Insulin, Low Carbs, Gary Taubes, and James Krieger

SideSteel
SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
Without question, one of the best articles I've read that serves to debunk some misconceptions about low carb dieting, would have to be that of James Krieger over at www.weightology.net.


Please take a look at the following article on insulin. Read it, and then read it again. It's fantastic:
http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319


For those of you who have stumbled across a Taubes book, I'd also recommend the following:
http://www.weightology.net/?p=251
http://www.weightology.net/?p=265

Replies

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Good stuff! You know I'v'e read some of this but looking forward to the other links I haven't.
  • dirtnap63
    dirtnap63 Posts: 1,387 Member
    Very interesting. Thanks SideSteel.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Thanks I forgot about this link.
  • Daniloveshockey94
    Daniloveshockey94 Posts: 348 Member
    Thw artrcle was AWESOME SS! Great job!
  • missym357
    missym357 Posts: 210 Member
    I like this.
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    a good read, thank you :)
  • mistesh
    mistesh Posts: 243 Member
    Please take a look at the following article on insulin. Read it, and then read it again. It's fantastic:
    http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

    What if lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) continues for a while after you wake up (by yourself) or lipogenesis (the creation of fat) kicks in before? I wonder what determines your pattern.
  • ssaraj43
    ssaraj43 Posts: 575 Member
    Bump
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,210 Member
    Without question, one of the best articles I've read that serves to debunk some misconceptions about low carb dieting, would have to be that of James Krieger over at www.weightology.net.

    James certainly isn't anti-low-carb and neither am I (it has it's place), but he's definitely anti-BS.

    Please take a look at the following article on insulin. Read it, and then read it again. It's fantastic:
    http://www.weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319


    For those of you who have stumbled across a Taubes book, I'd also recommend the following:
    http://www.weightology.net/?p=251
    http://www.weightology.net/?p=265
    Classic, everyone should read these. I just want to mention that there's many people including myself that consume fewer than what would normally be described as normal and don't believe all the low carb diatribe that seems to proliferate most guru's of low carb. My carb intake hovers around 200-225 g's which represents about 25%. I have no desire to take it lower, which is were the bull**** seems to start it seems.
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
    Bump
  • lnettles87
    lnettles87 Posts: 35 Member
    Saving for later!
  • DianeinCA
    DianeinCA Posts: 307 Member
    Bump
  • StephieWillcox
    StephieWillcox Posts: 627 Member
    Thanks for posting this.

    I have suspected PCOS, and my doctor suggested a low carb (<50g net), moderate protein, high fat diet to help.

    When he explained it to me, he said this would keep insulin lower, as the excess insulin I was (am) producing can cause my ovaries and adrenal glands to over-produce testosterone and other hormones that contribute to all of the nasty PCOS symptoms.

    I have been tried to do reading around this subject as I know that doctors do not get much training in nutrition (or indeed, PCOS).

    If anyone has an understanding of PCOS, ideally in combination with low carb, I would be grateful if you could confirm/correct my doctor's statement above!

    I should note that I have been following the lower carb plan for about 2 weeks now, I don't really feel any different, but I don't feel worse, so I am happy to continue for the 3 months proposed to see if any symptoms improve.

    Cheers,

    Steph
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
    Steph - I think PCOS is something outside the scope of these articles. Low carb diets are often suggested for people with insulin resistance, due to blood sugar issues. Since protein is as insulinogenic as carbohydrate, if you really need to keep insulin levels low because of hyperandrogenism you would need to eat low protein, low carb, high fat (as mentioned in the first link). Not that I (or anyone) is recommending such a macro breakdown. Make sure to exercise, as exercise increases insulin sensitivity (reducing the amount you'd need to make) and ask to speak to a specialist if/when you get the actual PCOS diagnosis.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
    Great article - thanks SS
  • StephieWillcox
    StephieWillcox Posts: 627 Member
    Steph - I think PCOS is something outside the scope of these articles. Low carb diets are often suggested for people with insulin resistance, due to blood sugar issues. Since protein is as insulinogenic as carbohydrate, if you really need to keep insulin levels low because of hyperandrogenism you would need to eat low protein, low carb, high fat (as mentioned in the first link). Not that I (or anyone) is recommending such a macro breakdown. Make sure to exercise, as exercise increases insulin sensitivity (reducing the amount you'd need to make) and ask to speak to a specialist if/when you get the actual PCOS diagnosis.

    Thanks - this was helpful!

    I will definitely be asking to speak to a proper nutritionist after further testing, but at least this seems to be the right sort of track to begin with.
  • agrafina
    agrafina Posts: 128 Member
    I'm horribly confused now. I have been diagnosed with insulin resistance via blood test, and the dietician I spoke with recommended a "low carb" diet that was essentially a low GI/GL diet with one free meal a week that came out to about 40% carbs, 20% protein, and about 40% fat when I worked out the macros on how she wanted me to eat with my way of implementing it (her guidance in a nutshell--minimum 20-25 g protein at breakfast, snacks with protein and fruit with every snack, 3/4 c beans daily, small portion of protein + vegetables for dinner). I've just become more skeptical of the people involved with this medically supervised weight loss program that I've been involved with and I want a second opinion.

    Now I read that protein is as insulinogenic as carbs are. So how should I eat? Should I keep doing what I'm doing? My blood sugar is normal, I do not have PCOS, just insulin resistance.

    Stats for background are 5'6", 250 lbs. I'm down about 20 lbs from my high. I've been following the dietitians recommendations for about a six weeks,and 15 of the 20 pounds I've lost has been during that time. I take metformin for the insulin resistance, vitamin D for extremely low levels, 2 grams of fish oil a day, and topirimate for weight loss, which I'm considering stopping.

    I haven't started exercising yet. I have a pass to check out a gym and I'm going to start the Strong Lifts 5x5 on Sunday. I also plan on adding in cardio on weight lifting days once I get over the initial shock of exercise.

    Any help you can provide would be helpful.
  • tony56pr
    tony56pr Posts: 141 Member
    Sorry but I've got to say that low carb is the way for me. I've lost over 100 pounds, so sorry not just water weight and for me, I am not starving all the time, even though I went 6+ months with no more than 50 g of carbs and 2000 calories, a day with 5 days a week workouts (no energy issues either so stop that excuse, if you have fat it is energy why you stored it). I've went up to about 2400 last couple months and I'm still losing. Also reason why insulin goes up with protein, especially whey is because of fat content, higher the fat the less of a response, egg whites spike insulin too because most fat of egg is in yolk. But in normal eating this wouldn't be problem. And 75 g is far from low carb, most days (still) I only eat 12 g of carbs per meal. So to truly see how much protein and or carb affect insulin, you can't have both in meal. All protein and fat then carb and fat and see then. Of course if you know food you'll have little protein in carb meal and you can throw in few carbs with protein. However, people are going to believe whatever they want. Can you lose fat either way? Sure, but for some, me, more carbs i ate more i wanted. Eat high carb and get those midnight munchies all the time, especially on caloric deficit. Or you can drop the carbs and feel full 99.99999% of the time unless you are really starving yourself.
  • tony56pr
    tony56pr Posts: 141 Member
    Oh, many sources, but it also takes more work to digest protein than fat or carbs. http://www.sharecare.com/health/protein-body-impact/why-digest-protein-fats-carbohydrates is one such article. Anyways, if it takes more work for protein then isn't this more beneficial? And another reason you stay full longer. But anyways.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Oh, many sources, but it also takes more work to digest protein than fat or carbs. http://www.sharecare.com/health/protein-body-impact/why-digest-protein-fats-carbohydrates is one such article. Anyways, if it takes more work for protein then isn't this more beneficial? And another reason you stay full longer. But anyways.

    Yes, higher thermic effect of food and greater satiety would be two benefits of increased protein intake. This is pretty well established/accepted, although I don't see how this comment relates to the information posted in the OP.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Sorry but I've got to say that low carb is the way for me. I've lost over 100 pounds, so sorry not just water weight and for me, I am not starving all the time, even though I went 6+ months with no more than 50 g of carbs and 2000 calories, a day with 5 days a week workouts (no energy issues either so stop that excuse, if you have fat it is energy why you stored it). I've went up to about 2400 last couple months and I'm still losing. Also reason why insulin goes up with protein, especially whey is because of fat content, higher the fat the less of a response, egg whites spike insulin too because most fat of egg is in yolk. But in normal eating this wouldn't be problem. And 75 g is far from low carb, most days (still) I only eat 12 g of carbs per meal. So to truly see how much protein and or carb affect insulin, you can't have both in meal. All protein and fat then carb and fat and see then. Of course if you know food you'll have little protein in carb meal and you can throw in few carbs with protein. However, people are going to believe whatever they want. Can you lose fat either way? Sure, but for some, me, more carbs i ate more i wanted. Eat high carb and get those midnight munchies all the time, especially on caloric deficit. Or you can drop the carbs and feel full 99.99999% of the time unless you are really starving yourself.

    It sounds to me by the tone of this post that you are either attempting to refute information in the OP or you're possibly reading into something that isn't there.

    If you're losing fat on a lower carbohydrate intake and your gym performance is good and your personal preferences are being met then congrats.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    It's against it, right? ;)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Sorry but I've got to say that low carb is the way for me. I've lost over 100 pounds, so sorry not just water weight and for me, I am not starving all the time, even though I went 6+ months with no more than 50 g of carbs and 2000 calories, a day with 5 days a week workouts (no energy issues either so stop that excuse, if you have fat it is energy why you stored it). I've went up to about 2400 last couple months and I'm still losing. Also reason why insulin goes up with protein, especially whey is because of fat content, higher the fat the less of a response, egg whites spike insulin too because most fat of egg is in yolk. But in normal eating this wouldn't be problem. And 75 g is far from low carb, most days (still) I only eat 12 g of carbs per meal. So to truly see how much protein and or carb affect insulin, you can't have both in meal. All protein and fat then carb and fat and see then. Of course if you know food you'll have little protein in carb meal and you can throw in few carbs with protein. However, people are going to believe whatever they want. Can you lose fat either way? Sure, but for some, me, more carbs i ate more i wanted. Eat high carb and get those midnight munchies all the time, especially on caloric deficit. Or you can drop the carbs and feel full 99.99999% of the time unless you are really starving yourself.

    Where did you see that it was implied that the weight that you lost was all due to water weight?

    Where did you see that low carb was implied not to be satiating?

    Your comment re protein and insulin in a mixed meal also applies to carbs.

    Seems like you have found something that works for you and helps adherence to a calorie deficit by to curbing hunger. High protein and fat is satiating.