Low carbs - my own experience

Carbohydrates are a four-letter word in many dieting circles.  I used to think that sugars gave grains a bad name, but am refining my belief after some recent reading (much of it documented in this blog), and my own personal experience.

True, sugars are to be limited severely.  Simple sugars (like sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup should be avoided as much as possible.  If you like a little sweetener in your tea or coffee, use honey (as your ancestors did). 

But what about grains?  When I was married, my wife was in remission from Hodgkin's disease, and I learned to cook macrobiotic for her.  The basis of the macrobiotic diet was grains (mostly brown rice) and beans.  Many grains are good for you, but if you're looking for a rule of thumb, consider the degree of processing they've undergone.  Oats in oatmeal are good.  Wheat in pasta or bread is bad.  Brown rice or barley, when eaten in their barely refined form are good.  White rice and most corn products are bad (much of today's corn is GM - or genetically modified, and the effects such modification has on your health is not well known; the modifications were designed to make the crops yield more and be resistant to pests; since pests have much the same biology as you do, I'm very suspicious of GM crops).

Many beans are high in carbohydrates, but they're also low in fat, high in protein and fiber.  I recommend beans as a substitute for meat if you're trying to eat less meat (to lower your cholesterol, save money, or reduce your carbon footprint - yes, a vegetarian diet is better for the planet too).

My experience?  Yes, I began to digress.  At the start of this year (nearly three months ago), because of an article I shared with you, I slashed my intake of bread and pasta.  The two used to be staples in my diet.  Instead of a sandwich for lunch, I wrap meat and cheese in romaine lettuce or layer it on green pepper slices.  It adds a little to my lunch budget, but is very tasty, and better for me.  For dinner, instead of pasta, I'm making mostly meat and veggies (broiled chicken and fish, eaten next to my veggies cut up and mixed in with them in a lettuce-free "salad" are the most common meals).  Immediately I saw a decline in my weight. 

Normally I gain weight in winter and lose weight in summer.  My goal each winter is to gain less than I lost the previous summer, whereas my goal in the summer is to lose more than I gained the previous winter.  Needless to say, as I've gotten older (just turned fifty at the end of last year), my metabolism slows and achieving those goals is more difficult.

So the fact that I lost weight in winter was very encouraging to me.  Coupled with my increased physical activity level in the summer, I expect this new diet (and I want to stress that this is diet with a lower case "d," in that I expect to remain on this forever, as opposed to Diet with an upper case "D" that is something people adopt for a short period of time to lose weight quickly) to yield great results.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure and honesty, I have to say that while I lost seven pounds the first month of my new eating discipline (much better than the word diet), my weight has remained at that level since then.  I attribute this to complacency (so happy with my new success, I allowed myself a few more snacks - mostly mixed nuts - than I ought to have been eating), and believe that it ought not to be hard to get serious again and see another weight drop.  The fact that I didn't gain weight this winter, and will even end winter at a lower weight than I began it, means that I'm well-positioned for a very fit summer.

Oh yeah, there's that word "fit."  Fitness is more than weight.  Far more.  In fact, I used to think I was both fit and fat.  My strength and endurance were more than up to the task of any activity in which I chose to engage (mostly hiking, biking, and snowshoeing), but I carried some extra weight, so I didn't look as good as I felt.  The new slimmer me ought to change all of that.  Also, if I have less weight to carry around, then I ought to be able to hike longer and farther this summer.  Heck, merely dropping twenty pounds is like the difference between hiking with a pack and without one!

Stay tuned to the Revolutionary Diet blog to see how my progress goes.

How the Paleolithic Diet Compares to What Modern Americans Eat

I'm no scientist, so I can't say whether or not our bodies have evolved as fast as our diet, but I suspect not.  I know that eating all the garbage (trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) that's in fake foods is bad for you.  While I certainly don't advocate eating like our cavemen ancestors, there's a lot to be said for a diet that is weighted more towards the real foods that could be hunted or scavenged, and less on processed (and overly processed) foods that dominate the supermarket shelves and the diets of many Americans.

From Good:

This chart presents another way of looking into the diet of our evolutionary ancestors by comparing one researcher's understanding of the Paleolithic diet with the diet of the diet of 20th century Americans. As I pointed out in this post, there's still considerable debate about the merits of a Paleolithic diet and its implications in the modern diseases of affluence.
Is the diet of our evolutionary ancestors a good place to start looking for a model diet and lifestyle? Weigh in on the discussion here.
Chart via Jew, "Evolution of the Human Diet," Journal of Medicinal Food, 2009, using data from Eaton and Cordain, "Paleolithic nutrition revisited," Nature, 1997, and Hiza and Bente "Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply. 1909-2004," USDA, 2007.

Dukan Diet: French Food Faddism Or Long Term Diet?

My Revolutionary Diet takes us back to the simpler time of 1776.  The French seem determined to one-up me with their Dukan Diet:

From Medical News Today:

There was the South Beach Diet, Atkins, Sonoma, Cabbage Soup and even the Buddah Diet. There is the Fennagold, Grapefruit Diet and Herbalife. Now there is a diet coming out of France, The Dukan Diet, that is all the newest rage.

The Dukan method proposes a healthy eating plan that returns to the foods which founded the human species, those eaten by primitive man, the hunter-gatherers, proteins and vegetables, 100 foods including 72 from the animal world and 28 from the plant world. This offer also features the magic words: As Much As You Like.

The Diet's website claims that the French medical establishment, in common with all Western countries, feels helpless faced with the steady rise in obesity that the WHO (World Health Organisation) describes as the first non-infectious epidemic. Medicines to treat it are rare and of limited use, sufferers try diet after diet demonstrating the absence of consensus on any effective method.

Given this context, many general practitioners, struck by the results obtained by their patients and especially by their long-term weight stabilization, have adopted the Dukan Diet, either by learning it and applying it to their patients, or by advising them to buy the Dukan Diet book.
Pierre Dukan remarked during a medical conference:

"This mobilisation of converted users, a word-of-mouth movement powerful enough to cross cultures and frontiers, aided by the support of the medical establishment leads me to think that perhaps I have touched on a universal dimension of weight loss. A method which uses natural eating to counteract poor cultural dietary habits linked to over-abundance which leads to the excess weight problems we are seeing today. "

So what are the facts? Is Dukan a fad or the way to go? You decide.

Food faddism and fad diet usually refer to idiosyncratic diets and eating patterns that promote short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight maintenance, and enjoy temporary popularity.

Many forms of food faddism and fad diets are supported by pseudo-scientific claims. Fad diets claim to be scientific but do not follow the scientific method in establishing their validity. Some in the scientific community comment that food faddism is born of ignorance about basic scientific dietary facts. Some scientific studies suggest there is no evidence supporting the assertion that weight loss is enhanced by factors other than a reduction in caloric intake, or that fad diets help dieters achieve long term weight loss. Fad diets generally ignore or refute what is known about fundamental associations between dietary pattern and human health.

For many people weight loss is a chronic endeavor. All too often the shedding of pounds is a temporary event followed by a steady regain of lost weight. Most popular diets are unsuccessful in the long run because they fail to address the multi-faceted nature of what successful, permanent weight loss entails. Luckily, research has revealed many invaluable strategies which can help increase odds of permanent weight loss.

The Diet Channel website recommends the following ten strategies for long term weight loss:

1. Exercise is essential for weight loss
2. Weight loss and weight training
3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss
4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin
5. Find out why you overeat
6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group
7. Portion control
8. Lose weight slowly with small changes
9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss
10. Weight loss through eating less fat while doing it wisely

Simply limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in nine calories per gram compared to only four calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products; however in some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

Alcohol and Weight Loss

Alcohol is considered by many to be "empty calories" in that it does little to make you full or provide nutritional value, but certainly helps pack on the pounds.  Personally, I believe a drink now and then is just fine (especially some red wine with dinner), but be careful with too much or too often.

From Cincinnati.com:

Alcohol and weight loss are enemies, but an occasional drink can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many experts note the health benefits of consuming a single drink per day, including a reduced risk for high blood pressure.

If, however, you are exceeding one drink daily, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.
Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins that need to be slowly digested in the stomach—but not when alcohol is present. When alcohol is consumed, it gets special privileges and needs no digestion. The alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall as soon as they arrive and can reach the brain and liver in minutes. This reaction is slightly slowed when there is also food in your system, but as soon as the mixed contents enter the small intestine, the alcohol grabs first place and is absorbed quickly. The alcohol then arrives at the liver for processing. The liver places all of its attention on the alcohol. Therefore, the carbohydrates (glucose) and dietary fats are just changed into body fat, waiting to be carried away for permanent fat storage in the body.
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes water loss and dehydration. Along with this water loss you lose important minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. These minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation.
Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value. It only adds empty calories to your diet. Why not spend your calorie budget on something healthier?

Alcohol affects your body in other negative ways. Drinking might help induce sleep, but the sleep you get isn't very deep. Ultimately, as a result, you get less rest. Alcohol can also increase the amount of acid that your stomach produces, causing your stomach lining to become inflamed. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including stomach ulcers, liver disease, and heart troubles.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite. While you might be full from a comparable amount of calories from food, several drinks might not fill you up. On top of that, research shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower are reduced. In this state, you are more likely to overeat—especially greasy or fried foods—which can add to your waistline. To avoid this, wait to order that drink until you're done with your meal.

Many foods that accompany drinking (peanuts, pretzels, chips) are salty, which can make you thirsty, encouraging you to drink even more. To avoid overdrinking, sip on a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.

Skipping a meal to save your calories for drinks later is a bad idea. Many drinkers know they'll be having some alcohol later, whether going to a bar, party, or just kicking back at home. Knowing that drinking entails extra calories, it may be tempting to "bank" some calories by skipping a meal or two. This is a bad move. If you come to the bar hungry, you are even more likely to munch on the snacks, and drinking on an empty stomach enhances the negative effects of alcohol. If you're planning on drinking later, eat a healthy meal first. You'll feel fuller, which will stop you from overdrinking. If you are worried about a looming night out with friends, include an extra 30 minutes of exercise to balance your calories—instead of skipping a meal.

What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine. Plus, it is often mixed with other drinks, adding even more empty calories. Hard liquor contains around 100 calories per shot, so adding a mixer increases calories even more. If you are going to mix liquor with anything, opt for a diet or club soda, instead of fruit juice or regular soda. Sweeter drinks, whether liquor or wine, tend to have more sugar, and therefore more calories. In that respect, dry wines usually have fewer calories than sweet wines.