Good-carb/low-carb living

Better Nutrition, June, 2004 by Sandra Woodruff

Moreover, the lower you go, the greater the potential is for adverse health effects. For one thing, ultra low-carb diets can be dangerously low in fiber and disease-fighting nutrients, and high in saturated fats and environmental contaminants (which concentrate in the fat of animal foods). For another, these diets can cause rapid sodium and potassium depletion, dramatic drops in blood sugar and blood pressure, and a potential for kidney damage in some people.

Obviously, I don't believe that an ultra-low-carb diet should be the first choice for someone who needs to lose weight and improve his or her health. But the biggest deterrent I have seen in clinical practice is that most people have a very hard time sticking with such a strict regimen. Why is this? Tire answer lies partly in how the brain responds to carbohydrate depletion. Carbohydrates (in the form of blood glucose) are the brain's preferred fuel. Dietary carbohydrates also raise brain levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and feelings of well-being. This is why carbohydrate-deprived people may have problems completing mental tasks and often feel irritable, weak and deprived. One client who recently consulted with me after months of ups and downs on a low-carb regimen put it this way: "I just feel like I'm missing something."

Do Calories Count?

There's no getting around it. When we eat more calories than we burn, we store the excess as fat. And calorie intakes have been steadily rising over file past 30 years. Men eat about 200 more calories per day than they did in the 1970s, and women eat over 300 additional calories per day. Where are all these extra calories coming from? High-carb foods such as snack chips, fries, pizza and sodas appear to be the biggest culprits. In fact, carbohydrate intake is at all all-time high, having increased by more than 60 grams per day since the 1970s.

The good news is, done right, a good-carb/low-carb eating plan can help you keep calories under control. A healthful diet based on low-glycemic-index carbs, lean proteins and moderate amounts of good fats helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel and prevents hunger.

However, as the nutrition focus changes to low-carb, we must be careful not to go down the same slippery slope that accompanied the low-fat/high-carb craze. Just because a food is low in carbs does not mean it's good for you. Many low-carb foods are laden with calories. Many are also low in nutrition and full of harmful fats, making them poor choices for a healthful eating plan.

The bottom line is, selectively cutting carbs can help you achieve a healthy body weight and get you on the road to better health--but calories still count; good overall nutrition is still important; and there's still no free (low-carb) lunch.

         FOODS TO CHOOSE                           NOTES

Lean meats; skinless poultry; fish   Avoid meats that are high in
and seafood; egg whites and          calories and artery-clogging
fat-free egg substitutes; whole      saturated fat.
eggs in moderation

Vegetarian meat alternatives such    Legumes are high in carbs, but
as legumes, tofu raid veggie         they are also loaded with fiber
burgers                              and have a minimal effect on
                                     blood sugar levels.

Nonfat or low-fat dairy or soy       Avoid dairy products that are high
milk; cheese and yogurt with no      in calories and saturated fat.
sugar added

Good fats such as olive and canola   Eat these foods in moderation
oils; nuts and seeds; avocados       because they are high in calories.

Salad greens and raw salad           Eat these foods in generous
vegetables; other low-carb           portions since they are low in
vegetables such as asparagus,        carbs and calories, yet are high
broccoli, Brussels sprouts,          in fiber and nutrients.
cabbage, cauliflower, green beans,
spinach and other greens;
spaghetti squash; summer squash;
tomatoes

Higher-carb vegetables such as       You may opt to temporarily omit
sweet potatoes, winter squash,       these foods for a quicker start
new potatoes, peas and lima beans    to your low-carb program.

Unsweetened fresh or frozen          You may opt to temporarily omit
fruits.                              these foods for a quicker start
                                     to your program.

Whole grains such as barley,         You may opt to temporarily omit
bulgur wheat, brown rice, wild       these foods for a quicker start
rice, whole wheat pasta, 100%        to your program.
whole grain breads, oatmeal and
other low-sugar, minimally
processed breakfast cereals

SAMPLE LOW-CARB MENU

Breakfast         Lunch             Snack             Dinner

Spinach & Cream   Grilled Chicken   Low-fat cheese    Spaghetti Squash
Clicew Omelet *   Caesar Salad *    stick             with Sausage,
                                                      Peppers &
Vegetarian        Cup of tomato     2 tablespoons     Onions *
sausage patty     soup              almonds
                                                      Broccoli sauteed
                                                      with garlic and
                                                      olive oil

                                                      Garden salad with
                                                      vinaigrette
                                                      dressing

SAMPLE REDUCED-CARB MENU

Breakfast         Lunch             Snack             Dinner

Smoothie made     Spinach Salad     1/2 peanut        Chili Chicken *
with sugar-free   with Grilled      butter and
yogurt, low-fat   Scallops &        banana sandwich   Sauteed zucchini,
milk and frozen   Fresh Mangos *    on whole grain    yellow squash and
fruit. (Add a                       bread             onions
scoop of
protein powder                      1 cup nonfat or   Low-fat coleslaw
if desired.)                        low-fat milk
                                                      Fresh melon wedge

* Recipe provided in Food section, p. 62