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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being true
as well as the whole story? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/ar...diet-truth.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein TaeBo Select Malibu Naturals Nutritionist www.ineedcarblo.com If you've started a higher-fat, lower-carbohydrate diet then there are a few things you should know: Why Low Carbohydrate Diets Don't Produce Long-Term Results. Enough about the Atkins diet, let's talk about low-carbohydrate diets in general. Boy, am I frustrated. If I had a dime for every time a person asked me about the new "high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet," I'd be a millionaire. It's frustrating because it's like a used car salesman that's willing to sell you a lemon by highlighting the up-side of a car, but forgets about letting you in on the down-side. In the case of the low-carbohydrate diet, the down-side outweighs the up-side by a huge margin. A problem that adds to the confusion is the simple fact that cutting back on carbohydrates works, at least for a quick drop in body fat and body water. The piece of the puzzle missing for most dieters is the long-term effects on the body due to such a drastic reduction in carbohydrates. In case you haven't heard the latest scoop on the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, let me fill you in on the concept. This diet was very popular during the 70s and was popularized by Dr. Atkins. Like many diets of the past, this one gained a lot of press. After a couple of years of popularity Dr. Atkins' dieting approach fell by the wayside for several reasons. Unfortunately, the low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet is back, and seems to be gaining in popularity once again. Currently, Dr. Sears' book The Zone and another called Protein Power have revitalized the Atkins' diet. The concept is that a person should eat more protein, more fat and very little carbohydrate as the day wears on. Because the dieter is eating more fat, they tend to feel full longer, and this helps the person exert more control over hunger. In the past, people were allowed to eat as much red meat as desired, but had to keep their carbohydrate intake as low as possible. This combination of foods causes a chemical reaction, thereby causing the person to burn body fat at an accelerated rate. It's called a ketogenic diet. The low intake of carbohydrate, coupled with a high-fat diet and exercise causes the production of ketones. Ketones are the chemical residue of broken-down fats in the blood. To be more specific, if insufficient carbohydrates exist, the body begins to mobilize fat to a greater extent than it can use. The result, both at rest and after exercise, is incomplete fat metabolism and the accumulation of acid by-products called ketone bodies. This situation can lead to a harmful increase in the acidity of the body fluids, a condition called acidosis or ketosis. The ketogenic diet was conceived in the 20s by doctors in France and the United States. They discovered that prolonged starvation promotes ketosis as the body uses its fat reserves. So, they devised a way to mimic the chemistry of starvation through diet. The current diet revolution is nothing new, it's just an adaptation of these old concepts. The problem is, most people get their information from uninformed sources which fail to understand the scope of their recommendations. Low Carbohydrate Diet - What You Need To Know If you've started a higher-fat, lower-carbohydrate diet then there are a few things you should know: 1) By reducing carbohydrates you will see a drop of body weight and body fat. However, if you drop them too low while exercising, you could alter your body's T3 levels. T3 is an active thyroid molecule that helps regulate your metabolic rate. Diets low in carbohydrate tend to cause a reduction of T3, which in turn can slow down your metabolic rate. This is particularly true for people who under-eat and over-exercise. 2) A lot of the weight you drop while on a low-carbohydrate diet is water weight. For every gram of carbohydrate you ingest, about three to five grams of water usually accompany it. By decreasing your carbohydrate intake you naturally drop body water. Although this may sound like a good idea, when you resume eating carbohydrates you may find that your body rebounds and retains excess water. The water retention will dissipate after several days, but it wreaks havoc on the dieter's mental state. 3) During the 70s, clinicians began noticing that people that followed the Atkins' diet regained their weight very rapidly once they ceased the diet. In fact, they found the longer a person had been on the low-carbohydrate diet, the more carbohydrate sensitive they became. Further, when this diet was combined with exercise it caused people to become even more carbohydrate sensitive. This could be the devastating pitfall, because once the low-carbohydrate diet has ended, and the person tries to resume eating carbohydrates, his body tends to horde and store the carbohydrates as opposed to using them for energy. The person notices a fast accumulation of body water that's followed by an abnormally fast body fat gain. Although the water weight will eventually drop off, the person notices that he gains body fat very easily, but loses it more slowly in the future. 4) Carbohydrates provide a "protein sparing" effect. Under normal circumstances protein serves a vital role in the maintenance, repair, and growth of body tissues. When carbohydrate reserves are reduced the body will convert protein into glucose for energy. This process is called gluconeogenesis. The price that's paid is a reduction in the body's protein stores. In other words muscle! All, in turn, causes the metabolic rate to slow down as well. 5) There's another problem that eating too little carbohydrate creates. Your muscle fullness depends to a large extent on your carbohydrate intake. Low carbohydrate levels tend to make muscles lose their density and flatten out. Carbohydrates are a great source of fuel, so not eating enough can lower your energy level and make your muscles feel softer. 6) These diets focus on the relationship between carbohydrates and insulin (a hormone that shuttles fuel into fat). However, their suggestion that insulin exerts negative effects is not only misleading, it's downright flawed. Insulin does play a role in fat storage, but it also causes glucose to be shuttled into muscle cells as well. Our diets should keep blood levels of insulin as stable as possible, not try to suppress its release. 7) On the flip side, you'd have to be totally out-of-the-loop if you haven't heard that more fat increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Naturally, everyone wants to hear that they can eat fats and lose weight. I guess if you want to look good in your coffin, then it's okay with me. I've always disagreed with the American Dietetic Association and the idea that 30 percent fat is healthy. I believe that a diet of 20 percent or less fat poses a substantial health benefit as well as a reduced risk of obesity. It amazes me that this diet is back. Are people's memories really that short that they can't remember the reason that the Atkins' diet vanished the first time? Consider what bodybuilders learned years ago. During the 70s and early 80s, every major bodybuilding competitor dieted on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, yet most of them ended up very smooth and not very well defined. The bodybuilders of the late 80s and 90s have improved dramatically. By having a diet high in protein, low fat, and moderate in carbohydrates, some of the best physiques ever have been produced. Some confusion about carbohydrates could stem from the fact that people see and hear bits and pieces of information from gym buddies and accept the information as fact. While it is true that as a contest nears bodybuilders decrease their carbohydrates, that doesn't mean that cutting back excessively yields better results. Over the years I have found that by removing the starch at the final meal during the last three to four weeks before a show, bodybuilders tend to get very tight and more defined. And for others, a biased article designed to sell books placed prominently in a major magazine could be all it takes to attract everyone's attention. When you hear people talking about a "new" diet approach, stop and ask yourself does it follow healthy guidelines? Does the diet call for measures that you cannot do for life? If so, don't even try it. If you are serious about transforming your body to its ultimate potential, get the Muscle Building Nutrition by Will Brink with great reviews from top pro athletes like Lee Labrada, Charles Poliquin, and more. About the author For 18 years Keith Klein has been one of America's leading nutritionists. His books include Weight Control For Young America, Lean For Life, Get Lean, The Healthy Chef, and Kidtrition Cafe. His columns run in Fitness Express, Health and Fitness, and many other publications. Keith hosted a nationally syndicated 2-hour radio program GetFit, for three years on Prime Sports Network. Keith's popular television show, Smart Bodies, aired weekday mornings on TPN for several years. He currently hosts the Keith Klein Nutrition Hour and is director of The Institute of Eating Management, where he acts as personal nutritionist to many of America's top athletes, models, and dancers, including Mary Lou Retton, Kim Zmeskal, Ricky Sanders (Washington Redskins); golf pros Greg Chapman and Kelly Knehne; Lee Labrada (Mr. America & Mr. Universe), Carla Dunlap (Ms. Olympia), Victoria Gay ("Jazz" of the American Gladiators), Betsy Bates (Ms. America), Tatianna Anderson (Ms. Fitness USA), Deanna Clark. |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 13:43:35 -0400, Steve
wrote: Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being true as well as the whole story? [cut] 2) A lot of the weight you drop while on a low-carbohydrate diet is water weight. For every gram of carbohydrate you ingest, about three to five grams of water usually accompany it. By decreasing your carbohydrate intake you naturally drop body water. Although this may sound like a good idea, when you resume eating carbohydrates you may find that your body rebounds and retains excess water. The water retention will dissipate after several days, but it wreaks havoc on the dieter's mental state. It's never wreaked havoc on mine. 3) During the 70s, clinicians began noticing that people that followed the Atkins' diet regained their weight very rapidly once they ceased the diet. In fact, they found the longer a person had been on the low-carbohydrate diet, the more carbohydrate sensitive they became. Further, when this diet was combined with exercise it caused people to become even more carbohydrate sensitive. This could be the devastating pitfall, because once the low-carbohydrate diet has ended, and the person tries to resume eating carbohydrates, his body tends to horde and store the carbohydrates as opposed to using them for energy. The person notices a fast accumulation of body water that's followed by an abnormally fast body fat gain. Although the water weight will eventually drop off, the person notices that he gains body fat very easily, but loses it more slowly in the future. Can't say this is or isn't true. 4) Carbohydrates provide a "protein sparing" effect. Under normal circumstances protein serves a vital role in the maintenance, repair, and growth of body tissues. When carbohydrate reserves are reduced the body will convert protein into glucose for energy. This process is called gluconeogenesis. The price that's paid is a reduction in the body's protein stores. In other words muscle! All, in turn, causes the metabolic rate to slow down as well. This assumes you don't eat enough protein. If you eat enough protein gor gluconeogenesis AND for the body, then you shouldn't have muscle loss. 5) There's another problem that eating too little carbohydrate creates. Your muscle fullness depends to a large extent on your carbohydrate intake. Low carbohydrate levels tend to make muscles lose their density and flatten out. Carbohydrates are a great source of fuel, so not eating enough can lower your energy level and make your muscles feel softer. My muscles don't "feel softer". 6) These diets focus on the relationship between carbohydrates and insulin (a hormone that shuttles fuel into fat). However, their suggestion that insulin exerts negative effects is not only misleading, it's downright flawed. Insulin does play a role in fat storage, but it also causes glucose to be shuttled into muscle cells as well. Our diets should keep blood levels of insulin as stable as possible, not try to suppress its release. Isn't keeping blood levels of insulin as stable as possible what a low carb diet does? Also, I think that after exercise, it's beneficial to increase insulin in order to replenish carb stores. 7) On the flip side, you'd have to be totally out-of-the-loop if you haven't heard that more fat increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and obesity. Naturally, everyone wants to hear that they can eat fats and lose weight. I guess if you want to look good in your coffin, then it's okay with me. I've always disagreed with the American Dietetic Association and the idea that 30 percent fat is healthy. I believe that a diet of 20 percent or less fat poses a substantial health benefit as well as a reduced risk of obesity. I've seen a lot of data saying you're wrong -- high fat intake is good. Moreover, I ate very low fat for a long time and developed insulin resistance because of it. Additionally, eating my high fat diet has raised my HDL, lowered my triglycerides, and improved my Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio. I've also lost about 50 pounds. It amazes me that this diet is back. Are people's memories really that short that they can't remember the reason that the Atkins' diet vanished the first time? Consider what bodybuilders learned years ago. During the 70s and early 80s, every major bodybuilding competitor dieted on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, yet most of them ended up very smooth and not very well defined. The bodybuilders of the late 80s and 90s have improved dramatically. By having a diet high in protein, low fat, and moderate in carbohydrates, some of the best physiques ever have been produced. Isn't a low carb diet "moderate" in carbohydrates once maintenance is reached? I've certainly increased my carb consumption over time. -- Bob in CT Remove ".x" to reply |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
Bob in CT wrote:
:: On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 13:43:35 -0400, Steve :: wrote: :: ::: Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being ::: true as well as the whole story? ::: :: [cut] ::: ::: 2) A lot of the weight you drop while on a ::: low-carbohydrate diet is water weight. For every gram of ::: carbohydrate you ingest, about three to five grams of ::: water usually accompany it. By decreasing your ::: carbohydrate intake you naturally drop body water. ::: Although this may sound like a good idea, when you ::: resume eating carbohydrates you may find that your body ::: rebounds and retains excess water. The water retention ::: will dissipate after several days, but it wreaks havoc ::: on the dieter's mental state. :: :: :: It's never wreaked havoc on mine. :: ::: 3) During the 70s, clinicians began noticing that people ::: that followed the Atkins' diet regained their weight ::: very rapidly once they ceased the diet. In fact, they ::: found the longer a person had been on the ::: low-carbohydrate diet, the more carbohydrate sensitive ::: they became. ::: Further, when this diet was combined with exercise it ::: caused people to become even more carbohydrate ::: sensitive. This could be the devastating pitfall, ::: because once the low-carbohydrate diet has ended, and ::: the person tries to resume eating carbohydrates, his ::: body tends to horde and store the carbohydrates as ::: opposed to using them for energy. ::: The person notices a fast accumulation of body water ::: that's followed by an abnormally fast body fat gain. ::: Although the water weight will eventually drop off, the ::: person notices that he gains body fat very easily, but ::: loses it more slowly in the future. :: :: Can't say this is or isn't true. That's bull****. :: ::: ::: 4) Carbohydrates provide a "protein sparing" effect. ::: Under normal circumstances protein serves a vital role ::: in the maintenance, repair, and growth of body tissues. ::: When carbohydrate reserves are reduced the body will ::: convert protein into glucose for energy. ::: This process is called gluconeogenesis. The price that's ::: paid is a reduction in the body's protein stores. In ::: other words muscle! All, in turn, causes the metabolic ::: rate to slow down as well. :: :: This assumes you don't eat enough protein. If you eat enough :: protein gor gluconeogenesis AND for the body, then you shouldn't :: have muscle loss. :: ::: ::: 5) There's another problem that eating too little ::: carbohydrate creates. Your muscle fullness depends to a ::: large extent on your carbohydrate intake. Low ::: carbohydrate levels tend to make muscles lose their ::: density and flatten out. ::: Carbohydrates are a great source of fuel, so not eating ::: enough can lower your energy level and make your muscles ::: feel softer. :: :: My muscles don't "feel softer". The only thing I could possibly think he's getting at is at not being able to get a pump in the gym, that that getting a pump means much. :: ::: ::: 6) These diets focus on the relationship between ::: carbohydrates and insulin (a hormone that shuttles fuel ::: into fat). However, their suggestion that insulin exerts ::: negative effects is not only misleading, it's downright ::: flawed. ::: Insulin does play a role in fat storage, but it also ::: causes glucose to be shuttled into muscle cells as well. ::: Our diets should keep blood levels of insulin as stable ::: as possible, not try to suppress its release. :: :: Isn't keeping blood levels of insulin as stable as possible what a :: low carb diet does? Yes, but this fool doesn't understand why trying to avoid excessive insulin production is important. He is a moron. Also, I think that after exercise, it's :: beneficial to increase insulin in order to replenish carb stores. :: ::: ::: 7) On the flip side, you'd have to be totally ::: out-of-the-loop if you haven't heard that more fat ::: increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, and ::: obesity. Naturally, everyone wants to hear that they can ::: eat fats and lose weight. I guess if you want to look ::: good in your coffin, then it's okay with me. ::: I've always disagreed with the American Dietetic ::: Association and the idea that 30 percent fat is healthy. ::: I believe that a diet of 20 percent or less fat poses a ::: substantial health benefit as well as a reduced risk of ::: obesity. :: :: I've seen a lot of data saying you're wrong -- high fat intake is :: good. Moreover, I ate very low fat for a long time and developed :: insulin resistance because of it. Additionally, eating my high fat :: diet has raised my HDL, lowered my triglycerides, and improved my :: Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio. I've also lost about 50 pounds. :: ::: ::: It amazes me that this diet is back. Are people's ::: memories really that short that they can't remember the ::: reason that the Atkins' diet vanished the first time? ::: Consider what bodybuilders learned years ago. During the ::: 70s and early 80s, every major bodybuilding competitor ::: dieted on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, yet most of ::: them ended up very smooth and not very well defined. ::: The bodybuilders of the late 80s and 90s have improved ::: dramatically. By having a diet high in protein, low fat, ::: and moderate in carbohydrates, some of the best ::: physiques ever have been produced. :: :: Isn't a low carb diet "moderate" in carbohydrates once maintenance is :: reached? I've certainly increased my carb consumption over time. :: :: :: :: -- :: Bob in CT :: Remove ".x" to reply |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 13:43:35 -0400, Steve
announced in front of God and everybody: Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being true as well as the whole story? I was interested in what he had to say, up to the point where he wrote: "This situation can lead to a harmful increase in the acidity of the body fluids, a condition called acidosis or ketosis." Ketosis and acidosis aren't the same thing. Ketosis is merely the process of burning stored fat. When somebody's presenting themselves as an expert but gets something that fundamental completely wrong -- and present that incorrect information to strengthen their argument -- I find it difficult to seriously consider anything else they have to say. He also gives incorrect information about protein sparing, makes bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level and make your muscles feel softer" and is completely wrong about current research regarding fat consumption, parroting the old, false belief that eating fat -- any fat! -- increases the likelihood of heart disease and cancer ... even going do far as to say that he thinks the American Heart Associations recommendation of 30% dietary fat is *too liberal.* In other words ... he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Dawn |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 11:13:08 -0700, Dawn Taylor
wrote: On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 13:43:35 -0400, Steve announced in front of God and everybody: Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being true as well as the whole story? I was interested in what he had to say, up to the point where he wrote: "This situation can lead to a harmful increase in the acidity of the body fluids, a condition called acidosis or ketosis." Ketosis and acidosis aren't the same thing. Ketosis is merely the process of burning stored fat. When somebody's presenting themselves as an expert but gets something that fundamental completely wrong -- and present that incorrect information to strengthen their argument -- I find it difficult to seriously consider anything else they have to say. He also gives incorrect information about protein sparing, makes bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level and make your muscles feel softer" and is completely wrong about current research regarding fat consumption, parroting the old, false belief that eating fat -- any fat! -- increases the likelihood of heart disease and cancer ... even going do far as to say that he thinks the American Heart Associations recommendation of 30% dietary fat is *too liberal.* In other words ... he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Dawn I think he means ketoacidosis, which means that he's a complete idiot. -- Bob in CT Remove ".x" to reply |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
"Dawn Taylor" wrote in message
... bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level " I'm not going to argue with anything else you said (partly because I is not an expert...). But in that case: if you do not eat a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates, then you will not perform well in an aerobic max test (such as any race that isn't a sprint). IMO that is lowering your energy level. Peter |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
Peter Allen wrote:
"Dawn Taylor" wrote in message ... bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level " I'm not going to argue with anything else you said (partly because I is not an expert...). But in that case: if you do not eat a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates, then you will not perform well in an aerobic max test (such as any race that isn't a sprint). IMO that is lowering your energy level. And how much does that apply to the average dieter? Lyle |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
"Lyle McDonald" wrote in message
... Peter Allen wrote: "Dawn Taylor" wrote in message ... bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level " I'm not going to argue with anything else you said (partly because I is not an expert...). But in that case: if you do not eat a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates, then you will not perform well in an aerobic max test (such as any race that isn't a sprint). IMO that is lowering your energy level. And how much does that apply to the average dieter? Not very much, I know, because people to whom it would apply don't tend to get that fat in the first place. However just because you (or Dawn, more to the point) may disagree with most of what the guy wrote doesn't mean that you need to rubbish every point he makes, especially when the result is getting things wrong yourself. Peter |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
Peter Allen wrote:
"Lyle McDonald" wrote in message ... Peter Allen wrote: "Dawn Taylor" wrote in message ... bizarre, false statements like "not eating enough (carbs) can lower your energy level " I'm not going to argue with anything else you said (partly because I is not an expert...). But in that case: if you do not eat a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates, then you will not perform well in an aerobic max test (such as any race that isn't a sprint). IMO that is lowering your energy level. And how much does that apply to the average dieter? Not very much, I know, because people to whom it would apply don't tend to get that fat in the first place. However just because you (or Dawn, more to the point) may disagree with most of what the guy wrote doesn't mean that you need to rubbish every point he makes, especially when the result is getting things wrong yourself. I don't recall rubbishing every point he made by any stretch (tho Klien has had an irrational hardon against lowcarb diets for as long as I can remember and most of his criticisms come out of years old and totally outdated/incorrect ideas). In fact, when I talk about lowcarb diets, I try to ALWAYS point out the necessity of carbs for high intensity activities (aerobic and weights) tho I'm sure occasionally I forget. A couple of Klein's points are conditionally applicable (i.e. flatness for bodybuilders, energy levels for high intensity athletes; hence the use of cyclical lowcarb diets in those populations) but not across the board by any means. Most of them are flat out wrong (ketosis/acidosis is an old/incorrect confusion, the fat/disease link is just as simplified). Lyle |
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Article: The TRUTH About Low Carb Diets by Keith Klein
On Fri, 4 Jun 2004 11:04:12 +0100, "Peter Allen"
announced in front of God and everybody: However just because you (or Dawn, more to the point) may disagree with most of what the guy wrote doesn't mean that you need to rubbish every point he makes, especially when the result is getting things wrong yourself. That question in the original post was, "Any opinions about whether or not what this guy has to say as being true as well as the whole story?" Well, a great deal of what the guy had to say was complete bull****. Which invalidates his essay as a whole. I think that answered the original question quite nicely. Dawn |
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