Benefits of Pasta

When talking about building muscle, many people place all their focus on protein. This results in a diet full of chicken, beef, fish and eggs. While protein does play a vital role in muscle recovery and growth, carbs are crucial too. One way you can increase your carbs in a healthy way to build more muscle is to add more pasta into your diet.

Pasta is a perfect foundation for healthy, nutritious and satisfying meals: pasta is generally eaten with nutrient-dense food partners, such as fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart healthy fish and monounsaturated oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed cheeses, poultry and lean meats.

Nutritionally, pasta is rich. It is basically composed of semolina flour (ground from hard durum wheat) and water. Two ounces of uncooked pasta (five ounces cooked) provide eight grams of protein, one gram of fat and 42 grams of carbohydrates. The carbs are key. Your body relies on them for all vigorous activity. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which is used as a main energy fuel. If you don't consume enough carbohydrates your body is forced to run on fat and protein, instead of utilizing them for building and replacing body tissues. The reality of it is that if you don't consume enough carbs you will simply run out of energy. The organizers of the New York City Marathon realized this many years ago, and pre-marathon spaghetti dinners quickly became a tradition.

Besides their abundance of carbohydrates, pasta is also a great source of protein (semolina flour is 13 percent protein) as well as other nutrients. As for calories, ounce for ounce pasta provides the same amount as pure protein (such as meat) with half the fat. The Italian tradition of combining pasta with sauces containing small amounts of animal or fish protein and low amounts of fat provides wonderfully healthy and filling meals.

Pasta varieties

Italian pasta basically comes in two varieties. The first-pasta secca or dried pasta, is composed of semolina flour and water. It is yellow in color (before cooking) and has a nutty flavor. When cooked al dente or "to the tooth," it has a nice chewy bite to it. Dried thin pastas (like spaghetti, fettucine and ca-pellini) are used with olive oil based sauces. Dry pasta has the ability to absorb a lot of sauce without becoming mushy. Dried tubular shapes (shells, penne and fusil) trap sauces with bits of meat and vegetables. For a general rule, use thicker pastas with thicker sauces.

Fresh pasta or pasta all'uovo is composed of unbleached flour or semolina flour, water and eggs. For some reason it has gotten the undeserved reputation of being better than dried pasta. Fresh pasta is more delicate in texture and tender to the bite. It is very well suited to cream and butter-based sauces and rich cheeses. Making your own fresh pasta is a bit time consuming but very rewarding. However, if you are watching your egg consumption you might want to stick to dried pasta.

The Carb-Muscle Connection

Athletes and those with an intense training schedule should look to get between 2.3 and 3.6 grams of carbs per pound of body weight each day, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A famous Bodybuilding nutrition coach goes along with this, giving a figure of 2 to 3 grams per pound, adding that a 200-pound bodybuilder needs somewhere between 400 and 600 grams of carbs per day to build muscle. Other coaches advise to increase your carbohydrate intake to between 1.5-2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. It depends on your goals, present body composition and training.

In order to gain muscle, a carbohydrate increase will be required to keep your energy levels high, and thus fuel your workouts, and in order to help shuttle the amino acids from your proteins into the muscle tissue (since carbohydrates increase insulin levels and insulin is necessary for the transport of the amino’s into the muscle). The key thing to ensure that muscle mass is maximized as opposed to fat gain when consuming carbohydrates is to ensure that your intake of them is mostly from low glycemic index ones (slow digesting/released carbs) like pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and sweet potatoes.

Limit the higher glycemic complex carbs (like cream of rice) and simple carbs (like bananas) for after the workout when the body needs fast released carbs and proteins in order to quick start the recovery and re-building process and also to help refuel the energy stores (glycogen levels in the muscle and liver) that have been drained. Also, ensure that you eat half of your carbohydrates split between the times that the body is most receptive to them, which is the morning time (first meal) and post workout time.

So for instance, a hypothetical 200-lb bodybuilder who is starting his bulk up plan at 300 grams of carbs per day (bodyweight x 1.5), will split 150 grams (half of the daily requirement) between the morning meal and the post workout meal (so that comes to 75 grams of carbs). The morning meal carbs will be complex low glycemic carbs while the post workout meal will be half simple and half complex). The remainder 150 grams will be split in the remainder meals. I always advise to refrain from eating complex carbs after 6:30pm (unless your post workout meal comes after that time) as your insulin sensitivity (body's acceptance of the hormone insulin) goes down at night and therefore, one runs a higher risk of storing carbohydrate calories at night unless you train, in which case your insulin sensitivity is optimized.

Finally, make sure that you have around 15-20 grams of fibrous carbohydrates, such as green beans or broccoli, at lunchtime and 15-20 grams more at dinnertime as these will help to keep your digestive tract clean and ready to accept new nutrients, thus maximizing nutrient utilization.

Pasta for Muscle Gains

Adding pasta into your diet or replacing another carb source in favor of pasta won't immediately lead to new muscle gains. To build muscle, you must eat more calories than you consume. Therefore, if you're currently under-eating in terms of calories or carbohydrates, adding pasta into your diet to boost your calorie and carb intake could be particularly useful and help you bulk up. Look to make your pasta dishes high-calorie but healthy by using tomato- or vegetable-based sauces, adding lean meat or low-fat cheese and drizzling on olive oil if you need extra fat.

Pasta's Protein Power

Pasta isn't purely carbohydrate. It also contains protein -- around 15 grams per 100 grams of pasta, in fact. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists whole grains as a good source of protein for vegetarians. The only downside is that the protein in pasta isn't complete; it lacks certain essential amino acids, so you shouldn't rely on it for all your protein needs.

Bodybuilding Pasta Sauce

Some bodybuilders use a ready pasta sauce. Then you should study the label and try to find one with no added sugar. Some ready to use spaghetti sauces also contain a lot of sodium and then you will retain a lot of water from it.

As with choosing the variety of pasta, to influence the digestion, the sauce you use depends on the fact if you are bulking or cutting. For both goals you can find many recipes on the internet. Some also eat pasta’s on their cheat day, where the amount of calories is not important. But most eat their pasta after workout .

Pasta is not all bad. As long as you eat it in moderation - and avoid butter- and cream-based sauces and top it with rich cheeses, it can be high in protein and low in fat. It’s better (healthier) to opt for tomato-based sauces that can provide additional nutrients such as vitamin C and lycopene. If you cook your own sauce you can control salt and sugar and know for sure that you use all kinds of fresh ingredients without transfats , emulsifiers, artificial flavorings and without preservatives.

If you cook your own pasta sauce then all you need is a crock pot and some phantasy. You can use fresh herbs, garlic, all kinds of vegetables , beans, meat and fish (chicken, lean ground beef, steak strips, tuna, salmon). Just as it is with bit of cheese. contrary to poor belief, cutting and complex carbs can exist in the same world. All you need is a crock pot, a big can of crushed tomatoes, a clove or two of garlic, and other seasonings to taste. If you're going to put meat in it already, just simmer the raw meat with the tomatoes and in the crock pot, and it'll cook perfectly.

The tomato sauce, just like tomato soup is often one of the prime culprits in heartburn flareups. The high acidity of the tangy sauce can cause people pain after eating it. There are many tricks to alter the acidity. On the net you can find many tricks to many to list here.

An enormous amount of different recipes can be found on the net also.

Other benefits of pasta

Carbohydrates like pasta provide glucose, the crucial fuel for your brain and muscles. Pasta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide a slow release of energy. Unlike simple sugars that offer a quick, yet fleeting boost of energy, pasta helps sustain energy.

Pasta is very low in sodium and cholesterol-free. Per cup, enriched varieties provide a good source of several essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins. Whole wheat pasta can provide up to 25% of daily fiber requirements in every one cup portion.

Enriched pasta is fortified with folic acid – essential for women of child-bearing age. FDA regulations require enriched grain products to contain this important vitamin. A serving of dry pasta supplies the equivalent of roughly 100 micrograms of folic acid, or 25% of the recommended daily intake.

Pasta is part of a well-balanced diet. Current dietary guidance calls for up to 65% of daily calories to come from carbohydrates, such as pasta.

Pasta has a low Glycemic Index

Pasta has a low Glycemic Index (GI) so it does not cause blood glucose levels to rise quickly. Blood glucose is sometimes referred to as “blood sugar”.

Pasta has a low GI because of the physical entrapment of ungelatinised starch granules in a sponge-like network of protein (gluten) molecules in the pasta dough. Pasta is unique in this regard. As a result, pastas of any shape and size have a fairly low GI (30 to 60).

Pasta should be cooked al dente ('firm to the bite'). And this is the best way to eat pasta - it's not meant to be soft. It should be slightly firm and offer some resistance when you are chewing it. Overcooking boosts the GI. Although most manufacturers specify a cooking time on the packet, don't take their word for it. Start testing about 2-3 minutes before the indicated cooking time is up. But watch that glucose load. While al dente pasta is a low GI choice, eating too much will have a marked effect on your blood glucose. A cup of al dente pasta combined with plenty of mixed vegetables and herbs can turn into three cups of a pasta-based meal and fits easily into any adult's daily diet.

Is pasta fattening?
There is nothing inherently fattening about pasta. 200 calories of pasta is no more fattening than 200 calories of any other carbohydrate. What IS fattening is too many calories and pasta happens to be very calorie dense. The problem is that you are more likely to eat 800 calories of pasta than 200. All carbohydrates have four calories per gram, but not all carbohydrates have the same number of calories per unit of weight or volume. For example:

8 oz pasta: 840 calories
8 oz potato 170 calories
8 oz broccoli: 70 calories

The reason some carbohydrates are more calorie dense is because of the food refining process. Although it is an excellent source of complex carbohydrate, pasta is a refined food. The milling, refining and enriching of the whole grain removes much of the fiber while "concentrating" the calories. Because pasta is very calorie-dense (more calories per ounce) than other carbohydrates, it is very easy to eat too many calories of pasta. The average restaurant sized serving of pasta has about 800 - 1000 calories. So it's not the pasta per se that is fattening, but too many calories of pasta that is fattening. Too much of anything, even 'healthy" low fat foods, will be stored as body fat. When you're trying to lose fat it is better to choose carbohydrates that are less calorie dense. For example, vegetables, due to their high fiber content, have a very low calorie density. Can you imagine over-eating green beans, broccoli, asparagus or lettuce? It would be almost impossible because you'd get tired of chewing before you ate too much. But it's easy to eat too much pasta without realizing it. So do I recommend pasta? Yes, but only in small quantities. A serving of pasta suitable for a fat loss program is so small, however, that some people might prefer to just pass on the skimpy portion and eat something more filling.

Some think that pasta is fattening since it has the tendency to bloat people. And when eaten after a heavy workout, the carbs will be stored as glycogen. For every gram of glycogen stored, you store anywhere from 3-4 grams of water with it. In contrast, triglycerides only require about 1 gram of water for every gram . Most bodybuilders like the full muscles due to the glycogen compensation.

I do whole wheat pasta spaghetti as part of my cheat carb-up once per week. One thing to watch is spaghetti sauce though. There is a load of sodium in it and you will retain a lot of water from it.

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Make your favorite pasta dishes healthier with whole-wheat pasta. Store shelves offer a greater variety of whole-wheat pastas than ever before. Whole-wheat pasta is high in fiber and protein, offering a filling and healthy base for all sorts of meals. Most whole-wheat pasta contains whole-wheat flour, water, vitamin and mineral supplements, and may or may not contain oil and semolina flour.

Homemade Whole-Wheat Pasta

Fresh pasta, including homemade fresh pasta, typically contains eggs. If you'd like to make your own whole-wheat pasta, you can combine 2 cups of flour, two eggs, a pinch of salt and water as needed to form a dough. You can also opt to use a combination of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour or experiment with pasta made from just whole-wheat flour, water and salt. Roll out pasta by hand or use a manual pasta machine.

Whole-Wheat Egg Noodles

Egg noodles are a favorite for casseroles and stroganoff, but aren't typically served on their own with red or cream sauces. These noodles do contain eggs, but can be made with whole eggs or just egg whites. The yolk-free version is lower in cholesterol, but has a similar flavor. You'll find that whole-wheat egg noodles have a nutty flavor, but a heavier texture than their white flour counterparts.

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Most purchased dry whole-wheat pastas do not contain eggs. You'll find that the majority of these pastas, including lasagna, spaghetti, fettucine and penne are vegan, and suitable for individuals with egg allergies. Choose one with a high percentage of whole wheat flour, if you enjoy the flavor of whole wheat pasta, or opt for a blend of wheat and white for a more classic pasta flavor.

Multi-Grain Pastas

If you're a fan of whole wheat pasta, you may also enjoy other whole grain or multi-grain pastas. Like whole wheat pasta, these are typically egg-free. Some varieties, like quinoa pasta, are also gluten-free and higher in protein than whole wheat. Check labels carefully when shopping for a multi-grain pasta, especially if you have food allergies. You can buy pasta’s free from gluten.

Digestion pasta

Pasta provides a healthy source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It is the ideal choice for tomato-based sauces that can provide additional nutrients such as vitamin C and lycopene. Several factors can affect how long it takes for your body to digest pasta. The length of time is regulated not only by the digestive system, but also by the nervous system and hormones. The type of pasta you eat and how it is prepared also will affect digestion.

As soon as you begin eating your pasta, digestion begins. Enzymes in your saliva start the process of breaking down pasta into forms that your body can use. After a few seconds, your food ends up in your stomach where the major forces behind digestion begin. Hormones stimulate the production of enzymes by the stomach. Muscle action of the stomach will churn food to aid in the process. Food remains in the stomach up to 3.5 hours, depending upon the nutrient content of the food. Thus if you eat pasta before a work-out because of the sustained energy you want to fuel your work-out, eat it in time, training with a full stomach does not feel okay.

Nutrient Content

Because pasta is primarily carbohydrates, it will remain in the stomach for the least amount of time compared to proteins and fats. The nervous system and hormones control stomach emptying when digestion can continue with nutrient and water absorption in the intestines. Most of the absorption of nutrients you eat occurs in the small intestine. The control over stomach emptying ensures that there is only enough digested food passing into the small intestine that it can process at one time. Once released into the small intestine, the nutrients in your pasta are absorbed by the small intestine. Food will travel through the small intestine in a matter of minutes before going into the large intestine, where it will remain for several hours before being excreted.

Type of Pasta

The type of pasta you eat will affect its digestion time. Your body can digest regular pasta made from processed grains quicker than whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta. These carbohydrate sources are more complex chemically. That is why you feel sated longer after eating these foods. Your body must work harder to break down these more complex compounds, which, in turn, affects the time the pasta leaves your stomach. Some pastas contain other ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids and added protein. Pastas with a higher protein content take longer to digest because of the increased time they spend in the stomach.

Other Factors

Other factors may play a role in the digestion process of pasta. If you added oil to your pasta water to reduce its stickiness, the added fat content will prolong digestion. Likewise, if your pasta was dressed with a meat-based sauce, the fat content will also increase. The pasta will act like a sponge and absorb the added fat. Fat-based foods spend the longest time in the stomach. However you serve it, pasta provides a tasty meal that will leave you feeling sated for hours