To My 20-year-old Self: Stop Eating White Rice and Buns

Put a lid on anything made from white rice and wheat
flour. You went through some lean years when you
were small and when anything white, rice or flour, a
delicacy. The memory has been indelible. But it's
time to stop letting your tastebuds tell you what to put
in your mouth. Use your brain. Don't let the big
dreams tell you that the mundane is unimportant.
Life is in everyday unsexy details. So pay attention.

If you think the abundance of refined wheat flour
and polished rice these days a boon, think again.
They are sweet to the taste and easy to store and
last forever on the shelf, all good qualities for
profits. These are grain products with the bran and
germ removed, thanks to industrialized agriculture.
They put instant sugar in your blood and no fiber in
your bowels, and leave you again craving for food
shortly after you eat. Speaking of their long
shelf-life, why do you think the worms leave the
sweet white flour alone? Because they are smart and
the stuff is nutritionally worthless.

The white stuff is literally a murderer of the most
insidious kind. And your family is suffering. In
fact, grandpa died eight years ago and mom is going
to pass away before New Year at the age of 53, both
from the diseases of affluence. In 10 years, your
uncle is going down the same path. 21 years from
now, when you visit a close friend by his death bed,
his wife will ask if he wants a bowl of noodles. The
friend dies of colon cancer three months afterward
at the age of 43. No one lives forever but dying of
ignorance is a different matter.

Your young body is able to take the blows but that
won't last long before the damage starts to show.
Even if you won't die from it right away, the quality
of your life sucks. What if you don't have to drag
through everyday enervated? What if I tell you that
you don't have to feel sleepy after every meal or
doze off in the middle of a lecture?  What about
your moments of depression and mood swings?
You don't have to have them. Just quit those damn buns!

[7grizzly]

回複 '暖冬cool夏' 的評論 :
> the mom, why you use "is going to pass away"?

It might be a little confusing. But remember in this post I imagined that I went back to the past and said the above things to my 20-year-old self. So the tense.

Thanks for your comments.

[暖冬cool夏]

I mean, take good care of your son and the family ( the mom, why you use "is going to pass away"?). Sorry that I asked too much. You don't have to reply. Take care!!

[暖冬cool夏]

"grandpa died eight years ago and mom is going
to pass away before New Year at the age of 53, both
of the diseases of affluence. In 10 years, your
uncle is going down the same path. "
Very sorry to hear that. I was afraid of asking this when I came across this part. If so, it is better to train your son a good diet habit and discipline him well. But he could have your side of gene. Good luck and take good care of him. Thanks for sharing again.

[7grizzly]

回複 '暖冬cool夏' 的評論 :

I think I know where the bowl-of-sugar analogy is from. There are many
books to read (e.g., Michael Pollan's) and try (e.g., different diets)
when it comes to nutrition and health.

I think some people have the good genes and they are carb-tolerant. My
family apparently doesn't have. Therefore, this post tries to describe
some personal experiences or one trial in an experiment, if you will.
It tries not to draw a general conclusion. It is mainly for my
9-year-old son as part of his education in family history.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

[暖冬cool夏]

I know this for a long time, and I believe the saying of one bowl of rice equivalent to one bowl of sugar. But when the rice really goes to your body, won't it be resolved or de-structured in a way that it functions differently from a bowl of sugar? I can refrainmyself from eating sweets and 85 Degree stuff, but it is hard or nearly impossible to cut white rice completely. A good reminder here though, as I am actually going to make buns or pancakes today. Once this bag of flour runs out, I will buy whole wheat flour, as a start. Thanks for sharing.