sprout92 wrote:what exactly would the low GI starches be and the limit on fruit should be what? I want to eat more Fuhrman like
Actually, the only restriction on fruit is to eat three servings a day (more for athletes) and only use dried fruit like raisins and dates in recipes -not as a snack food. High GI starches include processed grains and pasta, russet/Idaho potatoes (if prone to blood sugar issues) and white or brown rice. Beans are the main starch in the Fuhrman diet, but other starches that he likes are sweet potatoes, the colorful waxy kind of potatoes like the little purple fingerlings, whole oats, quinoa and wheat berries, hard winter squashes like butternut, bean-based pastas (available in gluten-free section of stores) and colored rices like black forbidden or wild rice. The key is color. He doesn't use bread, but does allow a whole wheat pita for bean burgers or fillings. And, of course, lots and lots of raw and cooked greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, etc. Small amounts of nuts and seeds are encouraged, but not as snacks. Only as ingredients in salad dressings or desserts.
I tend to think of the differences between the program in terms more of cost more than anything else. Rather like the difference between organic and conventional produce. Do you chose cheap russett potatoes or Yukon gold? Do you buy red quinoa instead or white or black rice instead of brown? Are you fighting a serious disease or just looking to lose a few pounds? Both programs are great, but unless you have a compelling reason to spend the extra money, the Starch Solution provides adequate nutrition at a reasonable cost.
Kate