This is the last post on the Low Carb Wisdom blog. But I will be continuing my blogging at a new blog, Real Food Wisdom (more on the new blog below). I am abandoning this blog as I no longer consider myself to be following a low carb way of eating. I am grateful for the introduction to the low carb lifestyle, as it opened my previously closed eyes to the realities of eating nutrient dense foods. But I no longer believe the central, low carb article of faith: the Taubesian hypothesis that carbohydrates elevate insulin levels, which in turn drives fat storage. I also reject the belief that you must only count carbs, not calories and I reject the belief that exercise does not help with weight loss. These three ideas are elaborated on at length in Gary Taubes' book, Why We Get Fat.
This means I do believe there are good carbs (e.g., potatoes, white rice) and bad carbs (e.g., refined wheat or sugar), just as there are good proteins (e.g., meat) and bad proteins (e.g., gluten) and good fats (e.g., butter or lard) and bad fats (e.g., soybean or corn oil). I am also put off by all the low carb dogma out there, where you are a "sinner" if you eat a potato or white rice. Also, there is a growing recognition that the low carb way of eating is not a magic bullet, that low carb can cause problems (and abandoning low carb may actually cure those problems), and that some carbs may actually help with weight loss.
So what do I believe? How will I be eating in the future? I now consider myself to be following a version of the Paleo diet and briefly considered creating a blog called "Paleo Wisdom" (the name is available), but I didn't want to lock myself into another diet mode (repeating the "Low Carb" mistake by linking my way of eating to a specific, named dietary approach). The version of the Paleo diet that I follow most closely is the Jaminets' Perfect Health Diet, which is controversial in the Paleo community, because it doesn't shun potatoes, rice, and dairy. But I reserve the right to change my mind in the future about what I eat, as new evidence comes along.
So what do I believe? And how will it affect my future diet?
I believe that natural, real, whole foods are best, foods with very little or no processing. This means I am open to some non-Paleo belief systems, such as the Weston A. Price view of nutrition. It also means that things like potatoes and bananas are fine to eat, in moderation, and perhaps even correctly prepared, ancestral wheat.
I believe that eating animal products is essential to good health.
I believe that correctly rendered lard, butter, egg yolks, meat, coconut and olive oils, tree nuts and other high fat items are healthy for you and won't give you a heart attack. I am grateful to Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes for opening my eyes on this point.
I believe that calories count, that this is the biggest determinant of weight loss and maintenance. I also believe that calorie restriction is necessary for maintaining appropriate blood glucose levels. It is not all about eliminating carbs, it is also about limiting calories. Adding in potatoes and rice, while watching calories, actually helped me stabilize my blood glucose levels.
I believe in eating vegetables. Lots of vegetables. And some fruit.
I now believe that food reward and palatability are crucial concepts to understand in losing and maintaining weight. I believe that simple foods are best, for most occasions. Thank you, Stephan Guyenet.
I believe in exercise. Both resistance training and cardio vascular. Just not to excess.
I believe that eating nutrient dense, whole, real foods is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carb approach to eating. Therefore, it is not necessary to add fat just to be more healthy. It is already high fat.
I believe in (this may surprise you) the Weight Watchers approach to losing weight. Not their low fat mantra nor their fat phobia, but their psychological perspective on weight loss, the weekly accountability of weighing in and the community support one gets from interacting with others on a similar weight loss journey. One of my most gratifying experiences in life was when I was a leader at Weight Watchers. I have written about this before and I am now actively considering re-joining Weight Watchers, but on my own terms. Calories count, but counting calories is a bummer. Counting points is easier. I can eat Paleo using their point system to track calories and I will lose weight. Plus I will gain the support of the people in the weekly meetings and perhaps influence some of their attitudes about eating real food.
So if you have enjoyed what I have written on Low Carb Wisdom, consider following me as I transition to Real Food Wisdom. The first post will be up shortly, probably tomorrow.
Showing posts with label Perfect Health Diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perfect Health Diet. Show all posts
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Dinner Tonight
I am still trying to decide what to do with this blog, since it is called Low Carb Wisdom and since I no longer believe in the carbohydrate-insulin-fat hypothesis. I have converted to a more ancestral way of eating, more Paleo, more Perfect Health Diet, with a focus on real, whole foods, and without the dogma I see on so many low carb sites. So until I decide what to rename the blog, I thought I would post some photos of what I have been eating. Most people are curious to know what I eat anyway.
Here is a photo of dinner tonight (click to enlarge):
I ate a 250 gram (roughly 8 ounce) Irish rib eye steak (100% grass fed) cooked in a small amount of coconut oil (perhaps one or two teaspoons). Since I am not in Ireland (sad cries), the steak is obviously imported. The salad is what the British call "rocket" (and what the French call roquette); we in the states call this "arugula." The photo also shows some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. For a dressing: olive oil (the good stuff: first cold pressing from Italy) and balsamic vinegar, with a bit of salt and pepper. Two large cups of filtered water to drink, and for dessert, 10 grams of 70% Cote d'Or dark chocolate. Total calories: about 1,000, give or take. I doubt I have consumed more than 2,400 calories today and have walked a lot (13,000 steps and counting).
Blood Glucose reading one hour after eating: 109.
Here is a photo of dinner tonight (click to enlarge):
I ate a 250 gram (roughly 8 ounce) Irish rib eye steak (100% grass fed) cooked in a small amount of coconut oil (perhaps one or two teaspoons). Since I am not in Ireland (sad cries), the steak is obviously imported. The salad is what the British call "rocket" (and what the French call roquette); we in the states call this "arugula." The photo also shows some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. For a dressing: olive oil (the good stuff: first cold pressing from Italy) and balsamic vinegar, with a bit of salt and pepper. Two large cups of filtered water to drink, and for dessert, 10 grams of 70% Cote d'Or dark chocolate. Total calories: about 1,000, give or take. I doubt I have consumed more than 2,400 calories today and have walked a lot (13,000 steps and counting).
Blood Glucose reading one hour after eating: 109.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Busting Through My Stall
One of my new year's resolutions was to do a 30-day, very clean Paleo experiment. I chose a hybrid of the Perfect Health Diet and Chris Kresser's Personal Paleo Code reset diet. So for the past 30 days, I gave up dairy, artificial sweeteners, dark chocolate, most packaged and processed foods, and all forms of sweeteners, artificial or not (e.g., no more maple or rice syrup). I avoided eating out as much as possible and concentrated on eating real, whole foods that I cooked myself. I made sure to eat safe starches each and every day, in the form of sweet potatoes, potatoes, or rice. I do not drink alcohol, coffee, and caffeinated teas, so they were not a problem for me. And I paid attention to calories, as they matter. Today is day 30 of this experiment.
What Happened
So what happened? Several things, all of them good.
First, I busted through my stall. For about six months, I had stalled in the 242-245 pound range, though in recent weeks I had gotten up to has high as 249. That was a good 25-30 pounds above my ideal weight (I am tall). On January 1, 2012, I weighed 249.8 pounds and this morning, January 30, 2012, I weighed 233.8 pounds, for a total loss of 16 pounds.
Second, my blood glucose levels were excellent. They fell, and rapidly. In particular, my fasting blood glucose levels were a bit high (the "dawn phenomenon"), but they fell to below 100 most mornings. One-hour readings were almost always below 120 and two-hour readings were close to 100.
Third, I broke an addiction to artificial sweeteners. I haven't had anything with an artificial sweetener for 30 days now and have drunk nothing but water and herbal tea. Something caused me to have big headaches the first week, as I was weaning myself from non-natural foods. It was like the caffeine withdrawal I had when I finally gave up diet colas three years ago (I am not a coffee or caffeinated tea drinker). I don't know what caused the headaches, but I am wondering if it wasn't all the artificial sweeteners I had been consuming.
Why I Believe it Worked
So why was I able to drop 16 pounds in 30 days, when I was stalled for six months? Because I was consuming fewer calories, bottom line. When you cut out dairy, sweeteners (artificial and real), chocolate, and other processed foods, you simply eat less. I noticed that immediately, when I realized the range of foods available for me to eat was quite limited. I also stopped snacking. Plus the foods I actually ate were whole and real. I only ate out when I absolutely could not help it.
After going gangbusters on a low carb diet, I got sloppy and started eating things that were probably not good for me. Dark chocolate tops that list. I pretty much ate some chocolate almost every day and for me, chocolate is a trigger food. Also, I bought into all the "high fat low carb" fairy tale hype I had seen on the Internet. So I was making an effort to add fat to everything. What I didn't really realize was that a low carb or Paleo diet is already high fat; you don't have to add fat to make it high fat. When you cut back on carbs, fat fills the void. Naturally.
I also ate a lot of energy dense foods as snacks, such as cheeses, almonds, almond flour, other nuts, and ice cream. You simply cannot eat all you want of these types of food and lose weight; calories count. This is a message that needs repeating on the Internet.
Challenges I Faced
It wasn't easy to do. I got withdrawal headaches from something that were very unpleasant for the first week. Then my father passed away and I spent 10 days on the road, eating what I could, when I could. On only one occasion during the funeral trip was I forced to make a compromise. I hadn't eaten much and, because of traveling, had to eat on the road. I probably consumed fewer than 1,000 calories that day, but I did buy a stick of beef jerky and some smokehouse almonds from a convenience store to get through that particular situation. I also had a really bad cold two weeks into the process and took some cold medication (but not a lot) . I had wanted to have a chemical free experience, but life happened.
Lessons Learned
Here are some lessons I learned:
Moving Forward
I will be gradually reintroducing some of the foods I have not eaten for a while, but continue to pay attention to calories. I am getting near my goal of 215-220 pounds and I want to reach that, as I want to go paragliding in Switzerland this summer. I am still taking refuge in the Carbsane Asylum and not blindly accepting what I read on the web anymore. There are many wise voices on the web, but also lots of fairy tales.
What Happened
So what happened? Several things, all of them good.
First, I busted through my stall. For about six months, I had stalled in the 242-245 pound range, though in recent weeks I had gotten up to has high as 249. That was a good 25-30 pounds above my ideal weight (I am tall). On January 1, 2012, I weighed 249.8 pounds and this morning, January 30, 2012, I weighed 233.8 pounds, for a total loss of 16 pounds.
Second, my blood glucose levels were excellent. They fell, and rapidly. In particular, my fasting blood glucose levels were a bit high (the "dawn phenomenon"), but they fell to below 100 most mornings. One-hour readings were almost always below 120 and two-hour readings were close to 100.
Third, I broke an addiction to artificial sweeteners. I haven't had anything with an artificial sweetener for 30 days now and have drunk nothing but water and herbal tea. Something caused me to have big headaches the first week, as I was weaning myself from non-natural foods. It was like the caffeine withdrawal I had when I finally gave up diet colas three years ago (I am not a coffee or caffeinated tea drinker). I don't know what caused the headaches, but I am wondering if it wasn't all the artificial sweeteners I had been consuming.
Why I Believe it Worked
So why was I able to drop 16 pounds in 30 days, when I was stalled for six months? Because I was consuming fewer calories, bottom line. When you cut out dairy, sweeteners (artificial and real), chocolate, and other processed foods, you simply eat less. I noticed that immediately, when I realized the range of foods available for me to eat was quite limited. I also stopped snacking. Plus the foods I actually ate were whole and real. I only ate out when I absolutely could not help it.
After going gangbusters on a low carb diet, I got sloppy and started eating things that were probably not good for me. Dark chocolate tops that list. I pretty much ate some chocolate almost every day and for me, chocolate is a trigger food. Also, I bought into all the "high fat low carb" fairy tale hype I had seen on the Internet. So I was making an effort to add fat to everything. What I didn't really realize was that a low carb or Paleo diet is already high fat; you don't have to add fat to make it high fat. When you cut back on carbs, fat fills the void. Naturally.
I also ate a lot of energy dense foods as snacks, such as cheeses, almonds, almond flour, other nuts, and ice cream. You simply cannot eat all you want of these types of food and lose weight; calories count. This is a message that needs repeating on the Internet.
Challenges I Faced
It wasn't easy to do. I got withdrawal headaches from something that were very unpleasant for the first week. Then my father passed away and I spent 10 days on the road, eating what I could, when I could. On only one occasion during the funeral trip was I forced to make a compromise. I hadn't eaten much and, because of traveling, had to eat on the road. I probably consumed fewer than 1,000 calories that day, but I did buy a stick of beef jerky and some smokehouse almonds from a convenience store to get through that particular situation. I also had a really bad cold two weeks into the process and took some cold medication (but not a lot) . I had wanted to have a chemical free experience, but life happened.
Lessons Learned
Here are some lessons I learned:
- Calories count.
- Whole foods are best.
- I was addicted to chocolate, which means I will probably have to avoid it in the future.
- I can survive without diet soda.
- I miss cheese, but will not go overboard with it when it is reintroduced.
- Coconut oil is my friend.
- I got sloppy and careless on the low carb diet, and consumed too many calories each day, which is why I stalled.
- Paleo is a much better eating philosophy than low carb.
- The low carb conventional wisdom found on the web (e.g., "Add fat!") is wrong.
- However, as a road warrior, low carb is easier to live with than clean Paleo, if one is forced to eat out a lot.
Moving Forward
I will be gradually reintroducing some of the foods I have not eaten for a while, but continue to pay attention to calories. I am getting near my goal of 215-220 pounds and I want to reach that, as I want to go paragliding in Switzerland this summer. I am still taking refuge in the Carbsane Asylum and not blindly accepting what I read on the web anymore. There are many wise voices on the web, but also lots of fairy tales.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Safe Starch Update
As I have previously mentioned, I am a type II diabetic, as well as a Perfect Health Diet adherent. I have been following the PHD quite rigorously for a while now and wanted to report on the progress.
First, I eat safe starches every day as part of my Paleo diet. Usually a half a cup of rice or a small- to medium-sized baked potato. Lately, I have been eating sweet potatoes (small to medium sized) most every evening, without anything added. And I check my blood sugar regularly. Two hours after eating a dinner of baked salmon with lemon infused olive oil, salad, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a medium sized sweet potato, my blood sugar was 95. My fasting blood sugar was 101 the next morning (my morning readings have always been high; Jenny Ruhl calls this the "dawn phenomenon"). Now these are not "normal" readings, but they are very good for me, especially given my history.
What is interesting is that my blood glucose levels have consistently fallen since adding in safe starches (and following the other aspects of the Perfect Health Diet), especially my fasting blood glucose readings. So I still reject the safe starch exclusion for type II diabetics. If it helps, like it does for me, eat safe starches, even if you are a type II diabetic.
First, I eat safe starches every day as part of my Paleo diet. Usually a half a cup of rice or a small- to medium-sized baked potato. Lately, I have been eating sweet potatoes (small to medium sized) most every evening, without anything added. And I check my blood sugar regularly. Two hours after eating a dinner of baked salmon with lemon infused olive oil, salad, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a medium sized sweet potato, my blood sugar was 95. My fasting blood sugar was 101 the next morning (my morning readings have always been high; Jenny Ruhl calls this the "dawn phenomenon"). Now these are not "normal" readings, but they are very good for me, especially given my history.
What is interesting is that my blood glucose levels have consistently fallen since adding in safe starches (and following the other aspects of the Perfect Health Diet), especially my fasting blood glucose readings. So I still reject the safe starch exclusion for type II diabetics. If it helps, like it does for me, eat safe starches, even if you are a type II diabetic.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Taubes on Low Carb Stalls
Low carb diets stall if you need to lose more than 17-19% of your body weight. That's the dirty little secret about low carb diets, one that I wish I had known. Weight Watchers took me all the way to goal, but low carb stalls. This has left me about 25-30 pounds short of my goal.
The good news is that I am weight stable; the bad news is that I am no longer going down. This is also very common.
Gary Taubes slickly warned us all of this phenomenon in his book, Why We Get Fat. So I can't say I wasn't warned, but he sugar coats the reality. The following quote is from pp. 204-205 of the 2010 hardback edition of his book:
"The fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be. This is clear. But there's no guarantee that the leanest we can be will ever be as lean as we'd like. This is a reality to be faced... [I]f you are not actively losing fat and yet want to be leaner still, the only viable option (short of surgery or the prospect that the pharmaceutical industry will come through with a safe and effective anti-obesity pill) is to eat still fewer carbohydrates, identify and avoid other foods that might stimulate significant insulin secretion--diet sodas, dairy products (cream, for instance), coffee, and nots, among others--and have more patience." (The bold and italicized emphasis is mine).
Why is this aspect of the low carb experience not given more exposure? I had to learn about it by reading the What They Don't Tell You About Low Carb Diets web site (a very good web site, which I highly recommend). And is patience the only way to get to goal? Carbsane has stalled, but been weight stable, for over three years now. How much more patience is needed? Lots of suggestions for busting through stalls, such as drinking more water, intermittent fasting (Taubes on p. 205 of the book referenced above), counting calories, etc.
Or perhaps low carb is not the answer, or at least, not the entire answer, to losing weight. I do not want to remain obese, even if other health markers are good (e.g., normal blood pressure, stabilized blood glucose levels). That is not a good strategy.
So over the next few months, I am going to explore other options. I remain committed to the Perfect Health Diet way of eating, but I am going to aggressively monitor calories and experiment with various foods that may or may not be causing me to stall. I have a goal in mind: I will be taking a group of students on a study abroad trip to Europe this summer (gratuitous link to my study abroad blog) and I want to be thin enough to go paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland. The upper limit is 220 pounds, so that is my goal. I should be able to lose another 25 pounds in the next six months or so and be ready for the paragliding activity.
The good news is that I am weight stable; the bad news is that I am no longer going down. This is also very common.
Gary Taubes slickly warned us all of this phenomenon in his book, Why We Get Fat. So I can't say I wasn't warned, but he sugar coats the reality. The following quote is from pp. 204-205 of the 2010 hardback edition of his book:
"The fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be. This is clear. But there's no guarantee that the leanest we can be will ever be as lean as we'd like. This is a reality to be faced... [I]f you are not actively losing fat and yet want to be leaner still, the only viable option (short of surgery or the prospect that the pharmaceutical industry will come through with a safe and effective anti-obesity pill) is to eat still fewer carbohydrates, identify and avoid other foods that might stimulate significant insulin secretion--diet sodas, dairy products (cream, for instance), coffee, and nots, among others--and have more patience." (The bold and italicized emphasis is mine).
Why is this aspect of the low carb experience not given more exposure? I had to learn about it by reading the What They Don't Tell You About Low Carb Diets web site (a very good web site, which I highly recommend). And is patience the only way to get to goal? Carbsane has stalled, but been weight stable, for over three years now. How much more patience is needed? Lots of suggestions for busting through stalls, such as drinking more water, intermittent fasting (Taubes on p. 205 of the book referenced above), counting calories, etc.
Or perhaps low carb is not the answer, or at least, not the entire answer, to losing weight. I do not want to remain obese, even if other health markers are good (e.g., normal blood pressure, stabilized blood glucose levels). That is not a good strategy.
So over the next few months, I am going to explore other options. I remain committed to the Perfect Health Diet way of eating, but I am going to aggressively monitor calories and experiment with various foods that may or may not be causing me to stall. I have a goal in mind: I will be taking a group of students on a study abroad trip to Europe this summer (gratuitous link to my study abroad blog) and I want to be thin enough to go paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland. The upper limit is 220 pounds, so that is my goal. I should be able to lose another 25 pounds in the next six months or so and be ready for the paragliding activity.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Low Carb Fairy Tales
Obesity is a complex problem. But, as is human tendency, we want a simple answer to a complex problem. And low carb is a simple answer. Yes, you can lose weight, but this is almost by accident, as when you go low carb, you cut out wheat and sugar, two very problematic things.
Low carb proponents tell the obese exactly what they want to hear:
1) It's not my fault I am fat; my metabolism is broken.
2) I can eat all the fat and protein I want and still lose weight, because low carb gives me a metabolic advantage.
3) Calories don't count, only carbs matter, since all carbs are fattening.
4) Exercise doesn't matter.
5) Carbs increase insulin, which increases fat storage. Cut the carbs and burn fat.
6) Add yummy fat to your diet to be even more healthy and speed up weight loss.
Isn't that nice? Only it's not true: it's merely a fairy tale, with very little empirical science to back it up.
But it is one heck of a persuasive argument to tell an obese person. It shifts the blame from your willpower to something you can't control: an out of whack metabolism. And it worked! At least at first. Then it stalled as it always does after 17-20% weight loss and I got wiser.
It was like learning that Santa Claus is not real: low carb is not the magic weight loss bullet I thought it was.
What I really wanted was a simple solution to what I now know is a complex problem. I didn't want my being fat to be blamed on my sloth and gluttony, I wanted another explanation (broken metabolism, fattening carbs!). I didn't want to exercise and I didn't want to count calories. I wanted to eat until I was full and lose weight. Nice, neat, simple, compelling, and wrong.
I am currently following the Perfect Health Diet, a scientifically developed Paleo diet that is not based on fairy tales and which encourages exercise and calorie counting, is already high fat (you don't have to add any more), and complex. But that is okay, because I no longer believe in Santa Claus.
Low carb proponents tell the obese exactly what they want to hear:
1) It's not my fault I am fat; my metabolism is broken.
2) I can eat all the fat and protein I want and still lose weight, because low carb gives me a metabolic advantage.
3) Calories don't count, only carbs matter, since all carbs are fattening.
4) Exercise doesn't matter.
5) Carbs increase insulin, which increases fat storage. Cut the carbs and burn fat.
6) Add yummy fat to your diet to be even more healthy and speed up weight loss.
Isn't that nice? Only it's not true: it's merely a fairy tale, with very little empirical science to back it up.
But it is one heck of a persuasive argument to tell an obese person. It shifts the blame from your willpower to something you can't control: an out of whack metabolism. And it worked! At least at first. Then it stalled as it always does after 17-20% weight loss and I got wiser.
It was like learning that Santa Claus is not real: low carb is not the magic weight loss bullet I thought it was.
What I really wanted was a simple solution to what I now know is a complex problem. I didn't want my being fat to be blamed on my sloth and gluttony, I wanted another explanation (broken metabolism, fattening carbs!). I didn't want to exercise and I didn't want to count calories. I wanted to eat until I was full and lose weight. Nice, neat, simple, compelling, and wrong.
I am currently following the Perfect Health Diet, a scientifically developed Paleo diet that is not based on fairy tales and which encourages exercise and calorie counting, is already high fat (you don't have to add any more), and complex. But that is okay, because I no longer believe in Santa Claus.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Taking Refuge in the Asylum
So why have I been silent for the past few weeks? The safe starch debate really got to me, especially the smug, sanctimonious responses of many low carbers.
I have decided I no longer want to be identified as a "low carber" and prefer the "Paleo" moniker instead, at least the Perfect Health Diet version of it. Which means I am at a crossroads as to what to do with my blog, as it is called "Low Carb Wisdom." I am seeing there is no wisdom in low carb circles, just dogma. So it's time to hit the exits. I'm not saying I am abondoning the blog, but I am taking... a pause.
In the mean time, I have sought refuge in the Carb Sane Asylum. You might want to check in if you show any sign of these symptoms.
I have decided I no longer want to be identified as a "low carber" and prefer the "Paleo" moniker instead, at least the Perfect Health Diet version of it. Which means I am at a crossroads as to what to do with my blog, as it is called "Low Carb Wisdom." I am seeing there is no wisdom in low carb circles, just dogma. So it's time to hit the exits. I'm not saying I am abondoning the blog, but I am taking... a pause.
In the mean time, I have sought refuge in the Carb Sane Asylum. You might want to check in if you show any sign of these symptoms.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Safe Starch Debate: A Diabetic's Perspective
There is a debate raging in the low carb blogosphere about the concept of "safe starches." Here is the start of the debate; here is Paul Jaminet's initial response, and here is the latest installment, featuring Dr. Ron Rosedale, with an response coming on Tuesday from Paul Jaminet.
One thing all sides have said: We do not necessarily recommend "safe starches" for diabetics. Well, I am a type II diabetic and a Perfect Health Diet follower, so I want to chime in with my experience.
First off, I have lost about 62 pounds, but 55 of that came following the diet described in the back of Gary Taubes' book, Why We Get Fat, which I later learned was the Atkins Induction phase. This helped to stabilize my blood glucose levels in about three weeks time, as well as returning my blood pressure to a normal range. But then I stalled and started reading more broadly about low carb diets. I discovered Gary Taubes didn't have all the answers, and I switched from the Atkins Induction diet to the Perfect Health Diet. I have been eating rice, potatoes, bananas, and other safe starches ever since, as well as fermented dairy products, such as plain, whole milk yogurt. I have also slowly lost another seven pounds. I enthusiastically recommend the book, Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet.
Today, my fasting blood glucose reading was 105. Note that since following the Perfect Health Diet, my fasting blood glucose reading has gone down. Previously, I was suffering from the "dawn phenomenon." My blood glucose levels overall were well below 140 one hour after a meal and 120 two hours after a meal. Only my fasting BG reading was out of whack, usually between 120 and 130, first thing in the morning.
For dinner tonight, I had a fatty pork rib, green beans, and a small baked potato with butter and sour cream. For dessert, I had a half cup of vanilla ice cream. One hour after eating, my blood glucose level was 128 and two hours after, it was 112.
So not only am I losing weight on the Perfect Health Diet, my blood glucose levels have actually improved, thanks to the increased carbs counteracting the dawn phenomenon, just as Dr. Kurt Harris (another proponent of safe starches) said it would.
So for me, as a type II diabetic, this "safe starches" exclusion is pointless. I realize that I have greatly helped my diabetes situation by losing a lot of weight prior to switching to the Perfect Health Diet. And I am taking Metformin Extended Release pills every day. Nevertheless, despite the type II diabetes, I am doing just fine on the Perfect Health Diet, thank you. I reject the diabetic exclusion of safe starches.
One thing all sides have said: We do not necessarily recommend "safe starches" for diabetics. Well, I am a type II diabetic and a Perfect Health Diet follower, so I want to chime in with my experience.
First off, I have lost about 62 pounds, but 55 of that came following the diet described in the back of Gary Taubes' book, Why We Get Fat, which I later learned was the Atkins Induction phase. This helped to stabilize my blood glucose levels in about three weeks time, as well as returning my blood pressure to a normal range. But then I stalled and started reading more broadly about low carb diets. I discovered Gary Taubes didn't have all the answers, and I switched from the Atkins Induction diet to the Perfect Health Diet. I have been eating rice, potatoes, bananas, and other safe starches ever since, as well as fermented dairy products, such as plain, whole milk yogurt. I have also slowly lost another seven pounds. I enthusiastically recommend the book, Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet.
Today, my fasting blood glucose reading was 105. Note that since following the Perfect Health Diet, my fasting blood glucose reading has gone down. Previously, I was suffering from the "dawn phenomenon." My blood glucose levels overall were well below 140 one hour after a meal and 120 two hours after a meal. Only my fasting BG reading was out of whack, usually between 120 and 130, first thing in the morning.
For dinner tonight, I had a fatty pork rib, green beans, and a small baked potato with butter and sour cream. For dessert, I had a half cup of vanilla ice cream. One hour after eating, my blood glucose level was 128 and two hours after, it was 112.
So not only am I losing weight on the Perfect Health Diet, my blood glucose levels have actually improved, thanks to the increased carbs counteracting the dawn phenomenon, just as Dr. Kurt Harris (another proponent of safe starches) said it would.
So for me, as a type II diabetic, this "safe starches" exclusion is pointless. I realize that I have greatly helped my diabetes situation by losing a lot of weight prior to switching to the Perfect Health Diet. And I am taking Metformin Extended Release pills every day. Nevertheless, despite the type II diabetes, I am doing just fine on the Perfect Health Diet, thank you. I reject the diabetic exclusion of safe starches.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Back from Europe
I am back from Europe, where I have been for the past six weeks, with a study abroad group. I had an interesting experience with the Perfect Health Diet while in Europe. First off, it appears I lost 3-4 pounds while I was gone, which is amazing, considering that we ate out almost every day for the past three weeks, often three times per day when we were in deep travel mode.
But following the PHD principles led me to making good choices. Among the items I consumed while abroad: a good deal of cheese made with raw milk; deviled lamb kidneys; pate de foie gras, pheasant pate, goose liver, pastured eggs, grass fed beef (especially in Scotland and Ireland), many truly fresh vegetables, a bit of chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. It was especially easy to eat in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as the local culture practically demands quality cuisine. It was more difficult in Switzerland, Germany, England, and Northern Ireland; somewhat less difficult in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I spent the most time in Belgium, with a fresh market every weekend and whenever possible, we purchased fresh food and ate in. But when we ate out in Belgium, we ran in to some excellent restaurants, such as Comme Soupe and t'Injaske. Everything is made fresh and the quality is just superb. My wife even bought a Belgian soup cookbook, so we can eat tasty, fresh, and hearty soups in the states.
The hardest part came when traveling in countries not known for their cuisine (e.g., England, Germany, Switzerland), but my strategy there was to hit the supermarket and buy whatever I could to eat. That usually meant cheeses, chicken, soup, vegetables, and yogurt.
So I am living proof that one can travel, a lot, and eat out, a lot, yet still lose weight when making wise choices. I am especially grateful to the Perfect Health Diet for convincing me to add back foods like rice, potatoes, bananas, and yogurt, which made the task all that much easier. Without spiking my blood sugars, but that is a post for another day (I am a type II diabetic). This "safe starch" concept has really helped make the low carb lifestyle sustainable and healthy.
But following the PHD principles led me to making good choices. Among the items I consumed while abroad: a good deal of cheese made with raw milk; deviled lamb kidneys; pate de foie gras, pheasant pate, goose liver, pastured eggs, grass fed beef (especially in Scotland and Ireland), many truly fresh vegetables, a bit of chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. It was especially easy to eat in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as the local culture practically demands quality cuisine. It was more difficult in Switzerland, Germany, England, and Northern Ireland; somewhat less difficult in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I spent the most time in Belgium, with a fresh market every weekend and whenever possible, we purchased fresh food and ate in. But when we ate out in Belgium, we ran in to some excellent restaurants, such as Comme Soupe and t'Injaske. Everything is made fresh and the quality is just superb. My wife even bought a Belgian soup cookbook, so we can eat tasty, fresh, and hearty soups in the states.
The hardest part came when traveling in countries not known for their cuisine (e.g., England, Germany, Switzerland), but my strategy there was to hit the supermarket and buy whatever I could to eat. That usually meant cheeses, chicken, soup, vegetables, and yogurt.
So I am living proof that one can travel, a lot, and eat out, a lot, yet still lose weight when making wise choices. I am especially grateful to the Perfect Health Diet for convincing me to add back foods like rice, potatoes, bananas, and yogurt, which made the task all that much easier. Without spiking my blood sugars, but that is a post for another day (I am a type II diabetic). This "safe starch" concept has really helped make the low carb lifestyle sustainable and healthy.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
How Does Low Carb Work? A Review of Various Theories
In a recent post, I speculated on reasons why people are obese. In many ways, this current post is the opposite: why do low carb diets reduce obese people to slender people? There are a lot of claims on the Internet about why low carb diets work, some of them quite outrageous, and I want to seek wisdom on this topic.
The Carbohydrate Hypothesis. Gary Taubes is the leading proponent of the hypothesis that carbs, especially refined carbs like flour and sugar, are fattening. This is also known as the "carbohydrate hypothesis." According to Taubes, carbs lead to insulin spikes, which leads to fat deposition (accumulation). The "carbohydrate hypothesis" is widely disputed and to date, there is no empirical evidence to back it up, though Taubes is apparently trying to raise money for such an empirical test. Personally, I no longer believe this theory, though at one time, I was a believer. True believers in this hypothesis include Jimmy Moore, Dana Carpender, Gary Taubes (of course), and Tom Naughton, among many others.
Metabolic Advantage. Others suggest that a low carb diet gives you a metabolic advantage (the idea that you burn calories more efficiently while low carbing, and can therefore consume greater quantities of low carb food and still lose weight), though at present there is very little empirical evidence to back up this claim. This idea is also widely disputed, as exemplified by the dust-up between Michael Eades and Anthony Colpo on this very topic. The metabolic advantage theory leads to the idea that calories don't count, that some calories (e.g., "low carb" calories") are better than other calories. Thus, if you eat low carb, you don't have to worry about calories. I am also on record as rejecting this idea.
Satiety. Another theory about why low carb diets work is that protein and fat are more satiating (see this article, too). When you eat a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet you lose weight because you spontaneously consume fewer calories. There seems to be a lot more evidence for this theory (e.g., here, here, and here). Note, too, that this theory implicitly rejects the theory of metabolic advantage mentioned above. I am on record as saying this is a major reason why low carb works.
Toxins, Infections, and Malnutrition. The Perfect Health Diet maintains that weight loss happens when you eliminate toxins from your diet, as well as malnutrition and infections caused by your diet. The Jaminets have developed a diet based on these three ideas, which is summarized here. The diet is a low carb diet that includes so-called "safe starches," such as potatoes and white rice. A "safe starch" has nothing to do with carb or glucose content. It is a term invented by the Jaminets and "refers to any starchy food which, after normal cooking, lacks toxins, chiefly protein toxins. We do not consider glucose to be a toxin, though it may become toxic in hyperglycemia" (reference). Their definition of a low carb diet is one between 100 to 150 grams of carbs per day, mostly from "safe starches," as a low carb diet for them "means eating less than the body's actual glucose utilization, so that a glucose deficit has to be made up by gluconeogenesis" (reference). But weight loss happens not because carbs are reduced, but because toxins are eliminated, infections are reduced, and malnutrition is aggressively attacked. I am currently following the Perfect Health Diet, so I guess you could say I am a believer in this hypothesis.
Low Carb Works by Accident. Kurt Harris, M.D., maintains that low carb diets work by accident. Specifically, he says:
Low carb plans have helped people lose fat by reducing food reward from white flour and excess sugar and maybe linoleic acid. This is by accident as it happens that most of the "carbs" in our diet are coming in the form of manufactured and processed items that are simply not real food. Low carb does not work for most people via blood sugar or insulin "locking away" fat. Insulin is necessary to store fat, but is not the main hormone regulating fat storage. That would be leptin. (emphasis added).
Food reward is an idea championed by Stephan Guyenet and the basic idea is that highly palatable foods lead to obesity. Lowering food reward, or palatability, by reducing refined sugars, flours, and even salt and other spices to produce more bland eating options leads to losing weight. The idea proposed by Harris and Guyenet is that low carb diets work, not by design, but by accident. By following Atkins, for example, you naturally reduce food reward by eliminating a whole macronutrient category, carbohydrates. As the Harris quote above indicates, he (and Guyenet) both reject Taubes' carbohydrate hypothesis.
This is a curious argument, one that makes a certain amount of sense. Why does Atkins work? If you follow Atkins, you eliminate two major problematic foods: refined sugars and refined flour. This will naturally lead to weight loss. Atkins is not too concerned about seed oils, though, which is why I don't claim to be following Atkins. My version of a low carb diet has eliminated seed oils from a very early stage in my weight loss history. Atkins also produces a lot of junk food, made with wheat gluten, soy, and other products I don't consume. An Atkins low carb diet is not necessarily a low calorie diet, if you eat too much low carb junk food. So I do think there is an element of "accident" in why low carb works.
My Position. I believe low carb works because 1) protein and fat are more satiating than carbs; 2) low carb eating causes me to spontaneously consume fewer calories, since protein and fat are more satiating than carbs; 3) calories count, so be mindful of how much you eat; 4) low carb lowers food reward by eliminating sugar, flour, and seed oils, especially those three in combination; 5) low carb removes toxins, reduces infections, and corrects malnutrition; 6) low carb requires that I eat real foods, the kind that are not processed; and 7) low carb simply offers fewer food choices. It is a lot harder to snack and harder to eat out, at least in the U.S.A. This means I eat real food cooked at home more often than not. Fortunately, my desire to snack is greatly reduced thanks to the satiety of what I eat.
I do not believe in the carbohydrate hypothesis and reject the notion that carbs are inherently fattening (this idea seems to be widely believed and held on the Internet). Rejecting this idea opened my mind to the idea of eating "safe starches," as defined by the Jaminets. I also reject the idea of metabolic advantage and believe that calories count. Thus, I would never substitute a cup of heavy cream for a cup of whole milk, simply because there are fewer carbs in the cream than in the milk, nor would I add 12 tablespoons of fat to two pounds of meat to increase the fat content of my diet That is simply too many calories and a low carb diet is already a high fat, moderate protein, low carb way of eating. You don't need to add a lot of additional fat.
Taken together, the seven reasons cited above are a recipe for low carb success.
The Carbohydrate Hypothesis. Gary Taubes is the leading proponent of the hypothesis that carbs, especially refined carbs like flour and sugar, are fattening. This is also known as the "carbohydrate hypothesis." According to Taubes, carbs lead to insulin spikes, which leads to fat deposition (accumulation). The "carbohydrate hypothesis" is widely disputed and to date, there is no empirical evidence to back it up, though Taubes is apparently trying to raise money for such an empirical test. Personally, I no longer believe this theory, though at one time, I was a believer. True believers in this hypothesis include Jimmy Moore, Dana Carpender, Gary Taubes (of course), and Tom Naughton, among many others.
Metabolic Advantage. Others suggest that a low carb diet gives you a metabolic advantage (the idea that you burn calories more efficiently while low carbing, and can therefore consume greater quantities of low carb food and still lose weight), though at present there is very little empirical evidence to back up this claim. This idea is also widely disputed, as exemplified by the dust-up between Michael Eades and Anthony Colpo on this very topic. The metabolic advantage theory leads to the idea that calories don't count, that some calories (e.g., "low carb" calories") are better than other calories. Thus, if you eat low carb, you don't have to worry about calories. I am also on record as rejecting this idea.
Satiety. Another theory about why low carb diets work is that protein and fat are more satiating (see this article, too). When you eat a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet you lose weight because you spontaneously consume fewer calories. There seems to be a lot more evidence for this theory (e.g., here, here, and here). Note, too, that this theory implicitly rejects the theory of metabolic advantage mentioned above. I am on record as saying this is a major reason why low carb works.
Toxins, Infections, and Malnutrition. The Perfect Health Diet maintains that weight loss happens when you eliminate toxins from your diet, as well as malnutrition and infections caused by your diet. The Jaminets have developed a diet based on these three ideas, which is summarized here. The diet is a low carb diet that includes so-called "safe starches," such as potatoes and white rice. A "safe starch" has nothing to do with carb or glucose content. It is a term invented by the Jaminets and "refers to any starchy food which, after normal cooking, lacks toxins, chiefly protein toxins. We do not consider glucose to be a toxin, though it may become toxic in hyperglycemia" (reference). Their definition of a low carb diet is one between 100 to 150 grams of carbs per day, mostly from "safe starches," as a low carb diet for them "means eating less than the body's actual glucose utilization, so that a glucose deficit has to be made up by gluconeogenesis" (reference). But weight loss happens not because carbs are reduced, but because toxins are eliminated, infections are reduced, and malnutrition is aggressively attacked. I am currently following the Perfect Health Diet, so I guess you could say I am a believer in this hypothesis.
Low Carb Works by Accident. Kurt Harris, M.D., maintains that low carb diets work by accident. Specifically, he says:
Low carb plans have helped people lose fat by reducing food reward from white flour and excess sugar and maybe linoleic acid. This is by accident as it happens that most of the "carbs" in our diet are coming in the form of manufactured and processed items that are simply not real food. Low carb does not work for most people via blood sugar or insulin "locking away" fat. Insulin is necessary to store fat, but is not the main hormone regulating fat storage. That would be leptin. (emphasis added).
Food reward is an idea championed by Stephan Guyenet and the basic idea is that highly palatable foods lead to obesity. Lowering food reward, or palatability, by reducing refined sugars, flours, and even salt and other spices to produce more bland eating options leads to losing weight. The idea proposed by Harris and Guyenet is that low carb diets work, not by design, but by accident. By following Atkins, for example, you naturally reduce food reward by eliminating a whole macronutrient category, carbohydrates. As the Harris quote above indicates, he (and Guyenet) both reject Taubes' carbohydrate hypothesis.
This is a curious argument, one that makes a certain amount of sense. Why does Atkins work? If you follow Atkins, you eliminate two major problematic foods: refined sugars and refined flour. This will naturally lead to weight loss. Atkins is not too concerned about seed oils, though, which is why I don't claim to be following Atkins. My version of a low carb diet has eliminated seed oils from a very early stage in my weight loss history. Atkins also produces a lot of junk food, made with wheat gluten, soy, and other products I don't consume. An Atkins low carb diet is not necessarily a low calorie diet, if you eat too much low carb junk food. So I do think there is an element of "accident" in why low carb works.
My Position. I believe low carb works because 1) protein and fat are more satiating than carbs; 2) low carb eating causes me to spontaneously consume fewer calories, since protein and fat are more satiating than carbs; 3) calories count, so be mindful of how much you eat; 4) low carb lowers food reward by eliminating sugar, flour, and seed oils, especially those three in combination; 5) low carb removes toxins, reduces infections, and corrects malnutrition; 6) low carb requires that I eat real foods, the kind that are not processed; and 7) low carb simply offers fewer food choices. It is a lot harder to snack and harder to eat out, at least in the U.S.A. This means I eat real food cooked at home more often than not. Fortunately, my desire to snack is greatly reduced thanks to the satiety of what I eat.
I do not believe in the carbohydrate hypothesis and reject the notion that carbs are inherently fattening (this idea seems to be widely believed and held on the Internet). Rejecting this idea opened my mind to the idea of eating "safe starches," as defined by the Jaminets. I also reject the idea of metabolic advantage and believe that calories count. Thus, I would never substitute a cup of heavy cream for a cup of whole milk, simply because there are fewer carbs in the cream than in the milk, nor would I add 12 tablespoons of fat to two pounds of meat to increase the fat content of my diet That is simply too many calories and a low carb diet is already a high fat, moderate protein, low carb way of eating. You don't need to add a lot of additional fat.
Taken together, the seven reasons cited above are a recipe for low carb success.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Silence Explained
I take students abroad for my day job and have been in Europe for the past few weeks, working 12-15 hour days. It hasn't left a lot of time for blogging, so I hope that explains my silence. Here are some photos I took from recent travels to Belgium, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland (plus a gratuitous link to my other, neglected study abroad blog).
So a few links: Paul Jaminet responds to various comments about safe starches. The man is a class act and I respect him more now than ever before. Not only has he taught me about how to do low carb safely and correctly, he has taught me how to be a gentleman as well.
I some times despair at finding wisdom in the low carb blogosphere; everyone thinks carbs are fattening and that all we have to do is cut carbs to lose weight. This is not true. But occasionally, I do stumble upon low carb wisdom. Here is one such post. Finding low carb wisdom is the reason I started this blog.
There has been a lot of activity about the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. I even wrote a review of the book. But Chris Masterjohn, another superb example of a human being, wrote a very decent review of the book that captures the best and the worst aspects of the book. You can tell it is a compelling review by reading Dr. Davis' response to Masterjohn's blog.
So a few links: Paul Jaminet responds to various comments about safe starches. The man is a class act and I respect him more now than ever before. Not only has he taught me about how to do low carb safely and correctly, he has taught me how to be a gentleman as well.
I some times despair at finding wisdom in the low carb blogosphere; everyone thinks carbs are fattening and that all we have to do is cut carbs to lose weight. This is not true. But occasionally, I do stumble upon low carb wisdom. Here is one such post. Finding low carb wisdom is the reason I started this blog.
There has been a lot of activity about the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. I even wrote a review of the book. But Chris Masterjohn, another superb example of a human being, wrote a very decent review of the book that captures the best and the worst aspects of the book. You can tell it is a compelling review by reading Dr. Davis' response to Masterjohn's blog.
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Limit to Counting Calories
I am on record as stating that calories count. However, I am about to revise that opinion slightly. I have been counting calories and measuring my macronutrient ratios using the free software at livestrong.com. Since I began counting calories in August, I have lost nine additional pounds, after a mild stall. But I have discovered one thing that gives me pause in counting calories: I may still be eating too much.
It is all psychological. I have been rigorously tracking every calorie I consumed, but recently I have noticed that at the end of the day, I often have several hundred calories left. Since I have the calories left, I have felt obligated to use them, even if I wasn't hungry. After all, livestrong.com tells me I should be losing two pounds per week based on my height, weight, and age. But I am not losing two pounds per week and it occurs to me this is because I am consuming too many calories, even when I am below the level stipulated by livestrong.com for a two pound weight loss per week. I think all of these months on a low carb diet have slowed my metabolism.
So I am trying something new this week: eating until I am full, but stopping when I am no longer hungry, even if I have hundreds of calories left. Yes, I will still track the calories but won't feel obligated to consume them. We'll see how this goes.
In the "Good News" category, I have not regained five pounds by switching to the Perfect Health Diet, even after increasing my daily carb intake to around 100 grams per day, mostly from rice, potatoes, and whole milk yogurt.
It is all psychological. I have been rigorously tracking every calorie I consumed, but recently I have noticed that at the end of the day, I often have several hundred calories left. Since I have the calories left, I have felt obligated to use them, even if I wasn't hungry. After all, livestrong.com tells me I should be losing two pounds per week based on my height, weight, and age. But I am not losing two pounds per week and it occurs to me this is because I am consuming too many calories, even when I am below the level stipulated by livestrong.com for a two pound weight loss per week. I think all of these months on a low carb diet have slowed my metabolism.
So I am trying something new this week: eating until I am full, but stopping when I am no longer hungry, even if I have hundreds of calories left. Yes, I will still track the calories but won't feel obligated to consume them. We'll see how this goes.
In the "Good News" category, I have not regained five pounds by switching to the Perfect Health Diet, even after increasing my daily carb intake to around 100 grams per day, mostly from rice, potatoes, and whole milk yogurt.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Liver and Onions
Yesterday marked a full week on the Perfect Health Diet, my new take on low carb living. Each day, I had been taking my multivitamin, eating three Brazil nuts, getting enough sun, etc., everything except... eating liver. But I committed to doing the Perfect Health Diet correctly, so, on the last day of the week, we made liver and onions.
And I lived to tell about it. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I followed Sally Fallon's suggestion of soaking the liver in lemon juice for "several hours" prior to cooking it, then cutting it into small pieces, as per the Nutty Kitchen suggestion. I cooked it outside on my Camp Chef stove in a cast iron skillet so as not to stink up my kitchen (we had visitors coming over after dinner).
Cooked this way, with lots of onions, butter and garlic, it was... tasty. And I discovered that my aversion to it was mostly psychological, probably leftover from my teenage years when I was a cook at Perkins Cake & Steak, where we cooked really smelly liver. I like pâté de foie gras, goose liver, and chicken liver pâté, so I wonder what my problem was with beef liver.
And I lived to tell about it. Actually, it wasn't that bad. I followed Sally Fallon's suggestion of soaking the liver in lemon juice for "several hours" prior to cooking it, then cutting it into small pieces, as per the Nutty Kitchen suggestion. I cooked it outside on my Camp Chef stove in a cast iron skillet so as not to stink up my kitchen (we had visitors coming over after dinner).
Cooked this way, with lots of onions, butter and garlic, it was... tasty. And I discovered that my aversion to it was mostly psychological, probably leftover from my teenage years when I was a cook at Perkins Cake & Steak, where we cooked really smelly liver. I like pâté de foie gras, goose liver, and chicken liver pâté, so I wonder what my problem was with beef liver.
Monday, September 5, 2011
10% Goal Reached--Again
The weight loss continues to happen, though much more slowly than at the beginning of my low carb way of eating. That said, today I hit another milestone. I lost 10% of my body weight--for the second time. I started out weighing 301.6, then some time in early May, I hit my first 10% goal by losing my first 30 pounds (271.6). Today when I weighed myself (I weigh in every Monday morning), I was at 242.6, down another 29 pounds and realized that some time in the last week or two, I hit my 10% goal again.
A lot has changed since Valentine's Day, 2011, when I embarked on this low carb way of eating. At first, I was losing weight very rapidly, but that has slowed in recent months, to about a pound per week. I have changed my approach to my low carb way of eating. First, after stalling, I started to count calories. Then I doubled my carbs about a month ago but still stayed under 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. About a week ago, I started the Perfect Health Diet, a low carb way of eating that permits "safe" starches, such as rice and potatoes. I don't eat a lot of these safe starches, just enough to provide my body with the glucose it needs to function, but that effectively means I have doubled my carb intake again, this time to around 100 grams of carbs per day. I was afraid of gaining water weight by doing this, but that hasn't happened so far, and I am cautiously optimistic. This past week's weight loss came from the Perfect Health Diet version of my low carb eating experience.
Even though the weight loss has slowed, I am more committed than ever to this way of eating. My hunger is at bay thanks to the protein and fat I consume and the food I am able to eat is very delicious. It is a much more pleasant experience than Weight Watchers, even if the weight came off faster on Weight Watchers. This is sustainable and I feel like I will be able to eat this way for the rest of my life. That is the key to weight loss and weight maintenance.
A lot has changed since Valentine's Day, 2011, when I embarked on this low carb way of eating. At first, I was losing weight very rapidly, but that has slowed in recent months, to about a pound per week. I have changed my approach to my low carb way of eating. First, after stalling, I started to count calories. Then I doubled my carbs about a month ago but still stayed under 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. About a week ago, I started the Perfect Health Diet, a low carb way of eating that permits "safe" starches, such as rice and potatoes. I don't eat a lot of these safe starches, just enough to provide my body with the glucose it needs to function, but that effectively means I have doubled my carb intake again, this time to around 100 grams of carbs per day. I was afraid of gaining water weight by doing this, but that hasn't happened so far, and I am cautiously optimistic. This past week's weight loss came from the Perfect Health Diet version of my low carb eating experience.
Even though the weight loss has slowed, I am more committed than ever to this way of eating. My hunger is at bay thanks to the protein and fat I consume and the food I am able to eat is very delicious. It is a much more pleasant experience than Weight Watchers, even if the weight came off faster on Weight Watchers. This is sustainable and I feel like I will be able to eat this way for the rest of my life. That is the key to weight loss and weight maintenance.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Five Perfect Health Diet Days
Today is the fifth day on the Perfect Health Diet version of low carb. The good news: no five pound weight gain! I have been eating about 100 grams of carbohydrates per day for each of the past five days with no real negative effect on blood glucose levels, and no weight gain.
But there has been a positive effect on the blood sugar. The morning after consuming the first 100 grams of carbs, my fasting blood glucose reading was actually below 100. And it has stayed in the 95 to 105 range ever since. Normally, my fasting blood glucose reading is near 130, the only out of whack blood sugar reading.
So why has it normalized at a lower range? Perhaps because my liver is no longer converting protein to glucose over night. The theory behind the Perfect Health Diet is that your body needs glucose to function, so you might as well provide that glucose with "safe" carbs, rather than stress your liver by forcing it to produce glucose very inefficiently through a process called gluconeogenisis. I had concluded those high fasting blood glucose levels in the morning resulted from my liver converting protein to glucose while I slept.
On a positive note, there are now a lot more foods I can eat, when one allows potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, tapioca, etc., back into the diet.
But there has been a positive effect on the blood sugar. The morning after consuming the first 100 grams of carbs, my fasting blood glucose reading was actually below 100. And it has stayed in the 95 to 105 range ever since. Normally, my fasting blood glucose reading is near 130, the only out of whack blood sugar reading.
So why has it normalized at a lower range? Perhaps because my liver is no longer converting protein to glucose over night. The theory behind the Perfect Health Diet is that your body needs glucose to function, so you might as well provide that glucose with "safe" carbs, rather than stress your liver by forcing it to produce glucose very inefficiently through a process called gluconeogenisis. I had concluded those high fasting blood glucose levels in the morning resulted from my liver converting protein to glucose while I slept.
On a positive note, there are now a lot more foods I can eat, when one allows potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, tapioca, etc., back into the diet.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Nervous About Perfect Health Diet
I did it today. I started in earnest the Perfect Health Diet. And I am nervous about it. We potatoes with dinner tonight and I figure I consumed about 35 grams of carbs with my potatoes. I finished the day at about 85 grams of carbs, which, for me, is a lot. I haven't consumed that many carbs since before I started a low carb way of eating.
The Perfect Health Diet makes a lot of sense; it recommends getting 50 to 150 grams of carbs from "safe starches," such as rice, potatoes, yams, and taro. The logic: your body needs a certain amount of glucose to function, and if you go very low carb, you force your liver to produce the glucose from protein. Which is not necessarily healthy for your liver. So I get why "safe" carbs are necessary, but it is hard to change old habits. It's a bit like changing religions, really.
And I am a type II diabetic and I really have to watch the carbs I consume. So I checked my blood glucose levels after dinner and they were fine. Two hours after eating dinner, including the potatoes, it was 118. Ideally, two hours after a meal, it should be below 120 but at a bare minimum, be below 140. So I met that standard. Jenny Ruhl said in a recent podcast with Jimmy Moore that most type II diabetic men she knows can handle 75 to 100 grams of carbs per day, so I am hoping she is correct. If not, I will have to scale back.
Another issue making me nervous is I am likely to gain five pounds, almost over night, by replenishing glycogen stores. But I have to keep reminding myself that it is only a water gain. The theory is, one molecule of glycogen bonds with four molecules of water, and since we normally carry around a pound of glycogen, that means, gulp, one pound of glycogen and four pounds of water. It's all psychological. I know it is going to happen and I know it is water, but it still makes me nervous. Paul Jaminet says it may not happen, so I can at least hold out a little bit of hope.
The Perfect Health Diet makes a lot of sense; it recommends getting 50 to 150 grams of carbs from "safe starches," such as rice, potatoes, yams, and taro. The logic: your body needs a certain amount of glucose to function, and if you go very low carb, you force your liver to produce the glucose from protein. Which is not necessarily healthy for your liver. So I get why "safe" carbs are necessary, but it is hard to change old habits. It's a bit like changing religions, really.
And I am a type II diabetic and I really have to watch the carbs I consume. So I checked my blood glucose levels after dinner and they were fine. Two hours after eating dinner, including the potatoes, it was 118. Ideally, two hours after a meal, it should be below 120 but at a bare minimum, be below 140. So I met that standard. Jenny Ruhl said in a recent podcast with Jimmy Moore that most type II diabetic men she knows can handle 75 to 100 grams of carbs per day, so I am hoping she is correct. If not, I will have to scale back.
Another issue making me nervous is I am likely to gain five pounds, almost over night, by replenishing glycogen stores. But I have to keep reminding myself that it is only a water gain. The theory is, one molecule of glycogen bonds with four molecules of water, and since we normally carry around a pound of glycogen, that means, gulp, one pound of glycogen and four pounds of water. It's all psychological. I know it is going to happen and I know it is water, but it still makes me nervous. Paul Jaminet says it may not happen, so I can at least hold out a little bit of hope.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Rice Syrup and Blood Glucose Response
I have been pondering lately on what constitutes a "low carb" diet and have just finished reading Perfect Health Diet by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet (here is an overview of the diet). They suggest a low carb diet of 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day, with a bias towards more rather than fewer carbs (or, as they say in the book, 200 to 600 calories from carbohydrates). They recommend getting carb calories from safe starches, such as rice, taro, yams, and tapioca. This is substantially higher than most other low carb experts, but their book was compelling (I will review it at another time).
In the book, they say eating natural sweeteners are okay, especially if they come from the "safe starches" mentioned above. Specifically, they talk about rice syrup. So I bought some certified organic brown rice syrup from Now Healthy Foods. On the label, we read:
Unlike simple sugars, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, Brown Rice Syrup is a polysaccharide, or a complex sugar. The unique structure of complex sugars allows them to be absorbed and broken down more slowly than simple sugars, avoiding rapid spikes in blood glucose. Slower absorption also allows the body to utilize complex sugars for energy instead of having to store them as fat for later use.
Based on this label and the Jaminets' claim that it is okay to use, since it is from a safe starch, I decided to do an N=1 test and see how my blood sugars reacted to it. I made some ice cream (one cup of cream, one cup of half and half, six egg yolks, one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of rice syrup). A serving size is one half cup and has about 220 calories and 11 grams of carbs, mostly from the brown rice syrup (it was delicious, by the way). To make this an even stronger test, I ate 3/4 cup of the ice cream, for 330 calories and 17 grams of carbs (my total carb count for the day is about 50, including the ice cream).
I ate the ice cream about two hours after dinner, and my blood sugar was 106 just before I ate the ice cream. Full disclosure: I am a type II diabetic and take Metformin. This probably had an impact on the test. Nevertheless, my results were very interesting. I ate the ice cream then tested my blood sugar at 15-minute intervals to see the blood glucose response. Here are the raw data:
And here is a graph:
The blood glucose response was actually very normal for me. One hour after eating, the reading was 142 and two hours after eating, it was back down to 108. According to Jenny Ruhl, one hour after eating it should optimally be 140 or below and two hours after eating it should be 120 or below. But she also says the critical threshold to avoid organ damage is to have the reading be at least 140 or below two hours after eating. When I eat low carb (50 to 75 grams of carbs per day), my blood sugar is almost always 140 or below after one hour and 120 or below after two hours.
So for me, this is convincing evidence that, indeed, brown rice syrup is a safe sweetener. Not to be used in excess, but not problematic, either. I may have to strongly consider following this Perfect Health Diet .
In the book, they say eating natural sweeteners are okay, especially if they come from the "safe starches" mentioned above. Specifically, they talk about rice syrup. So I bought some certified organic brown rice syrup from Now Healthy Foods. On the label, we read:
Unlike simple sugars, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, Brown Rice Syrup is a polysaccharide, or a complex sugar. The unique structure of complex sugars allows them to be absorbed and broken down more slowly than simple sugars, avoiding rapid spikes in blood glucose. Slower absorption also allows the body to utilize complex sugars for energy instead of having to store them as fat for later use.
Based on this label and the Jaminets' claim that it is okay to use, since it is from a safe starch, I decided to do an N=1 test and see how my blood sugars reacted to it. I made some ice cream (one cup of cream, one cup of half and half, six egg yolks, one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of rice syrup). A serving size is one half cup and has about 220 calories and 11 grams of carbs, mostly from the brown rice syrup (it was delicious, by the way). To make this an even stronger test, I ate 3/4 cup of the ice cream, for 330 calories and 17 grams of carbs (my total carb count for the day is about 50, including the ice cream).
I ate the ice cream about two hours after dinner, and my blood sugar was 106 just before I ate the ice cream. Full disclosure: I am a type II diabetic and take Metformin. This probably had an impact on the test. Nevertheless, my results were very interesting. I ate the ice cream then tested my blood sugar at 15-minute intervals to see the blood glucose response. Here are the raw data:
8:20 p.m. 106
8:35 p.m. 109
8:50 p.m. 125
9:05 p.m. 137
9:20 p.m. 142
9:35 p.m. 130
9:50 p.m. 133
10:05 p.m. 116
10:20 p.m. 108
And here is a graph:
The blood glucose response was actually very normal for me. One hour after eating, the reading was 142 and two hours after eating, it was back down to 108. According to Jenny Ruhl, one hour after eating it should optimally be 140 or below and two hours after eating it should be 120 or below. But she also says the critical threshold to avoid organ damage is to have the reading be at least 140 or below two hours after eating. When I eat low carb (50 to 75 grams of carbs per day), my blood sugar is almost always 140 or below after one hour and 120 or below after two hours.
So for me, this is convincing evidence that, indeed, brown rice syrup is a safe sweetener. Not to be used in excess, but not problematic, either. I may have to strongly consider following this Perfect Health Diet .
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