The Skinny on Low Carbohydrate Diets

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The Skinny on Low Carbohydrate Diets

• The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
  Service

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Americans Are Gaining Too Much Weight!

• Overweight is a major problem, not only in the
  U.S., but throughout the world
• The increase in weight causes an increase in many
  chronic diseases
• diabetes
• heart disease
• cancer
• arthritis

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Why Is America Gaining Weight?

• Were eating too much
• Large portions
• Empty calories

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Why Is America Gaining Weight?

• We sit too much
• We get too little physical activity

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Americans Are Turning To Fad Diets
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Low Carbohydrate Diets Recycled

• Low-carb diets are not new - many are from the
  70s
• The Stillman Diet
• Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution
• The Scarsdale Diet
• Airforce Diet

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The Lure of Low-Carb Fad Diets

• Lose weight quickly
• Less hunger
• Unlimited amounts of meat and fat

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The Lure of Low- Carb Fad Diets

• Low-carb foods are flooding the market
• in the grocery store
• in restaurants

Low-Carb Menu
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Low Carb Diet Claims

• Carbohydrate is the cause of weight gain
• too much insulin is released, causing hunger,
  cravings and weight gain
• Low-carb diets cause weight loss

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What is a Low Carbohydrate Diet?

• Typical low-carb diet
• Initially severely restricts foods with
  carbohydrate
• Fruits, vegetables, milk, whole grains
• Often allows unlimited meats and fats

Low-Carb Yogurt
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Do You Need Carbohydrate?

• Your brain depends on carbohydrate for energy
• A minimum of 130 grams per day
• Low carbohydrate diets provide only 20-90 grams
  carbohydrate per day

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Importance of Carbohydrates

• Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat
  dairy foods are an important part of any diet
• Contain nutrients
• that are needed for
• good health

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Be Carbohydrate Conscious

• Limit portions of all carbohydrates to limit
  calories
• Carbohydrates that are high in sugar or fat are
  less healthy

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Do Low Carb Diets Work?
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Quick Weight Loss

• Promises of quick weight loss?
• Weight lost during first 7-14 days is water loss

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Quick Weight Loss
Carbohydrate stored in muscle and liver
Water
Energy
Water loss, not fat loss
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Do Low Carb Diets Work?

• You will lose weight if you follow any diet
• Due to fewer calories
• Low carb diets
• Severely limit food choices
• Dont allow foods that people often overeat
• Studies show low carb diets do not work better

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Are Low Carb Diets Harmful?

• Lack important nutrients
• found in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy
  products and whole grains
• High in cholesterol and saturated fat
• May increase risk of heart disease

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Are Low Carb Diets Harmful?

• May increase the risk of
• Bone loss
• Kidney stones
• Gout (painful joint disease)
• Kidney disease
• Dehydration and constipation

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Are Low Carb Diets Harmful?

• Low carb diets may hinder the performance of
  athletes
• May run out of energy too quickly
• Carbohydrate needed to replenish stored
  carbohydrate in muscles (glycogen)
• Low-carb diets may cause dehydration

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What About Low Carb Products?
Low carb beer
Low carb ice cream
Low carb pasta
Low carb cookies
Low carb bread
Low carb candy
Low carb chips
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How Do They Make a Food Low Carb ?
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Low Carb French Toast

• ½ 3-ounce bag unflavored pork rinds
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 3 packets Splenda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla

Crumble pork rinds. Beat eggs well, then mix with
remaining ingredients and beat again. Add crushed
pork rinds to the egg/cream mixture. Mix will
thicken to a gloppy phase... Serve with lots of
butter and low-carb syrup. Serves 2 310
Calories 25 grams fat 1.5 grams CHO 270 mg
cholesterol
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How Are Carbs Reduced?

• Reduce or eliminate flour
• Use proteins from soy beans, wheat, oats, milk,
  eggs
• Add fiber
• Replace sugar
• Sugar alcohols (maltitol) or sugar substitutes
• Reduce the serving size

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Confusing Labeling Lingo
Net Carbs? Impact Carbs? Effective Carbs?

• New terms created as marketing ploy
• Manufacturers subtract fiber and sugar alcohols
  from Total Carbohydrate to get net carbs

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Net Carbs or Total Carbs
ADVANTAGE
3g Net Carbs
Atkins
Chocolate Mocha Crunch Bar
Net wt 2.11 oz (60 g)
Nutrition Facts Serving size 1 bar (60 g)
Calories 220 Total Carbohydrate 22 g
Dietary Fiber 10 g Sugars 0 g
Advice Ignore net carbs look at the
Nutrition Facts label
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The Bottom Line on Low-Carb Foods

• Have not been shown to help with weight loss
• Are not usually low in calories or fat
• Poor taste
• Expensive

Low-Carb
Low-Carb Yogurt
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Atkins Diet Example
3-egg omelet 1 oz cheese 1 tsp. butter 4 slices
bacon
6 oz grilled chicken 2 cups salad ¼ cup almonds ¼
cup oil vinegar
8 ounces steak 3/4 cup broccoli 2 tsp butter
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Evaluating a Low Carb Diet

• Low in
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Antioxidants, phytonutrients
• High in
• Total fat
• Saturated fat
• Cholesterol

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Cholesterol and Fat Comparisons
1000 mg
Percent Calories from Fat
Cholesterol
1000 mg
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Current Recommendations
Current Recommendations
Atkins
Atkins
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Atkins Diet Example(with low-carb foods)
3-egg omelet 1 oz cheese 1 slice low-carb toast 1
tsp. butter 4 slices bacon
6 oz grilled chicken 2 cups salad 1 oz. low carb
tortilla chips ¼ cup almonds ¼ cup oil
vinegar 2 low-carb cookies
8 ounces steak 3/4 cup broccoli 2 tsp butter 1
cup low-carb ice-cream
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How Low-Carb Diets Stack Up
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Example of 1500 Calorie Low-fat Menu

• Breakfast Lunch Dinner
• ½ cup orange juice 6 carrot sticks 1
  medium sweet potato
• 1 cup skim milk 2 slices ww bread ¾
  cup broccoli
• ¾ cup bran cereal 2 oz turkey 1 cup
  lettuce salad
• 1 apple 3 oz baked
  salmon
• 1 cup skim milk 1 whole
  wheat roll
• 2 tsp. mayonnaise 2 Tbs. olive oil
  vinegar 2 tsp. margarine
• Evening Snack
• 6 oz low-fat yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries

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Hints for Weight Loss Success
Food and exercise habits of successful weight
losers

• Follow a reduced calorie, low-fat diet
• Exercise at least 30 minutes most days
• Keep a record of what and how much is eaten
• Eat breakfast every day
• Check weight weekly