Low Carb Diet Beginngers

Low carb diet beginngers almost invariably ask: OK, enough of theories, just tell what foods I can and cant eat.

It's most clearly described by Dr Atkins so here are low carb food dos and donts.

The first two weeks, foods that are allowed in unlimited quantities are --

• meats (except sausages)
• eggs
• fish
• poultry
• butter
• ham (read the label for sugar added!)

Foods allowed in limited quantities are --

• hard cheeses (4 oz)
• cottage cheese (4 oz)
• mayonnaise (3 tablespoon)
• green salads (200 ml by volume/one soup bowl)
• 1/2 medium cucumber
• 1 stalk green onion or 2 thin slices of white onion
• 1/2 lemon
• sour cream (100 grams)
• cream (100 grams)
• yogurt (200 grams)
• tea (2 cups)

Foods that are prohibited are --

• breads
• pastas
• potatoes
• red beets
• sausages
• fruits
• beans
• peas
• milk
• any sweets or sweeteners or sugar substitutes
• caffeinated beverages
• alcohol

Now let's see how it translates into a sample meal, e.g., breakfast, comparing with a low fat, low calorie diet and with officially recommended meal plan.

Induction phase breakfast:

2 scrambled eggs 2 strips bacon Decaffeinated coffee

Ongoing phase breakfast:
3 egg 3 oz. tomato juice 2 bran crisp bread (2 g. carb)

Maintenance phase breakfast:
2 egg 2 bran crisp bread (2 g. carb) 1 T butter 1/2 cantaloupe

Compare with USDA Food Pyramid breakfast

1 C orange juice 1 C Total cereal with 3/4 C skim milk Coffee with 1 oz. 1% milk

Compare with Weight Watchers diet

1 oz. Total Corn flakes 1/2 C non-fat milk 1 slice whole wheat bread 1 pat margarine 1 orange

Why Low-Carb Works, Why Low-Carb Fails

by Jon Benson
Creator, Fit Over 40

What do these have in common?

- McDonalds - Renée Zellweger - Epileptic children - Yours truly - Most bodybuilding and fitness competitors - Kiefer Sutherland

Give up?

All the above employ the strategies of the low-carb diet, popularized by the late Dr. Atkins.

Recently researchers have found that an Atkins-type nutrition plan reduced the number of seizures in epileptic children.

Most of the world's leanest physiques get that way on a regimen, limited or not, of low-carbs and higher protein.

Even McDonalds is getting into the act. Even Renée Zellweger. Even Kiefer Sutherland. Even me. Kinda.

Read on and I'll explain what I mean...

Why Low-Carb Works

When McDonalds starts counting carb grams in their food, you know someone is either jumping on a trend or finally seeing the light.

In this case, both -- but it is a good thing. Low-carb diets. They work.

For the masses, they work because they are the easiest nutrition plan to follow when you're busy.

McDonalds and stars like Kiefer Sutherland figured this out. The busy on-the-go guy or gal doesn't want to make the time to prepare six meals per day and carry them around in Tupperware.

When choosing my own lifestyle nutrition plan, time and convenience played a major role. I looked at role models who were very busy, formerly obese, and very lean.

Most of them rely in some form or fashion on a low-carb strategy.

Low-carb also works, much to the hem and haw of traditional doctors and nutritionists, due to the way the body processes fuel.

For those of us fortunate enough to grow up on whole grains and very low-sugar mealplans, a moderate to higher-carb nutrition plan may work just fine.

But most of us grew up eating junk.

Processed foods, fast foods, and downright junk was the cornerstone of our diets. That puts your body on the "carb defense."

After years of abuse the body becomes resistant to carbohydrates. The insulin they produce can cause all sorts of health issues, fat-burning problems, and more.

When carbs are removed, even healthy carbs like whole grains, the body has time to re-adjust.

In some cases, you can go back to a moderate-carb plan with whole grains and fruits after a period of time.

In others, you are a "low-carber" for life.

Guess which one I am?

Finally, low-carb works because you tend to eat less. Fat is very satiating, and most low-carb plans are fairly high in dietary fat.

So, in recap:

-- Easy and convenient;
-- Metabolically important for carb recovery;
-- Lower in total food volume (eat less)

Do not make light of that first point. Any plan that is not simple is one very few people will stick to. Making your plan simple and tasty is key, even if that plan is not "perfect" by nutritional standards.

Progress always trumps perfection.

Why Low-Carb Fails

There are two primary reasons for the failure of the low-carb nutrition plans: boredom and media bashing.

One causes irritability. The other, doubt. Unless you're certain that your plan will work, you will eventually go off of it.

This is true of any plan, no matter how ideal it is. Certainty rules.

That's why I cover The Law of Certainty in "Fit Over 40". It's crucial to understand and to create.

Yes -- you can create certainty. Read my book to find out how.

The boredom is easily solved.

I cover how and share my own unique plan that cycles carbs and fats in Fit Over 40 --

Fit Over 40

Using my cycle strategy you will rarely if ever become bored. And your body will burn more bodyfat too. It's just a cheap metabolic trick...but boy, it works.

The second reason is media and medical bias. One study after another has proven that low-carb plans, even the Atkins plan, works and is safe to use for most people.

Check with your doctor first, of course.

I've seen researchers get down-right angry when the results come back. In one study, carried out for a full year, the low-carb plan out-performed the so-called "healthy" Dean Ornish plan.

Lower blood fats, more weightloss, and more energy were the results.

That being said, no one plan works for everyone. Some people are natural vegetarians. I know one low-carb veggie, but he has a heck of a time with it.

Still, it works for him.

Some will do really well on higher carbs. One of my role models, Clarence Bass, has consumed a 55% carb diet for most of his life. It serves him well.

Over the years, Clarence has added more "healthy" fats to his diet -- and the result has been better blood profiles and lower bodyfat.

Which Plan To Use?

Check out my book, Fit Over 40. There are dozens of plans in there from 53 near- ageless role models 40-80 years old --

Fit Over 40

Select the one you relate to the most and follow the leader. Make it simple.

But my preference always comes back to low-carb nutrition. I just cycle it in a way that allows me to get plenty of veggies, some grains, and ample fiber.

Even a slice of cheesecake here and there.

Hey...I said "low-carb", not "low-life!"

Sincerely,

Jon Benson Creator, Fit Over 40

P.S. One of these days the mainstream medical community will wake up to the fact that 90% of the population will never eat 15 servings of veggies per day.

While this may be "optimal", it's not at all practical. I'd rather give you down-to- earth practical nutrition advice that you CAN and WILL follow -- and enjoy.

Makes sense, doesn't it?
Fit Over 40

Vegetarian Atkins?

By Susan L. Burke, MS, RD/LD, CDE eDiets
Director of Nutrition Services

You don't have to be a vegetarian to want to avoid red meat. You may want a cheaper diet. After all, lean cuts of red meat such as sirloin are more expensive than other types of meat. If you don't eat red meat, will you lose out nutritionally? Will you be hungry? No! Other good protein choices include chicken, fish and tofu.

Nutritionally, red meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and other nutrients. However, health experts have been debating for years about the merits of eliminating red meat from your diet. Walter Willet of Harvard Medical School advocates a red meat-free diet, and some research has linked diets high in consumption of red meat with increased cancer risk. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) summarized the research with this conclusion in their landmark report, Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer: "Diets containing substantial amounts of red meat probably increase the risk of colorectal cancer” and suggest a link between red meat and an increased risk of pancreatic, breast, prostate and renal cancers. The WCRF advises that red meat be limited to only three ounces daily. However, the jury is still out on red meat, and there is no strong consensus that says no to all red meat.

Why should red meat be worse for you than, say… pork or lamb? It may not be! All three fall within scientific theory. It may not be the meat itself. It may have more to do with how the meat is cooked. And, the danger may be in what the animal consumes as its daily diet. The scientists point to a couple of different theories.

The first is that meat contains high iron concentrations and promotes formation of free radicals (molecules that cause DNA oxidation), which lead to cancer. Other studies point to what happens when red meat is cooked, especially at high temperatures under moist conditions. High heat leads to the production of compounds in meat called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Frying or cooking until well-done further increases the risk, and grilling meat compounds the risk further.

Another theory points toward genetics. For some, it's actually a case of "you are what you eat,” where an individual's genetic makeup is seen as compounding their risk for cancer. Some people are "fast metabolizers” and metabolize the suspect compounds more quickly. By virtue of your own DNA, you may put yourself at risk unwittingly.

Finally, unless you're buying and consuming organic meat, you're likely to be consuming residuals of hormones and antibiotics fed to feedlot-raised cattle. This makes the case for buying only organic meat. However, now you're back to the original concern: organic food is much more expensive.

Do you like animal protein, but want to avoid red meat? That is easily done on eDiets . Even if you're doing the Atkins Nutritional Approach, you can eat less red meat -- or none. Atkins is not the bacon, burger and butter diet the media has portrayed it to be. On eDiets, we've worked hard to bring you the real McCoy -- right here on our website.

Before he died of a tragic accidental fall, Dr. Atkins was just completing a book tour, on which he emphasized the importance of eating omega-3 fatty-acid-rich fish. Research points toward the benefits of including fish in your diet, including reducing the risk for heart disease because of the anti-inflammatory effects. Research points to the antioxidant properties of omega-3's, which reduce the risk for some cancers. Because some fish may contain higher than acceptable levels of contaminants (including mercury and PCB's), the best advice is to vary your choices. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Whether to include or exclude meat in your diet is a matter of personal choice – one that is available for the Atkins, eDiets and Zone programs. When you click on "exclude red meat," your menu will contain meals with fish or fowl. If you enjoy soy protein, then tofu, tempeh and TVP (textured vegetable protein) are featured in your recipes and meals as well. These meals are favorites of the eDiets vegetarian members, and the Zone members and Atkins members similarly can choose meat-free meals and recipes. The beauty of eDiets is that it's your diet, your way. Balance is important, and your meals contain other sources of protein that will provide all the nutrition necessary for continued good health.

Did You Know
Red meat provides bio-available heme iron. However, all types of meat contain this easily absorbed form of iron. If you don't want red meat, heme iron is still available from poultry and fish. Fruits, vegetables and other foods that contain vitamin C help the body absorb non-heme iron. Eat your iron-fortified breakfast cereal with an orange or grapefruit to enhance absorption. Avoid coffee and tea (regular and decaffeinated) with meals in order to enhance the absorption of iron and zinc.

eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Susan L. Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D., CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management