Kessler finished his stint as chief of the FDA in 1996.

Can someone give examples of high-carb and low-carb veggies? Yeah, I know I could look it up myself, but...

The current commissioner of the Food and Drug Adminisration is Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D, which sounds like a splendid name for the job. Looked at the organization chart for somebody named Bacon, but I guess that was a little much to hope for.

For ORD:

Briefly, greens, broccoli, celery, summer squash, asparagus, and cucumber are all quite low. Tomatoes are higher. Root crops, potatoes, winter squash (like acorn or butternut), and dried beans are quite high.

Mary Q Contary, add green beans and waxed beans to the list of low carb vegetables, also mushrooms and bell peppers.

Indeed Patrick, I should have listed peppers! Green peppers are a personal favorite because not only are they low GI, but also high in vitamin C, twice that of oranges, and with a minimal insulin hit.

But I read an article this morning that says that we all need to give up eating meat in order to save the planet! Oh, whatever to do!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6891362.ece

Beans are also higher in fiber (hence the farts) than things like potatoes. Some beans are also high in protein and fat (hello peanuts!).

The best thing to happen to portion control is probably the club store (BJs, Costco, Sam's). Dig carbs? You can get the vending machine packages of cookies, chips, crackers. It's much easier to limit yourself to one bag of chips at 1 ounce than it is to eat one ounce out of an 8 ounce bag.

This is good for people who are unwilling to give up the tasty stuff. You can eat it, but you have a hard demarcation for how much you ate.

I don't have to tell you how easy it is to sit down with a regular package of Oreo cookies and wonder where half the package went in 15 minutes.

toBeth: I'll believe it's a crisis when the people who tell me it's a crisis act like it's a crisis.

Until then, I assume it is a bunch of power-mad cockholsters who seek a return to the days of feudal serfdom with themselves as the lords.

Kessler finished his stint as chief of the FDA in 1996.

Ugh - thanks - fixed that. Heard him on the radio a few weeks back and I guess my rage prevented me from hearing that he was no longer honcho. He sure plays on the authority of his former position to sell this book.

...not that that's a surprise -- but it's just disgusting that people think he has some sort of scientific basis for what he wrote.

Kessler finished his stint as chief of the FDA in 1996.

Still seems like a grouchy scold who wants to spoil everybody's fun.

Mary Q, Patrick, Brian: Thanks for the info! I just didn't want to struggle through a bowl of veggies only to find out that they were the Wrong Kind.

I find it helps my dessert willpower immensely only to eat the expensive good stuff! There's a local chocolatier within walking distance of my house that makes the darkest, most wonderful high-cacao chocolate ever-- the kind that you might eat one bite of and go, "bleh, what's in this?" set it down, and not have another bite until the next day, and then by the third bite/ third day, your palate has adjusted to the darkness and lack of sweet, and suddenly it's the best stuff in the world!

I eat a square per day, and feel like a spoiled queen. And because it's not a cheap doughnut, I only eat one square per day, 'cause that's all I can afford!

Fiber only makes you fart if you're not used to it. Hispanics eat beans daily, and contrary to popular cartoons, don't actually fart a lot. Ditto vegetarians. I read a study once that looked at farm families, who tend to be long-lived. They decided it's getting your body used to eating something and sticking with it that's best. Plopping fiber and carbs into a body used to high protein will cause issues. Ditto lots of meat into someone who doesn't eat tons. Also, you're less likely to overeat with less variety. Amy sort of does this with her bacon and eggs and oil-greens and steaks. Bodies seem to like routine with food.

Melissa, I eat a square of 60% every evening and find it very delicious. I've noticed that the fewer sweets I eat, the more I appreciate the ones I do eat.

I keep cupcakes in the house for the all the teenagers coming through, and I'd probably eat them if I didn't keep them in the freezer. It makes all the difference to me not to SEE the desired item.

Time for my bacon and eggs. I never tire of them, and I find them more tasty, satisfying and filling than any potatoes, bread or pasta!

Amy writes: "...not that that's a surprise -- but it's just disgusting that people think he has some sort of scientific basis for what he wrote."

There are very few people in Big Nutrition these days who have any scientific basis for anything they say. The whole industry is a gigantic fraud.

momof4 - you shouldn't be eating "tons" of anything. Moderation is the goal!

Amy - that's nice and all about the deserts, but who much can that woman squat? I can do 105lbs.

"There are very few people in Big Nutrition these days who have any scientific basis for anything they say. The whole industry is a gigantic fraud.

Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit comes to mind:

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/tps-seti/baloney.html

Amy, go read alternet!

Bah. The FDA should have ONE role.

To make sure we're not poisoned by our food & drugs.

They're not there to make sure I eat a balanced breakfast be my fucking mommy.

And for fucks sake, lets not put someone who can't control themselves, in control of ANYTHING.

Kessler could have saved considerable time and trouble by... by visiting the Chili's website, which provides numbers for the calories, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and sodium in the company's food.

In case he wants to fact check the company website?

eschew pasta, French fries, bacon cheeseburgers, candy, and other "hyperpalatable" foods that he and some people he interviewed for the book have trouble consuming in moderation.

Yep, 20 times per mouthful.

Oops, "eschew" - I always get that one mixed up!

I invented a low carb bread tonight. It is a flat bread that works instead of tortillas and chapatis and things like that.

You need:
* Some sort of hard cheese, such as cheddar. Usually the ratio of fat:carb:protein is about 1:1.5:1
* Vital wheat gluten flour. The ratio of fat:carb:protein on the brand I use is 0:3:5
* Milk
* Flour for dusting
* Herbs, your choice. Cilantro works for mexican and indian dinners, basil or rosemary for italian, etc.
* Cooking spray

Stick the cheese and wheat gluten in the food processor. You want it to make a ball of dough. If it won't stick together, add a little milk

Dust a board and divide the dough into portions. Roll it out as thin as possible. Spray a flat pan with cooking spray. Put your flatbread into it. It will bubble a bit. Lift up the edge to see how it looks. When it has brown spots, flip it over and cook the other side.

Voila.

Refuting his theory because of lack of scientific evidence is valid. Dismissing him altogether because he has spoken openly about his own food issues (crazed food addict? really?) is a ridiculous ad hominem attack and discredits your argument. Some of the best doctors smoke and drink, and some of the best psychologists are crazy themselves. Let's judge Kessler on his scholarship or lack thereof, not his character.