Now that I have a few clients finishing the sugar-detox diet I figure I better explain how to add back "safe" starches to the diet.
First off you should understand my thoughts on this are basically the thoughts of an enthusiastic hobbyist. I know everything I am writing is not 100% right-on but I believe the general principles will work for the average citizen coming off the standard American diet.
What is a safe starch? A safe starch is a carbohydrate based food that has very low toxicity levels after cooking. Plants develop toxicity as a defense mechanism. When attacked (grazed on) the plant can not run away or fist-fight so it had to develop another defense, namely low-level toxicity. When you eat modern bread or flours you are eating starches loaded with toxicity. Pretty much all modern grains (including whole grains) have high levels of toxicity because they were frequently grazed on by all different kind of animals. Wheat is grass, a totally unnatural food for humans. Any food produced by modern agriculture is going to be toxic to a certain degree. This was a trade-off humans unknowingly made when we created modern agriculture. We increased our ability to feed a larger volume of people but at the same time decreased the nutritional value of our food.
Animals did not readily graze on below-ground vegetables like potatoes. Potatoes have very low toxicity for this reason alone. Rice is a little different because it does have some toxicity in the bran. Rice bran, the outer layer of whole grain rice, is a source of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are natural plant-based compounds and the verdict is still out as to whether or not they are good or bad for human health. Some studies show that moderate amounts of phytochemicals are beneficial for health and other studies say the opposite. I recommend people eat white rice over brown rice because the white rice is "washed" of its bran, the place where phytochemicals are stored. We are eating rice and potatoes as a source of starch/sugar, not a source of fiber/vitamins/minerals. If you are eating a solid omnivores diet of meat, eggs, vegetables, raw nuts and possibly some raw dairy you will be getting way more micronutrients than you could ever need.
Since potatoes and rice are sugar based it is important that we limit the amount we eat if we are trying to lose bodyfat or deal with diabetic symptoms. It is very easy to figure out how much of these foods to eat because almost everybody will fall into the same range, 400-600 calories of starch a day. You will want to spread these foods throughout the day but the best time to eat them is the later meals of the day. This will decrease their effect on blood sugar because our insulin sensitivity is lower in the evening. This means the muscles are more readily available to absorb the sugars as opposed to the sugar pouring into the blood stream which is what causes diabetic symptoms.
If your lean body mass is 150 lbs or less you will want to eat the lower end of the range, 400 calories. If you are a more muscular person, over 150 lbs of lean bodyweight, you can eat up to 600 calories of starch. Do not try to eat these starches all at once! It is best to eat them in at least 3 different portions with your regular meals which should be based on fats and protein.
You should also add some sort of fat source to your rice and potatoes. Grass-fed butter is my favorite choice but you can also use coconut or olive oil. The fat will slow down the simple sugars found in these starches, minimizing the effects on blood sugar.
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