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Low Carb Stupidity Vs. Low Carb Intelligence

February 3rd, 2008

Low carb stupidity Believing that carrots, bananas or tomatoes are fattening because they’re high on the glycemic index and because a popular fad diet book says so.

Low carb intelligence Have Americans lost any remaining grip with common sense? With an average banana coming in at 120 calories do you really think that this yellow, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, all-natural, straight-out-of-the-ground fruit is going to make you fat? Compare that to the average serving of salad dressing which clocks in at over 160 calories with absolutely no redeeming nutritional value. Perhaps carrots, bananas and tomatoes have 5-10 more calories per serving than broccoli or cucumbers but try them against a low carb bar which clock in at typically over 200

Low Carb Stupidity Believing calories don’t count if you just count carb grams. Didn’t we go through this years ago when we were a nation of fat gram counters ??

Low carb Intelligence

1. Knowing that fat loss or gain always did and always will boil down to the fact that if you eat more than you burn you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight .

2. Taking the time to understand the caloric value of the foods that you are eating

3. Learning to eat appropriate SINGLE servings instead of supersizing everything.

4. Keeping a food journal and taking some time to preplan and avoiding mindless boredom or stress eating

5. Knowing that the June issue of consumer reports shows that Low-carb versions of comfort foods — bread, pasta, and ice cream — often contain more fat and calories than regular versions

Low carb Stupidity Carbohydrates Make you fat, Protein makes you lose weight – We all know who started this one! People have somehow gotten it into their heads that weight gain is all about the carb grams, not the calories. People who quote this myth won’t touch a potato (100 calories, 0g fat), but then proceed to eat a 16oz steak for dinner (915 calories, 57g fat). They’ll refuse the hamburger bun (120 calories, 2g fat) but take an extra meat patty to make up for it (500 calories, 32g fat)

Low Carb Intelligence –

1. Realizing that If you eat more than you burn you will get fat, regardless of the source

2. Realizing that if you eat less and you will lose weight –

3. Knowing that Some people on low-carb diets do lose weight initially, but this is due to primarily to the fact that they have cut overall calories or have lost an abundance of water and lean muscle.

4. Understanding that overdosing on protein and cutting out carbohydrates does not equal successful weight loss. It does, however, mean missing out on vital nutrients from healthy carbohydrate foods which should be part of any well-balance diet. If you’re considering a low-carb diet, remember to count your calories and nutrients first. You should also consult your doctor or health professional before making this life-style change.

Low Carb Stupidity Eating lots of manufactured, over processed, chemical laden low carb foods and thinking you’re “being good” and “following your diet.”

Low Carb Intelligence

Realizing that natural, unrefined foods are one of the keys to lifelong weight control and that anything man-made and refined is neither healthy or an ideal “diet” food This bandwagon remind me of the “no fat” craze, when all those “fat free” foods were being passed off as healthy diet food, but were really highly processed and full of pure sugar and sodium –

Low carb stupidity – Selecting your beer or liquor carefully to make sure you have the brand with the fewest grams of carbs.

Low carb intelligence

1. Realizing that a few grams of carbs dont make all that much of a difference and that most lo carb beers have the same caloric content as lite beers Avoiding alcohol if youre trying to lose body fat.

2. Drinking only in moderation if youre trying to lose weight and be healthy

Low carb stupidity Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting is a maintainable lifestyle.

Low carb intelligence

1. Understanding that reasonable (moderate) restriction of carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss, a legitimate method to control appetite, and an effective way for some people to control insulin.

2. Understanding that there are no bad foods only inappropriate amounts

3. Understanding that the fact that most Americans eat when they are not hunger and dont stop when they are full NOT carbs are the reason that 66% of Americans are overweight.

4. Understanding that a balanced diet of natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets for health, lifelong maintenance and weight control.

Low carb stupidity Believing that if you cut your carbs you do not need to exercise to lose weight and maintain that loss long term

Low carb intelligence Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that exercise in combination with a healthy, balanced diet is the best way to lose fat permanently

Low carb stupidity Using the argument; Theres no such thing as an essential carbohydrate as justification for low carb dieting.

Low carb intelligence Realizing that textbook definitions of essential can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that just because theres technically no essential carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty acids) doesnt mean carbohydrates arent essential in other respects.

Low carb stupidity Using the argument, You have to eat fat to lose fat as justification for a high fat, low carb diet, without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly how much fat and what kind of fat?)

Low carb intelligence Understanding the importance of essential and omega three fats (the good fats), but not taking any single nutritional principle to an extreme (such as, If a little fat is good for you then a lot is even better.)

Low carb stupidity Not clarifying your definition of low carbs.

Low carb intelligence

1. Realizing that there are very low carb diets, low carb diets, and moderate carb diets and that you cannot classify them all together. (Some people consider The Zone Diet, at 40% of calories from carbs, a low carb diet, others consider 40% carbs quite high).

2. Understanding the importance of carbs as a portion of your total caloric intake

Low Carb Stupidity Thinking that all carbs are bad

Low carb intelligence Understanding that there is quite a difference between an over processed, refined donut and a wholesome, nutrient laden potato .

Low carb stupidity Going on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic diet) with absolutely no idea why youre doing it or how it works (going on it because everybody is doing it and because you see it advertised everywhere.)

Low carb intelligence

Understanding that most of the weight loss is due to fluid loss .

Realizing that Americans eat an average of 200 calories a day more than they did 10 years ago and move far less

Understanding that if you eat 10 calories a day more than your body needs you will gain 10 pounds a year and blaming “Carbs for the weight gain

Understanding that unless you make changes towards an overall healthful lifestyle most people will gain all their weight back the minute they go off the diet

Low Carb Stupidity Believing that if you eat zero net-carbs, you will lose weight won’t gain weight . Buying into the carb-counting craze, food manufacturers have come out with a new term to sell their products. “Net carbs” is a deceptive way to count only the negligible carbohydrates that come from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, and ignore the others from starch and regular sugars.

Low Carb Intelligence

Realizing that sugar alcohol and fiber are not “nothing”, they still have calories

Understanding that “Low-carb” labels are meaningless. In manufacturing low-carb products, sugars are replaced with “unnaturally high concentrations” of sugar alcohols, refined grains, and starches — all of which are carbohydrates and contribute to caloric intake.

3. Understanding that because these “replacement carbs” move through the small intestine without getting absorbed, manufacturers subtract them from the carb content. That’s the “net carbs” number listed on the product label

4. Realizing that the recent focus on low carbs will continue to draw people away from healthy eating and just provide them with another excuse to live off junk food

5. Remember, any “low net-carb” claim is diverting your attention away from the fat and calorie content of a food.

About The Author

Article written by Dianne Villano, President of Custom Bodies Personal Training and Weight Loss Programs. Dianne is a personal fitness instructor certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine with over 16 years of experience who specializes in weight loss programs and programs for beginners. For more articles or free fitness tools visit www.custombodiestampabay.com.

Written By: Dianne Villano, CPFI

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Posted in Low Carb

Tags: Atkins Diet chemical laden low carb foods food food journal Food manufacturers healthy diet food junk food low carb diets low carb products low-carb diet National Academy of Sports Medicine personal fitness instructor Sports Medicine

Can Low Carb Dieters Eat All They Want And Still Lose Weight?

January 18th, 2008

“The Atkins Nutritional Approach counts grams of carbohydrates instead of calories… If you are losing weight, there is no need to concern yourself with counting calories. ”

Source: atkins.com

You might be doubtful and chances are that mainstream diets are the reason. Of course you couldn’t avoid opinions like the below Q&A posted by Health Care Reality Check:

Q: Can a person eat unlimited calories, and still lose weight, as long as they severely restrict carbohydrates?

A: No, she can not. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a severe restriction of carbohydrate calories, which simply causes a net reduction in total calories. Since carbohydrate calories are limited, intake of fat usually increases. This high fat diet causes ketosis (increased blood ketones from fat breakdown), which suppresses hunger, and thus contributes to caloric restriction. — Ellen Coleman, RD, MA, MPH

Is this a correct answer?

Let’s first discuss whether it’s a correct question. Or, rather, is this the real question so frequently asked by dieters. In my experience, this in fact sounds a little bit different but this makes ALL the difference.

This is what real dieters ask:

Q: Can low carb dieters eat all they want, and still lose weight as long as they only eat allowed foods?

A: Yes, they can. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a restriction of carbohydrate-containing foods in favor of fat and protein containing foods, which causes the state of ketosis resulting in significant decrease in appetite. Since appetite decreases, most of low carb dieters consume significantly less calories WITHOUT INTENTIONAL CALORIE RESTRICTION.

Is there scientific evidence?

There is.

Study #1 by: Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, NY and Durham (N.C.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Reported: Proceedings of North American Association for the Study of Obesity, Oct. 29, 2000, Long Beach, Calif.

Who participated:

18 obese men and women with 30 or more pounds to lose.

Average calorie intake before the study: 2,481 calories a day

Method:

Dr. Atkins’ Book, the “New Diet Revolution” used as instruction for the dieters.

Results:

1. Calorie intake during the most restrictive induction phase (when only 20 g of carbohydrates were allowed) was 1,419 calories a day on average and weight loss was more than 8 pounds on average.

2. Calorie intake during the ongoing weight-loss phase (when carbohydrate intake is being increased gradually, by 5 g a day) dieters ate an average of 1,500 calories a day and lost an additional 3 pounds in two weeks.

3. The calorie reduction was attributed almost completely to carbohydrate abstaining. Intake of fat and protein remained practically the same as before the diet.

4. After 6 months on Atkins diet, 41 overweight people lost an average of 10% of their weight. Most dieters lowered their cholesterol by 5%, but there were a few whose cholesterol increased.

5. 20 out of 41 dieters continued the program, and kept the lost weight off for more than a year.

Study #2 by: Harvard School of Public Health.

Reported: American Association for the Study of Obesity, October 16, 2003

Who participated: 21 overweight volunteers.

Two groups were randomly assigned to either lowfat or low-carb diets with 1,500 calories for women and 1,800 for men; a third group was also low-carb but got an extra 300 calories a day.

Method: All the food was prepared at a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Note that most earlier studies including the above Study #1 simply gave out diet plans.

So in this study, dieters were given dinner and a bedtime snack as well as breakfast and lunch for the next day, which made the setting a carefully controlled one. Foods were mostly fish, chicken, salads, vegetables and unsaturated oils. Red meats and saturated fats were limited (as opposed to traditional Atkins menus.)

All meals looked similar but were cooked to different recipes. The low-carb meals were 5% carbs, 15% protein, 65% fat. The low fat group got 55% carbohydrate, 15% protein, 30% fat.

Results:

1. All dieters lost weight, but those on low carb diet lost more than the low fat group — even while consuming MORE calories:

- Group on lower-cal, low-carb diet lost an average of 23 lbs.
- Group on same-calories low-fat diet lost an average of 17 lbs.
- Group on extra 300 calories, low-carb diet lost an average of 20 lbs.

2. Over the course of the study, the group of low carb dieters who got an extra 300 calories a day consumed extra 25,000 calories. That should have added up to about seven pounds. But for some reason, it did not.

Discussion:

“It doesn’t make sense, does it?” said Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University. “It violates the laws of thermodynamics. No one has ever found any miraculous metabolic effects.”

So it violates the laws of thermodynamics, huh? Not so fast! When it comes to calorie counting, the “calorie is a calorie” concept is very deceiving.

Let’s see what we count when we think we count calories. When you burn a piece of wood in a stove, you can directly measure how much heat energy it produces. Then you can claim that you know how many calories a piece of wood contains, right? Not exactly. You should specify what kind of wood it was, dry or wet, how you burned it, etc. Because if you spent another material to start the burning, you should subtract these calories from the total; if the wood was wet you should take into account the calories that the water evaporation took. So even with a piece of wood, it’s not that simple.

Now look at a piece of food. You know how they tell how many calories it contains? Same way they talk about a piece of wood in a stove. It’s the calorie number that the food would produce by being burnt in a stove.

Then in addition to the wood’s calorie estimation (that takes into account the dryness, etc.), you should add many more circumstances: how hard should one chew it before being able to swallow, how hard one’s enzyme system will have work to digest it, will it influence the hormones in charge of fat storing? What about its effect on the hormones in charge of fat burning?

Which chain of reactions will it trigger, activity-wise or metabolism-wise? Will it make one sleepy, thus conserving the energy? Ot will it make one jumpy, thus wasting the energy?

Study #3 by: Laboratory of Applied Physiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

Reported: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec;88(12):5661-7

Method:

Healthy boys, aged 8-11 yr, were examined for resting energy expenditure and the thermic effect of a meal, which were measured for three hours after a same-calorie but high-fat or a high-carb meals.

Results:

There was no changes after high carbohydrate meals but there was an increase in resting energy expenditure after a high-fat meal.

If the researchers in the Study #2 would have measured resting energy expenditure and the thermic effects of the meals, they would probably have registered the same changes. Then everybody would make a sigh of relief: none of the laws of thermodynamics have been violated: yes, the low-carb dieters COULD INDEED eat more calories and lose more weight than the low-fat group while violating no physical laws because — they just burnt more, all the time, even at rest. It’s that simple.

About the Author

Tanya Zilberter, PhD, is a researcher, health educator, exercise physiologist, and scientific journalist.

In health sciences since 1972, Dr. Zilberter authored several hundred scientific and popular publications, including four print books and more than a dozen of eBooks.

Written By: Tanya Zilberter, PhD

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Posted in Low Carb

Tags: American Association for the Study of Obesity Atkins Diet Bassett Research Institute California caloric restriction Cambridge Cooperstown Durham energy energy expenditure exercise physiologist food Graduate School Harvard School of Public Health Japan ketosis Kyoto Kyoto University Laboratory of Applied Physiology Long Beach low fat diet low-carb diet Massachusetts New York North American Association for the Study of Obesity North Carolina obesity Pennsylvania State University thermodynamics Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Low Carb Intelligence vs. Low Carb Stupidity

January 2nd, 2008

Remember that movie with Jim Carey, Dumb and Dumber? And remember the sequel to that movie, Dumb and Dumberer? Well, the low carb mania that is sweeping the globe today has reached a level beyond dumberer Its more like dumberererer (try to say that five times real fast)

There is an epidemic of low carb stupidity running rampant among millions of people throughout the world today and fast food restaurants, food product manufacturers, supplement companies, and weight loss programs are capitalizing on it in a big way!

The low carb diet is not inherently stupid, however. It can be quite beneficial within certain parameters and under the right circumstances. The problem is that many practitioners are uninformed, misinformed, or simply lack the common sense and intuitive bodily wisdom to utilize the low carb approach intelligently.

Many low-carbers dont even know why they are on a low carb diet, theyre just following the followers (Not intelligent!) Doing what everyone else is doing is always one of the surest, straightest routes to arrive at mediocrity! If you want to be a success, your chances are far greater if you look at what the masses are doing and do the exact opposite!

Fortunately, there is such a thing as low carb intelligence. Hopefully, by reading my brief rant, you will increase your carb IQ, and soon join the ranks of the extraordinarily fit, lean and healthy carbo geniuses!

Low carb stupidity 1

Selecting your beer or liquor carefully to make sure you have the brand with the fewest grams of carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Avoiding alcohol if youre trying to lose body fat. Drinking only in moderation if youre trying to maintain your weight and be healthy.

Low carb stupidity 2

Believing any of the following: Low carbs diets are the only way to lose fat, low carb diets are the best way to lose fat, no one should ever eat a high carb diet, high carbs always make you fat, starches and grains make everyone sick and unhealthy.

Low carb intelligence

Adjusting your approach according to your health status, your goals and your body type, not according to generalizations preached by dogmatic diet gurus.

Low carb stupidity 3

Going on the Atkins diet (or any other very low carb/ketogenic diet) with absolutely no idea why youre doing it or how the diet works (going on it because everybody is doing it and because you see it advertised everywhere.)

Low carb intelligence

Studying the physiology and biochemistry of the low carb diet and completely understanding all the pros and cons. Then making an informed decision whether to restrict carbs based on your own personal goals, needs and heath status.

Low carb stupidity 4

Thinking that very low carb (ketogenic) dieting is a maintainable lifestyle.

Low carb intelligence

Understanding that reasonable (moderate) restriction of carbs can be a helpful short term strategy for fat loss, a good way to reach a peak, a legitimate method to control appetite, and an effective way for some people to control insulin. But also understanding that a balanced diet of natural foods is probably the most suitable of all the diets for health, lifelong maintenance and weight control.

Low carb stupidity 5

Believing calories dont count if you just cut out your carbs (or not counting calories because its too much work.)

Low carb intelligence

Knowing that fat loss always did and always will boil down to calories in vs. calories out. Taking the time and effort to crunch your numbers (at least once), typing up your menu on a spreadsheet, keeping a diary, and/or using nutrition tracking software.

Low carb stupidity 6

Staying on a low carb diet that has stopped working (or never worked in the first place).

Low carb intelligence

Adjusting your diet according to your results; understanding that a common definition of insanity (and/or stupidity) is to continue to do the same things over and over again, while expecting a different result.

Low carb stupidity7

Believing that you dont need exercise because all you need to do is cut carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Knowing that dieting is the worst way to lose fat and that exercise is the best way to lose fat (Burn The Fat, dont starve the fat).

Low carb stupidity 8

Using the argument; Theres no such thing as an essential carbohydrate as justification for low carb dieting.

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that textbook definitions of essential can be taken out of context to promote a fad diet and that just because there’s technically no essential carbohydrates (as there are essential amino acids and fatty acids) doesn’t mean carbohydrates aren’t essential in other respects.

Low carb stupidity 9

Using the argument, You have to eat fat to lose fat as justification for a high fat, low carb diet, without explaining it or putting it in context (exactly how much fat and what kind of fat?)

Low carb intelligence

Understanding the importance of essential and omega three fats (the good fats), but not taking any single nutritional principle to an extreme (such as, If a little fat is good for you then a lot is even better.)

Low carb stupidity 10

Saying, All carbs are bad or All carbs are fattening.

Low carb intelligence

Avoiding generalizations, and instead, having multiple distinctions about carbohydrates (and other foods) so you can make better choices. For example:

Low GI vs. high GI carbs
Simple vs. complex carbs
Starchy vs. fibrous carbs
Natural vs. refined carbs
High calorie density vs. low calorie density carbs

Low carb stupidity 11

Not clarifying your definition of low carbs.

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that there are very low carb diets, low carb diets, and moderate carb diets and that you cant lump them all together. (Some people consider The Zone Diet, at 40% of calories from carbs, a low carb diet, others consider 40% carbs quite high).

Low carb stupidity 12

Believing that carrots are fattening because theyre high on the glycemic index and because a popular fad diet book says so.

Low carb intelligence

Have we lost all vestiges of common sense? With an average carrot clocking in at 31 calories and 7.3 grams of carbs, do you really think that this orange-colored, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, all-natural, straight-out-of-the-ground root vegetable is going to make you fat? (if so, you are in “carbohydrate kindergarten.”)

Low carb stupidity Lucky 13

Eating lots of processed and packaged low carb foods (including those protein candy bars) and thinking youre being good and following your diet.

Low carb intelligence

Realizing that natural, unrefined foods are one of the keys to lifelong weight control and that anything man made and refined is NOT an ideal diet food including the highly processed low carb foods that are all the rage this year. (Doesnt this bandwagon reek of the late 80s and early 90s no fat craze, when all those fat free foods were being passed off as healthy diet food, but were really highly processed and full of pure sugar?)

–End of Stupidities–

Forgive me for the obvious dashes of sarcasm, but sometimes I just cant help myself and I end up going into rant mode I think the last time this happened was in my newsletter almost a year ago that was the issue where I wrote about the ad for the candy bar that increases your bench press by 50 pounds? Yeah… I heard those bars are especially effective when you combine them with low carb potato chips (weren’t those low fat potato chips a few years ago??? Oh nevermind… it’s all soooo confusing!)

About the author:
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the ##1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom’s e-book at: http://www.burnthefat.comTo get Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com

Written By: Tom Venuto

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Posted in Low Carb

Tags: Atkins Diet diet food food product manufacturers food restaurants healthy diet food Jim Carey low carb diets low carb potato chips low-carb diet mania

History And Background Of Low-carb Dieting

December 17th, 2007

The terminology “low-carb” wasn’t really coined until around 1992 when the USDA announced America’s model food pyramid included six to eleven servings daily of grains and starches. However, low-carb dieting dates back more than 100 years before the trendy Atkins diet to 1864 with a pamphlet titled Letter on Corpulence written by William Banting, as close to the first commercial low-carb diet as you could get. Banting had suffered a series of debilitating health problems due mainly to being overweight or “corpulent”. He searched in vain for cures to his weight problem, which many doctors at that time believed to be a necessary side effect of old age. He also tried eating less but he continued to gain weight and have various health problems. He could not understand how the small amounts of food he was eating led to his weight problem:

“Few men have led a more active life – bodily or mentally – from a constitutional anxiety for regularity, precision, and order, during fifty years’ business career, from which I had retired, so that my corpulence and subsequent obesity were not through neglect of necessary bodily activity, nor from excessive eating, drinking, or self indulgence of any kind, except that I partook of the simple aliments of bread, milk, butter, beer, sugar, and potatoes more freely than my age required…”

Many contemporary Americans on the go may recognize Banting’s previous unhealthy daily diet:

“My former dietary table was bread and milk for breakfast, or a pint of tea with plenty of milk, sugar, and buttered toast; meat, beer, much bread (of which I was always very fond) and pastry for dinner, the meal of tea similar to that of breakfast, and generally a fruit tart or bread and milk for supper. I had little comfort and far less sound sleep.”

Just substitute a Pop tart, doughnut or muffin with coffee and plenty of cream and sugar for breakfast, a fast food burger and fries with a super-sized soft drink for lunch and a frozen pot pie or pizza for dinner followed by dessert and you can see how Banting’s diet was so much like the typical fast-paced modern day Americans.

When his physician placed these items on a “forbidden foods list,” Banting lost 50 pounds and 13 inches in one year. He kept it off, living a long and much healthier life.

His new diet plan consisted of a number of meat dishes and he listed it as follows:

“For breakfast, at 9.00 A.M., I take five to six ounces of either beef mutton, kidneys, broiled fish, bacon, or cold meat of any kind except pork or veal; a large cup of tea or coffee (without milk or sugar), a little biscuit, or one ounce of dry toast; making together six ounces solid, nine liquid.

For dinner, at 2.00 P.M., Five or six ounces of any fish except salmon, herrings, or eels, any meat except pork or veal, any vegetable except potato, parsnip, beetroot, turnip, or carrot, one ounce of dry toast, fruit out of a pudding not sweetened any kind of poultry or game, and two or three glasses of good claret, sherry, or Madeira- Champagne, port, and beer forbidden; making together ten to twelve ounces solid, and ten liquid.

For tea, at 6.00 P.M., Two or three ounces of cooked fruit, a rusk or two, and a cup of tea without milk or sugar; making two to four ounces solid, nine liquid.

For supper, at 9.00 P.M. Three or four ounces of meat or fish, similar to dinner, with a glass or two of claret or sherry and water; making four ounces solid and seven liquid.

For nightcap, if required, a tumbler of grog (gin, whisky, or brandy, without sugar)-or a glass or two of claret or sherry.”

So great were the changes in his appearance and health that his friends and acquaintances began to notice and just like today wanted to know what diet he was on. Most important of all Banting could feel and see a difference himself.

“I am told by all who know me that my personal appearance greatly improved, and that I seem to bear the stamp of good health; this may be a matter of opinion or friendly remark, but I can honestly assert that I feel restored in health, “bodily and mentally,” appear to have more muscular power and vigour, eat and drink with a good appetite, and sleep well. All symptoms of acidity, indigestion, and heartburn (with which I was frequently tormented) have vanished. I have left off using boot-hooks, and other such aids, which were indispensable, but being now able to stoop with ease and freedom, are unnecessary. I have lost the feeling of occasional faintness, and what I think a remarkable blessing and comfort is, that I have been able safely to leave off knee-bandages, which I had worn necessarily for many years, and given up the umbilical truss.”

His how-to dieting book became very popular and was translated into multiple languages. However, over time it was abandoned.

Banting noted in Letter on Corpulence that a common health paradox of our time did not exist in his. This was the paradox of obesity, widely believed to be a problem of excess, among the poor. The poor of the 19th century could not afford the refined sugary foods that cause weight gain. But poor people of the 21st century sure can today.

In a recent Associated Press article titled, “Health Paradox: Obesity Attacks Poor”, the reporter noted that many poor families are stretching their food dollars by purchasing unhealthy processed and refined foods. Of one family Barbassa wrote,

“During winter, jobs are scarce, so Caballero feeds her husband and three children the cheapest food she can get: potatoes, bread, tortillas… As processed foods rich in sugar and fat have become cheaper than fruits and vegetables, the poor in particular are paying a high price with obesity rates shooting up, followed by diabetes.”

Unfortunately for the Caballero family, these cheap staples are bad for their health. Fresh meat, low-starch fruits and vegeta-bles may be more expensive and have a shorter shelf life, but they are definitely worth the price in saved medical expenses and better health.

Throughout the years, as “calories” became known, variations of counting them were included in dietary solutions. And a variety of other issues were explored like how many of which foods should be eaten and how frequently.

While Banting’s diet eventually fell out of favor, low-carb diets did begin appearing again in the 20th century. The most famous of these are the Atkins and Scarsdale diets that came to popularity in the 1970s. While Scarsdale has a set 14 day meal plan that must be followed and greatly restricts calories, the Atkins diet allowed for unlimited calorie consumption as long as those calories were from protein, fat and vegetables and carbs intake was kept low.

Atkins and Scarsdale fell out of favor in the 1980’s as the U. S. Department of Agriculture encouraged the consumption of grains and grain products with the USDA food pyramid.

It was only in the 1990’s that we began to see a return to low-carb dieting that seems to be more than a fad. It’s a lifestyle! As more and more people realize the weight loss and other health benefits that are available to people who eat low-carb, the number of diets and stores that sell specialty low-carb products continue to rise.

In a nutshell, most low-carb diets carry the same basic premise: that too much of simple, refined carbohydrates leads to over overproduction of insulin, which leads to the storage of too much fat in the body. This fat storage is especially prominent around the middle.

While there are degrees of difference among the many diets, they all agree on the negative effects that excess insulin production have on our systems.

About the Author

David Riewe is the Editor of Daves Health Buzz. Daves Health Buzz covers a wide variety of health and wellness related topics. Do You Want To Know How to Conquer Obesity? If YES, then Click Below To Read More http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/conquerobesity

Written By: David Riewe

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Posted in Low Carb

Tags: America Atkins Diet Banting cheapest food diabetes dietary solutions food food burger grain products low carb products low-carb diet obesity physician U. S. Department of Agriculture USDA

Weight Loss – Low Carb Diets

November 23rd, 2007

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere!

Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet?

Let’s see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake.

Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies.

The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? – There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn’t a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can’t see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it’s not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter’s calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to “strict” low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not “throw out the baby with the bath water”. In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

About the author:

Jay is the web owner of http://www.weight-loss.biz Weight Loss, a website that provides information and resources on nutrition, weight loss, and fitness. You can also visit his website at: http://www.diet-pill.info for Diet Pill Information

Written By: Jay Bauder

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Tags: Atkins Diet caloric restriction constipation diabetes folic acid ketosis low carb diets low fat diet low-carb diet nausea obesity olive oil South Beach South Beach Diet vomiting

The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets!

November 15th, 2007

With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it’s no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere! Whether it’s Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.