do you work out?

[Zero999]

Tofu is one good source but make sure you get organic and/or Non-GMO - the regular stuff is likely to contain GMOs tainted with harmful pesticides.

Pesticides are not GMOs.  Further, every agricultural product harvested for consumption is genetically modified either by direct DNA manipulation or selective breading.  GMO is not a chemical, it's a condition.

GMO can be goo or bad for pesticides. If a crop is genetically engineered to be resistance to a certain disease or pest, then fewer pesticides are used. On the other hand, if it's generically engineered to be resistant to a weedkiller, such as glyphosate, more pesticides will be used.

In any case, I'm not sold on the idea of non-GMO/organic always being better/more healthy. Levels of potentially dangerous chemicals in food are very tightly regulated and most people will be exposed to some level of pesticide, just by breathing. The only reason is because it's better for the environment, but even that isn't clear cut, if a non-GMO/organic food requires more space, water and has a higher carbon foot print, than a conventional alternative, it's not good. Lots of the organic food market seems to be more about making money, than the environment or health.

If you're really worried about toxins, then campaign for reductions in air pollution. You inhale fare more dangerous shit just by walking down the street, than you consume in food. Oh and don't burn wood, it produces far more nasty carcinogens such as benzene than diesel and yet BBQs also produce lots of carcinogens, so don't have one too often.

Whilst we're on the subject of health and nutrition. Ignore all those dumb videos/articles listing foods not to eat. If you listen to all of them, you'd quickly starve to death. The ketotards say avoid carbs which gets rid of most food, the veganknobs avoid anything which has touched an animal and even green vegetables are unhealthy because they contain small amounts of toxins and anti-nutrients. Then there are the other clueless nutjobs such as those advocating paleo or raw foods, of which neither are practical or that healthy: the actual palaeolithic diet varied depending on the location and season, humans only prospered when we invented agriculture and we evolved to eat cooked food! If I see any such shit in the title of a YouTube video, it gets an automatic dislike from me and I don't bother to watch it. There are no good/bad foods: everything in moderation.

It has been an eye opener for me, here in the slower covid-19 times, to start tracking a little more closely the sum total calories distributed over fats vs. carbohydrates vs.  proteins during a day.  I realized I was not really eating in a balanced way at all.   Obviously if you're not looking, it isn't easy to steer...

What is a balanced way?

There are many theories about what a balanced diet is, but it really isn't that critical. Look around the world and through human history and you'll find people who mostly eat sugars in the form of fruits and cane, to those who subsist almost entirely off animal products. People bitch about processed foods, but people have eaten a lot of that too, without any ill-effects. The most important nutrients in your diet are energy (whether it be from mostly fat or carbohydrates doesn't matter) and protein. Micronutrients are important, but you can survive for longer without them, than you can without the macros.

Being aware of what you're eating is a good thing, but there's no point in obsessing about it too much, just eat everything in moderation and do plenty of exercise and make sure you ger your heat rate up: short high intensity, seems to be more beneficial, than doing huge distances, slowly.

Apparently, proteins are a "must have" -  the body doesn't produce them, so they are non-negotiable.  I've cut down meat a lot, without appreciating this little fact, LOL!   Once proteins are covered (and they only need to be covered, not over-done), the distribution between fats and carbs is largely cultural and perhaps climate driven. 

From what I've gleaned so far,  "balanced" means approximately 20% of your calories should come from protein, 20% from fat, and the rest carbs.

Yes, you need a complete protein source, but that can easilly be derived from plants, by eating a range of different foods. Some plant protein sources are complete, but combining more than one plant food, can make a complete protein food.

The amount of protein you should be eating is debatable and depends on your activity levels. If you're more active, then you need more protein, but most of the extra energy should come from carbohydrates.

[SilverSolder]

[...]
The amount of protein you should be eating is debatable and depends on your activity levels. If you're more active, then you need more protein, but most of the extra energy should come from carbohydrates.

I thought fats are OK nowadays -  i.e. unsaturated fats as in olives / olive oil, walnuts, etc. etc. - with no limit imposed other than staying below about 35% of the daily calorie intake as an absolute max?

One of the big surprises to a nutrition n00b like me,  was (a) how much fat there is in dairy products, and (b) the fats are all the "bad" saturated type!   Sadly, as I love milk, cheese, youghurt, and the rest of it, and can't be dealing with reduced strength versions!  (I'd rather have 1/4 glass of whole milk than a full glass of skimmed, if you see what I mean.)

[Zero999]

[...]
The amount of protein you should be eating is debatable and depends on your activity levels. If you're more active, then you need more protein, but most of the extra energy should come from carbohydrates.

I thought fats are OK nowadays -  i.e. unsaturated fats as in olives / olive oil, walnuts, etc. etc. - with no limit imposed other than staying below about 35% of the daily calorie intake as an absolute max?

One of the big surprises to a nutrition n00b like me,  was (a) how much fat there is in dairy products, and (b) the fats are all the "bad" saturated type!   Sadly, as I love milk, cheese, youghurt, and the rest of it, and can't be dealing with reduced strength versions!  (I'd rather have 1/4 glass of whole milk than a full glass of skimmed, if you see what I mean.)

I didn't say fats weren't OK and even saturated fat isn't all that bad, because it's often found in foods high in other nutrients.

Where did you get the 35% maximum fat for daily calorie intake from fat? The proportion depends on your activity levels. People who are less active are probably better getting a higher proportion of their calories from fat. Carbohydrates should increase with activity levels, but it really doesn't matter that much. I find I naturally tend to be drawn towards high carbohydrate foods, when I've been active for awhile, so it's not something I worry about.

Don't worry too much about what you eat. People obsess about it too much.

[SilverSolder]

[...]
The amount of protein you should be eating is debatable and depends on your activity levels. If you're more active, then you need more protein, but most of the extra energy should come from carbohydrates.

I thought fats are OK nowadays -  i.e. unsaturated fats as in olives / olive oil, walnuts, etc. etc. - with no limit imposed other than staying below about 35% of the daily calorie intake as an absolute max?

One of the big surprises to a nutrition n00b like me,  was (a) how much fat there is in dairy products, and (b) the fats are all the "bad" saturated type!   Sadly, as I love milk, cheese, youghurt, and the rest of it, and can't be dealing with reduced strength versions!  (I'd rather have 1/4 glass of whole milk than a full glass of skimmed, if you see what I mean.)

I didn't say fats weren't OK and even saturated fat isn't all that bad, because it's often found in foods high in other nutrients.

Where did you get the 35% maximum fat for daily calorie intake from fat? The proportion depends on your activity levels. People who are less active are probably better getting a higher proportion of their calories from fat. Carbohydrates should increase with activity levels, but it really doesn't matter that much. I find I naturally tend to be drawn towards high carbohydrate foods, when I've been active for awhile, so it's not something I worry about.

Don't worry too much about what you eat. People obsess about it too much.

Total fat intake should account for 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, according to MayoClinic.com.  (Mayonnaise clinic??   )  The number is a range, not an absolute, to fit with your lifestyle and food preferences.

There is an excellent downloadable PDF here:  https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/current-dietary-guidelines/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines

I agree about not obsessing about this.  I have never, ever, given a fig about what I eat....   but now the doctor is complaining about high lipid levels in the blood, so  I'm trying to avoid being put on statins and similar drugs by paying a little attention (the minimum possible!) to what I am eating.  It is actually quite interesting, when you look at it as an engineering challenge!  (And it is working - the last blood test had a 30% improvement, yay!)

[greasemonkey]

Maybe carbohydrates are the problem.

I am 42 and 1,83m tall. I don't exercise but my work is relatively active (I am a real life grease monkey). I try to sleep for 8 hours every night and eat almost no carbohydrates.

This is my weight during the previous year. Can you guess when I stopped eating carbohydrates?



I was skeptical at first but it really works.

Suggested reading:
Gary Taubes - The case against sugar
Gary Taubes - Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
David A. Sinclair - Lifespan: Why We Age - and Why We Don't Have To
Matthew Walker - Why We Sleep

[maginnovision]

That's most likely just due to calorie intake. It's really easy to get a ton of calories eating lots of carbs. You just equate it to carbs because you think it's carbs. If you watch how much you eat and know your RMR it's really easy to lose or maintain weight(obviously it's usually pretty easy to gain weight).

[nctnico]

That's most likely just due to calorie intake. It's really easy to get a ton of calories eating lots of carbs. You just equate it to carbs because you think it's carbs. If you watch how much you eat and know your RMR it's really easy to lose or maintain weight(obviously it's usually pretty easy to gain weight).

Not likely. IT IS the lower calorie intake. But it has nothing to do with carbohydrates specifically. You can also reduce intake of other high calorie food like sugar and fat. Losing weight is very simple: eat & drink less calories than you burn. Where the calories (don't) come from doesn't matter. The whole anti-carbohydrates movement is complete BS. Same as anti-5G and anti-vaccination loonies.

[maginnovision]

I know, I was trying to be nice.

[BrianHG]

The whole anti-carbohydrates movement is complete BS. Same as anti-5G and anti-vaccination loonies.

You are correct about total surplus calories gained after digestion of the food you eat is key.
You are also correct that for most of us the anti-carbohydrates movement and especially how they market it as a blanket solution for all is complete BS.

However, for some of us who have an unusual appetite based on volume of food eaten, where carbs do create a massive influx of quick sugar/calories in our bodies, relying on much slower, longer to digest foods does help prevent taking in way too much calories because of the higher volume of food required to attain the same number of surplus calories after digestion.

Also, usually, with proper selection, low carb (getting rid of all surplus sugars (in all processed forms) and food with refined white flour) can be very healthy in the long run.  (And I am not talking about a BS all protein/fat diet.)


If you haven't been there, with an impossible to control appetite of a literal horse, back and forth in weight, tested the different strategies measured over decades, and finally succeeded, you do not know...  Actually, all the marketers of the anti-carbohydrates movement are also completely in the dark without a clue as well.  It is only luck that a minuscule fraction of a fraction of a percent of those who jump on the no-carb bandwagon get positive results and spread the word while the truth is usually that by luck, following the no-carb rules they eliminated 1 or 2 super calorie dense items in their day-to-day diet which was all they needed to do from the start instead of eliminating everything except meat & fat.

[Zero999]

Maybe carbohydrates are the problem.

I am 42 and 1,83m tall. I don't exercise but my work is relatively active (I am a real life grease monkey). I try to sleep for 8 hours every night and eat almost no carbohydrates.

This is my weight during the previous year. Can you guess when I stopped eating carbohydrates?

I was skeptical at first but it really works.

Yes, as mentioned above, it's because you reduced your calorie intake. I've done it before and read similar bullshit to that linked in your post. It does work and in many respects it's easier to cut carbs, than fat, because it reduces appetite levels to some degree. I've even preached low carb to others in the past!

Unfortunately it's not healthy in the long term. I can speak from personal experience. The constipation and bad breath are not nice. It's also easy to lose weight too quickly on that diet.

Going by that graph, you didn't need to lose weight in the first place and have done so too quickly. You're 1.83m tall, so were much more healthy at the 80kg, when you started, than at 70kg now and if your fat loss is accurate at 4kg, then you've more muscle (6kg, although some will be water) and could have increased your body fat percentage. All you've done is made yourself malnourished, not more healthy. If you can't stop this, then seek medical advice.

[Zero999]

Total fat intake should account for 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, according to MayoClinic.com.  (Mayonnaise clinic??   )  The number is a range, not an absolute, to fit with your lifestyle and food preferences.

There is an excellent downloadable PDF here:  https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/current-dietary-guidelines/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines

That seems like a sensible guideline, but people differ somewhat.

I agree about not obsessing about this.  I have never, ever, given a fig about what I eat....   but now the doctor is complaining about high lipid levels in the blood, so  I'm trying to avoid being put on statins and similar drugs by paying a little attention (the minimum possible!) to what I am eating.  It is actually quite interesting, when you look at it as an engineering challenge!  (And it is working - the last blood test had a 30% improvement, yay!)
[/quote]
How active are you? If not, try doing some cardiovascular exercise. Short bursts of high intensity might help more than longer, less intense exercise. If you're not used to it, just do enough to get youself slightly out of breath, rest for long enough to recover and repeat a couple of times.

Good on you for improving your blood test results!

[nctnico]

The whole anti-carbohydrates movement is complete BS. Same as anti-5G and anti-vaccination loonies.

You are correct about total surplus calories gained after digestion of the food you eat is key.
You are also correct that for most of us the anti-carbohydrates movement and especially how they market it as a blanket solution for all is complete BS.

However, for some of us who have an unusual appetite based on volume of food eaten, where carbs do create a massive influx of quick sugar/calories in our bodies, relying on much slower, longer to digest foods does help prevent taking in way too much calories because of the higher volume of food required to attain the same number of surplus calories after digestion.

Also, usually, with proper selection, low carb (getting rid of all surplus sugars (in all processed forms) and food with refined white flour) can be very healthy in the long run.  (And I am not talking about a BS all protein/fat diet.)

If you haven't been there, with an impossible to control appetite of a literal horse, back and forth in weight, tested the different strategies measured over decades, and finally succeeded, you do not know...

I think I've been there... IMHO the solution to an unhealthy appetite is not switching to food that fills your stomage. That is just a short term solution with an unbalanced diet as well. A long term solution is switching the lifestyle and that does take effort. Years of effort. Burning the calories you eat is actually only a small part (or better put: a result) of the entire process. Maybe you can even speak of getting rid of an addiction. 

[BrianHG]

There is an excellent downloadable PDF here:  https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/current-dietary-guidelines/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines

I agree about not obsessing about this.  I have never, ever, given a fig about what I eat.... 

Hmm, a USDA written report...
Yes, Americans food supply and what they end up eating and how it is prepared is for the most part crap beyond belief.

Even their best cuts of meats/poultry/pork have the texture and taste of heart-attack on a plate.  Their grains, and even so-called whole wheat grains (some of which actually are fake) is a refined processed poison.  However, finding quality sources for most of the food costs a mountain of money which we don't all have unless you are willing to make sacrifices somewhere else in your life.

Eat healthy quality sourced food you are in control of by preparing it yourself from scratch.  Just choose what your appetite requires, so long as you left eating and drinking process junk long ago, you will do fine.  If you haven't un-trained a poor junk-food tendency appetite, well, for your health, I would say learn.

As an example, trying to find a healthy adult 1kg chicken today is nearly impossible.  An don't be fooled about today's 4kg adult chickens, saying that the breast meat is lean.  It is has fat mixed in it compared to the 1957 variety shown in the photo below.  Even the 1978 variety looks ok.  But the 2005 variety doesn't look natural or healthy.

[nctnico]

As an example, trying to find a healthy adult 1kg chicken today is nearly impossible.  An don't be fooled about today's 4kg adult chickens, saying that the breast meat is lean.  It is has fat mixed in it compared to the 1957 variety shown in the photo below.  Even the 1978 variety looks ok.  But the 2005 variety doesn't look natural or healthy.

IMHO you are buying too much into FUD spread by 'foodies'. I've been in a chicken slaughterhouse many times and I can assure you that the breast meat from the chicken is pure meat. I've seen it coming out of the chickens with my own eyes. Ofcourse things are different if you buy (low grade) products which are not made from chicken breast but minced chicken meat. Then they mix in fat and other cheap ingredients. In the end you get what you pay for. If you want really tasty meat then buy the bio-meat but it gets expensive quickly.

[SilverSolder]

Total fat intake should account for 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, according to MayoClinic.com.  (Mayonnaise clinic??   )  The number is a range, not an absolute, to fit with your lifestyle and food preferences.

There is an excellent downloadable PDF here:  https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/current-dietary-guidelines/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines

That seems like a sensible guideline, but people differ somewhat.

I agree about not obsessing about this.  I have never, ever, given a fig about what I eat....   but now the doctor is complaining about high lipid levels in the blood, so  I'm trying to avoid being put on statins and similar drugs by paying a little attention (the minimum possible!) to what I am eating.  It is actually quite interesting, when you look at it as an engineering challenge!  (And it is working - the last blood test had a 30% improvement, yay!)

How active are you? If not, try doing some cardiovascular exercise. Short bursts of high intensity might help more than longer, less intense exercise. If you're not used to it, just do enough to get youself slightly out of breath, rest for long enough to recover and repeat a couple of times.

Good on you for improving your blood test results!

Thank you and yes, I have upped the exercise levels from... in all honesty, near zero...  to about an hour a day, including 10 -15 mins of elevated cardio.  Plus some strength training thrown in.  I feel so much better I realize I've been an idiot for not getting started earlier...   -  I'm hoping the blood tests will look even better in the summer, for the next test!

[BrianHG]

IMHO you are buying too much into FUD spread by 'foodies'.

You clearly haven't been forced to live and eat in the USA for 6 months straight when traveling...
The poultry here is Canada is generally much better.  Even the cheap stuff.

And yes, after eating each cheap meal in the US, you do feel like your entire body is supporting a heavy weight.  It really is that bad unless you are in a few specific cities, or once again you know what and where to buy.

Yes, I brought friends from the US to Montreal for a few weeks and everyone of them did taste and feel the difference of even our cheapest food let alone the really good stuff.

[SilverSolder]

IMHO you are buying too much into FUD spread by 'foodies'.

You clearly haven't been forced to live and eat in the USA for 6 months straight when traveling...
The poultry here is Canada is generally much better.  Even the cheap stuff.

And yes, after eating each cheap meal in the US, you do feel like your entire body is supporting a heavy weight.  It really is that bad unless you are in a few specific cities, or once again you know what and where to buy.

Yes, I brought friends from the US to Montreal for a few weeks and everyone of them did taste and feel the difference of even our cheapest food let alone the really good stuff.

It's hard to eat cheap and eat well at the same time, it seems to me.  It's hard enough to eat well even without worrying about costs yet!

[Zero999]

There is an excellent downloadable PDF here:  https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/current-dietary-guidelines/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines

I agree about not obsessing about this.  I have never, ever, given a fig about what I eat.... 

Hmm, a USDA written report...
Yes, Americans food supply and what they end up eating and how it is prepared is for the most part crap beyond belief.

Even their best cuts of meats/poultry/pork have the texture and taste of heart-attack on a plate.  Their grains, and even so-called whole wheat grains (some of which actually are fake) is a refined processed poison.  However, finding quality sources for most of the food costs a mountain of money which we don't all have unless you are willing to make sacrifices somewhere else in your life.

Eat healthy quality sourced food you are in control of by preparing it yourself from scratch.  Just choose what your appetite requires, so long as you left eating and drinking process junk long ago, you will do fine.  If you haven't un-trained a poor junk-food tendency appetite, well, for your health, I would say learn.

As an example, trying to find a healthy adult 1kg chicken today is nearly impossible.  An don't be fooled about today's 4kg adult chickens, saying that the breast meat is lean.  It is has fat mixed in it compared to the 1957 variety shown in the photo below.  Even the 1978 variety looks ok.  But the 2005 variety doesn't look natural or healthy.

I agree that modern poultry farming and buthcering processes in the USA are disgusting. They way they allow the meat to get covered in shit, then wash it of with chlorine is truely revolting and is why many here in the UK are against a trade deal which would allow such shit to be imported. I doubt that has much to do with obesity though.

Obesity is a worldwide problem. It might have started in the USA, but it's now everewhere. People have eaten grains for milenia, without getting fat. Food is only part of the problem. A big contributing factor is lack of exercise. The USA was the first country where car ownership became the norm, followed by most of Europe, Canada, Austraila etc. at the same time mechanisation replaced physical jobs and TV and finally gaming replaced more physical leasure activites such as sport.

Losing weight by following a very restrictive diet works, but it's not very healthy. It's only suitable for those who are obese and unable to engage in enough physical activity, due to age/disability. In those cases it probably makes more sense to reduce calories from carbohydrates, starting with the refined type of course, than fat, but ketosis should still be avoided.

[BrianHG]

Obesity is a worldwide problem. It might have started in the USA, but it's now everewhere. People have eaten grains for milenia, without getting fat. Food is only part of the problem. A big contributing factor is lack of exercise. The USA was the first country where car ownership became the norm, followed by most of Europe, Canada, Austraila etc. at the same time mechanisation replaced physical jobs and TV and finally gaming replaced more physical leasure activites such as sport.

Now listen carefully, secret #1:  Eating grains...

Purchase bread and pasta made from "Sprouted Whole Wheat".  This is in line with the grains people have eaten for milinea without getting fat.

I know this type of bread isn't soft squeezy like the normal supermarket bread we are use to, but you will not get fat from eating this stuff.  It is not refined white or semi-BS whole wheat flour.  It contains almost everything from the wheat grain, but usually you can only find this type of bread in the health food or organic section of your supermarket.

(I went haywire when I had to move from a my old house where a local pizzeria made their own pizza dough and had a true authentic sprouted whole wheat dough.  (they thought it was normal whole wheat, but, I could tell since I purchase the sprouted whole wheat bread and I recognized it's taste and texture)  The delivery guy was going insane over the 3 years a decade ago I lost over 100lb(45kg) on a few x-large triple-mushroom and cheese pizzas a week.)  (This is what happens when a small mom&pop pizza joint who makes everything from scratch using their own ingredients)

Remember, today's white flour breads have added fat, sugar, has nothing bot the bottom end complex carbs which easily break down into more sugar.  Added preservatives are doing a number too.  It's also missing the healthy parts of the grain which is why many breads has vitamin fortification.

[BrianHG]

Just so you know what we are up against in North America:



And it's not just Subway...  Even most of the breads on our supermarket shelf which claim whole wheat are fake too.

[VK3DRB]

I work out a great deal. A lot more than most people.

I work out the causes of bugs in a design.
I work out values of components for a design.
I work out how to keep costs down.
I work out how to fix appliances around the home.
I work out mathematical problems.
I work out algorithms.

But I cannot work out whether to take a ocean cruise on a luxury liner Carnival Splendour. 9 days in the south pacific for US $350 scheduled for late January. Too hard to work out.

[SilverSolder]

[...]
Remember, today's white flour breads have added fat, sugar, has nothing bot the bottom end complex carbs which easily break down into more sugar.  Added preservatives are doing a number too.  It's also missing the healthy parts of the grain which is why many breads has vitamin fortification.

Yes, the soft white sliced "sandwich bread" that you get in the USA and also UK superficially tastes good, but the nutritional value is terrible...  it is known as "toast bread" in parts of continental Europe, where they have real bread!   Thankfully it seems to be going out of fashion.

I'll test a loaf of the sprouted whole wheat variety, sounds interesting! 

[nctnico]

[...]
Remember, today's white flour breads have added fat, sugar, has nothing bot the bottom end complex carbs which easily break down into more sugar.  Added preservatives are doing a number too.  It's also missing the healthy parts of the grain which is why many breads has vitamin fortification.

Yes, the soft white sliced "sandwich bread" that you get in the USA and also UK superficially tastes good, but the nutritional value is terrible...  it is known as "toast bread" in parts of continental Europe, where they have real bread!   Thankfully it seems to be going out of fashion.

Yes. That toast bread is horrible. And super-market bread doesn't have to be bad. I'm usually eating a corn based one. It stays good (fluffy) for 3 to 4 days and yet it doesn't contain any artificial additive.

[SilverSolder]

No sooner said than done (almost!), I picked up a loaf of sprouted rye bread.  The big deal with the sprouted grain seems to be the much higher protein content, which is very cool, given that most bread seems to be all carbs!  (e.g. the carb to protein ratio even for decent quality bread is nearly 10:1, whereas for the sprouted loaf I just got it is 5x better at 2:1)

[BrianHG]

Yes, the soft white sliced "sandwich bread" that you get in the USA and also UK superficially tastes good, but the nutritional value is terrible...  it is known as "toast bread" in parts of continental Europe, where they have real bread!   Thankfully it seems to be going out of fashion.

I'll test a loaf of the sprouted whole wheat variety, sounds interesting! 

Eat nothing but any of the many varieties of sprouted bread for a year, and if you ever end up tasting normal white toasted bread after that, it will taste like sick empty nutritionless mush.

Even on my homemade burgers, (1lb of minced pork filet-minion, cooked rare), I use 2 slices of sprouted bread as the bun.  Though, I lightly toast them too.  I prefer Sprouted 9 grain bread, or strict sprouted whole wheat.  Note that some of the breads I buy say they contain no flour at all.  (LOL, to think I manage to keep off over 140lb of fat eating like this for years now, and before I got my back injury, my total weight loss went from 333lb to 165lb, achieved in my mid 40s.)

As for the sprouted spaghetti / pasta, I make my own organic tomato sauce with onions, garlic, mushrooms, salt, fresh ground pepper, chilies flakes, oregano, basil and added minced pork filet-minion.

(Pork Filet Minion is leaner than normal beef Filet Minion and here in Quebec, I can get it at a lower price than normal lean grade AAA minced beef, or minced turkey breast.  Minced Filet Minion also makes great rare burgers, however, it now costs an arm and a leg.  After cooking, it has no heavy grease or oil whatsoever.)

No sooner said than done (almost!), I picked up a loaf of sprouted rye bread.  The big deal with the sprouted grain seems to be the much higher protein content, which is very cool, given that most bread seems to be all carbs!  (e.g. the carb to protein ratio even for decent quality bread is nearly 10:1, whereas for the sprouted loaf I just got it is 5x better at 2:1)

Sounds like you picked the good stuff.  Be careful, I've seen sprouted bread which still are mostly flour and have the sprouted germs as a final addition to the ingredient list.  You will know as true sprouted grain bread does not have a soft/spongy and squishy center, or, if the bread states it contains no flour, or it is a flour-less bread.

Shop around for sprouted/spelt dark brown pasta, there exist brands which are within 1$ or less of cheap normal pasta.