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Health NutritionFour Doctors Offer Different Low Carb Diets In Their Best-selling Booksby Emily Bender Well! There is nothing like reading 4 diet books in a row to really mess with your mind. Whoops. What I meant to say is “to remind you of a few important facts”: first, this nation is insanely obsessed with weight loss; and second, no one diet has all the answers for everyone. I read: The New Atkins Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins, MD (M. Evans and Company, 1992); Enter the Zone by Barry Sears, PhD (Regan Books, 1995); The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, MD (Rodale Press, 2003); The No-Grain Diet by Dr. Joseph Mercola (Dutton, 2003).Now, I know many people embark on (or talk about, or criticize) low-carb diets without actually reading the books, but I suggest that anyone who wants to follow one of these diets read the book. You might just learn something! Last month I wrote about the basic idea behind the low-carbohydrate diets: high-carbohydrate diets can lead to disordered blood sugar metabolism that can lead to weight gain. Therefore, eliminating or reducing carbohydrates from the diet can help correct blood sugar imbalances, and lead to weight loss. It all started with The Atkins Diet 30 years ago (he published an updated version in the 1990’s). In many ways, the other diets listed here only exist because Atkins had the courage to challenge high-carb orthodoxy for so long. No matter how one feels about his methods, it is hard not to appreciate his pioneering work about blood sugar metabolism, insulin, weight gain and heart disease. It wasn’t until several years after the publication of this book that we started to hear about “Syndrome X” and “Metabolic Syndrome” (not-so-fancy terms for pre-diabetes levels of insulin resistance) in the media. He was definitely ahead of the curve. Plus, if you can get past the excessive weight-loss cheerleading, his book is informative and extremely well-referenced. Here is the outline of the Atkins diet. After the infamous 2 week induction phase, where you eat less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, you monitor the amount of fat you are burning everyday by testing for “ketones” in your urine. Ketones are created when the body burns fat or protein for energy instead of carbohydrates. The other phases of the diet ask you to use the ketosis testing strips to determine what level of carbohydrates you can eat and still burn fat, creating a personalized carb level. Atkins also details a (mostly) excellent nutritional supplement program to go along with the diet, so people can move toward more optimal health. The most serious drawback of the Atkins diet is that it limits fruits and vegetables. Study after study has shown that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have lower rates of cancer and chronic disease. The fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals found in whole fruits and vegetables keep our bodies running smoothly and cannot be replaced by supplementation. Green leafy veggies are always your friend! Then came the Zone diet in 1995. Barry Sears’ Zone diet is based on the principle that eating a diet that is 40 per cent carbohydrates, 30 per cent protein and 30 per cent fat creates an ideal balance of hormone-like substances called eicosanoids. These eicosanoids play roles in immunity, inflammation, dilation and constriction of blood vessels and other essential functions. The diet is moderate in total fat intake, promotes the use of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, and encourages eating fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. By focusing on how you combine foods in any given meal, he creates a blood-sugar balancing diet without making it excessively low in carbohydrates. The South Beach Diet, published in 2003, is essentially Atkins plus fruits and vegetables, minus supplements and saturated fat. Mercola’s No-Grain Diet, also published in 2003, is a more individualized version of the low-carb diet plus veggies and supplements, minus pork and artificial sweeteners (thank goodness!). Mercola integrates some emotional support in the form of the Emotional Freedom Technique, which uses acupressure and affirmations to help people overcome cravings. What they all share Besides being low in carbohydrates, these diets have a few things in common. The first is that they are all life-long diets. All of these authors understand that healthy diets should be the norm of our lives not the exception. Each author presents different phases to his diet, the final one being a lifetime eating plan that is not associated with weight loss, complete with recipes and menu plans. Because these diets are satisfying to eat and not low in calories, they can be maintained for the long term. There are 3 other points on which these authors and I agree. First of all, fat is not the enemy, and eating fat is an important part of being a healthy weight. Secondly, eliminating refined carbohydrates, sugars, trans fats and processed foods is the first step to better health. Finally, each author encourages exercise for health and weight loss. Exercise speeds up your metabolism and increases your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which is key to creating good blood sugar balance. So is there anything wrong with these diets? Honestly, the main problem with all of these diets is that they are focused on weight loss! While the maintenance phases of these diets are relatively healthy, I believe that the draconian opening phases that are supposed to bring about quick weight loss are unnecessary. While some people may need to lose weight for health reasons, being thin is not a pre-requisite for living a happy life as they, and others in the diet industry, would have you believe. They have it all backwards. Being a healthy weight is the RESULT of living a lifestyle that is healthy for YOU over time. Healthy weights can vary from individual to individual. Not every person is meant to be really skinny. We all need to take the time to determine what type of diet is good for us for a lifetime. For some of us, it will be low in starchy foods, for others some starchy foods will be nourishing while others will thrive on a whole-grain-based, high-carbohydrate diet. What matters is that we ALL eat a blood-sugar-balancing, whole foods diet, rich in fruits and vegetables; that we get out and exercise; that we get some sunshine; that we create time in our lives to relax and enjoy ourselves with our friends and families. Stay tuned for next month’s column on why fats are your friends! Emily is a Certified Nutrition Consultant practicing in Fairfax. She can be reached at Emily@gourmethelping.com. |
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