Low-Carb Clutter -- Fad Diets, Friend or Foe?
Posted on: Monday, 10 January 2005, 12:00 CST
Here's a look at the South Beach and Atkins diets with comments from Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Miami cardiologist Arthur Agatston crafted the diet a few years ago to help heart patients.
How it works: Some carbohydrates are good, as in cereals and wheat breads. Bad carbs - biscuits, pasta and such - should be avoided. The diet also cites good fats and bad fats. Users cut out bad carbs first and reintroduce banned foods later.
Claim to fame: Users lose 8 to 10 pounds in the first two weeks.
The upside: The second and third phases of the diet stresses eating lean meats and food with healthy types of fat, in addition to avoiding refined grains and choosing whole grain bread."
The downside: "Weight loss in the first phase is largely water weight ... and doesn't offer a well-balanced healthy eating plan."
Final word: "A normal healthy person who just wants to lose about 20 pounds is not in danger with this diet, but it's not appropriate for a person with diabetes, kidney problems, hypertension" or for obese people.
Cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins published his first diet book in 1972 and updated it in 1992.
How it works: Eat the fat and cut the carbs, choosing bacon and eggs over a fruit salad. Dieters eat almost no carbs in the first two weeks, tricking the body into a starvation state to burn fat.
Claim to fame: The diet promises quick weight loss without the loss of flavorful foods.
The upside: "It could be used temporarily to initially get some weight loss started."
The downside: "It does not make the distinction between healthy meats and fatty meats, and piling up on saturated fat is not healthy, no matter how you look at it."
Final word: "It's not a long-term solution to weight loss."
-Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
Source: Journal Star; Peoria, Ill.
Related Articles
- Mediterranean Diet Prevails Over Low-Fat
- High-Fat Diets Plus Extra Protein Make For A Bad Mix
- Excessive Weight Loss Can Be Bad
- Is Diet Soda Making You Fat?
- Weight Training Melts Fat and Improves Metabolism
- Healthy Fats For Life Will Help You To Understand The Difference Between 'Good' Fats And 'Bad' Fats
- Proposal Would Unfreeze the Secrecy: A USDA Plan Would for the First Time Reveal the Names of Stores That Might Have Sold You Bad Meat.
- Are You a Good Fat or a Bad Fat?: Healthy Diet Can Easily Melt Away in Confusion
- September 25th Is World Heart Day; Theme Is 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape'
- Exercise and Healthy Diet Slow Memory Loss
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds