That is an interesting take on my question. “Junk” food may be just as much of an emotional issue as it is one based in reality. If junk food can be used in a manner (CNS or CBL) to make a healthier you is it really junk anymore? Is a sugar molecule not simply a sugar molecule in the body no matter what it gets delivered in? Cherry turnover or sugar powder and water?

Junk is only junk when its taken out of context. A diet of pop-tarts is a junk food diet. A diet which includes pop-tarts is only as good as the rest of the diet. You can also buy or make food that resembles junk food that doesnt have all the additives that would make it "bad".Also bare in mind that unless you are buying produce that is 100% truly organically grown (in soil that isnt depleted, isnt laced with pesticides and other chemicals and poisons, harvested correctly, allowed to rippen naturally and not irradiated and transported for thousands of miles) that you are probably NOT getting anywhere near the benefit of the food that you think you are getting. In this scenario its even less of an issue to have a pop-tart instead of an apple or whatever.

I think you are hitting the nail on the head here. Why does it matter if you eat a pop-tart or some kind of junk food after already obtaining the minimum micronutrients needed to maintain health through the rest of your diet? Unless you have an intolerance to processed foods I see no reason why you shouldn't. Squeeze in all the junk you can get away with I say (if not for your sanity), unless you prefer 'eating clean' in which case go for it.

Exactly.  To be honest the nutrition you get from carbs is pretty minimal anyways.  Even if it comes from whole foods, you are still getting pretty much just some trace vitamins (or precursors for the fat soluble vitamins) and minerals, and a whole bunch of starch.  Most of the nutrients will come from your ULC nutrition.

That is an interesting take on my question. "Junk" food may be just as much of an emotional issue as it is one based in reality. If junk food can be used in a manner (CNS or CBL) to make a healthier you is it really junk anymore? Is a sugar molecule not simply a sugar molecule in the body no matter what it gets delivered in? Cherry turnover or sugar powder and water?

i have seen much debate on this topic and so far no conclusive evidence either way.. but it has been shown if you eat a food that has fiber as part of it like an apple or vegetable it doesn't have the same reactions in the body as eating the same equivelent carbs/fiber seperately. So the digestive process of said foods does have an effect on how you utilize the foods which in turn would make sense then that eating say honey would not be the exact same in your body as eating a equivelent pure sucrose mixture

What are the reactions you're talking about?

hormone and enzyme reactions.. which of course drives everything

That is an interesting take on my question. "Junk" food may be just as much of an emotional issue as it is one based in reality. If junk food can be used in a manner (CNS or CBL) to make a healthier you is it really junk anymore? Is a sugar molecule not simply a sugar molecule in the body no matter what it gets delivered in? Cherry turnover or sugar powder and water?

i have seen much debate on this topic and so far no conclusive evidence either way.. but it has been shown if you eat a food that has fiber as part of it like an apple or vegetable it doesn't have the same reactions in the body as eating the same equivelent carbs/fiber seperately. So the digestive process of said foods does have an effect on how you utilize the foods which in turn would make sense then that eating say honey would not be the exact same in your body as eating a equivelent pure sucrose mixture

What are the reactions you're talking about?

hormone and enzyme reactions.. which of course drives everything

Wouldn't you say the reactions of combined fiber/carbs compared to separate fiber/carbs depend on the ratio or the rate of digestion? Like how did they test this? Did they peel the skin off the apple.. and in a separate time.. eat the rest of the apple? Or did they try to match the substances.. the glycemic index of the carb.. the weight of the fiber.. etc.

from what I have read it was done along these lines

I signed up to this site after lurking for a long time to jump in, not on a technical debate but to say that: 1. Blueberry cake donuts rule. 2. I'd rather eat 1 cake donut than 2 sweet potatoes.  I've been doing 1x a week carb nights, but this week I did 2, one being almost all candy type sugar, and a cream puff at 9pm, followed by pita chips around midnight.  this week I seem to have lost more.  about 3 lbs total.  Im going to play with the numbers this week and see if I can replicate my success and find anything quantifiable.