Welcome to SideDish

Atkins is Evil

I frequently talk smack about the Atkins diet, and yet, some people can't see what's wrong with  gorging on bacon, so today I am going to tell you why it may not be the best diet for you. 

 

Atkins was introduced in the 70's with the essential principle of eliminating of carbohydrates from the diet. The theory is that carbs are evil, thus eliminative and replace them with more protein (and all the fat you want). With Atkins, the dieter keeps her carbohydrate intake @ 15-50 grams per day. Having a carbohydrate intake this low eliminates most carbohydrates, particularity sugar-based carbs (for example, most servings of fruit have more than 15 grams of carbs).

 

When on a high protein/low carb diet, your body will go into a state of ketosis. During ketosis, the body switches from using glucose for energy (since sufficient carbohydrates are not available) to using fat. Fatty acids are then released into the bloodstream and converted into ketones. The ketones themselves are produced by the metabolism of fat.

 

Recent research form Virginia Polytechnic Institute shows that when these ketones are excreted in your urine, they are also excreting glycogen. With each gram of glycogen lost, 3 grams of water is lost, making the weight loss experienced directly attributable to water. After 10-14 days your body has no more glycogen to excrete, thus the weight loss stops :(

 

Now what is really interesting (to me, at least) is when the dieter reintroduces carbohydrates into their diet. I have head of cases of people gaining over 10 pounds in one day, now it all makes sense.

 

Fat-loss research expert Dr Arne Astrup concluded that in the long haul, following the Atkins diet just isn’t worth the effort. Even for people who stay at for six months lose weight but the side effects become intolerable. head aches, muscle weakness, bad breath, constipation and diarrhea are just some of the symptoms that Atkins dieters typically complain of. In addition, the high intake of saturated fats are directly linked to heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Food Portions

I came across some good information about 'eyeballing' meals last night. For most types of meats, a 3 ounce portion is about the size of a deck of cards (@ 20 grams of protein), for fats,  2 tablespoons is about the size of 2 dice (@ 22 grams of fat), and for carbohydrates a cup of rice or potato is about the size of a tennis ball (@ 50 grams of carbohydrates).  Info like this can help you determine portions when you are eating out, while still trying to follow to your diet.

Natural Sweetener

Over the past few months I have read multiple articles about the negative effects of aspartame.  During this time I stumbled across a natural sweetener, named stevia.  Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a shrub belonging to the Asteraceae (sunflower) family of plants.

The whole leaf of stevia contains numerous phytonutrients and trace minerals and is much sweeter than sugar with out negative effects. It can sweeten with no calories, no carbohydrates, no tooth decay and is diabetic safe. Stevia nourishes the pancreas and does not raise blood glucose levels, making it not only safe for diabetics, but also beneficial for the management of type 2 diabetes.

Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and is available in the US and Canada as a health food supplement.  It has not been approved by the FDA, but this is widely contributed to the big business of sweeteners in US (aspartame, splenda, etc are literally in thousands of products in the US).

If you are on a low-sugar/low-carb diet, stevia can help you get past your cravings without any additional calories or impact on your blood sugar and no compromises in your diet.  I use it in my tea daily, and there are dozens of recipes on the internet. 

Sugar to Stevia Conversion Table

Pre/Post Workout Snack

The following is a very simple snack that I think tastes great for pre and post workouts (a carb source that is high on the GI and a good source of protein - See my previous blog about the bracketing technique).

Combine one whole banana and a scoop of chocolate protein powder (If you have powdered supplements, mix them with the protein powder before adding the banana). Mash the banana and powder together and you're done.  The result is a very sweet chocolcate banana combination that tastes great (I swear!) and is a perfect workout meal.

The Bracketing Method

I have been weight lifting for a long time and have always considered myself a 'hard gainer' as far it relates to acquiring muscle.  While I still think I am more 'genetically challenged' then a professional athlete or body builder, I wanted to share a few techniques in the upcoming weeks about differing strategies that will help you gain muscle. 

The first technique I want to talk about is AST's 'Bracketing Method'.  AST's advocates have a meal immediately before and after your workouts.  The meal should contain a balance of protein and carbohydrates.  The carbs should be high in the glycemic index, thereby spiking your insulin.  AST's theory is that introducing a carbohydrate that is high on the GI does a couple things 1) It quickly fuels depleted muscles with much need glycogen - this protects your hard earned muscle and reduces the chance of your body going into a catabolic state 2) it rapidly delivers protein and nutrients to the muscle allowing your body to start the repairing process immediately following a workout. (You damage muscle when you work out - it isn't until after the workout that the muscle building process begins.)

I have been experimenting with the Bracketing Method for a year with excellent results.  I recommend a whey protein source and a rapidly absorbing sugar, but the reality is that you don't need fancy supplements to get results - You can use a lean protein source, such as chicken or fish and a starchy carbohydrate source - potatoes and bananas work great. 

I typically intake about 35 grams of protein and @ 40 grams of carbs for my bracketing meals.  I recommend this method before and after lifting AND cardio.

Protein Power

Most people neglect the consumption of good protein sources throughout the day. 

The amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of your body's cells used for all the tissues of the body such as muscle, hair, nails, skin, eyes, and our organs.

 

A moderate protein intake can benefit your diet and your body in many ways, including improving your body's ability to burn fat and decreasing your body's ability to store body fat. In addition, protein will assist your body in building muscle - the more muscle your body has, the higher your metabolic rate will be.

 

Remember, always keep your carbohydrate intake higher than your protein intake to avoid ketosis.

 

Source: Nutrition, October 2005

Why Am I Doing This?

I realized that I don't have a profile of myself on the site and I wanted to tell everyone why I am blogging and why my advice may have any value.  About 10 years ago I hit 265 lbs (at least that was the last time I weighed myself - I honestly think I probably got up to 275).  During this time I felt that I actually ate pretty healthy, i.e. low fat, nothing fried, no burgers, desserts, etc.  My cholesterol was actually under 100.  But when I saw the scale that last time, I knew I had to make a change.  I knew I would do anything (so long as it was healthy) if I thought it would help me reach my goals.

A friend of mine at work introduced me to The Zone.  His wife had experienced great results with it and I was completely intrigued.  I quickly read the book, cleaned out my refrigerator and started to pay attention to balancing my carb, protien and fat intake.  Let me tell you the results well amazing  I started to drop a pound or two a week and I felt great.  The weight came off and stayed off and my life quickly changed in many perspectives, from the activities I participated in to the type of women I attracted.

The biggest changes in my diet were the amount and types of carbs I brought in, and the additional protein introduced into my diet.  I have previously eaten tons of pasta and breads - after reading The Zone I still ate a fair amount of carbs, but instead of starches I now ate plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Previously I had an extremely low protien intake, where afterwards I was eating protien with every meal. 

I will post a follow-up regarding how The Zone is different that Atkins, along with the benefits of a moderate protien intake and eating foods low on the glycemic index (fruits, veggies, etc).

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, I am @ 185 now, under 10% body fat and I have kept the weight off without any problems ;)