“I really avoid grains and starches, so meats and vegetables and fruits are my diet,” he tweeted. “I make them all different ways to keep it interesting. What’s worked for me is no sugar, no grains, no dairy except goat cheese, no white starches, portion control, and high intensity workouts.”
My Advanced Mediterranean Diet offers a low-carb option in addition to the traditional Mediterranean diet.
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Posted in Low-Carb Eating, Overweight & Obesity, Weight Loss
Low-carb doesn’t mean “meat-only”: You can eat these low-carb fruits
A low-carb diet was superior to a traditional low-fat weight loss diet, and without adverse effects on markers of systemic inflammation, according to a report at ScienceDaily. Some medical professionals are still hesitant to accept the validity of low-carb dieting, fearing that relatively high fat and protein content may promote inflammation, leading to atherosclerosis. The study at hand should be reassuring in that regard.
Some quotes from ScienceDaily:
The researchers measured the participants’ blood levels for three common markers of inflammation — C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha — at the beginning and end of the study. They also measured body weight, body mass index (BMI) and total body and belly fat. At the start, both groups were similar in the various measures, including elevated levels of inflammation markers.
The participants on the low-carb diet lost more weight, on average, than those on the low-fat diet — 28 pounds versus 18 pounds [over the six month trial.
…
“In both groups, there was a significant drop in the levels of all three measures of inflammation,” says [Kerry] Stewart, indicating that a diet higher in fat and protein doesn’t interfere with the ability to lower inflammation, as long as you are losing weight.
Despite reading several online articles on this study, I can’t determine which low-carb diet was used, nor the level of carbohydrate restriction. Both diet groups exercised three times a week. I expect full details to be published in a scientific journal within a couple years. The research was done at Johns Hopkins University and was not funded by Atkins Nutritionals. U.S. taxpayers funded it.
If you’re looking for a low-carb diet, consider the Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet. Carb restriction starts at under 30 grams a day, but allows for increases over time as long as you’re making weight-loss progress. The typical American eats 250 to 300 grams of carbohydrate daily.
Read the rest at ScienceDaily.
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Posted in Low-Carb Eating, Overweight & Obesity, Uncategorized, Weight Loss
Tagged inflammation, inflammatory markers
![MPj04384870000[1]](http://diabeticmediterraneandiet.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/mpj043848700001.jpg)
A recent Swedish study suggests that low-carbohydrate/high protein diets increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. I’m not convinced, but will keep an eye on future developments. This is a critical issue since many women eat low-carb/high protein for weight loss and management.
Researchers followed 43,000 women, 30–49 years of age at enrollment, over the course of 16 years. In that span, they had 1,270 cardiovascular events: ischemic heart disease (heart attacks and blocked heart arteries), strokes, subarachnoid brain hemorrhages, and peripheral arterial disease. Food consumption was estimated from a questionnaire filled out by study participants at the time of enrollment (and never repeated).
In practical terms, … a 20 gram decrease in daily carbohydrate intake and a 5 gram increase in daily protein intake would correspond to a 5% increase in the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
So What?
To their credit, the researchers note that a similar analysis of the Women’s Health Study in the U.S. found no such linkage between cardiovascular disease and low-carb/high protein eating.
The results are questionably reliable since diet was only assessed once during the entire 16-year span.
I’m certain the investigators had access to overall death rates. Why didn’t they bother to report those? Your guess is as good as mine. Even if low-carb/high protein eating increases the rate of cardiovascular events, it’s entirely possible that overall deaths could be lower, the same, or higher than average. That’s important information.
I don’t want to get too far into the weeds here, but must point out that the type of carbohydrate consumed is probably important. For instance, easily digested carbs that raise blood sugar higher than other carbs are associated with increased heart disease in women. “Bad carbs” in this respect would be simple sugars and refined grains.
In a 2004 study, higher carbohydrate consumption was linked to progression of blocked heart arteries in postmenopausal women.
It’s complicated.
PS: I figure Swedish diet doctor Andreas Eenfeldt would have some great comments on this study, but can’t find them at his blog.
Reference: Lagiou, Pagona, et al. Low carbohydrate-high protein diet and incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Swedish women: prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, June 26, 2012. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e4026
Posted in Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Disease, Low-Carb Eating
Two diet books in one: 1) portion control, and 2) ketogenic
Ketogenic diets help many folks lose excess weight, return blood sugar levels toward normal, and move HDL cholesterol and triglycerides to a healthier range. I include a ketogenic diet as an option in my Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd Ed.). They are not for everybody.
Read about Franziska Spritzler’s experience with a ketogenic diet (not my version). Some quotes:
Well, after consistently consuming 30-45 grams of net carbs a day for six months, I have only positive things to say about my very-low-carb experience. Not only are my blood sugar readings exactly where they should be — less than 90 fasting and less than 130 an hour after eating — but I truly feel healthier, less stressed, and more balanced than ever.
My diet consists of lots of fat from avocados, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, and cheese; moderate amounts of fish, chicken, beef, Greek yogurt, and eggs; and at least one serving of nonstarchy vegetables at every meal and a small serving of berries at breakfast. It’s truly a rich, satisfying, and luxurious way to eat.
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Posted in Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet, Low-Carb Eating, Weight Loss
Tagged Advanced Mediterranean Diet, blood lipids, Franziska Spritzler, ketogenic diet, weight loss
He probably takes Prilosec daily
I’ve heard anecdotal reports of this for years. Here’s scientific evidence, although only eight patients were studied. Whether those at normal weight or overweight improve similarly is unknown to me.
PS: Frequent episodes of heartburn is a condition called GERD: gastroesophageal reflux disease.
h/t Melissa McEwan
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Posted in Low-Carb Eating
Tagged gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD, heartburn, obesity
Grapes are an iconic Mediterranean fruit
As much as possible, I base my nutrition and medical recommendations on science-based research published in the medical literature.
In the early 2000s, a flurry of research reports demonstrated that very-low-carb eating (such as the Atkins diet) was safe and effective for short-term weight management and control of diabetes. Eighty hours of literature review in 2009 allowed me to embrace low-carbohydrate eating as a logical and viable option for many of my patients. The evidence convinced me that the relatively high fat content of many low-carb diets was nothing to worry about long-term.
By the way, have you noticed some of the celebrities jumping on the low-carb weight-management bandwagon lately? Sharon Osbourne, Drew Carey, and Alec Baldwin, to name a few.
My primary nutrition interests are low-carb eating, the Mediterranean diet, and the paleo diet. I’m stay up-to-date with the pertinent scientific research. I’d like to share with you some of the pertinent research findings of the last few years.
Low-Carb Diets
Mediterranean Diet
The traditional Mediterranean diet is well established as a healthy way of eating despite being relatively high in carbohydrate: 50 to 60% of total calories. It’s known to prolong life span while reducing rates of heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, and dementia. The Mediterranean diet is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, olive oil, whole grain bread, fish, and judicious amounts of wine, while incorporating relatively little meat. It deserves your serious consideration. Here’s the latest scientific literature on this diet.
Clearly, low-carb and Mediterranean-style eating have much to recommend them. Low-carb eating is particularly useful for weight loss and management, and control of diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Long-term health effects of low-carb eating are less well established. That’s where the Mediterranean diet shines.
That’s why I ask many of my patients to combine both approaches: low-carb and Mediterranean. Note that several components of the Mediterranean diet are inherently low-carb: olive oil, nuts and seeds, fish, some wines, and many fruits and vegetables. These items easily fit into a low-carb lifestyle and may yield the long-term health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. I’ve posted on the Internet a Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet that will get you started, if interested.
Is a carbohydrate-restricted Mediterranean diet healthier than the traditional Mediterranean diet? Nobody knows.
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Posted in Low-Carb Eating, Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet
Tagged carbohydrate restriction, health benefits of Mediterranean diet, low-carb diet research, Mediterranean diet research
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Advanced Mediterranean Diet 