Good luck with your plan! Sounds like you’re off to a good start.

I tend to go overboard on sourdough if it’s around, too (I assume that’s why you don’t keep it around).

“I do see your point about monoculture; certainly grain crops can be unsustainable (although I wonder if all are?).”

Most are. Most grains are grown on former grassland. That grassland wasn’t used to grow cultivated grains, they were used to grow grasses. Cellulose. that cellulose was then eaten by ruminants and then we killed the ruminants, digested them.

Grass doesn’t take as much water as grain to grow. It kinda grow wild out there, and its pretty self-sustaining. Look at Salatin, and his farming operation. No grains, and grass just comes back after the cows chomp it to the ground (or chickenses, like we had in our yard for several years.) Their poo provides the nutrients back to the soil.

Watering crops brings up another issue: soil salination, eventually leading to desertification. The longer you water soil from ground sources, the more salt you bring up from the ground, and the more dispersed that salt becomes over the ground you are trying to water. Once the saline content in the soil reaches a tipping point, the only way to keep the soil productive is to add MORE water, the dilute the salinity. Keep in mind that at one time, the “Fertile Crescent” was…erm…fertile. Now, most of it is desert.

“Here’s another thing that confuses me, though — so many cultures around the world (as far as I know) do base their diet on grains, and it seems to be a very long-standing practice. So I have a hard time believing it’s really that bad.”

Wait. hold for a moment.

Nomadic cultures wouldn’t be cultivating grains, at least not to the extent that our diet is based on grains. Oh, sure, if they ran across a wheat field, and if they could boil water they would eat it. Corn? Not so much…they would have to have a ready source of Lime to perform nixtamalization, otherwise its Pollegra city!

The problem with grains is that in their raw form, they aren’t readily bio=available. eat some corn kernals, wait a few hours, and you will see that they just pass right through, resisting all but the most basic digestion, same with wheat kernels and oat groats.

These items were cultivated, assuredly, as a staple for cities. Only cities could afford the infrastructure that would be required to grow most grains. There are a few theories that these items were cultivated for their fermentation properties. It seems that everyone likes their booze, even nomads.

Nomadic peoples relied on animal protein and wild fruits and veggies. This is what we evolved on. The fact that we are able to digest other things is a testament to our ability to tide our stomachs over in leaner times, not that we should be eating high carbohydrate foods all the time.

I also want to make it clear that YOU are an exception, Kathy:

The vast majority of Americans aren’t looking at meals as protein/veg/carbs. They are looking at CARBS/protein. Veg gets left out entirely. Pizza and beer. Hamburger and frenchfries. Coke and Chips. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich with corn chips. Chips and salsa (before beans and rice.) Cookies and milk. Cake and Icecream.

You get the idea. Keep in mind that in almost all the above items is corn/wheat or some other source of grain.

Now, I am not a scientist. Nor am I particularly smart. You can discard my advice at will, but I want to you to keep a few things in mind:

Cancer rates are through the roof.
Diabetes is going up, up, up.
Framingham study.
Earl Butz.

I’ve heard great things about the new styles of rice cookers. Like Wendy says, I’ve heard they make great brown rice, when you need it, and keep it well for a long time.

Love you Kathy! Love you Wendy! Miss you both!

That being said, as a Type 1 diabetic (where a virus has attacked my pancreas, leaving it unable to make any insulin) the best way I have found to control my blood sugars is with exercise, proper insulin dosage and meals composed of protein, and complex carbohydrates. The fiber in whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc. slows the blood sugar spike, and keeps me full longer.

While white rice, french bread and the like sure taste good, it takes my body for a roller coaster of hell for up to 8 hours later (I can only imagine what it does to yours). So I actively choose not to eat it.

But the most powerful lesson of all this has been understanding correct portion sizes. I weigh 90% of my food and it has made a huge difference.

You also need to like the food you are eating. Experiment with spices (no calories, super flavor) and different cooking methods so that eating is still exciting.

To recap:

1. Only complex carbohydrates (the Glyclemic Index can help with this, although it can be a little tricky).

2. Eat food that tastes good because it is made of good things.

3. Eat correct portions sizes.

4. Don’t worry so much about the short term, it’s your long term plan that counts.