Fats or carbs?

December 28, 2017

What diet should I follow?

There comes that four letter word again! Do you lose weight according to Barry Sears by eliminating most of the fat and filling up on plant-based carbs in your diet, or do you listen to Dr Atkins and shed those pounds by eliminating the carbs and filling up on protein along with the saturated fat that comes with it?

Now, let’s explore the Atkins “revolution” and the Zone Diet a little more:

The Atkins Diet: The High-Protein & Fat Diet (attributed to Dr Robert Atkins)

15-35% Carbs: non-starchy vegetables and fruits
30-45% Protein: fish, seafood, poultry, dairy foods and red meats
30-50% Fat: meat, healthy oils, nuts and seeds, and dairy foods.

The Good

Helpful for preventing cravings and binge-eating for people who have overindulged in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

The two-week induction phase works well, the initial weight loss works for most, use the Keto (urine) sticks for best results.

The body produces and excretes ketones (indicating fat is burned for energy) which is a great motivator for you to stop eating cabs for energy.

Great for people who have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or carbohydrate sensitivity, grain allergies or insulin-related health problems.

Contains generally a higher-quality fat and carbohydrate than typical fare.

The Not-So Good

Unhealthy for people who have trouble digesting protein and fat or for those with kidney disorders. Bad for those with stomach under-functioning (very common in those who are overweight) bad for those with bloating, flatus or constipation (common). Bad for those with liver or kidney under-functioning – again, common.

The Atkins Diet spells constipation for many: A diet too low in fibre for proper elimination in many people.

This diet over emphasizes common food allergens such as eggs & dairy products and recommends processed meats and condiments containing potentially unhealthy additives.

NOT sustainable long-term without health problems. False sense of security, you are losing weight and think you are on a “healthy diet” when in fact long-term you are not.

Dr. Atkins himself had heart disease and was on medications for cholesterol and blood pressure. Very interesting.

Eric’s Instant Atkins Solutions

Get your bowel working well before embarking on the Atkins’ Diet, try a liver-cleansing approach for a week or two before embarking on the Atkins’ induction phase. It can make a big difference.

Try LSA mix, Slippery elm Aloe vera or psyllium, they are all are good options here.

A good herbal liver formula taken two to three times per day in the initial two to three weeks at the outset will ensure better eliminations during the earliest and most important phase of this diet.

Food allergies? Avoid the key allergenic foods: wheat, milk, eggs, bananas and corn. So much for the Atkins approach if you are allergic.

One of the most important reasons for the popularity of the Atkins’ approach is it works-people lose lots of weight fast, but it’s generally water initially. Stored carbs hold on to large amounts of water. Switching to a low-carb & high protein diet results in the loss of these stores and the associated water, with an impressive initial weight loss. You can lose 10 kgs in two weeks with a strict approach. If this sound’s like “crash” dieting, it is. But he’, sometimes a “quick fix” is just what the doctor ordered. Your self-esteem will boom!

Start with a good kidney formula, and drink lots of water during and after your induction phase, this will allow the kidneys to properly eliminate the metabolised proteins, fluids and ketones more efficiently.

Works fast, the induction phase is good for short term results, weight will come away fast initially. Not good to stay on this high protein approach for too long, you will age faster!

Why such popularity in protein diets?

Many people are desperate to lose weight to look “hot”, and some actually even want to become healthier! It is unfortunate that we live in an age where it is all about appearances – and it is this reason I believe that many are desperate to lose weight fast, at just about any cost. Liposuction clinics are the extreme end of weight loss but are getting to be surprisingly more common and acceptable in society.

The foods recommended in high-protein diets are the rich foods we were all raised with and learned to love, it is no wonder this diet is so appealing! These foods are the traditional roasts, bacon and eggs, lamb chops, cheeses, full cream and various other high protein and high-fat offerings. There is no doubt that this diet works, (short term, just like a cash loan) but there is also no doubt that too much protein in one’s diet can lead long term to all sorts of complications as well. (Like having the debt collectors around when you can’t service that debt you want to forget ever existed) Don’t kid yourself – if it sounds too good to be true – you know the story.

High dietary protein: kidney damage & osteoporosis – in the making

The protein you consume is metabolised by your liver and excreted by the kidneys into the urine. A high protein load causes damage to these organs. By the time most people reach 80yrs of age, it is estimated that they lose over 30 percent of their kidney function This loss of kidney function is caused by the amount of protein typically consumed in the diet, about 12% to 15% The Zone diet recommends 30% protein and even more protein (30 – 45%) is found in the Atkins approach. Doctors recommend low protein diets (4% to 8%) to treat patients with any liver and kidney failure. High protein diets can cause serious metabolic changes leading to bone loss (osteoporosis) and kidney stones. Red meat, chicken, fish, and eggs are acid forming foods. Vegetable foods are alkaline by nature.

The body guards its acid-base balance (pH) carefully, the dietary-derived acid load from high-protein animal foods must be buffered. The primary buffering system of the body is the bones which dissolve for that purpose into phosphates and calcium. This is the first step in bone loss that leads to osteoporosis. The presence of bone material in the kidney system lays the foundation for calcium-based kidney stones.

The Nurse’s Health Study recently found women in America who consumed 95 grams of protein a day compared with those who consumed less than 68 grams a day had a 22% greater risk of forearm fractures. Still want that steak, cream and bacon every day? Try to eat meat sparingly and focus on vegetables with a small amount of protein. Your kidneys will love you for it, and you won’t age anywhere near as fast either.

The Zone Diet (attributed to Barry Sears)

Barry Sears of the “Enter the Zone” claims the problem with our weight and health, specifically heart disease, is that high carbohydrate diets promote the excessive production of specific hormones such as insulin. The secret to weight loss and preventing heart disease is controlling hormones into a narrow range referred to as “the Zone,” this can be achieved by adding more protein to the diet than is commonly consumed or recommended. The Zone diet can give people the false sense of security thinking that it is their hormones at fault, they are happy to hear that it’s not their fault they’re fat, “It’s my hormones that are the real culprit, I don’t have to feel guilty about being a glutton and not exercising.”

40% Carbs: non-starchy vegetables and fruits, portion controlled grains and legumes
30% Protein: low-fat animal protein (fish, seafood, poultry, lean meats and soy)
30% Fat low-fat animal foods and small amounts of nuts, olive oil, avocados and cheese