Plant-Based, Low-Carb Diet May Promote Weight Loss And Impro

LeanLioness

For those of you that think Atkins is some type of "fad" - here is some proof that it is not, it is a Lifestyle change........................

I am living proof that Atkins, when done by the book, will improve cholesterol numbers. Click on the link in my signature for my bloodwork results from December 2008 when I started and then again in April when I first checked my progress............

Yes, I eat the skin on my chicken and the fat on the steaks that I cook. I eat a lot of vegetables and have added some fruits that do not spike my blood sugar................

Overweight individuals who ate a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet high in plant-based proteins for four weeks lost weight and experienced improvements in blood cholesterol levels and other heart disease risk factors, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. A high-carbohydrate, low-fat vegetarian diet also resulted in weight loss but without the additional cardiovascular benefits.

"There is a dilemma relating to the proportion and source of fat, protein and carbohydrate that constitutes the optimal weight loss and cholesterol-lowering diet," the authors write as background information in the article. Newer dietary approaches for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease emphasize increased fruit and vegetable intake and reduced meat consumption.

However, low-carbohydrate diets with increased meat consumption have also been promoted for body weight reduction and the prevention and treatment of diabetes and coronary heart disease. These diets have been shown to be effective in inducing weight loss, reducing insulin resistance, lowering blood fats known as triglycerides and raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, or "good" cholesterol) levels, but have tended to increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, or "bad" cholesterol) levels. "This lack of a benefit for LDL-C control is a major disadvantage in using this dietary strategy in those already at increased risk of coronary heart disease," the authors write.

David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., of St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues tested the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetable proteins from gluten, soy, nuts, fruits, vegetables, cereals and vegetable oils among overweight men and women with high LDL cholesterol levels. A total of 25 participants were randomly assigned to consume this diet-the "Eco-Atkins" diet-for four weeks, while an additional 25 participants ate a control diet that was high-carbohydrate, lacto-ovo vegetarian and based on low-fat dairy and whole grain products. Study food was provided to participants at 60 percent of their estimated calorie requirements.

Of the 47 participants who began the study, 44 (22 in each group) completed the four-week period. Weight loss was similar-about 4 kilograms or 8.8 pounds-in both groups. However, reductions in LDL-C levels and improvements in the ratios between total cholesterol and HDL-C were greater for the low-carbohydrate diet compared with the high-carbohydrate diet. The low-carbohydrate diet also appeared to produce beneficial changes in levels and ratios of apolipoproteins, proteins that bind to fats. In addition, small but significantly greater reductions were seen in both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure for the low-carbohydrate vs. the high-carbohydrate group.

Pending answers to important questions, including whether further reducing carbohydrate intake would produce additional benefits, "a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetable proteins and oils may be an effective option in treating those with dyslipidemia for whom both weight loss and lower LDL-C concentrations are treatment goals," the authors conclude.

Arch Intern Med. 2009;169[11]:1046-1054

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153157.php

Main News Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness

Also Appears In: Cholesterol, Nutrition / Diet,

naugustyniak

I was told NOT to do Atkins by my doctor because too much protein can cause kidney problems and I am prone to kidney stones. If it works for you great but I can't stay on a "diet" that deprives me of anything specific.

LeanLioness

Actually, my protein is no higher than most people here that eat clean...............

My ratios are as follows:

FAT: 50%
PROTEIN: 40%
CARBS: 10%

I consume between 1800 - 2000 calories per day............

nenemom

I'm a big fan of Atkins. i lost 40 pounds over a year on the high-protein, low-carb diet. My cholesterol which was about 200 at the beginning went up to 220 within 6 months. Even so, I was very happy with the results and feel like I have developed a new outlook. White flour, sugar and pasta are a thing of the past and I feel great. I would recommend this diet to those who have had trouble watching food portions, in particular.

However, a couple of weeks ago, I went to a pain clinic (for fibromyalgia) and was told i need to go on an "anti-inflammatory diet" (adapted from Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-aging diet). I am surprised at my extreme depression about having to switch my eating approach. I had found something that worked for me, and now I am having to totally give that up.

I feel like i am back to counting calories of this, grams of that, and totally having to monitor every little thing, which was not true on Atkins. Also, with the adding back in of much more whole grains, I am already gaining weight. I feel like on this new approach i will have to eat almost nothing and can only "pick" at my food, which i am so not used to.

Not to mention, Plus, I feel ravenous all the time. Carbs really stimulate my hunger, even if it's the whole grain type. I feel like all the hype about "foods that will keep you full" is a bunch of hooey. Protein is what keep me from getting hungry, plain and simple.

I am willing to try the new approach because of the promise that chronic pain will decrease, but it will take time to find a new equilibrium that doesn't make me gain all the weight i am so proud of losing.

This website is based on the tried-and-true , possibly outdated formulas. Hopefully I can get it to work for me, if I can manage the hunger pains. The experts tell us, do Whatever works, the main thing is be healthy and keep the weight normal

Good luck everybody.

Nich0le

All diets work, it just depends on the individual what works best for them. I saw this same issue on the news a few days ago and basically they said atkins in it's original form, while ending in weight loss, is not the best option for over all health. However, tweak the diet away from red meats and more toward plant based protein and it is an overall healthy diet.

Same basic research was done and results given earlier this year that people that exercised at least 30 minutes 3 times a week and stayed within a certain calorie range lost weight regardless of their diet.

Message: exercise and food intake are the two main ingredients to your weight, of course, you want to choose healthier foods. My opinion, if you find something that works for you and motivates you then go for it!

naugustyniaks doctor has a good point, atkins has been linked to kidney stones in women because of the high protein content, women's bodies don't process protein as well as men.