Scientists say carbs—not fat—are the biggest problem with America’s diet

[marmar]

from Grist:



Scientists say carbs—not fat—are the biggest problem with America’s diet
by Ed Bruske

21 Dec 2010 10:13 AM


Just in time for the holiday-season blizzard of baked goods comes the news that carbohydrates -- not fat -- are more likely to be responsible for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and the other ills of modern civilization.

The Los Angeles Times has a detailed report on the growing body of scientific evidence that until now has been treated as nutritional poison: Fat is good, carbs are bad.

"The country’s big low-fat message backfired," Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, told the Times. "The overemphasis on reducing fat caused the consumption of carbohydrates and sugar in our diets to soar. That shift may be linked to the biggest health problems in America today."

Remember Robert Atkins? He's the guy who was nearly drummed out of the medical profession for proposing that the way to get slim and stay healthy was to eat lots of meat and fat, and abstain from bread and potatoes.

The Atkins diet struck many as pure craziness. But study after study has shown Atkins more right than wrong. Carbohydrates -- meaning plant-derived foods -- have been directly linked with elevated triglycerides (fat) in the blood; suppression of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol; increased production of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) that damage arteries; weight gain and high blood pressure. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-12-20-scientists-say-carbs--not-fat--are-the-biggest-problem-with

[CBGLuthier]

1. Atkins proved something even more valuable

All the diet and exercise in the world won't make up for a good pair of skid-proof shoes.

[peekaloo]

8. .

oh man :rofl:

[MrsBrady]

12. that is so wrong

and so funny :spank:

[KurtNYC]

29. Atkins was right -- as were all the versions of that diet that came b4

The body will pass excess fat without absorbing it, eg. calories from fat going into the body do not equal calories absorbed. But calories from sugars are very likely to be absorbed and more likely to get stored in the body.

[Laelth]

35. Hear, hear. That has been my experience. n/t

-Laelth

[niceypoo]

50. Ketonic diets are dangerous

[jtown1123]

51. You still get good carbs in fruits and veggies. It's the processed white carbs that are no good.

My grandparents have not eaten sugar in 2 years and feel and look great. They eat as much fruit, veggie, meat, nuts, cheese as they want and even experiment with coconut flour and other alternatives for baking.

[KurtNYC]

55. cancer cells can metabolise fructose directly

There are many types of sugars and sugar from fruit (or corn) can be just as bad as any of them.

You have to give your body what it needs in the way of vitamins and nutrients or you will remain hungry. This is the "empty calorie" thing. One can eat 3000 cals a day and still be hungry if those cals are void of vitamins. IMHO Fruits and vegetable eating avoids this but it isn't bc their sugar is any better than any other.

[jtown1123]

67. Their sugar is better. It is natural and combined with vitamins and fiber.

[KurtNYC]

52. ketones are regulated in the body

generally only alcoholics and uncontrolled diabetics can push ketone levels outside of safe limits. They are secreted in urine (and breath). There is no build up.

Ketonic diets work very well for those who follow the real versions.

[niceypoo]

54. Ketosis is an emergency state

Your body thinks it is starving and goes into emergency survival mode. Ketonic diets are dangerous.

[KurtNYC]

56. "starving" your body is the goal of every weightloss diet

your body will think it is starving when you stop loading it up with carbs but that fades

Our bodies have only two fuel delivery systems to provide us with energy. The first is burning carbs, the 2nd is burning fat. Totally natural and pretty much the only way to get your body to burn fat for fuel.

[masmdu]

44. sorry...? Somebody clue me in here...

[Bunny]

46. He slipped and fell on the ice, which caused a head injury that led to his death.

Pretty funny, innnit? :eyes:

[TBF]

2. As a marathoner when I was younger, I read a lot of nutrition books,

and while I would still carbo-load before races, I made sure to get a decent amount of protein in my diet on a day to day basis. I was convinced that I felt better when I ate moderate portions of protein, carbos and fat rather than cutting anything out. It's really about balance (which folks don't want to hear because they want to eat all the goodies they want!). Avoid sugary snacks, junk food, and alcohol and watch how quickly you lose weight. I know it's hard to do, and now with 2 kids in the house I'm not nearly as thin as I used to be.

[shanti]

30. and smaller portions

the portion size that people think is normal is way out there!

[TBF]

57. Yes, I think it's that "super-size" crap from fast food - no one needs super size anything -

except maybe water :)

[NashVegas]

105. It's Not Just Fast Food. These Days It's Most Restaurant Food

Give customers a plate loaded with crap for $15 and they'll think they're getting a much better deal than if they were getting small portions of well-prepared, unprocessed food for $28.

[flamingdem]

75. No one wants to emphasize portion control even though that's the No. 1 reason for weight problems nt

[Scout]

76. sez you ... you don't know what everyone eats or doesn't eat....`

and i'm sure you'll have some anecdote about your "fat friend"....

:eyes:

[Locrian]

3. atkins

Atkins still focuses (erroneously, IHMO vs a more balanced approach) on a calorie restrictive approach. A better comparison diet would be the Paleo Diet:

http://www.paleodiet.com/

[TBF]

4. Also getting a good meditterean cookbook is not a bad idea -

was recommended to me when my weight/blood pressure was high after the 2nd baby. I lost 40 lbs pretty quickly.

[MrsBrady]

13. can you tell us what books you have? nt

[TBF]

58. Yes, here are the ones I have -

The Mediterasian Way
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook
Mediterranean Harvest

I also just really like this cookbook - The essential Vegetarian Cookbook (I'm not vegetarian, but I've cut down red meat substantially)

[Kalyke]

24. Eating TRUE Mediterranean food is the best diet for anyone.

And, when I say "true," I mean Mediterranean food more like Jordan and less like Italy. Pasta is really bad for you in large quantities.

[FailureToCommunicate]

39. True, but the "Med" LIFESTYLE more than the diet is what works: toil

your butt off (literally) outdoors building or farming or cooking or sheep herding, and eat small amounts of fresh local FOOD (real food, not processed corn crap) in long slow meals with family or friends. THAT's what is meant by "Mediterranean Diet"

A decent book on that is: "The Mediterranean Diet" by Marissa Cloutier


And this book will change your mind on many things about fats, carbs, the food industry and the 'Western diet'

"In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan

[TBF]

61. I got another dog as well -

our family dog has passed away in 2008, so I finally got myself to rescue and found a nice lab to adopt. We walk several times a day (slowly - we both have arthritis) and that walking brought down my blood pressure.

I really don't believe in magic fixes or diets - food in moderation and daily exercise might be kinda boring but they work.

[Odin2005]

41. The Paleolithic Diet is BS because it does not take into account genetic adaptations...

...to agriculture over the past 10,000 years.

[Locrian]

107. genetic adaptations? IN 10K years are you kidding me?! nt

[Odin2005]

108. No, I'm not.

You know that most humans are lactose intolerant, Right? The ability for adults to drink milk evolved in Europe 5000 years ago.

Populations whose ancestors were only recently hunter-gatherers have high rates of diabetes when they consume a Western diet.

West Eurasians have a mutation that makes our bodies more efficient at metabolizing alcohol.

[Edweird]

85. Tried paleo, it sucked. Atkins worked like a champ.

[Myrina]

5. The biggest problem with America's diet, IMHO ...

... is that while we live in an increasingly sedentary, virtualized society, we are encouraged to eat like we're lumberjacks, and an overwhelming part of our food supply is jacked up with chemical modifications that we really don't know what they do to us, long term.

Any coincidence between the puberty age dropping/our next generation being ENORMOUS (in height and weight) at much younger ages and the introduction 15+ years ago of BGH into cow's milk? I suspect not, personally.


:shrug:

[w8liftinglady]

7. I believe a lot of what you say is true

just from my generation to my kids...an enormous difference in so much...food ingredients,number of take-out restaurants,take-out being cheap(at the start-now they have their hooks in them),shit being in the front of the store(Bakery,junk food)...it has bombarded us...add all the chemicals they insert in food,the fact that they have removed a child's "need" to play outside...this is what you get.Mission accomplished.

[Kalyke]

25. Our portion size here is atrocious!

My husband always chides me about the leftovers I leave in the fridge after we go out to dinner.

I finally told him that, as a petite woman, I simply CANNOT eat the portions I'm given at restaurants. If I did, I wouldn't be petite very long.

[HockeyMom]

36. Half portions

Some restaurants are now serving "half portions". They are also a few dollars cheaper. It's better but most times I cannot even finish these.

Many times I just order an appetizer and a side salad.

[woodsprite]

40. We usually get a salad and appetizer or salad and soup

anymore at restaurants. Some of the dinner plates they serve you the food on wouldn't even fit in my cabinets! Unreal!

[eridani]

93. Just order the full portion and ask for a people bag

Mostly it will taste just fine the next day.

[Dorian Gray]

97. Cheesecake Factory's

1/2 portion salad is enough to feed 4 people!

[postulater]

72. The Cheesecake Factory is the worst culprit.

Their portion size is double what it needs to be. They charge accordingly and so it keeps their tables profitable.

I refuse to go there. The last straw was opening the menu and seeing the drinks on the first page with no prices. They figure you're going to have a drink anyway and would be embarrassed to ask the price in front of the friends and family, so they might as well soak you.

I make someone else use the gift cards I receive for that place.

[Odin2005]

42. That's my problem. My appetite is too damn big.

I can eat a whole frozen pizza and still be hungry.

[TheMadMonk]

60. Precocious puberty, as it is called, is first and foremost caused...

...by an over abundant diet.

"Mother nature" is a blind force. Extended, high caloric intake is (in the "natural" world) an indicator to the individual organism of a time of plenty. Sexual maturity comes earlier, and in a world driven by instinct ("baser emotions" in humans) these slightly chubby little girls will be bred, and while a few will die of childbirth complications, more will be born than lost. And of course older females will be doing their bit for the species too.

And then when the time of plenty recedes there would normally be a significant dieback. And good ol' Gaia couldn't give a shit for those cute Rubenesque little girls. Her "purpose" is done, and genetic diversity has expanded exponentially and now comes the time for a winnowing of the masses for the "fittest" individuals to breed the NEXT (genetically rejuvenated) generation.



There have only been a handful of instances where hormone supplements given to animals HAVE been proven to have forced early puberty in the consumers of those animals. Mostly estrogen given to chickens IIRC. Such cases are not all that common however, mostly it's just excessively good eating that edges 3rd graders into the "potential breeder" envelope.


Even what we term paedophilia makes a certain sense in a pre-agrarian/herder setting. Just as with homosexuality, it provides backup carers that are not "burdened" with supporting their own direct offspring, whatever they might do to the psyche of the individual (and that itself is very much dependent on prevailing social attitudes) their contribution to the survival of the species outweighs any negatives. It's why, despite the fact that both "practices" should self select themselves out of the gene pool, these (and other non-procreative liasons) remain a part of the full set of behavioural practices from generation to generation in social/herd species after species.

It's not about right or wrong, or consideration for the individual feelings of a child, those are luxuries that can only be afforded by bellies full enough for comparitive philosphy, it's about what promotes the absolute maximum and most robust genetic diversity in the (any) species.

Before you all reach for the pitchforks and torches, consider similar "deviant" sexual activities in animals that have been domesticated long enough for us to fully decouple their breeding cycle from the seasons. Cattle and horses in particular. The equivalent of precocious puberty in both species often makes it necessary that we keep fillies and heifers separated from stalions and bulls for their first oestrus cycles.

[KurtNYC]

81. while excess weight may cause early puberty in females, it has the opposite effect

in males.

"I think we really have to delve into this situation for the late-maturing boys," she said. "With boys, we haven't really paid as much attention to it, or it hasn't been as striking as the information for girls."

Theories on what might cause late puberty in overweight boys center on hormones produced in fat cells. Obese males have higher levels of estradiol, a relative of estrogen that may interfere with the male hormone androgen.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35332881/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

[safeinOhio]

6. There are good fats vs bad fats

and good carbs vs bad carbs. Balance is the key.

[GoCubsGo]

9. No. America's problem is too many empty, processed, chemical-laden carbs

And, it's ALSO too much fat. Many Americans are eating over-processed GARBAGE, with little to no nutritional value to it. However, even those of us who are trying to eat right are getting screwed over by the herbicides, pesticides, hormones and other shit that's being pumped into and onto our foods. I recommend that y'all look up the word "obesogens" and read all about them. It will explain why some of us "blow up like a balloon" no matter what we eat or don't eat.

[Lex]

10. "Eating carbs triggers insulin, the fat storage hormone"

For me, this seems very true. I limit my carbs to salads and low carb veggies. No potatoes, bread, pasta, sugary stuff and for me it helped me shed weight that I've kept off for several years now. It's just the way I eat now, with the occasional cheat, but within reason.

[Greybnk48]

20. That was sure true for me as well.

I'm 62 and have had a TA Hysterectomy four years ago, which can be killer for weight gain at my age according to my doc. I also quit smoking at the time of my surgery. Over time I put on 35 pounds and felt ghastly. Last June I started eating like you do. I started with Atkins induction, under 20 gr. carbs per day for two weeks. Now I stay very low carb. I've lost 37 lbs. since June and my blood-work is amazing!

[KittyWampus]

31. true for me as well. and it is not just Insulin. It's Leptin.

[Greybnk48]

37. I just read a brief article about that on WEb M.D.

I had not heard about that until you mentioned it. Thanks. It sounds like the goal is to get your triglycerides down so that your brain recognizes the leptin in your system and tells your body to start shedding weight. Interesting.

[LeftinOH]

11. I don't think I can survive without bread and pasta- what am I gonna do??

[Lex]

14. about a 5 mile run every day?

:silly:

[Kalyke]

28. Running is bad for women.

A lot of people don't know that, but it can royally screw up your reproductive system.

And, to the person above you, oh, hell, yes you can do without WHITE bread and pasta. Have a bread craving, get some dark pumpernickel or rye. There are carbs in there, but the health effects from darker breads overcome the carb effect. And beware of prepackaged, sliced wheat breads in the store. Most aren't whole wheat - they're a wheat sub of white bread. NOT healthy.

[krabigirl]

62. Never affected me. Running is the only way i can keep my weight off, not going to stop.

Never had any problems reproducing, and i am done with that anyway, so :)

[Hello_Kitty]

69. Some of us aren't interested in having babies, others are done having them. eom

[Kalyke]

86. I knew I'd get this flack.

Guess what? Even if you never plan to use it or are done, the problem is that it still fucks it up. I am menopausal, myself, at a young age. I'm done having children. I had two - a boy and a girl (the boy is easier, if anyone wants to know, and I'm a feminist).

My point is that your reproductive organs STILL contribute to your body's well-being, even if you're not going to use them or don't plan to use them again.

And, to the poster above you - yes, some women can run. I used to do that. But, at the point that my knees were shot, my arches fell and my monthly became a tri-monthly, I had do call it quits.

[Heidi]

77. Reproduction isn't every woman's primary consideration. I trust my GP and Ob/Gyn. You're not them,

and you're no me. Or "us." What are your credentils for offering such advice to a general audience, anyway? I know plenty of plenty-fertile female runners in their 20s to early/mid- 40s--many pushing those big- wheeled jogger/runner strollers for morning or evening runs.

[Kalyke]

87. See my post above.

I don't have any "credentials," I just know that it jars your "inards"

I should have just said - it makes periods a bitch. I wasn't necessarily talking about having babies.

[Dappleganger]

82. Sorry, that's BS.

All but the most thin/excessively exercising woman need to fear nothing. It's a bodyfat issue, not exercise.

[Kalyke]

89. AGAIN... I wan't speaking of having babies!!

I was speaking of internal hormonal spillage.

God - people around here have no clue how to talk politely. "Reproductive organs" means more than having babies!

[endless october]

16. burn more calories than you eat.

That is what has helped me keep the weight off.

There are other ways to do it, of course, but calories in / calories expended seems preferable to never eating bread. Your mileage may vary.

[virtualobserver]

23. try this......it is bankrupting me, but it tastes like bread

http://www.julianbakery.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=LC-001

[KittyWampus]

32. Eat LESS bread and go for sprouted grain/full protein bread when you do. Use chick pea flour

instead of wheat. There are plenty of pastas now available that are made from pulses.

[virtualobserver]

33. this pasta also helps and is also bankrupting me

lower in carbs and higher in fiber- tastes great

[trotsky]

101. Switch to whole grains.

Fantastic bread and pasta options available today. Even store brands are getting into the whole grain game.

[Motown_Johnny]

113. the problem is sugar (which is a carbohydrate)

bread and pasta are good for you


the butter and cream sauce on the bread and pasta, less so.


Fat is a problem too, but right now sugar is the big issue.

[geckosfeet]

15. Re-discovering nutritional knowledge that has been known for at least 150 years.

I wouldn't go as far as to say fat is good - but it has certainly been demonized by certain groups. Not sure how that originally happened. Probably food corpos pushing white bread, carbonated sugar drinks and high fructose corn syrup.

I would definitely put a finer point on good carbs and bad carbs rather than simply call carbs plant derived foods. There are plenty of fats derived from plants as well. Avocado's and nuts are quite fatty but are great sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Almost all greens, veggies and fruits have indigestible carbs in the form of fiber. It is the starchy sugary carbs that cause the insulin spikes.

[Kip Humphrey]

17. I blame ubiquitous distribution of the super grain hybrids that provide twice the nutirician per

serving for the worldwide obesity epidemic.

[bemildred]

18. I wish these ignorant dweebs would just shut up.

Every 5 years or so we get a new dietary bete noire. They speak in vague generalities and chemical mumbo-jumbo about things where only particular cases really apply.

The main problems with US diet, if one can speak about such things meaningfully at all, is too much fast-food and junk-food, too little balance, and just too much.

[PDittie]

19. everybody who is already diabetic knows this

Portion control is also a big -- I mean BIG -- problem.

[Greybnk48]

21. Yep. I posted above. Low carb is key, and quit

stuffing yourself!

[X_Digger]

43. No kidding.. carbs carbs carbs.. 4 1 4 1 4 1 (carb units) :) n/t

[Kalyke]

22. Duh.

Any time I watch my carbs, I feel better, whether I lose any weight or not.

[qb]

26. Lo carb (not no carb) has definitely worked for me.

I eat carbs on my exercise days, and restrict them on my rest days. I don't go hungry and I'm losing weight.

[shanti]

27. hello!

and probably the reason for the huge increase in diabetes.

[GliderGuider]

34. I always recommend Gary Taubes' book "Good Calorie, Bad Calories"

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-Science/dp/1400033462/ref=sr_1_1?s=books

It's one of the best pieces of science journalism in the last 30 years. When you read it you will never look at a piece of bread (or a classical nutritionist or a heart doctor) the same way again.

Carbohydrates are killing us. Fat is utterly blameless. Ancel Keys has been responsible for more deaths in the world than any other doctor.

[Odin2005]

38. Polynesian and Native American populations have very high diabetes rates because of...

suddenly having a simple carb-rich Western diet thrust upon them. A diet high in starch is a very recent thing, and only some Eurasian populations have developed PARTIAL genetic adaptations for it.

[jtown1123]

45. I've known this for quite some time. Sugar and Carbs also accelerate cancer cells.

My friend's dad who has no treatment options for serious cancer, cut out all sugar and carbs and his tumor actually shrunk. Just found out yesterday. The doctor was baffled.

[Barack_America]

47. Processed grains aren't great, fat isn't much better, but veggies and fruits are best.

That's hardly shocking.

We evolved as a species that ate primarily fruits and vegetables with (lean) meat thrown in when we could successfully hunt it. Only relatively recently (evolutionarily speaking) did we begin to farm grains and raise sedentary (fatty) livestock as a means to better control our food sources. It's not particularly surprising to hear that our bodies have not yet caught up with our new ways of eating.

[taught_me_patience]

48. Actually, the biggest problem is (lack of) moderation

people stuffing their faces at every meal. High amounts of refined sugars and carbs don't help either.

[TBF]

63. Along with too little exercise, sedentary jobs, etc.. -

I send my 7-yr old out to play (ride her bike, play with neighbor kids) every night after school. After about an hour or two of that she comes in, has dinner, and then sits down with homework. It works for us and she is very healthy.

[Javaman]

49. Also genetics...

I eat pastured grass fed meat, I get my eggs from a local farm, we cook with lard and bacon fat, we drink raw milk and I make my butter from raw cream. I eat greens and vegetables from my garden.

I have been eating like this for the last 5 years.

I get a yearly physical.

I got my blood work done two weeks ago.

Everything is normal and many of the stats better than average.

If you eat junk you will junk your body. Pretty simple.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

53. Sugar is the absolute worst

I gave up sugar for Lent two years ago and lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks. I tried it again this year, but I had an injury that prevented me from doing my usual exercise routines, so no weight loss.

[Hannah Bell]

59. you know what? this cycle is repeated ro get y'all to buy new stuff with

every turn of the fad wheel.

[Lex]

64. what new stuff?

food that's good for you and ditching the junk carbs?

[jtown1123]

68. Not at all. This is not a gimic. Its a lifestyle change, and a very good one.

My grandparents haven't eaten sugar or carbs in 2 years. They have lost weight, their cholesterol is very low, and can eat as much as they want and don't have to starve or calorie count. Oh, and my grandma, whose family suffers from alzheimers, hasn't had any trouble with that.

[Hannah Bell]

83. I'm a dietitian. The carbs - fat - protein diet fad cycle has been repeated many times since the

40s, just packaged differently.

Every turn of the wheel, there are many, many people who swear the newest spin has changed their lives.

likely you will disbelieve me, but it's true.

[GoCubsGo]

100. I believe you.

I have been fighting my weight since I was six. I'll be 50 next month. I have been watching these cycles all my life. Even bought into each of them at one time, with little success all around. And, anyone who bothers to look around the world can tell you there is a lot more to it than cutting carbs/fat/protein. Heck, just look at China, Japan, and southeast Asia if you want to disprove the "low carb" fad. They eat white rice three times a day and very little meat. Most of them are not fat. The ones that are live in the cities, do less physical labor, and eat more westernized crap. The same goes for Italy, where they eat pasta twice a day, and not the whole grain kind, either. Until recently, they didn't have any sort of obesity problem there. That tells me the pasta isn't the culprit.

[meegbear]

65. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

I went on a 12-week cutting routine, averaging around 55 grams of carbs a day (for a 2000 calorie diet, they say you should have between 275 - 300 grams). Nothing processed, no grains, no fruits/veggies that contained simple sugars, and worked out every day.

IT TOTALLY FUCKING SUCKED!

But I lost 37 pounds and got rid of body fat I've had all my life (I'm 45). I've gained some fat back, but certainly not like it was before. I'm planning on doing it again next month and hoping to finish it off.

[WinkyDink]

99. What DID you eat (serious question)?

[meegbear]

109. Fair question ...

12 weeks, working out every morning ...

Preworkout: IsoPure drink (50g of protein and 0 carbs - expensive, but gets the job done)
Postworkout: IsoPure drink
Midmorning: can tuna w/yellow mustard (after 3 weeks, added some celery stalks)
Lunch: "salad" - Lettuce, tomatos, green peppers, pepperoncini (hot peppers), no dressing
6oz chicken / fish / beef (after 3 weeks, upped to 9oz)
Midafternoon - 2 servings EAS protein (~6 grams carbs)
Dinner: 8oz vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel spouts, green beans, asparagus)
6oz chicken / fish / beef (after 3 weeks, upped to 9oz)
Evening: Casein protein (~10/12 grams carbs, depending on product)

Can have spinkle of "Butter Buds" on veggies or I'd roast aspargus w/olive oil and salt
Can have hot sauce, like Frank's Red Hot on meat

Workout was low weight/high reps, some cardio and very large trainer yelling at me.

[supernova]

66. Finally the results are starting to come in

about highly processed and quick acting carbs in the body.

I started Atkins right after I turned 40 several years ago. I did lose weight for the first time in my life.

For the record, I am moderately active most of the time. That means I exercise about 4 days a week with two of those devoted to resistance training.

I can only lose weight when I follow Atkins style eating. I can't even do South Beach because it still allows wheat products and other grains. These are a problem for me because 1) I'm sensitive to them, 2) Over a life of eating them A LOT, my brain developed an addiction like response to them.

The past year I've gained weight because I've had financial problems and had to let go of the gym. *sigh*

But in the coming year, I hope to get back in the gym saddle again. I'm looking forward to it. And returning to Atkins style eating and this time NOT falling off the wagon.

Through about 10 years worth of experimenting I've learned that my best bets are low carb veggies, adequate proteins, vegetable fats, topped off with fats and some low carb fruits.

[TwilightGardener]

70. I don't think so. Just eat everything in moderation, watch your portion size, etc.

I get so tired of this shit.

[Codeine]

71. Physical activity makes even more sense.

And not shoving fifteen pounds of food down your throat with both hands every day, of course.

Moderate intake combined with some vigorous physical activity will prevent people from turning into giant blobs.

[Blue_Tires]

73. k+r

[IcyPeas]

74. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" (Michael Pollan)

We need protein, fat and carbs (good carbs, e.g., whole grains, brown rice). Eat smaller portions. No processed food..... practical, sensible advice. No gimmicky diet fads. And exercise. And stay away from fast food places. Shop around the perimeter of the supermarket.

I like Michael Pollan's view on this:

http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/unhappy-meals/

[FailureToCommunicate]

78. "In Defense of Food" is a life changing book! Pollan's take on all this

sees quite sensible.

[SoCalDem]

79. Corn....

We are corn-based:(

[Mnemosyne]

95. Seriously - King Corn (2007)

More at IMDbPro »

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1112115/plotsummary

King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat-and how we farm. Written by King Corn



Actually a very disturbing film. Most of the farmers that grow the corn in the film will not eat it.

:hi:

[SoCalDem]

102. I actually have that movie

scary , indeed.

[FailureToCommunicate]

111. "Food Inc" is another one that will make you want to go back to

nuts and berries. Not recommended for over the holidays - stick with It' A Wonderful Life - but worth seeing.

[Elmore Furth]

80. Excessive calories have long been associated with adverse health effects

[gauguin57]

84. Wt. Watchers just changed its program to reflect latest science; carbs AND fats are discouraged

Wt. Watchers' brand-new point system, based on the latest nutritional science, stresses eating fiber and lean protein (and fruits and veggies, of course), and laying off both the bad carbs AND the fat (you are encouraged to have at least 2 tsp. of healthy oil every day, though).

I don't buy this "fat doesn't make you fat" stuff. I do believe both bad carbs AND bad fats are the problem.

Atkins philosophy leads people to eat too much meat, which causes all kinds of other problems.

[HEyHEY]

88. That's why Asians are so skinny

What people don't realize is that all the rice they eat comes at the END of the meal. So, they load up on meat and veggies and if they still feel hungry the rice makes them feel full. They rarely eat it all.

[mainer]

103. No sweets for them, either

They end their meals with fruit, and they are definitely not known for their pastries.

[Odin2005]

104. Interesting, I didn't know that.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

110. In Japan, rice is served with every meal in the traditional cuisine BUT

the amount is about the size of an ice cream scoop.

They eat noodles, but soba noodles are low glycemic buckwheat.

Their portions are small.

Most of all, they WALK a lot more than we do. A commute might consist of walking or cycling to the train station, standing for however long it takes, transferring at a station by walking down long corridors and/or climbing stairs, standing on another train, and then walking some more to the workplace. For lunch, they WALK to a restaurant. Then, at the end of the day, they reverse the commuting process, ending with a walk or bike ride home.

[Monk06]

90. My diet; chicken, sweet potato, broccoli, onions, sweet pepper, slow simmered in chicken

stock, with goats milk yogurt seasoned with turmeric and
garam masala. No sweets or wheats.

[GaYellowDawg]

91. CALORIES are the main problem.

I decided back at the beginning of August that I wanted to lose weight. I cut out fried foods and soft drinks, and that got me down some, but I had a major plateau. Then I decided to look up the calories required to maintain a man my height and lifestyle at my goal weight. After looking at several sites, I averaged the number. Now, I log my caloric intake by spreadsheet and I make sure I don't exceed the daily calorie budget. I've lost weight steadily since then, at a reasonable rate. I am down 33.6 pounds from August.

[Liquorice]

92. That article is very misleading. The doctor quoted, Dr. Frank Hu, says you should get protein and

fats from vegetable sources. Dr. Hu is strongly against the Atkins Diet because it is obviously unhealthy.

"You can have the initial Atkins-type of low-carb diet, which is loaded with sausages, bacon, steaks, and you can have healthy versions of the low-carb diet with more vegetable- or plant-based protein and fat," said Dr. Frank B. Hu, senior author of a study in the Sept. 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"We looked at these two versions of low-carb diets and found that the impact of the two are drastically different," Hu said.

"Those who follow the animal-based low-carb diet have an increased risk of total mortality and cancer mortality in particular," said Hu, a professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/642824.html

[lefthandedlefty]

94. Cutting carbs and high fructose corn syrup has worked for me

I am 52 years old and have lost 25 pounds in the last 3 months and I am a truck driver and don`t get a lot of exercise so there has to be something to the carbs thing.I also tried drinking diet soda a few yars ago and gained weight like crazy the stuff made stay hungry now if I drink soda I drink Pepsi Throwback sweetened with sugar.

[quaker bill]

96. Having suffered a case of "metabolic syndrome"

to include type II diabetes, very high triglycerides, low hdl, high ldl, and weight gain, a low carb/complex carb diet with much more fat and protien was essential.

I was on medication for most of a year, which was not entirely pleasant. Getting rid of all sugary beverages and refined or white carbs has been my path to cure the entire set of symptoms, get off the meds, and lose weight.

[FailureToCommunicate]

114. Congrats!

See post # 39

[lefthandedlefty]

98. A great benifit to my lost weight

No more acid reflux it is gone it used to be an every night thing for years.

[cleanhippie]

106. Sounds right, but never forget the most basic part og weight gain and loss...

Consuming more calories than are burned is THE reason one gains weight.

[uncommon]

112. Duh?

Sorry, I thought everyone already knew this like 10 years ago...