Diet Low Carbs

The latest modification of Atkins original diet plan is called the ‘ECO-Atkins’ Diet. It substitutes plant based proteins for animal based proteins and helps people lose weight and lower their cholesterol level. Dr. David J A Jenkins, lead author of the study states, "In just 2 weeks on the "Eco-Atkins diet, everything starts to look much better metabolically."

This study of the new diet modification of the Atkins low carbohydrate diet appeared in the June 8th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Dr. Atkins original diet went against all conventional wisdom at the time he introduced it. His diet was evidence based. He treated his many cardiac patients with his high-fat, high-protein, low carbohydrate diet and saw incredible results. Not only did their blood metabolism improve but they shed excess weight easily without hunger. 

Although most cardiac health indicators improved; the cholesterol level did not drop. Dr. Jenkins, who is research chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital and his team sought to maintain the high protein low carb ratio of the Atkins diet, but in a way that might promote lowering the cholesterol level.

Half of the study participants 22 men or women who were overweight and had high cholesterol levels were placed on a low-fat, low-carb, high-vegetable, plant-based protein diet. The other 22 men or women were given a high-carb, lacto-ovo (dairy and eggs only) vegetarian diet. The 2 groups lost the same amount of weight, 8.8 pounds, but the group who consumed the plant-based proteins also saw an improvement in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

This study was a very short term study and leaves many questions unanswered. Will this way of eating translate into less disease in the long run. Will this diet approach satisfy peoples hunger so that they can stay on it while not participating in a study where the meals were prepared for them. The more scientific studies performed on weight loss diets and health issues the better for our generation.

We currently suffer from a global pandemic of diabetes and in the US alone there are estimated to be 57 million pre-diabetics. It is time the worlds dietetic associations provide us with a very clear picture of what exactly consitutes a healthy diet.

I was raised on a slightly modified diabetic eating plan. My father was a type 1 diabetic so my mother always prepared our meals based on fathers diabetic needs. Now, as an adult, I find that there really is no healthier way of eating. Our meals were prepared from home grown vegetables, berries, orchard fruits and our main meat source was  home grown animals, chickens, pigs and very rarely beef.

Science now proves that a diet low in carbs was a very healthy lifestyle. Sugar was restricted but we were never aware of this. We never felt deprived in any way. When you’re not exposed to excessive amounts of carbohydrates you also don’t crave them. A very little amount of sugar seemed to go a long way back then.

Compared then to now,  the large choice of products on our grocery shelves don’t even allow us these easy to prepare healthy choices. I really do not understand why we, the public, don’t demand low carbohydrate products. Our lifestyles have changed, we are all too busy to prepare meals the way our mothers did. It should not automatically follow that every easily purchased product has to be packed with sugar.

Try finding a cookie that is not loaded with sugar. Now try finding the time to make your own healthy low carb cookies. Both tasks seem equally difficult. My wish is to be able to purchase products in any grocery store that adhere to low carb diet plans. This automatically makes them a healthy eating approach that fosters easy weight loss and keeps us from becoming another individual to join the tens of millions of people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes yearly.

When you’re a hypothyroid, post menopausal female who hates to exercise weight just naturally will find you and won’t let go. I have been struggling with this weight issue for 25 years and very slowly losing the battle. After the age of 40, without really changing my eating habits, I seemed to gain 3 or 4 lbs every year. If you care to do the math that weight gain amounts to overweight in only a matter of a few years.

The low fat regime that all the health professionals encourage only starved me and made me very grumpy. I didn’t even lose weight; after all that sacrifice and still no weight loss – I was very discouraged.

I retired a few years ago and we took several wonderful vacations and I can’t even enjoy the pictures, if I’m in one of them. So, it was time to face this weight issue once again.

This time I tried the Atkins low carbohydrate diet and couldn’t believe how simple weight loss can be.

The 1^st week was kind of rough. I felt weak certain days while my body was going through the shift to burning fat, but after that my cravings disappeared. The weight started melting off – I truly could not believe that this was working for me. I mentioned I hate exercise, well the weight dropped off even without exercise. I know it would be much better if I did regular exercise but running after my grandchildren, regular housework, and gardening is enough for me.

Living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada I’ve found that I have to order some low carbohydrate foods through the internet. I can’t seem to find many products in our local grocery or health food stores. This needs to change. Why do we need to spend more money to purchase foods that are the healthiest diet lifestyle ever?

Check back with me again and I’ll share both the technique I used and the foods that I now enjoy, guilt free, and hunger free on my way to my ideal weight.