In many countries and regions, people's love for carbohydrates is like the craving for ice cream on a summer's day, warm and irresistible. Imagine the soft golden bread, exuding an enticing wheat aroma, as if it were the crystallisation of the sun and the earth; the sinewy and smooth noodles, jumping between the lips and teeth, like a dancer's lithe posture; and the white rice, grain by grain, full of the flavour of home and warm memories. They are not only the enjoyment of taste buds, but also an indispensable part of the basic components of the family table, like a loyal guardian, quietly accompanying every ordinary and warm day.
When you walk into a supermarket, the wide array of shelves seems to be a feast of carbohydrates, with bread, noodles, rice and other ingredients neatly arranged, competing for supremacy, and they are everywhere as if they are whispering, inviting you to join this carnival of deliciousness. However, these favourite staple foods are often blamed for their carbohydrate content, being labelled as ‘empty calories’, and for a long time, these previously indispensable staple foods have even become ‘monsters’ that can cause serious damage to people's health. The ‘monsters’ are the ones that have caused serious damage to people's health for a long time.
Today, however, nutrition experts are acting as messengers of justice, giving these foods a ‘good name’ and shouting that the importance of bread and pasta in ensuring a balanced diet should not be underestimated and that they are not beasts of burden, but powerful aids to a healthy life. Italy is an example of a country where pasta is the pride of the nation, where no meal is complete without pizza or pasta, but where Italians are slim. In some people's minds, staple food seems to be the main culprit for weight gain, and they are as determined to quit eating staple food as they are to treat a flooding beast as if this would make it easy to have a slim figure. However, this notion is like an illusion in the mist, making people lose their way. Carbohydrates themselves do not have the magic power to make people fat. It is like a silent messenger of energy, providing a constant flow of power to our body. But if it provides more energy than we need, then the excess energy will be like a naughty child, wandering around in our body, and eventually finding a ‘home’ - the fat cells, settle down, which will lead to weight gain. Pasta, one of the leading staple foods, is an example of a misunderstood food. Instead of a direct correlation with weight or body composition, it may play an active role in healthy eating. The magic of pasta lies in its unique digestive properties. Compared to other foods, pasta seems to be a graceful dancer that slowly dances through the digestive system.
The secret of eating healthy is like mixing a wonderful symphony. The key lies in how skilfully we choose the combination of foods so that they resonate in harmony and play the gorgeous music of life. Imagine if you already have rice on your staple food stage, then noodles should take a backseat for a while to avoid the overlapping and monotony of the melody. With a carefully chosen staple as the main theme, and vegetables, or juicy fish as the harmony and accompaniment, such a meal nourishes every corner of the body and mind. The sandwich is a master of the art of fusion and balance. With two slices of bread, it opens the door to a world of food, inviting the richness of cheese, the elegance of smoked salmon, or the freshness of avocado. Here, carbohydrates and proteins dance hand in hand, not only satisfying the body's need for energy but also inadvertently adding a touch of sophistication and style to the daily diet.
And, when we blindly give up carbs, the body, like a traveller who has lost its companion, has to struggle even more to find other sources of energy. This is when fatigue, brain fog and irritability creep into our lives like uninvited guests. I hope we don't have to ‘demonise’ staple foods anymore, as long as they are well-combined, the more you eat, the healthier you will be.
