Have Your Carbs and Eat Them Too

Brought to you by Jillian Michaels

It's time to get over the idea that all carbs are bad. Even the media are starting to forget that the no-carb craze existed, and you should, too. Good carbs do exist, and they should be a part of your diet.

"But Jillian," you ask, "how can that be when so many other diets have banished carbs?" Here's why: My program evaluates carbs differently from the way the Atkins and South Beach programs do. These diets define carbs as "good" or "bad" according to the glycemic index, a rating based on how quickly a carbohydrate breaks down and releases glucose into your blood. The problem is, these diets evaluate only the quality, not the quantity, of carbs in any given food. So you're not getting the whole story. As a result, these diets forbid you to eat many foods that actually belong in a healthy diet.

The poor innocent carrot is a perfect example of how the glycemic index can give a good food a bad name. The carbohydrates in a carrot turn into blood sugar quickly, which gives the carrot a high glycemic rating, making it a no-no on many popular diets. If you step back and look at the big picture, though, the total number of carbs in a carrot is low. Even though those carbs are turning into blood sugar quickly, there are so few that their overall effect on blood sugar is not very dramatic, so in fact they're okay to eat.

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Towing the Glycemic Load
If you consider the quantity as well as the quality of carbs in a food, you have a much more holistic and useful way of assessing its nutritional value. This more accurate measurement is known as the glycemic load index (GLI). The index pertains mainly to carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, and grains (proteins and fats do not have the same kind of direct effect on blood sugar) and is designed to help you quickly figure out which carbs are okay and which you should avoid. You can find a GLI chart in my book, Winning by Losing. Jillian Michaels

Chicken and Winter Squash Chowder, 1 Carb Point

by Sue Chapman

For DietWatch

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup winter squash, diced
• 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1 cup skinned chicken breast, cooked, diced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 cups winter greens, chopped (kale, chard, mustard)
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

Sauté chicken until lightly brown in a large sauce pan lightly sprayed with vegetable oil. Add carrot, celery, onion, squash, oregano and marjoram. When vegetables start to brown, add tomato paste, stir and sprinkle flour over the top. Continue to saute so that the flour browns slightly. Add stock and brandy, bring to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes. Toss in chopped greens just before serving. Season with salt and white pepper.

Serves: 4
Per Serving (13 oz): Calories 194; Fat 3 g; Saturated Fat 0.6 g; Cholesterol 27 mg; Sodium 852 mg; Carbohydrate 17 g; Dietary Fiber 5 g; Sugars 6 g; Protein 16 g; Vitamin A 1114 RE; Vitamin C 32 mg; Calcium 123 mg; Iron 2.8 mg. This recipe is 14% fat.

Carbohydrate Points: 1
Carbohydrate: 17 g
Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 2 Vegetable, 2 Meat - Very Lean

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Sue Chapman is the executive chef at Skylonda Fitness Retreat, located in Woodside, California. Guests come to be physically and mentally rejuvenated through activities ranging from vigorous physical exercise to quiet reflective periods. Part of this experience is the excellent cuisine prepared by Chapman and her able staff. She has been creating delicious low fat, naturally nutritious foods that are prepared for maximum taste and enjoyment. She graduated form the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 1986, and has been perfecting her technique ever since at some of the better known restaurants in the Bay Area. Chapman has been gradually drawn to a lighter, healthier style of cooking while still incorporating the classic style of French cooking which she considers her base.

Salmon Fillets on a Bed of Winter Greens, 8.5 Carb Grams

... with a Provencal Tomato Sauce
From DietWatch

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes, additional time required to simmer tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 6 salmon fillets
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped fennel
• 1/2 cup broth or fish stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 12 cups washed picked leaves of chard, spinach and kale
• 8-10 leaves basil, chiffonade

Method

Wilt the garlic, onion and fennel with the broth in a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Heat the wine and saffron together in a small pan and cook it until it is like syrup. Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture and cook one minute before adding the juice, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Cook until the flavors have mellowed 15-20 minutes at least. Add the saffron with the liquid and the orange rind, cook for a few minutes, cover and set aside.

Blanch the well-washed greens in plenty of salted water until completely wilted. Remove to a colander and heat a large sauteuse, coat it with nonstick spray and sauté greens until much of the liquid is cooked off.

Meanwhile lightly spray a cast iron skillet or griddle with nonstick spray. Place the fillets flesh side down onto the hot griddle and turn the flame to medium. When the fish becomes light pink more than halfway through the fillet turn it over onto the skin side. Continue to cook a couple more minutes while you get your plates ready.

Spread a generous serving of greens on the plate and lay your salmon on top. Ladle the sauce across the fillet on the diagonal and garnish with the basil chiffonade. This dish goes great with roasted red potatoes and good garlic bread.

Yield: 6 servings
Per Serving (10 oz): Calories 258; Fat 9.5 g; Saturated Fat 2.2 g; Cholesterol 58 mg; Sodium 578 mg; Carbohydrate 13 g; Dietary Fiber 4.5 g; Sugar 2.2 g; Protein 28 g; Vitamin A 669 RE; Vitamin C 86 mg; Calcium 124 mg; Iron 3.4 mg. This recipe is 33% fat.

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Chris Leishman began her cooking career at Greens Restaurant, the renowned vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. Her interest in health and nutrition eventually led her to UCSF Medical Center where she was the Recipe Development Coordinator for both the patient and retail foodservice. She led cooking classes for the Outpatient Weight Management group, the Heart Disease Reversal Program, and Millberry Student Program. Her work for Dr. Dean Ornish's Heart Disease Reversal Programled to the publication of her cookbook Recipes From the Heart.

Protein and Kidney Disease

Lowering Dietary Protein Reduces Kidney Damage and Prevents the Progression of Kidney Disease

by Tanya Zilberter, PhD
Lowering dietary protein reduces protein excretion with urine, which in turn prevents continuing kidney damage and prevents progression.
The EURODIAB survey showed an association between high dietary protein intake and presence of kidney damage and suggested a positive benefit of restricted protein intake on nephropathy progression.
The current Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association:
"...to prescribe a protein intake approximately equal to the adult recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 0.8g/kg body weight per day (~ 10 % of daily calories)...once the [kidney function] begins to fall, further restriction to 0.6g/kg body weight per day may prove useful in slowing decline..."
However, a couple of problems with this advice exist:

• There may be potential for protein malnutrition;
• There may be qualitative differences between proteins of animal and vegetable origin.
  

Another important dietary consideration is salt intake. In this regard ADA found it important to advise against so-called "Lo-Salt" preparations because they contain potassium chloride, which must be taken with caution. <>
And of course: "Any dietary advice should be given by trained staff."
References
1. Zatz R, Meyer T, Rennke HG, Brenner BM. Predominance of hemodynamic rather than metabolic factors in the pathogenesis of diabetic glomerulopathy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1985 ;82:5963-5967.
2. Toeller M, Buyken A, Heitkamp G et al. Protein intake and urinary albumin excretion rates in the EURODIAB IDDM complications study. Diabetologia. 1997;40:1219-1226.
3. Pedrini MT, Levey AS, Lau J, Chalmers TC. The effect of dietary protein restriction on the progression of diabetic and non diabetic renal diseases : a meta analysis. Ann Int Med. 1996;124:627-632.
4. American Diabetes Association. Clinical practice recommendations 2001: Diabetic nephropathy. Diabetes Care. 2001;24(suppl 1):S69-S72.

Low Carb is Dead. Long Live Low Carb!

101 Low Carb Diet Tips: Click here for more information!

More than 50% of American low carb dieters have given up and currently only 10% of all dieters adhere to Atkins, South Beach, Zone, and the like -- and this is happening right after medical scientists proved low carb dieting to be safe and efficient! What did come in instead?

Dieting trend is now bending toward the Mediterranean eating style and diets like the Sonoma, and it means that counting calories, watching portions, and "eating healthy" is back.

But if you stop to think about it, there's no all-embracing definition of healthy eating. Any healthy eating idea you can remember or try to formulate, will reflect one certain dieting philosophy or the other, health belief, a fashion of the moment, or a personal experience.

Are you about to mention the USDA Food Pyramid? Well, it was exactly during this pyramid's ruling period when obesity in the US reached epidemic proportions. And it's been during this ruling time that 27 clinical studies revealed quite a few low carb dieting advantages over the classical low-fat idea of THE "healthy diet."

Luckily for us, the studies paved the road for the beginning of the convergence of dieting ideas. Even the bitterest Dr. Atkins' rival, Dr. Ornish, reviewing these ideas, saw many points where all and any dieting proponents are currently in agreement.

These points of convergence boil to the following dos and donts:

1. Eat less bad fats, bad carbs, and energy-dense foods
2. Eat more good fats, good carbs, and nutrient-dense food

The bottom line is, low carb is good for you -- if you know the ropes. This is what these tips are all about.

101 Low Carb Diet Tips: Click here for more information!

Greek Chicken Salad

Fat Burning Index of this recipe = 2.43

Read how the proper carb:fat:protein ratio can help fighting Metabolic Syndrome -> click here

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
2 cups crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup Real mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, cucumbers,
feta cheese, olives and parsley.


In a separate mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic,
sour cream and oregano; add chicken mixture and
toss. You may add one iceberg lettuce leaf per every
1/6 part of the salad. Eat as many servings as you
want.

Nutrition

Calories: 3664
Fat: 324 g
Sat: 101 g
Poly: 106 g
Mono: 98 g
Carbs: 39 g
Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 155 g

Calcium (mg) 1944.
Iron (mg)18
Sodium (mg) 6779
Potassium (mg) 2342
Phosphorus (mg) 2351.89
Ash (g)32.05
Vitamin A (IU) 6116
Vitamin C (mg)94.1560
Vitamin B-1 Thiamin (mg) 0.94
Vitamin B-2 Riboflavin (mg) 3.54
Niacine (mg)61.9319
Saturated fat (g)64
Monounsaturated fat (g)55
Polyunsaturated fat (g) 48