Does pasta Bloat You- Or Cause Other Symptoms?

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Back in the day I loved pasta! Lasange, spaghetti, rigatoni, tortelini- you name it. But as I’ve gotten older, and after a few stints w/ Atkins-style low carb diets, I find my metabolism has changed, and even when not dieting on hi-protein menus, I find I can eat very little pasta anymore without it making me feel extra-bloated or causing other negative impact. Still, I do enjoy bites of pasta from time to time. Here’s how I satisfy my tiny cravings for pasta these days: I’ll prepare smaller portions of my traditional Italian favs- like pasta carbonara, shrimp & fettucine alfredo or linguine & clams- and then toss these scaled-down dishes in an extra-large bowl of greens like fresh spinach or baby arugala. These half-salad/half-pasta type meals are much lighter and bloat me much less- but are still delicious, satisfying and filling. So try this if your body is like mine, and doesn’t seem as hungry for heaping plates of macaroni and ravioli anymore. A little ingenuity and creativity w/ mixing and replacing ingredients can sometimes make a lot of difference!

[Mama Mangia]

Pastas are certainly filling! You stuff yorself silly and an hour later you're ready for more! I'm the old one here - no change in pasta with me - except I think as I get older it fills me much faster. But that is a good sign - once digested I can have more! LOL

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I have not particularly noticed bloat when I eat pasta. I will pay more attention next time.
One thing I do not drink any beverages while I eat my meals, I only save my drinking for after I have finished my meal! I have always done that!!! I do notice when I do drink I fill up much too fast and can not finish my meal or I feel miserable, the liquid does bloat me.

[jglass]

I have tons of belly problems but have never noticed pasta making me feel bloated.

[Mama Mangia]

I don't think pasta bloats at all - but it really fills! It cracks me up when they say you shouldn't eat pasta on a diet - dang - a normal helping is more than enough!

In moderation of course - you can eat anything.

I love pasta - I'd die without it.

[jfain]

Originally Posted by Mama Mangia

Pastas are certainly filling! You stuff yorself silly and an hour later you're ready for more! I'm the old one here - no change in pasta with me - except I think as I get older it fills me much faster. But that is a good sign - once digested I can have more! LOL

The reason you are so full and then hungry again is because pasta like plain bread or potatoes turns into sugar in your body as readily as a cookie would. Your blood sugar spikes, then when it crashes you are REALLY hungry even though you may actually have had all the calories that you need. I agree with you mama that staying away from these foods is not the answer since there are still nutrients to be had from things like brown rice, pasta, whole grain bread and potatoes. The key is to mix them with other things that will stabilize your blood sugar. Always make sure you are getting some protien-meat, nuts or beans and some veg with your starches and then you will be fine. It will fill you up but not let you down.

I read in one of the "you doctors" books one of the most filling combos for pasta is 4 oz of pasta 2 oz of chicken breast and 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. I tried it and boy does it work! I'll be full for 6-10 hours.

[cookie]

I Love Pasta, just eat smaller portions and mix in w/veggies w/lighter sauces. I only eat pasta once a week. I really like bread if you eat to much starch you are going to be bloated no doubt about that. In my thinner days I would only have cereal in the morning and 1 piece of bread (2-servings) only. I'm going back to that.


I want to go on the South Beach Diet, I have the paper-back book but you can't eat any bread for 2 weeks. I just don't know if I could really do that because I'm not that much of a meat eater. I like that idea of mixing pasta w/grilled chicken and love a marinara sauce w/mushrooms it is so Good. I might even start cooking with wine. Cookie

[Mama Mangia]

did you see that new diet site - truthaboutdiets.com?
I just joined - I can still eat pasta - but it's a really sensible diet - I want to lose 15 pounds and my friend wants to lose 35 - so we joined this one -

[lesley]

Originally Posted by chubbyalaskagriz

Back in the day I loved pasta! Lasange, spaghetti, rigatoni, tortelini- you name it. But as I’ve gotten older, and after a few stints w/ Atkins-style low carb diets, I find my metabolism has changed, and even when not dieting on hi-protein menus, I find I can eat very little pasta anymore without it making me feel extra-bloated or causing other negative impact. Still, I do enjoy bites of pasta from time to time. Here’s how I satisfy my tiny cravings for pasta these days: I’ll prepare smaller portions of my traditional Italian favs- like pasta carbonara, shrimp & fettucine alfredo or linguine & clams- and then toss these scaled-down dishes in an extra-large bowl of greens like fresh spinach or baby arugala. These half-salad/half-pasta type meals are much lighter and bloat me much less- but are still delicious, satisfying and filling. So try this if your body is like mine, and doesn’t seem as hungry for heaping plates of macaroni and ravioli anymore. A little ingenuity and creativity w/ mixing and replacing ingredients can sometimes make a lot of difference!

hi,
yes we've also cut down on the pasta, still have it, but usually buy wholewheat now. However, we are having fresh Durum wheat egg pasta tonight...but we'll eat much less than we used to. I''l roast some tomatoes, in olive oil & balsamic vinegar, with garlic & basil, then toss in the pasta, & sprinkle some parmesan on top, side salad to go. Your right ..it's much lighter that way
Cooking With The Joneses — Italian & Not So Italian Cooking

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I think everyone is right- pasta is healthy and can also even be a great diet food. (In Sophia Loren's book she says she's eaten pasta every day of her life- even on days when she needed to go the super-reduce route)

Mainly my remarks were coming from the perspective of having gone periods on Atkins-style diets where NO carbs were eaten. No rice/pasta/potoates/bread/grains/sugars etc. It seems after extensive periods without these foods, when I do eat them now, my body reacts poorly to them. Does anyone else have this specific experience? Has anybody done Atkins before?