And that sausage will sure "eat like a protein" more than whole wheat pasta on its own ever will.
For those who haven't tried the whole wheat pasta: it's by no means gross, but it is quite a bit different with a more assertive flavor than the regular stuff, kind of sweet and grain-y. This works OK for some things - I usually like it just fine with a tomato based sauce or in some lentil soup. But it's bad news in simple recipes where the pasta isn't supposed to have much flavor and the wheaty flavor changes the balance. You totally wouldn't want to substitute the whole wheat in a simple dish with say pasta with shrimp, garlic, and olive oil. It also tends to have a grainier texture which, like the flavor, you could either prefer or dislike depending on your tastes and how you serve it.