Quick…What comes to mind when I say… Atkins Diet?

• Steak?
• Bacon?
• Ribs?

How about textured vegetable protein?

Or, smoothies made from vegan protein powder?

Well, according to this research, test subjects who followed a “low-carbohydrate (26% of total calories), high–vegetable protein (31% from gluten, soy, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and cereals), and vegetable oil (43%) plant-based diet” for 4 weeks, saw improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors…including weight loss.

In comparison, the control diet (a high-carbohydrate lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (58% carbohydrate, 16% protein, and 25% fat)), produced improvements in weight loss but little change in the other heart disease risk factors.

Conclusion

A Vegan-Atkins diet is superior to a high carb, Lacto-Ovo, low-fat dairy, whole grain diet.

Question

Is a Vegan-Atkins diet superior to:

• a traditional “Fred Flintstone” Atkins diet?
• or a Paleo style diet based on animal protein, fruits & vegetables?
• or a Mediterranean style diet?

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Reference

• Study abstract

image: Charles Valek

It’s a sad day people.

This morning, I was going through my emails and came upon this study.

This horrible, horrible study.

This decade-long study, involving the 322,263 men and 223,390 women ages 50 to 71 who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.

This study, which tries to pry the burger from my hand by telling me that red and processed meat intakes were associated with a 20 to 40% increase in total mortality.

20 to 40%!!!

Hmmmm, 20 to 40%?

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Question: Would you drastically reduce (or eliminate altogether) your consumption of red meat if you thought that it would improve your odds of dying from cancer by 20 to 40%?

If not, why?

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• HIIT: The Cure for Obesity

image: blogchef

Need to lose a few pounds?

Try this…

Tomorrow morning, instead of wolfing down a bagel as you run out the door, scramble up a few eggs with some cheddar cheese and black forest ham.

According to a bunch of new studies, this high protein breakfast will help you manage your hunger while also reducing the amount of calories that you pack away throughout the day.

The Science

University of Conneticut researchers found that adult men who consumed eggs for breakfast:

• consumed fewer calories following the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast
• consumed fewer total calories in the 24-hour period after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast
• reported feeling less hungry and more satisfied three hours after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast

This study was presented at Experimental Biology 2009. This research builds upon previous work by Dr. Fernandez which showed how the cholesterol from egg yolks  improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol.

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A second study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, concluded that eating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight dieters lose 65 percent more weight and feel more energetic than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories and volume.

And if that isn’t enough proof, you can check out this study which showed that getting your protein with breakfast was more effective at controlling hunger.

But what about the cholesterol?

For years, we have been told to avoid eating too many whole eggs.

We’ve been warned by the experts that the cholesterol found in those egg yolks are going to clog our arteries.

Maybe the experts are wrong.

New research (presented at Experimental Biology 2009) out of the University of Florida State  examined the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as body mass index, serum lipids and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the degree to which these factors are influenced by dietary intake of fiber, fat and eggs. The study found:

• no relationship between egg consumption and serum lipid profiles, especially serum total cholesterol, as well as no relationship between egg consumption and hs-CRP
• a positive correlation between dietary trans-fat intake (the margarine on your bagel) and CVD risk factors, as well as a negative correlation between fiber and vitamin C intake and CVD risk factors(6)

In additional research presented at Experimental Biology, investigators with Exponent, Inc. evaluated egg consumption data from the NHANES III Follow-Up Survey to determine the association between egg consumption and heart health. The researchers developed a statistical model which showed:

• no increased risk of death from coronary heart disease with increased egg consumption
• a reduced risk of mortality among men who consumed one to six eggs/week compared to less than one egg/week
• a significant reduction in risk of stroke among women who consumed one to six eggs/week and one or more eggs/day

So, while I am not advocating that you chug back a dozen raw eggs at breakfast a la Rocky, I am suggesting that you replace your morning toast with an omelette.

Your shrinking love handles will thank you.

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Related Posts

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Reference

• Ratliff J, et al. Macronutrient composition of breakfast influences plasma glucose, satiety hormones and caloric intake in the next 24 h in adult men. Presented at Experimental Biology 2009. Supported by the Egg Nutrition Center.
• Vander Wal JS, et al. Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. IJO 2008; 32(10): 1545-1551.
• Leidy HJ, et al. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. BJN 2009; 101 (6):798-803.
• Chai SC, et al. No relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. Presented at Experimental Biology 2009.
• Scrafford C, et al. The impact of egg consumption on heart health using the NHANES III Follow-up Survey. Presented at Experimental Biology 2009.
  
• EurekAlert

According to a study published in the Journal of Physiology, it is possible to reap some of the athletic performance rewards of a carbo-load without actually eating any carbs.

The Science

Previous studies have shown that the presence of carbs in your mouth activates regions of the brain that can improve athletic performance.

The primary aim of this study was to see how “rinsing the mouth with solutions containing glucose and maltodextrin, disguised with artificial sweetener, would affect exercise performance”.

The secondary aim was to identify those regions of the brain activated by the sugars and artificial sweetener. A functional MRI (fMRI) machine was used to map the brain.

The Test

Prior to completing a cycling time trial, the eight volunteers rinsed their mouth out with a solution of glucose or maltodextrin or a placebo solution containing the artificial sweetener saccharin.

After the rinse, they hopped on their bikes and pedaled as hard and as fast as their legs could go.

Results

• In study 1A, test subjects “completed a cycle time trial significantly faster when rinsing their mouths with a 6.4% glucose solution compared with a placebo containing saccharin.”
• The corresponding fMRI study (1B) revealed that oral exposure to glucose activated reward-related brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex and striatum, which were unresponsive to saccharin.
• In study 2A, cyclists who rinsed with the maltodextrin solution once again outperformed their saccharin-swilling brethren.
• The second neuroimaging study (2B) “compared the cortical response to oral maltodextrin and glucose, revealing a similar pattern of brain activation in response to the two carbohydrate solutions, including areas of the insula/frontal operculum, orbitofrontal cortex and striatum”.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the improvement in exercise performance caused by the carbo-rinse may be due to the activation of brain regions believed to be involved in reward and motor control.

The findings also suggest that there may be a class of so far unidentified oral receptors that respond to carbohydrate independently of those for sweetness.

What does this mean to you?

• One of the primary benefits of cardio-vascular training is that fat is the primary choice of fuel.
• This is why cardio training is one of the most popular weight loss tools.
• However, a lot of trainees hurt their own cause by carbing up prior to a cardio session.
• Carbo-loading before a cardio session impairs the use of body-fat as fuel.
• It shifts you from being a fat-burner to a carb-burner

• However, because of this study, you can have the best of both worlds. The performance boosting effect of carbs combined with optimum fat burning.

Yay!

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Related Posts

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Reference

Journal of Physiology

NOT a self portrait

Yesterday, media outlets around the world ( here, here and here) discussed a new scientific study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,  which reaffirmed the notion that a large waist can almost double your risk of premature death.

This shouldn’t come as news to anyone who takes an active interest in their health.

Us health nuts have known for years that visceral fat is a killer.

Because of this, I usually just skim these articles to make sure that I am not missing any new breakthroughs.

Surprisingly, in this case, I did find something interesting.

But it wasn’t the research.

It was the response to the research.

I noticed two things:

1. The Main Stream Media can be pretty stupid, and
2. Doctors have drastically improved their understanding of how our lifestyle (physical activity, nutrition, thoughts and feelings) impacts our health

So, why do I think that the MSM is stupid?

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To explain this, I need to tell you a little story.

Yesterday afternoon, a client of mine asked me if I had heard about this new study which claimed that having love handles doubled your risk of premature death.

Love handles?

I told him that he was be mistaken.

Belly fat or visceral fat is bad news.

But love handles?

Love handles may not look very sexy, but they aren’t a killer.

But he was pretty adamant and pointed me to this BBC headline:

Love handles’ raise death risk

Whoops, the BBC screwed up.

The study looks at waist circumference and visceral fat, not love handles.

Love handles, in colloquial or slang speech, are a layer of fat that is deposited around a person’s midsection, especially visible on the sides over the abdominal external oblique muscle. They are called “love handles” because they provide a soft place to rest one’s hand while one’s arm is around a person, or perhaps because they can serve as places to hold on while copulating.

So, before anyone else starts thinking that their love handles are out to get them:

Love Handles: Squishy / Not a Killer

Visceral Fat: Less squishy / Big Time Health Risk

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Interesting Observation # 2

Doctors have drastically improved their understanding of how our lifestyle (physical activity, nutrition, thoughts and feelings) impacts our health.

Just check out this video.

What I want you to notice is the doctor’s closing statement.

As he discusses treatment options for patients with a large waist (caused by visceral fat), he says:

“We can ask them to consider exercising more, reducing their carbohydrate intake, taking more fruit and vegetables in their diet, and by that way, we can help them reduce the risk and live longer and happier.”

He doesn’t say:

• Restrict calories, or
• Eat less fat, or
• Increase their fibre intake, or
• Eat more whole grains, or
• Any other pre-programmed, government approved nutritional nonsense.

He says:

• Exercise more
• Reduce your carb intake, and
• Eat more fruits and vegetables

And considering that fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates, I think it’s fair to assume that the good doctor is telling us to reduce our consumptions of GRAINS.

Tell me it’s not true.

Eat less bread, corn, pasta and rice…how will I ever survive?

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In Atkins Diet redux – part 2, I outlined the 4 different plans that make up the:

Health habits – low carb, fat reduction and general good health for carb addicted North Americans Diet.

Yikes

That name really stinks.

I am seriously going to need some marketing help if I am going to publish this sucker and cash in on next year’s batch of new years resolution dieters.

I can see it now. Millions of people rushing to their local book store, feverishly trying to purchase the last copy of the:

It’s Better than the Atkins, South Beach, Sonoma, Skinny Bitch, Mediterranean, Sugar Busters, and Zone Diet – Diet Book

$29.99 – Get one while they last

I’ll be rich I tell you, rich……mwoohahahaha

Just kidding

In this post, I will give you all of the how-to details about Plans A and B.

Plan A

Let’s review.

Plan A is the strictest version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have a lot of fat to lose
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat QUICKLY
• Have an ability to stick to a diet that is going to drive them crazy at times. You WILL crave carbs. Period. On this plan, you can’t cheat. CAN’T CHEAT. I am serious. No cheating. Got it?

Warning – This is where I give you the typical warning about how you shouldn’t start a restrictive low-carb diet like this without seeing your doctor first. Not the worst idea in the world. But first, use your own common sense. I have been a personal trainer for over 19 years. I have seen this diet work very well for many clients. I have also seen clients feel nauseous, tired, irritable, incredibly thirsty, constipated, and generally pretty miserable. If you feel bad, shift to one of the less restrictive plans. You can always come back to Plan A.

Remember, this is not a lifestyle eating plan for most people. Listen to your body. Use common sense. Go see your doctor. Bring her a copy of the diet. Have her email me.

This is your final warning and my pathetic attempt at avoiding a lawsuit. Seriously – use common sense.

Plan A Details

All of your time on this diet will be spent in the Low Carb Zone of Pain. In that zone:

• There is no calorie counting.
• You can only eat carbohydrates from the approved Low Carb food list (see list below)
• You will eat fat at every meal (see approved fat list below)
• You should eat protein at every meal (see approved protein list below)
• You will only use condiments from the approved condiment list
• You will only drink beverages on the approved beverage list
• You can mix and match foods from the approved lists.
• You will eat until you are approaching fullness. Slow down, don’t shovel the food in.

Unlike Plans B, C and D, you do not get a break from the Low Carb Zone of Pain.

Your post-workout nutrition is low-carb.

As well, you don’t get to enjoy a week-end carbohydrate re-feed like those lucky Plan C and D people.

Sorry…

Approved Protein List

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Beef

Pork

Poultry

Eggs

Fish

Cheese – avoid flavored cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese or any other non low-carb cheese

Low carb (no sugar alcohols) protein powder made from whey/rice/soya/egg/hemp/pea/etc.

Basically, any unprocessed animal protein – this means no sauces, glazes or breading.

See approved Condiment List

Approved Fat List

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Butter – no margarine

Cream (no milk), Sour Cream, unsweetened whipped cream

Cheese – see approved protein list

Coconut oil

Monounsaturated Oils

• Olive oil (73 per cent monounsaturated oil)
  
• Canola oil (61 per cent)
• flax oil (60 per cent)
  
• hazelnuts (50 per cent)
  
• almonds (35 per cent)
  
• Brazil nuts (26 per cent)
  
• cashews (28 per cent)
  
• avocado (12 per cent)
  
• sesame seeds (20 per cent)
  
• pumpkin seeds (16 per cent)

Seeds & Nuts – 1 handful per day – no peanuts or cashews

Olives and low carb olive products, i.e tapenade

Warning – To avoid free radicals caused by cooking with fat, reference this smoke point list.

It is believed that fats that have gone past their smoke points contain a large quantity of free radicals which contribute to an increased risk of cancer.

Approved Carb List

Approved Condiment List

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Salt

Sour Cream

Vinegar

All Spices

Onion, Garlic, Chives

Low cal sauces & marinades – no sugar alcohols

i.e Soy sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauces with no carbs, no sugar alcohols

Mayo – no carbs, no sugar alcohols

Mustard

Pesto

Olive tapenade

Approved Beverage List

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Naturally low-carb beverages only

Water

Coffee / tea

no diet drinks – no artificial sweeteners

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Sample Meals

Egg based meals – scrambled, poached, fried, omelettes – (cheese, veggie, ham, bacon), fritattas, bacon & eggs, ham & eggs

Beef / Pork / Poultry / Fish based meals – soups, salads, stews, 1950s style meat & veg, stir frys, etc…

Snacks – Low-Carb Protein shakes – no bars, Nuts & seeds (1 handful per day – no cashews or peanuts), cheese, lunch meat – (avoid the loaf style products – that means no bologna), pepperoni sticks, hard boiled eggs and if you can stomach them, everyone’s favorite Atkins snack, the Pork Rind.

I was going to include some sample recipes, but there are lots of low carb recipe websites here and here and here and here, so get clicking.

But remember the rules. And the warnings.

Plan A is a real b*%ch, but it works really well.

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Plan B

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Plan B is the second strictest version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have been on Plan A for 6 weeks or who just can’t take it anymore and are going to cheat
• Still have a lot of fat to lose
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat QUICKLY, but
• Don’t want to sacrifice any more muscle mass to the very effective but unforgiving Plan A

In practice, the only difference between Plan A and Plan B is the inclusion of fast absorbing carbohydrates to your Pre and Post Workout Protein Shake / Meal.

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Why Workout Nutrition?

The latest research shows that ingesting a mixed carbohydrate / protein meal before (start 20 min. before), during and after (up to 20 min. after) your workout will:

Quickly reverse your body from a catabolic (muscle damaging) state to an anabolic (muscle repairing) state. This is good.

Direct the nutrients towards the repair of your muscles and away from your fat cells. This is good.

Keep in mind, this is not 100% foolproof. There is a trade-off.

Your fat loss will be a little bit slower than on Plan A, but you are less likely to sacrifice muscle mass in your attempt to melt away your body-fat.

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How-to Plan B Workout Nutrition

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Option 1

A protein shake containing fast and slow absorbing proteins and high GI carbohydrates.

Here is my favorite shake.

Option 2

A meal of solid protein (beef, chicken, etc) (aim for 50 grams of protein) and 2 cups / 16 oz. of fruit juice, before and after the workout.

This option isn’t as easy to digest as option 1 and as a result, may make you nauseous if you try to eat half of it pre-workout. You will also be slightly delaying the turnaround from catabolic to anabolic.

Option 3

A meal of solid protein and carbohydrate – 50 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbohydrates. This option is even slower to digest, but if you are craving a sandwich, this may be the one for you.

Option 4

If you can’t stomach workout nutrition, skip the pre-workout meal altogether and consume the entire portion of Option 1,2 or 3 up to 1 hour after the workout. If you can’t get to a workout meal before 1 hour post-workout, you are out of luck. Go back to the standard fat-burning meal of meat and vegetables.

Note – In my protein shake recipe, I include creatine and glutamine. I will discuss these supplements in a future post, so if you are unsure if you should include these in your shake, don’t. They wouldn’t hurt you, but as with any drug/supplement, you should know what you are putting in your body.

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Conclusion

So that’s it for Plans A & B. I will cover Plans C & D in a future post.

I think that I covered anything, but if anybody has any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to comment or email me.

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Thanks.

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In Atkins Diet redux – part 1, I introduced you to the Cliffs Notes (or Coles Notes for my Canadian readers) version of the Atkins or low-carb Diet.

In Atkins Diet redux – part 2, I will introduce you to a better way to do low-carb.

Health habits does Low Carb

After 19+ years as a personal trainer, I have seen hundreds of clients try hundreds of diets.

The best diet for losing weight fast has consistently been low carb / Atkins.

It works. If you can stick to it.

Most people quit; eventually.

And when you quit, if you don’t re-introduce the carbs verrrrryyyyyyy slowly, you will gain back weight, verrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy quickly.

Sorry, that’s just the way it is.

So, to avoid this problem, I have tested out various modifications of the Atkins / low carb Diet on my guinea pigs, I mean, my clients. You, my lucky readers, get to reap the benefits of all of their pain and suffering.

The Basics

This is not a “one size fits all” type of diet.

There are 4 different versions of the Health habits low carb diet. Depending upon how much you want to lose, how fast you want to lose it, how long you have been dieting and your general tolerance for low carb dieting, I have a plan for you.

At their core, all of these diets are the same – low carb, high fat, moderate to high protein. The differences lay in the duration and frequency of planned carbohydrate re-feeds.

The Plans

Plan A

Plan A is the strictest version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have a lot of fat to lose
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat QUICKLY
• Have an ability to stick to a diet that is going to drive them crazy at times. You WILL crave carbs. Period. On this plan, you can’t cheat. CAN’T CHEAT. I am serious. No cheating. Got it?

Plan B

Plan B is the second strictest version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have been on Plan A for 6 weeks or who just can’t take it anymore and are going to cheat
• Still have a lot of fat to lose
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat
• Have a lot of motivation to lose the fat QUICKLY, but
• Don’t want to sacrifice any more muscle mass to the very effective but unforgiving Plan A

Plan C

Plan C is the third strictest or second easiest (your choice) version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have been on Plan A for 6 weeks, followed by Plan B for 6 weeks or who just can’t take it anymore and are going to cheat
• Have lost some significant body-fat
• Still have a lot of motivation to lose the fat, but
• Are willing to slow things down a little in order to regain some flexibility in their diet and/or increase their muscle mass.

Plan D

Plan D is the easiest version of my low carb diet. It is for those dieters who:

• Have been on Plan A for 6 weeks, followed by Plan B for 6 weeks, followed by Plan C for 6 weeks or who just can’t take it anymore and are going to cheat
• Are getting close to their desired body-fat level
• Are losing the motivation to lose the fat, or
• Really need to regain some flexibility in their diet due to family pressures, or
• Want to add some serious muscle mass.

In Atkins Diet redux – part 3, I will lay out the specifics of Plans A & B.

Stay tuned.

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Thanks in Advance.

Without a doubt, the Atkins Diet is the most controversial weight loss plan of all time.

Whether you loved it or hated it, anybody with a few extra pounds on their body knew about Atkins.

They knew that Atkins was low carb. They knew that Atkins got rid of body fat faster than any other diet. They knew that doctors hated it and that it would probably kill them by clogging their arteries with cholesterol.

Another obvious aspect of the Atkins phenomena is that Robert Atkins got very rich selling low carb books and food. Very rich.

It was this financial success that caused other doctors to jump on the low carb diet bandwagon.

Some of these “new and improved” low carb diets included:

Protein Power (1995) By Natrushka PP and PPL were written by Michael and Mary Eades, two medical doctors practicing in Colorado. In 1995, they wrote Protein Power as a guide to better health and weight loss through diet, nutrition, supplementation, and exercise. In 2000, they followed up Protein Power with Protein Power Lifeplan, which was similar but…

Schwarzbein Principle (1999) By Joanna, Lisa and Gypsy After a few year of watching these patients get worse on the standard low-calorie, high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-protein diet, she began to experiment with a lower carb way of eating. She discovered to her surprise that a diet that included red meat, butter, eggs, real cream, lots of low-carb vegetables and moderate amounts of …

Life Without Bread (2000) By Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP The book begins with a definition of just what low-carb nutrition really is, followed by an historical survey of the approach by various doctors and nutritionists including such luminaries as William Banting, Weston Price, Vilhjamur Stefansson, John Yudkin, and Carlton Fredericks. In Lutz and Allan’s definition, the low-carb diet should include no more than 72 grams of carbohydrates a day. The rest of the diet should be made up of ….

Eat Fat, Get Thin, by Dr. Barry Groves (1999) By Rosebud educe your intake of refined carbs.
You can eat as much as you want of any meat, fish, poultry, cheese, cream, butter and eggs. You can eat as much as you like of green leafy vegetables: cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, and so on. He does say that it is advisable to cut out some foods such as sugar and cereals completely, but does include small amounts in his menus. He cautions that you may need to be wary of such foods. Fruit and vegetables are permitted, just cut down on the sweeter, starchier ones…..

The Diet Cure – Dr. Julia Ross (1999) By Alto She stresses that fats are not the enemy, carbohydrates are. There are other eating regimens — to combat yeast problems, etc. — as well as very specific guidance on supplements for a variety of ills (including cravings,….

Fat Flush Plan (2002) By Bloom Emphasis is not given solely to controlling insulin production but to “Five Hidden Weight Gain Factors” being: Liver toxicity, Waterlogged tissues,Fear of eating fat, Excess insulin, Stress fat ,….

Neanderthin (1999) By Karen In Ray Audette’s world, there are two theories that take you down the path to health. The first is the thermodynamic view that strives to create fitness by balancing caloric intake with output, limiting dietary fats and cholesterol and incorporating synthetic foods and supplements. This system is good for…

South Beach Diet (2003) By Monika The diet has evolved since the writing of the book, especially regarding dairy and some common vegetables such as carrots. Even before the diet changes, the major part of the book and the recipes contradicted each other at times – the recipes seem …

The Stone Age Diet (Eat Fat, Grow Thin) – Dr Richard Mackarness (1958) By Andy Davies The Author, Richard Mackarness, was the doctor who ran Britain’s first obesity and food allergy clinic. The book merges anecdotal observations from this clinic with a comprehensive review of all medical evidence throughout the world up to the mid-1970s. In the 1975 edition, this includes a ….

The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet (1991) By Sandy According to the Heller’s research, many carbohydrate addicts produce too much insulin. This excess insulin creates hunger and causes the body to store fat. This program is designed to reduce hunger and carbohydrate cravings – thus achieving weight loss – by controlling ……

The Zone (1996) By Deanna The only change you make is to add more fat when you are in maintenance to prevent you from continual loss. Otherwise, you eat the same from the beginning….i.e. there is….

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) (1994) By Doreen The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a strict grain-free, lactose-free, and sucrose-free dietary regimen intended for those suffering from Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The diet goes beyond…

Your Fat Can Make You Thin Dr. Calvin Ezrin (1999) By Eebee Serotonin is the most important neurotransmitter in the regulation of appetite and sleep. Carbohydrate, by stimulating insulin production, can boost serotonin levels, but only temporarily. Deficiency of serotonin causes …

The Insulin Resistance Diet (2001) By Scarlet According to the authors, it is not carbohydrates that cause weight gain, but lack of protein and an excess of carbohydrates consumed in one sitting. Therefore, the authors recommend that carbs and protein be consumed in the ratio …

The Go-Diet (1999) By Eebee The authors tell us that they are clinicians who became frustrated that the advice they were offering their patients on weight loss was not working. They undertook an in depth review of the scientific literature on weight loss as well as looking at all the popular diets. The aim was…

Sugar Busters (1995) By Rosebud “cut sugar to trim fat.” Modulating insulin is the key to the SUGAR BUSTERS! diet. The authors explain that by controlling the intake of sugar, insulin secretion can be controlled. They state that carbohydrates in an unrefined form, such as fruits, green vegetables, dried beans and whole grains require further digestive alteration before absorption, thus modulating insulin secretion. The end result is lower average insulin levels and less fat synthesis, storage and weight gain.

Thanks to http://www.lowcarb.ca for the info.

None of these diets has been as popular as Atkins.

Why?

Because it worked.

Why?

For just one minute, let’s just forget about all of the Atkins stereotypes. Let’s forget about the pork rinds and the cholesterol and the bacon and the threats of cardio-vascular disease and the cheddar cheese and sausages and the grease and the…

What was Atkins really saying. Let’s take a look at Phase 1 or the Induction Phase of Atkins’ plan.

For 14 days, you could eat only 20 grams or 80 calories of carbohydrates.

You could have as much protein and fat as you desired, but only 20 grams of carbs.

So what could you eat? What would your meals look like?

Specifically, what kind of carbs could you eat?

OK, I see lots of vegetable choices here. But wait you say, I can only eat 20 grams of carbs for the whole day.

Well, check this out.

This is just a partial list of my own “favorite” low density carbs.

So how much food can you get for 20 grams of carbs.

• 8 avocados, or
• 64 spears of asparagus, or
• 6 cups of cucumber, or
• 44 cups of iceberg lettuce, or
• 52 cups of spinach, or
• 400 radishes, or…well you get the point.

44 cups of lettuce…44 cups…that is a lot of salad.

So what happens after the 14 days of low carb hell?

After the induction phase, Atkins dieters were allowed to gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates eaten each day. While Atkins suggested that the average person should attempt to bring their carbs up only to 40-60 grams per day; in practice every Atkins dieter had their own metabolic tolerance for carbs.

I may need to stay at 40 grams to maintain my weight loss, while you may be able to push it up to 80 or 100 grams.

However, even at 100 grams of carbs, people grew tired of Atkins.

They were sick and tired of eating nothing but lettuce.

The diet worked, but it was HARD.

Too hard.

People quit and like the sugar junkies they were, they went back to their cookies and bread and pizza and cake with a vengeance. And the body-fat came back.

THE END

Not so fast. I think we can do better.

In Atkins Diet redux – part 2, I will outline a modified form of low carb dieting that will burn away the body-fat and then gradually shift you back to a higher carb way of eating.

Stay tuned.

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A 20 year study that looked at the association between a low glycemic load diet and the risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) concluded that a low glycemic load diet decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

This study not only concluded that eating a low glycemic load diet has long term positive health benefits, but that a higher dietary glycemic load was strongly associated with an increased risk of T2DM.

Surprise, surprise

So what do you do with this information?

This is not going to sound original, but:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Eat less bread, pasta, rice, fruit juice, beer, wine, candy, cake, pie…
• Eat more protein – healthy protein, not chicken fingers, bacon and hot dogs
• Eat more ‘non-animal’ based oils like coconut, olive, walnut, flax, and hemp. Fats from game animals are acceptable for all of you hunters out there. Fish oils (high in Omega 3 fatty acids) have also been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar.
• Eliminate most processed foods in general

• If you can’t/won’t eliminate the high glycemic load foods, at least try to start each meal with the veggies. At least that way, you may get full before you get to the high glycemic load foods. Start with a big salad or some grilled veggies or a big bowl of soup.

So what is Glycemic Load?

Glycemic load (GL) is a measurement and ranking system for the carbohydrate content in different foods, based on their glycemic index (GI) and the portion size.

Glycemic Index (GI) is a measurement of how quickly a fixed portion (usually 50g) of the carbohydrates in different foods breaks down into sugar.

So what the *&%#@ does that mean?

Carrots have a high glycemic index. That’s bad. That means that the carbohydrates in carrots are quickly digested into sugar. Oooh, scary. That is why some nutritionists actually advise their clients to avoid baby carrots as a snack food.

But, since carrots are loaded with water and fiber, the glycemic load is reduced to a low level.

Yay carrots.

Here is an abridged GI and GL list of foods:

Keep in Mind that a Glycemic Index of 55 is low and a Glycemic Load of 10 is low.

List of foods and their glycemic load, per 100g serving

For more info on this subject, check out David Mendosa’s site.

Or if you are really geeky on this subject, look no further than the queen bee of all things glycemic, Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller here or here.

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Just a quick post.

A study, published by the Lancet Neurology, on-line May 3, 2008, showed that children following a ketogenic diet, suffered fewer seizures than the control group children. (62·0% vs 136·9%, 75% decrease, 95% CI 42.4–107.4%; p<0·0001)

The ketogenic diet has been widely and successfully used to treat children with drug-resistant epilepsy since the 1920s.

The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in a randomised controlled trial.

Like most Atkin dieters, the most frequent side-effects reported during the study were constipation, vomiting, lack of energy, and hunger.