Veggie Blog

The hardest part of cutting carbohydrates is rarely the meat or the eggs. It is giving up bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, the foods that sit at the center of so many meals. A swap can make the change feel smaller, and some of them work well. Here is what to try, with the carbohydrate numbers checked against USDA data, and a caution about the sweeteners that often come along with low-carb baking.

Which vegetables can replace pasta?

Zucchini and spaghetti squash are the favorites. According to USDA FoodData Central, 100 grams of raw zucchini has about 3 grams of carbohydrate and cooked spaghetti squash about 6.5 grams, compared with about 31 grams in 100 grams of cooked enriched pasta. Cut zucchini into ribbons or thin strips with a peeler or spiralizer and cook them briefly, because they release water. Roast spaghetti squash and pull the strands out with a fork. The sauce is usually what people like most about pasta, so a meat sauce, pesto or a cheese and vegetable topping goes over either one.

What can stand in for rice and potatoes?

Cauliflower is the classic. A raw 100-gram portion has about 5 grams of carbohydrate, against about 28 grams in cooked white rice and 21 grams in a baked potato. To make “rice,” chop florets in a food processor until they are the size of rice grains and microwave them without water for a few minutes. For a “mash,” steam the florets and puree them until smooth with a little butter or cream cheese. Mashed home-prepared potato has about 17 grams per 100 grams, and the cauliflower version is lower, though the toppings and butter add to the total. The result tastes different from potato, and that is fine.

What about bread and pizza?

Bread is the swap people miss most. White bread has about 55 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams once toasted, so even a thin slice adds up quickly. Low-carb breads are on the market and some cooks bake with almond flour or other non-wheat flours, but labels vary, so check the carbohydrate and fiber counts per serving. For pizza, large portobello mushroom caps, low-carb tortillas or a crustless “pizza casserole” with the same toppings are simple ways to keep the flavor.

Are sugar substitutes a good idea?

Be cautious. Many low-carb recipes rely on artificial sweeteners, and some dieters report that sweet tastes make them want even more sweet food. The World Health Organization advises against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight. Its review found that their use does not give a long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children, and that long-term use may be linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death in adults. The advice from WHO is to look for other ways to reduce free sugars, such as eating fruit or unsweetened foods and drinks. WHO calls this a conditional recommendation, because the link between sweeteners and disease may be confounded by the characteristics of the people studied, but it is a good reason not to build your diet around sweeteners. See our post on carbohydrate cravings and the Atkins diet and Atkins and sugar cravings.

Is it a good idea to go low-carb?

A low-carb plan is not right for everyone. If you have diabetes, kidney disease or are pregnant, or if you take medicine for blood sugar or blood pressure, speak to your doctor before cutting carbohydrates sharply. For an overview of how the plan works, read Atkins diet basics. For meal ideas, see planning for Atkins. You can read more about the evidence on non-sugar sweeteners in the WHO news release.

Exercise helps lower cholesterol, but what you eat before and after your workout can either support that effort or undo it. A big plate of fried food or a sugary snack after the gym does nothing for your heart. This post shows how to refuel with foods that are friendly to your cholesterol, with ideas for breakfast, snacks and dinner.

Why does eating matter for a workout?

When you exercise, your body burns calories and uses up stored energy. Afterward it needs a mix of carbohydrates to refuel, protein to repair muscle, and a little fat. You do not need a special product for this. Ordinary food does the job, and choosing the right kind helps you get the benefit of exercise: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that physical activity can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise HDL. See the NHLBI page on treating high cholesterol.

What should you eat around your workout?

Bread and sandwiches: If your usual pre-workout snack is a white-bread sandwich with processed meat, try whole-wheat bread with a spread of natural peanut or almond butter and a sliced banana. Nuts and nut butters give you protein and unsaturated fat. Choose versions without added sugar, and keep portions modest, since they are high in calories.

Fruit: Eat whole fruit rather than juice. An apple, pear or orange, washed and eaten with the skin where that is suitable, keeps the natural fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. MedlinePlus lists apples, bananas, oranges, pears and prunes among the fruit rich in soluble fiber.

Bag snacks: If you go to the gym straight from work, pack something so that you do not end up in the vending machine. Carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, a small tub of low-fat yogurt or a handful of unsalted nuts all travel well in a plastic container.

What makes a good dinner after exercise?

By the time you get home you are hungry, which is when fast food tempts most. Having a plan helps. A piece of fish or skinless chicken, baked or steamed, with a big portion of vegetables is quick to prepare and low in saturated fat. Beans, lentils, tofu and whole grains such as brown rice make a satisfying meatless dinner, and they give you soluble fiber, which helps keep the body from absorbing cholesterol. MedlinePlus explains soluble fiber and lists good sources.

Frying in a lot of oil adds fat and calories, so bake, steam, grill or sauté in a small amount of olive oil. Garlic and onions are tasty, low-fat flavorings that make vegetables more interesting. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that garlic supplements may lower total and LDL cholesterol to a small extent in people with high cholesterol, so enjoy garlic in your cooking for the flavor and do not count on it as a treatment. A bowl of low-fat yogurt with fruit makes a light dessert that will not leave you stuffed.

How long until it shows?

Cholesterol does not fall overnight. If you combine regular exercise with a heart-healthy diet, losing extra weight and having your cholesterol checked now and then will show you the results over months. High cholesterol raises the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack, so the effort is worthwhile. For more ideas, see our posts on exercise and cholesterol, what to eat to lower your cholesterol and moderate exercise for fitness.

The old version of this post said that vitamin E opens up arteries and prevents heart attacks, that vitamins C and E together protect the heart, and that people should take 400 international units of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day. Those claims reflect a theory that was popular decades ago. Large trials later tested it, and the results were disappointing. Here is what the research found.

Why did people think vitamin E would protect the heart?

The idea was reasonable. Oxidized cholesterol sticks to the walls of arteries, and antioxidants such as vitamins E and C can limit damage from free radicals. The old post described this process correctly. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), researchers have examined whether vitamin C might help prevent or delay diseases in which oxidative stress plays a role, including cardiovascular disease. Theory is not the same as proof, though, and heart disease is one of the areas where it was tested thoroughly.

What did the large trials find?

For vitamin E, the answer is clear. ODS reports that the HOPE study followed almost 10,000 patients at high risk of heart attack or stroke for 4.5 years, and found that those taking 400 IU of natural vitamin E a day had no fewer cardiovascular events than those taking a placebo. In the follow-up study HOPE-TOO, almost 4,000 of the participants took it for 2.5 more years. After seven years, vitamin E provided no significant protection against heart attacks, strokes or deaths, and the people taking it were 13 percent more likely to have heart failure and 21 percent more likely to be hospitalized for it, an unexpected finding. ODS concludes that moderately high doses of vitamin E do not reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events in people over 50 with established heart disease or diabetes. That is the opposite of what the old post said about people who have had a heart attack.

And vitamin C?

ODS says that most clinical trials have not found conclusive evidence that vitamin C supplements can protect against cardiovascular disease. It adds that high intakes of fruit and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, which may be partly due to their antioxidant content, but that does not show that pills do the same. The old post suggested 500 mg twice a day. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is 2,000 mg a day, and ODS says that vitamin C has low toxicity, but more than you need will not protect your heart. Our post on vitamin C: why you need it and where to find it explains what it is for.

What do the experts recommend?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a 2022 recommendation on this question. It recommends against using beta-carotene or vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer in community-dwelling adults who are not pregnant. For multivitamins and for other single or paired supplements, it concludes that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against. In plain terms, no vitamin pill has been proven to protect the heart, and two common ones are advised against. You can read the statement here: USPSTF recommendation on vitamin supplements.

So what does help your heart?

Food and habits do. The old post was right that nuts contain vitamin E and are good for you. ODS notes that foods rich in vitamin E include nuts and seeds, and a diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish supports heart health in ways a single vitamin cannot. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s heart-healthy living advice covers choosing heart-healthy foods, aiming for a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, managing stress, quitting smoking and getting enough good-quality sleep; see the NHLBI guide to heart-healthy living. Our post on what you can do to lower your cholesterol gives practical steps, and cholesterol, vitamins and drugs explains where statins fit in.

Should you take a supplement anyway?

If your doctor has diagnosed a deficiency, follow the advice. If you have heart disease and take medicine, check with your doctor before adding any supplement, because some can interact with heart medicines. Do not rely on vitamins instead of prescribed treatment. See vitamins and your health for how to choose and use supplements wisely.

Skiing asks a lot from your legs, and most of the work is done by the thighs, hips and the muscles around the knees. People who ski only a few times a year often start the season without the strength to match. The old version of this post claimed that yoga makes people ski “infinitely better.” That is an overstatement, but a short routine of leg-strengthening poses before the season is sensible, and this article explains one of them step by step.

How common are ski injuries?

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recorded more than 76,000 snow skiing injuries treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices and emergency rooms in 2018, plus 53,000 for snowboarding. Knee injuries are very common, particularly injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Because skiers often put out an arm to break a fall, shoulder injuries are also common, and falling on an outstretched hand while holding a pole can cause “skier’s thumb.” You can read more in the AAOS guide to skiing injury prevention.

When do most injuries happen?

The AAOS says many ski injuries happen at the end of the day, when people try to get in one last run. It says the majority can be prevented if you are in good physical condition and stop when you are tired or in pain. Do not attempt the hardest run of the day after a full day on the slopes. The same guide says cold muscles are more prone to injury, so warm up for three to five minutes with jumping jacks, running or walking in place, and take a couple of slow runs before you go faster. Our post on preventing sports injuries has more habits that help in any sport.

How do you do the chair pose?

Yoga’s chair pose works the thighs in much the same way as a skiing stance. The classic version below is a standard exercise and not a program that has been tested on skiers. Stand with your feet parallel, about hip width apart, and raise your arms in front of you to shoulder height. Bend your knees and sit back as if lowering yourself into a chair, with your weight toward your heels and your spine long. Keep your knees above your ankles and your abdomen firm, and breathe normally. Hold for about 20 seconds, then stand up slowly.

What are the two harder variations?

For the second version, rise onto the balls of your feet, press down through your big toes to keep the ankles straight, and bend your knees again until the thighs are level with the floor. Hold for 20 seconds. This one is harder. For the third, return the heels to the floor, lower your hips toward your heels, press the knees together and hold for 20 seconds, then rise slowly. Do each sequence twice. Stop if you feel pain in your knees, and skip the deeper versions if you have a knee injury. Check with your doctor before starting if you have joint problems.

What else should you do before you ski?

Build general fitness in the weeks before the trip with walking, cycling or the routines in lifetime fitness and sports fitness habits. Take a lesson if you are new, because learning how to fall correctly can reduce your risk of injury, and the AAOS says even experienced skiers can improve with a lesson. Wear a ski helmet, make sure your boots and bindings are checked by a ski shop, and drink water before, during and after skiing, since even mild dehydration can affect your endurance.

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