Are low carb diets a bad idea?

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That's why I love ya, darlin...

That's why I love ya, darlin...

because you always have the will to learn. Check out some of the things I posted, such as Glycemic Index and give us your take on those things.

Another member has asked me about the difference between South Beach and the Medt diet. I know a little about that and will post what I know. Maybe you could do a detailed examination on the differences between the two diets. Sure would be of help to our members here.

I am somewhat of a " spirt" on South Beach. It would great to have you, duff man, who has no interest in South Beach or the Medt diet look into them for us here.

Looking forward to your results.....And, may I suggest a starting point? I hope so. Look into the Glycemic Index.

Inguiring minds want to know,

Blanche
 
I'll be dipped in s---

I'll be dipped in s---

Dina,because I really can't answer your well thought out question with any authority or experience.

The Medt Diet gathered a whole lot of press here in Arizona especially because one well known proponent of the diet, Andrew Weil, lives and practices medicine in Tucson.

I know about some of the differences between the two diets (or eating plans...which is what I call them). And, my problem is that I am so attached to South Beach that I have trouble comparing them. It's South Beach for me becuse it worked. I lost 15 lbs in 7 weeks. And, my blood test showed improvement in several areas. And, I felt so much better that I continue to follow the plan...even tho other medical problems have cuased me great stress.

I have suggested to the Duff Man, since he is interested in this topic, to take a look at both positions. He has a good sense of things, so I am looking forward to his results.

In the mean time, some of the differences that I see between the two plans are: Medt restricts red meats much more than SBD does. MDt limits high fat products and suggests that people switch to low fat. In my experience, manufacturers replace fat with other things, like more carbos. When diets limit high fat, they usually suggest substituions with more sugars.

It is hard for me to be neutral here, for I am like the duck that gets imprinted at birth. The first moving thing she sees is mother to her. I am so happy and satisfied with South Beach that it is difficult to compare this plan to others.

Hope that this ok with you Dina,

Blanche
 
**** (snip) In my experience, manufacturers replace fat with other things, like more carbos. When diets limit high fat, they usually suggest substituions with more sugars.
Click to expand...

Blanche.....

That is one thing that I think distinguishes Mediteranean from South Beach. Almost all foods eaten on Mediterranean Eating Plan are fresh. No 'manufacturers' involved. That is one of the reasons I migrated from South Beach to Mediterranean. I don't like processed foods. I eat all fresh veggies and fruit and lots of them, much fish and some chicken with almost no red meat, a handful of nuts a day, olive or canola oil, a glass of red wine most nights with dinner and the only real 'manufactured' product I eat with any regularity is whole wheat pasta. Just about all food we eat at home, I make homemade.

Major facets of Mediterranean diet are:

Lots of fruits and vegetables - many portions per day
Olive and Canola oil - good fats - in moderation
Handful of nuts
Red wine, in moderation, for some
Whole wheat/whole grains
Very little red meat
Lots of fresh fish
 
For the one with experience

For the one with experience

JKM:
Many thanks. I sure did need help on this one.

I don't know that I agree with you, but I defer to you because you have more experience with medt than I have.

You know, I really hope that folks understand that both of us are right on this one.

Thanks for coming to my rescue. I really am at a loss to deal with the Medt diet right now. I do love South Beach, so I have a bias here. It's like, dance with the one that brung ya.

Bottom line is that folks with weight and/or heart concerns need to address their concerns and problems with programs that are based in research and consideration for individual differences. I suspect that both of the diets under consideration are exceptionally good for folks with heart problems.

It just may come down to preferences.

Thanks, Blanche
 
Blanche:

I think South Beach a wonderful way of eating and I followed that food plan for years very successfully. Funny but my cardio never really liked South Beach very much though I'm unclear exactly why. (I suspect it is because red meat is permitted so freely.) My personal South Beach choices never included much red meat but most people do eat more than I think my cardio approves. One can strictly follow South Beach to the letter and avoid red meat by instead choosing fish and chicken for their protein.

I do know he has been so pleased with my good blood work and no blockages found on my cath a year ago that he has never asked me to stop South Beach. He calls my 'lifestyle' very healthy. I have not even advised him I have migrated to Mediterranean as it really isn't an issue for me. He knows whichever 'plan' I am following, I am eating very healthy.
 
Nice to know that your doctor supports you

Nice to know that your doctor supports you

It is great when doctors decide that they will operate out of their comfort jone, I have enjoyed this experience with both our cardio and our internst.

The rush of time is causing all sorts of folks inclding pcps, speciialists, and the like to make modifications in their handling of patients.

I am happy that your doctor can accommodate you.

For me/Us , when I am put between a rock an a har place, I just put up an awful fuss. I rave, rant, do all sorts of things. The more they try to put me off, the more I rave and ant.

Sooner than later, they finally ask the question, "what is it that you want me to do?"

BINGO....GOT THEIR ATTNTION..

Have to make the best of a nasty situation....

Regards,
Blanche

 
Thanks Blanche and JKM.
I stopped eating beef when I got my bovine valve..my doc actually
laughed at me when I told him. He asked me if I was afraid that a
stray herd would take revenge?:D I do appreciate his sense of humor
since I really don't have a rational reason for not eating beef,but I do
feel guilty. I also like alot of the food items Jkm7 mentioned.
Funny thing you said about the fats, Blanche is that I either eat olive
oil or real butter(just a bit) for taste. I never eat the substitutes. I also
have to eat real cheese,again in small amounts and since my cholest. is
acceptable at 190, with higher HDL's,I don't worry.
I lost a couple pounds just this week and need to lose atleast another
10,so I may check out some of the So.Beach recipes. I do need some
new ideas since I have been living on yogurt,fruits and walnuts.
Thanks again for the info:)
 
Last edited:
Hi all and thank you very much for all your replies; I'm very interested to see the other diets and how effective they are. I'll be looking into them for sure.

I only really need to lose two stone to be at my ideal weight so I guess the attraction for me with Atkins is that it always comes off so fast. I can lose half a stone per week on it but that is in the 'induction' phase where it's practically a zero carb intake, so I won't be doing it that way - I'm going to have some carbs probably in the form of fruit or veg each day.

Opinion about the effects of low carb diets really does seem to vary; some people say it's ok, some think it's dangerous and it seems the medical world feel the same way. I spoke to a gp about it and she said that as long as I feel well on it, it should be ok but I know in the past when I've mentioned it to doctors they're really against it...

Thanks again for all the info and help!

Lynn
 
Duff Man said:
yeah but how do you know when you're producing too many ketones if you're eating until you're full and still producing ketones? On an ordinary diet that's when you start to feel hungry but when you eat and you still don't satisfy the body's carb requirement it seems kinda blurry.

Not to mention, if you're eating a diet high in protein you're not getting enough fiber which could make you constipated, you're eating alot of meat which has cholesterol and fat (something our cohort in particular should be weary of), etc...


I'm just not a fan.
Click to expand...

There's a reagent test strip that helps monitor ketones in the blood.

http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/ketostix.html

FWIW - When I went in for my AVR I'd lost 17 pounds on a low carb system; blood tests indicated I was dangerously low on potassium.

It's tough diet to stick with IMO...
 
The problem with potassium is that people on low carb diets are afraid to eat fruit and veggies. There is plenty of fruit you can eat on an LC diet that gives you potassium, vegetables as well.
 
Personally I think the more you can eat that doesn't have a label to read the better! You can't go too far wrong with whole foods (unprocessed), lots of fruit/veg and moderate amounts of wholegrain breads/cereals, meat etc. I also find including lots of legumes, nuts and beans very good.... but that's what's always worked for me.

I'm also very wary of "low fat" "diet" products as often they are chemically re-engineered and altered to make it palatable. If it comes to butter and marg, I'd rather take my chances with a wholefood like butter (saturated fats or not), than the chemical cocktail that is magarine.... better still, a bit of cold-pressed olive oil instead.

Fresh is best!


A : )
 
read these:
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E2D61F3EF934A35754C0A9649C8B63

all the information you would want to know;
http://charm.cs.uiuc.edu/users/jyelon/lowcarb.med/


the scientific research in support of a lower carb diet has been out there for sometime. fat is not the enemy. fat in combination with carbohydrate is the enemy. eliminate the carbs and watch all of your health parameters improve.
 
Thanks for the links BackDoc. I used Protein Power as my guideline for years. The Drs' Eades' book explains all the science in detail. It's just really hard to turn around and explain it here in a few short paragraphs.
 
Three cheers for you

Three cheers for you

Duff:

You should be proud of yourself for the last post.

People have such problems with weight and you have found the absolutely very best solution. "Eat less!" How wise of you to think of this.

Really appreciate this and the fact that you have ignored all of the serious posts on this topic here. If it were so easy, don't you think that many of us would have done this...before you decided to solve our problems with the interesting and ineffective directive "eat less?"

Even a good clown knows when to back off. In case you missed that point,
I ask you, with all due, respect, back off.

This is not funny any longer.

Blanche
 
Wasn't trying to be mean or make "fat jokes". I helped my wife lose about 100 pounds so I'm sympathetic to the cause. I have a weight problem myself, so I share this bane. I was pointing out the sometimes obscure and seemingly deprecated method of eating fewer calories because many people, including myself, struggle to do so or don't try the method at all. I personally thought it was a valid contribution to the thread.
 
due yourself a favor and at least read the links I posted.
A carbohydrate is not a "carbohydrate".

the body can do very well on a very low amount of carbohydrate. There is ample evidence that we as a species..ie., humans, did not evolve to eat carbohydrates in the form of grains, rice, pasta's.

Anyone who claims that atkins is damaging to your heart can't explain why HDL's and triglycerides drop like a rock when limiting carbohydrates. Explain why the HDL/triglyeride ratio is so good when following a lower carb diet? This is a better indicator of heart health then total cholesterol.
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2007/01/study-hdl-triglycerides-better-markers.html

I agree that ingesting high fructose corn sweetener is akin to making a deal with the devil. I also agree that all of the "low fat" foods/snacks are a hoax.

But please read the science behind the lower carb eating before making blanket statements.

here is another decent link;
http://www.paleodiet.com/
 
I agree with Duff. Many people are looking for the perfect diet, diet pill, or supplement that allows them to eat tons of food and still lose weight. If you watch the commercials or read the advertisements for these products, they either say or put in fine print that it must be combined with a healthy diet and exercise program. Guess what really causes the weight loss? Many people think that appetite suppressants will help them lose weight. Frankly, I can't remember the last time I ate because I was hungry. I eat because it is noon. I eat because I'm bored. I eat because I'm watching tv. I eat because I'm in a restaurant. I eat because there is food! Not because I'm hungry! The "trick" is truly to take in fewer calories than you use. Portion control combined with healthy choices in a variety of food groups and a reasonable amount of exercise is absolutely the best diet.

I worked with a girl who had a gastric band. She ate a horrible diet consisting of plenty of processed, easy to digest foods. No raw fruits or vegetables because of the digestion issues (They didn't break down enough before reaching the band, causing reflux). Yes the band forced her to control her portions, but when she gets to her goal weight and they stop tightening it, she will be able to eat larger quantities of crappy food, probably leading to a quick rebound. What they are not teaching her is that a good diet is a lifelong commitment.

You have to find something you can commit to. If you can commit to a low carb diet and it works for you, then go for it. Frankly, I like pasta, so I would be more likely to commit to a diet that is strictly good choices and portion control, such as Weight Watchers. As has been said before, calories in, calories out. If you eat that piece of cheesecake, you better be prepared to run 10 miles!
 
If you google low carb diet (or any "diet") you will come up with as many articles, blogspots etc that denounce the diet as those that promote it....

Personally I agree with what UIHCCHI and Lisa said - it's a calorie in, calorie out thing.

I think healthy eating and portion control is the key - making sensible choices from each food group. I eat wholegrain bread, rice and pasta, plenty of all types of fruits and veg, and buy lean meat.
I exercise for at least 40 minutes per day.


Back Doc, you may be interested in this link:

http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/articles/browse/foodandnutrients-categories-collection/carbohydrates



Bridgette:)
 
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