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The low-carb fad is relatively new???? Does 'Atkins' ring a bell???
I would consider the 1970's fairly recent, but I was referring to the fad which started well after Atkins' book was originally published.
I find it odd that anybody would listen to Atkins' though, he often debated with some of the popular advocates for plant-based diets (these too were written about decades ago). All these plant-based advocates are still alive, healthy and lean today. On the other hand Atkins was overweight, suffered from a cardiac arrest in 2002 (in his early 70's) and died one year later. Atkins claimed his cardiac event was independent of diet, but the family refused an autopsy to confirm matters.
I feel sorry for people that still buy into the low-fat paradigm. When you give up being a vegetarian, as most ultimately do (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...ck-eating-meat ), I strongly encourage you to consider a low carb way of eating.
Carbs are not the problem, fats are. Fat is what clogs your arteries. Real food is the solution, not artificial crap. Raw food, whole food, then you can eat anything you want. Take a supplement, because you can not eat enough to get all the nutrition your body needs. No diet garbage. Learn to make smoothies, lots of servings of fruits, or various veges in one easy to consume glass. Add some lecithin and it keeps you feeling full for hours.
Well, if 'listen to' (Atkins) equals book sales..... then, aaahhh......
I agree actually, plants are a good thing. I just also like nice protein (meat!) -- you know how grass-fed beef has more omega 3's than fish and stuff like that -- and gooooood fats.
-- you know how grass-fed beef has more omega 3's than fish and stuff like that -- and gooooood fats.
That isn't accurate, the fat in grass-fed cattle is still high in saturated fat. Grass-fed beef just has more omega-3's than grain fed beef.
Describing certain fats as "good" is rather misleading....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zelva
It does NOT appear Atkins was overweight, at 195, per hospital admission records, April 2003.
Atkins death certificate confirms that he was ~250 at the time of his death, it is wife and personal doctor that say he was 195. But seriously, just look at videos of the guy when he was older, it was clearly overweight and just looked bad...
Here's the thing - I don't want to eat a heavy animal diet, nor do I want to eat all rabbit food. I like a nice mix. I feel the best eating a lot of seafood, salads, bean soup, grass fed butter and cheese and my sourdough bread and waffle that I make MYSELF.
I really hate all the self-appointed "experts" out there and on these forums who pooh-pooh those of us who don't wish to be vegans or paleos or whatevers. If you want to be one of those, or anything else for that matter, then HAVE AT IT, but many of us believe in the way we eat/live and aren't trying to make "converts" out of anyone.
That said, I just enjoyed my sourdough waffles spread with Kerrygold butter and a sprinkling of parm and a couple cups of HOT COFFEE!
P.S. If anyone doesn't approve, they can stuff it!
Food is so fascinating--and so loaded with emotion.
Probably eating as a flexitarian as the above poster does is wise...the low-carb diet doesn't say "no carbs"--it recommends low carbs.
Animal protein doesn't have to be overly rich. Leaner meats, poultry, salmon, tuna, sardines work well.
I shy away from bacon because it's loaded with nitrates. I limit my beef intake because it's likely to contain hormones and anti-biotics. Organic, grass-fed beef would be a different story. Deer meat or other wild game would be ideal.
The Standard American Diet is way overloaded with empty white carbs in baked goods (sorry, Dunkin Donuts and Crispy Creme), white bread, white pasta and starchy vegetables such as potatoes (eat 'em baked and eat the skins, skip the French Fries).
Just about every manufactured "snack" food is nasty with additives, hydrogenated fats (yuck), too much salt and empty carbs. I want my food calories to count, to deliver health.
I experimented on myself over the past year.
I ate a new low-carb way and cut out the white, empty carbs by substituting whole grains and cereals such as oatmeal and cold cereal Uncle Sam's that has 10 grams of fiber. So I was greatly increasing my fiber intake, too.
My fresh greens, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, squash, cabbage and red peppers were increased. Fruits were apples, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and whatever citrus were in season. Salad dressing was home-made oil and vinegar or honey mustard.
Lots of beans of all types. Barely. Lentils. Soups and chili made with lean ground turkey and lots of veggies.
Mostly lean animal proteins as well as eggs were eaten. I occasionally had my favorite Bruce Adell mango chicken sausage with a salad and breakfast with eggs. I'm not perfect for sure...
Small amounts of grated cheese on my chilli. Yogurt, plain, with fresh fruit. sometimes.
Sweet hankerings were satisfied with a square or two of dark chocolate. No sodas--diet or regular. Lots of fresh water, one cup of AM coffee, one glass of wine with dinner.
RESULTS. Lipid panel: After one year of low, healthy carbs and increased greens, my healthy cholesterol (HDL) went from 52 to 70. My triglycerides fell from 98 to 78. All other values were within optimal parameters.
My total cholesterol rose somewhat BUT the ratio of triglycerides divided by HDL, a better indicator of future coronary disease than the old total cholesterol method, was superbly excellent.
My weight stayed stable, and is at a good level. My exercise stayed the same. I wasn't eating this way to lose weight BUT to improve health.
These results are where the rubber meets the road.
I'm often curious, when people defend their way of eating, what their lipid panels look like.
Love to hear you thoughts on this.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.
Food is so fascinating--and so loaded with emotion.
Probably eating as a flexitarian as the above poster does is wise...the low-carb diet doesn't say "no carbs"--it recommends low carbs.
Animal protein doesn't have to be overly rich. Leaner meats, poultry, salmon, tuna, sardines work well.
I shy away from bacon because it's loaded with nitrates. I limit my beef intake because it's likely to contain hormones and anti-biotics. Organic, grass-fed beef would be a different story. Deer meat or other wild game would be ideal.
The Standard American Diet is way overloaded with empty white carbs in baked goods (sorry, Dunkin Donuts and Crispy Creme), white bread, white pasta and starchy vegetables such as potatoes (eat 'em baked and eat the skins, skip the French Fries).
Just about every manufactured "snack" food is nasty with additives, hydrogenated fats (yuck), too much salt and empty carbs. I want my food calories to count, to deliver health.
I experimented on myself over the past year.
I ate a new low-carb way and cut out the white, empty carbs by substituting whole grains and cereals such as oatmeal and cold cereal Uncle Sam's that has 10 grams of fiber. So I was greatly increasing my fiber intake, too.
My fresh greens, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, squash, cabbage and red peppers were increased. Fruits were apples, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and whatever citrus were in season. Salad dressing was home-made oil and vinegar or honey mustard.
Lots of beans of all types. Barely. Lentils. Soups and chili made with lean ground turkey and lots of veggies.
Mostly lean animal proteins as well as eggs were eaten. I occasionally had my favorite Bruce Adell mango chicken sausage with a salad and breakfast with eggs. I'm not perfect for sure...
Small amounts of grated cheese on my chilli. Yogurt, plain, with fresh fruit. sometimes.
Sweet hankerings were satisfied with a square or two of dark chocolate. No sodas--diet or regular. Lots of fresh water, one cup of AM coffee, one glass of wine with dinner.
RESULTS. Lipid panel: After one year of low, healthy carbs and increased greens, my healthy cholesterol (HDL) went from 52 to 70. My triglycerides fell from 98 to 78. All other values were within optimal parameters.
My total cholesterol rose somewhat BUT the ratio of triglycerides divided by HDL, a better indicator of future coronary disease than the old total cholesterol method, was superbly excellent.
My weight stayed stable, and is at a good level. My exercise stayed the same. I wasn't eating this way to lose weight BUT to improve health.
These results are where the rubber meets the road.
I'm often curious, when people defend their way of eating, what their lipid panels look like.
Love to hear you thoughts on this.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.
Hey I like that term "flexitarian" , so I guess that's what I am. And my diet is similar to yours, I watch the carbs especially the TYPE of carbs, I am more concerned with glycemic load (to keep glucose in check.) I eat fairly small meals, no processed junk, very little rice or corn, grass fed beef once per week, fish several times per week, bean soup about once per week; I like bacon as a treat on the weekend, and my breakfast always consists of my homemade sourdough bread or waffles, with some butter and or high-quality cheese (preferably grass-fed). For fruit, I ONLY eat a half cup of mixed berries and a tart granny smith apple per day. Like you, I eat occasional squares of dark chocolate, and no other sweets unless I make it myself and reduce the carbs (using almond meal for some flour, etc.)
This works for ME; like I said earlier, I don't care what kind of diet other people choose or feel works for them; I just get tired of people pushing one diet or another with religious fervor. Why do some people care so much?
What we eat IS very emotional--kind of like politics. "Food politics"? Maybe.
What puzzles me is when people confuse weight with health. Being skinny does not equate with good health. Being a bit overweight does not equate to ill-health.
As I mentioned, what does the blood panel, lipid picture look like? That tells us whether we're in good or ill health. If your way of eating results in a good lipid/blood panel then it's working for you and your particular genetic make-up.
If it's not, it's your decision to change your diet and to alter your life-style factors such as smoking or over indulging in alcohol.
Agree with you totally--let's not try to force our way of eating down anyone else's throat (pun fully intended). Rarely works anyhow. Just ask any doctor trying to get a patient to change their eating habits.
Food is so fascinating--and so loaded with emotion.
Probably eating as a flexitarian as the above poster does is wise...the low-carb diet doesn't say "no carbs"--it recommends low carbs.
Animal protein doesn't have to be overly rich. Leaner meats, poultry, salmon, tuna, sardines work well.
I shy away from bacon because it's loaded with nitrates. I limit my beef intake because it's likely to contain hormones and anti-biotics. Organic, grass-fed beef would be a different story. Deer meat or other wild game would be ideal.
The Standard American Diet is way overloaded with empty white carbs in baked goods (sorry, Dunkin Donuts and Crispy Creme), white bread, white pasta and starchy vegetables such as potatoes (eat 'em baked and eat the skins, skip the French Fries).
Just about every manufactured "snack" food is nasty with additives, hydrogenated fats (yuck), too much salt and empty carbs. I want my food calories to count, to deliver health.
I experimented on myself over the past year.
I ate a new low-carb way and cut out the white, empty carbs by substituting whole grains and cereals such as oatmeal and cold cereal Uncle Sam's that has 10 grams of fiber. So I was greatly increasing my fiber intake, too.
My fresh greens, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, squash, cabbage and red peppers were increased. Fruits were apples, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and whatever citrus were in season. Salad dressing was home-made oil and vinegar or honey mustard.
Lots of beans of all types. Barely. Lentils. Soups and chili made with lean ground turkey and lots of veggies.
Mostly lean animal proteins as well as eggs were eaten. I occasionally had my favorite Bruce Adell mango chicken sausage with a salad and breakfast with eggs. I'm not perfect for sure...
Small amounts of grated cheese on my chilli. Yogurt, plain, with fresh fruit. sometimes.
Sweet hankerings were satisfied with a square or two of dark chocolate. No sodas--diet or regular. Lots of fresh water, one cup of AM coffee, one glass of wine with dinner.
RESULTS. Lipid panel: After one year of low, healthy carbs and increased greens, my healthy cholesterol (HDL) went from 52 to 70. My triglycerides fell from 98 to 78. All other values were within optimal parameters.
My total cholesterol rose somewhat BUT the ratio of triglycerides divided by HDL, a better indicator of future coronary disease than the old total cholesterol method, was superbly excellent.
My weight stayed stable, and is at a good level. My exercise stayed the same. I wasn't eating this way to lose weight BUT to improve health.
These results are where the rubber meets the road.
I'm often curious, when people defend their way of eating, what their lipid panels look like.
Love to hear you thoughts on this.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.
You might want to keep in mind that wild game is not necessarily healthy. There are diseases you can get from wild animals.
Probably eating as a flexitarian as the above poster does is wise...
Flexitarian doesn't refer to "eating anything" as the above poster seems to do, instead its a vegetarian that will here and there eat meat (i.e., flexible vegetarian).
Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleDolphin
Animal protein doesn't have to be overly rich. Leaner meats, poultry, salmon, tuna, sardines work well.
Most "lean" meats aren't actually lean, its a marketing gimmick. For example, even boneless skinless chicken breast is ~30% fat and some of the other cuts are more than 50% fat. Salmon is 55% fat. Tuna (whole) is around 30% fat.
There are some lean meats, but people usually don't eat them. According to the Nurse's health study consuming lean meats and low-fat dairy instead of fatty meat and full fat dairy had no impact on heart disease, that is, people eating lower fat animal products got heart disease just as much as those eating full fat animal products.
As for your example, it sounds like you started to eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes and your health improved. Isn't that what I've been saying? Now, what would happen if you almost nearly eliminated the animal foods?
Also, your lipid panel only gives you some clues about your health, people with normal lipid panels die of heart attacks all the time. What's worse, is that people are greatly misinterpreting them. For example, you cited an increase in your "Healthy cholesterol" as a good thing....yet it could be putting you an increased risk for heart disease. Higher HDL cholesterol doesn't tell too much (the ratios are more predictive) and it seems that there is a pretty large group of people where higher HDL actually increases their risk for heart disease:
I don't pay much attention to my lipid panel, but the last time I took my total cholesterol was around 135 and my hdl was around 40. HDL is low by normal standards, but the ratio is near ideal which is a typical result of diets low in fat and very low in saturated fat.
Last edited by user_id; 01-14-2013 at 11:14 PM..
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Does 'Atkins' ring a bell??? 
If you want to be one of those, or anything else for that matter, then HAVE AT IT, but many of us believe in the way we eat/live and aren't trying to make "converts" out of anyone.
