It seems that carbohydrates have become the new fat…
3 minute read
June 11, 2004, 1:24 AM
After having just seen two commercials in a row about low-carbohydrate foods, I have to believe that we’ve officially gone off the deep end.
The first commercial was for Special K, which acted as though people were just crushed to death, showing people sitting on the ground with their head buried in their knees and crying if that tells you anything, about not being able to use their cereal bowl due to their low-carbohydrate diet. That’s why this new version of Special K is supposedly so great, because it’s only nine net carbohydrates per serving.
The other commercial was for CarbWell salad dressing, which promotes having no carbohydrates. Not nearly as bad as the first, but still pretty bad…
I’m just amazed, really. I grew up with something else, and it wasn’t long ago when it was the case that fat was the enemy. We counted our fat grams, and counted our calories. And food manufacturers announced how low in calories they were and how low in fat they were.
Now it’s carbohydrates. Sugars. All of a sudden, fat and calories are left by the wayside. The key to slimmer thighs is to lose the sugars now! The way it’s come around, it seems like a huge national fad.
And notice how I’ve so far not used the word “carbs”, since I cannot stand that term. I don’t know… it just sounds dumb. Especially when you think about it, the word “carbohydrate” breaks down into Carbon and Hydrate, and hydrate basically means water. So when we say “carbs”, we’re not talking about sugar. Take out the hydrate, and you don’t have sugar anymore. You’ve got carbon. So as such, the abbreviation no longer describes what we’re trying to describe. It’s like we’re counting how little pencil lead we’re eating. That’s carbon.
Still, I think we’ve gone off the deep end with the whole thing. But that’s just me. It’s really looking like just the latest bandwagon that everyone’s jumping on. What will it be next?
Meanwhile, I’m thinking about taking a small mini-vacation some time in August. I’m thinking about going to Virginia Beach, and trying to do it on the cheap. As such, despite where I say in the second day of my last Virginia Beach trip, I am going to swallow my pride and stay at the Ocean Holiday again despite its many shortfalls, since it is still a price that can’t be beat, and it does have a good location.
What will my parents say? They probably will be against it, saying it’s totally unnecessary. What do I say? I need it. Badly. I need a night out of this house, and spend it in an urban environment, plus an area with lots of water, plus I need a change of scenery for a few days. Doing it in the middle of the week (I’m thinking about doing a Wednesday and a Thursday) will hopefully cut down on crowds and costs, making it a very enjoyable trip. More on my possible vacation as it develops.
There are a few things I definitely want to do. I want to catch the sunrise again, for one. That was a wonderful experience before, as I got some wonderful pictures… but with the small camera. Thus they’re small, somewhat blurry, and lack detail. Big Mavica has spoiled me, and I definitely want to make a new set of these in high resolution. Additionally, Operation Big Beach, a beach-nourishment project carried out in 2001, has made Virginia Beach’s beach twice as big as before. I also need to take a little dip in the ocean, which I’ve not done since 2000. There’s something about a need for salt… I don’t know what it is. Plus I want to see more of the strip, and just overall have a good two days out.
Hopefully it shall happen…
Web site: Washington Post article about Virginia Beach, plus their no-swearing campaign
Song: "Lean On Me", which three of us at the Service Desk all started singing out loud with the muzak on the PA system. My comment was, "Now we're looking for another associate who can run the Service Desk, preferably one who can sing bass." That then prompted me to sing that "Nobody knows" song from Spaceballs. Still, now we have the Service Desk Choir, coming to a Wal-Mart near you.
Quote: "We have definitely gone off the deep end with low-carb, here."
Categories: Food and drink, Virginia Beach