Since we wanted to talk about diet stuff ;)
its interesting reading EXACTLy why the adkins diet works.
Bill Wheatley
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----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Burke
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 11:13 AM
Subject: All Diets Work, and No Diet Works
Poor grammar, but this is the truth:
I'm not going to say that the Atkins diet doesn't work: I've never said that because
all diets work.as long as you're "on" the diet. There is no magic to Atkins, and
research shows that it becomes a low calorie diet very quickly.see story below.
It's not necessarily the amount of fat in your diet. However, the type of fat you eat
does affect your health. Simple carbohydrate like excess sugar, white flour products
and refined cereals are not necessarily healthy. Complex carbohydrate is what's
necessary for good health.
That said we at eDiets.com could provide the member the opportunity to choose a
higher-protein diet than what's currently provided. I've promoted this idea for those
who want a more restricted diet.
We currently use the American Heart Association's recommendations and provide 20-25%
of the calories from protein, 50-60% from carbohydrate, and less than 30% from fat and
less than 10% from saturated fat. We recommend complex carbohydrate and lean protein.
Here is a recent article nicely written by a Registered Dietitian, which
comprehensively reviews the Atkins Diet.
The Atkins Diet -
A Comprehensive Analysis
THE DIET CHANNEL
Best of the Net Links for more Atkins Diet Info:
Kathy Goodwin, RD
September 9, 1999
(Updated and reviewed June 3, 2002)
Weight control can be a highly reactive subject. No wonder! Millions of people
have tried countless times to succeed at the battle of the bulge only to watch the
pounds creep back on time and time again. It can be an exasperating ordeal, and it's
clear that many have now pledged their diet allegiances to Dr. Atkins New Diet
Revolution in yet another attempt to claim victory with the bathroom scale. The "new"
Atkins plan (which is actually a resurfacing of his book "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution"
published in the 70's) advocates a high protein, high fat diet with a significant
restriction of dietary carbohydrate. Since the Atkins regimen contradicts the
overwhelming majority of research on how to healthily lose and maintain weight, most
public health professionals and organizations
strongly disapprove of this diet. Many Atkins followers are incensed by the lack of
support for their diet guru. Why? Perhaps because this fad diet could be another diet
failure down the road -- a potential reality too difficult to face yet another time.
But, many do feel an attachment to Atkins and other low-carb plans because a great
number truly do lose weight. Keep in mind however, that there are many factors which
must come into play if a diet can be considered truly successful over time. If the
indicator of a successful diet is initial weight loss (which is mainly from muscle and
water initially), and not long-term, permanent fat loss achieved in a healthy way,
then my hat's off to Atkins! Unfortunately, this and many other fad diets will not
serve your long term health or your
long-term success at weight control (and we do assume you would like to keep the
pounds off forever?). Consider the following:
Fad Diet Fallacies
If you are on the Atkins plan or are considering trying it, you may wish to take
a good hard look at your dieting history first. How many diets have you tried over the
years? Everything from Optifast to Stillman? Have you lost weight and regained it
several times only to start on the next "miracle" plan? Do you honestly feel that a
low carb plan is something you can stick with for the rest of your life? If not, then
it's just a temporary fix like the rest of the fads. No more chocolate cake, mashed
potatoes, french fries, spaghetti, pancakes, apple pie or other favorites. Forever.
Even Atkins admits that if you go back to a higher carb diet again, the pounds will
return. You've also got history and research against you. Studies show that
restrictive diets which eliminate
several foods or food groups have the worst failure rates over time -- a pretty dismal
outlook. Unfortunately, many, caught in the initial weight loss euphoria of the low
carb plan, will shun the research, hoping yet again, to beat the odds.
No Magic In Eliminating Carbohydrates
Why do some people lose weight on this diet? Is there some magical phenomenon
that occurs in the body when high carbohydrate foods are abolished? No. The Atkins
diet essentially eliminates several foods and food groups like fruits, cereals,
breads, grains, starches, baked goods, dairy products, starchy vegetables, and sweets.
This simply translates into a significant daily calorie reduction - the basis of any
weight loss diet. Any reduction of calories - whether from protein, carbohydrate or
fat - will result in weight loss. The basic weight loss formula is: calories burned
must exceed calories consumed. Easily done when the majority of the foods on a typical
day's menu are eliminated. There's nothing revolutionary about this regimen.
Rapid Water Loss
Many people become instantaneously hooked on the Atkins plan due to an initial
rapid weight loss. The initial weight loss isn't coming from body fat though - it's
coming from water. How's that? The body's preferred energy source is glucose. When
carbohydrates are significantly restricted, as they are on the Atkins diet, the body
runs short on its constant supply of glucose - the breakdown product of carbohydrate.
The body anticipates these situations by storing emergency glucose, known as glycogen,
in the muscles and liver. For every one gram of glycogen the body stores, it must
store with it three grams of water. If carbohydrate is significantly limited, the body
will begin to break down these glycogen stores to obtain glucose for energy. And what
do you suppose gets
released and excreted when the glycogen gets broken down? That's right - stored water
- and lots of it. This gives the false appearance of a magical victory with the
scale. If your goal is fat loss then this is certainly no cause for celebration.
Insulin Insanity
Low carb plans arouse an irrational fear about the hormone insulin. Insulin,
like other hormones in the body, has many vital functions. One function is to enable
our cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy. This gives us
the ability to do everything from lifting a finger to recalling memories to running a
marathon. Insulin has become unpopular (in obese countries) due to the fact that it
helps the body store fat. Because of this fat storing function, low carb plans have
condemned insulin to eternal damnation. Unfortunately, it's a very undeserved
reputation based on false and twisted truths. One false theory is that only
carbohydrate in the diet will stimulate insulin production. The truth is that all
ingested foods stimulate insulin production. The
second false theory is that insulin stores fat only when high carb foods are eaten.
The bottom line with regard to the body's biochemistry is that fat will only be stored
if too much food (from any source) is eaten. If the body takes in less calories than
it uses in a day, all those calories will be "burned" or used for energy. It does not
matter what percentage of those calories came from fat, protein or carbohydrate. On
the other hand, if the body takes in more calories than it burns, insulin will help to
store those extra calories as fat. Again, it does not matter where the extra calories
come from. In fact, if the extra calories are from carbohydrate, the body actually
burns additional calories in order to turn carbohydrate into fat for storage. In
contrast, extra fat calories
can be immediately stored as fat. To blame insulin as the sole contributor to obesity
is not only ludicrous, it's irresponsible thinking. What about all those days when we
got into our cars, sat at the office all day, got the supersize meal from the
drive-through, "remote-controlled" the TV all night while devouring ice cream to
comfort our stress and emotions? Might this be a better explanation for rampant
obesity in America? Obesity is an extremely complex issue. It has to do not only
with excess consumption of calories and lack of exercise, but also genetics,
psychological issues, social issues, medical problems and so many other things. The
fact that normal portion sizes at restaurants are growing ever more outrageous, and
that high calorie, high fat foods are cheaper and more
accessible than ever doesn't help either. Obesity is not a simple issue and insulin is
not the cause.
Healthy Populations Eat Carbs
The idea that a high carb diet is responsible for obesity and illness (a concept
supported by low carb plans) is completely contradicted by many population-based
studies. For instance, in Japan, carbohydrates compose the overwhelming majority of
daily caloric intake. High carb foods like grains, rice, and vegetables are daily
staples of Japanese life, and intake of high protein, high fat animal products is
minimal. In contrast to the reported "evils" of carbohydrates touted by low carb
plans, Japan has one of the lowest rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer and
diabetes in the world. Enough said.
Heart Disease Haven
The Atkins diet places no limit on the amount of saturated-fat-laden products
one can have each day. Large portions of foods like butter, red meat and bacon are
advocated and encouraged. The Atkins plan contradicts numerous studies which have
demonstrated the significant correlation between diets high in saturated fat and
increased heart disease risk. Dean Ornish, M.D., a renowned cardiologist and author
of the book Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease, showed an actual
reversal of the heart disease process through a diet limited to only 10% of daily
calories from fat. Prior to Ornish's findings, significant reversal of heart disease
was only thought possible through surgery. Ornish's study participants followed a
diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, with the overwhelming majority of calories coming from carbohydrates. Dr.
Atkins has not published a single study showing the long term effects of his diet on
heart health. Considering his diet has been around since the 70's he's certainly had
ample time (and ample money) to do so. Bottom line - heart disease is America's number
one killer - if you have heart disease or a family history, stay away from low carb,
high saturated fat diets.
The Cancer Connection
According to the National Cancer Institute, five servings of fruits and
vegetables each day is the minimum amount one should eat in order to help
significantly reduce the risk of developing cancer. In addition, studies have shown
that approximately 35% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. may be related to poor dietary
habits. High consumption of whole grain products has also been linked with reduced
cancer risk. Can one consume the amount of produce and whole grains necessary to
significantly help prevent cancer on the Atkins diet? Impossible. Plentiful amounts of
fruits and vegetables and whole grains would constitute too many carbohydrates, and
would not be allowed. If these nutritious staples contain literally thousands of
compounds showing promise in preventing cancer and so many
other chronic diseases, why are they off limits? Because they have too many carbs of
course - those dreaded compounds which Atkins feels are solely responsible for all our
health and weight worries. Bottom line - cancer is America's number two killer - be
wary of low carb plans if you are interested in reducing cancer risk through diet.
Only Food Can Provide Optimal Nutrition
Because low carb diets eliminate so many foods and food groups, getting the
Recommended Daily Allowance of the nutrients the body needs on these plans is a
difficult task. Conveniently, Atkins came up with his own line of expensive
nutritional supplements to add to his fortune. Many are led to believe that taking
supplements each day equals the same optimal nutrition we get from food. Wrong. Even
"supplemented" low carb diets fall short on the latest nutrition phenomenon -
phytochemicals. Research has isolated literally thousands of these protective
substances in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Phytochemicals are showing
promise in helping to prevent everything from cataracts to cancer, and hosts of other
chronic illnesses. It is as yet impossible to encapsulate these
substances into a daily pill in the same optimal ratio and form that only nature can
deliver. In addition, studies show that supplements fail to deliver the same disease
fighting properties that whole foods do. In short, vitamins and minerals provide us
with what we need to live, but phytochemicals provide us with what we need to live
healthily. Sadly, falling for the mistaken notion that high carb foods are bad means
missing out on daily protection from phytochemical-packed fruits, vegetables and
grains. You won't find them in meats and animal products - the basis of the Atkins
diet.
Any 70's Successes?
Low carbohydrate diet regimens have been in existence for decades. Dr. Atkins
published his first book back in the 70's based on the same concepts as his current
book. If these plans worked in the long run, the release of new diet books wouldn't
even be necessary. The followers would have actually been capable of maintaining
weight loss by eliminating high carbohydrate foods for over 25 years. Their long term
weight loss success stories would have spread worldwide as the cure to obesity.
Paradoxically, as more and more diets appear, the weight loss industry continues to
get richer, and America continues to grow fatter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Director of Nutrition Services
eDiets.com
3801 W. Hillsboro Blvd.
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Office 954.360.9022 x129
FAX 954.360.9095
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