What they're not telling you about low-carb diets

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Jul 22nd 2008 3:33PM

One recent story that's been populating my google reader several times over is the recent comparison of diets. In short, low-carb diets were found to be the most successful, followed by the Mediterranean diet, with low-fat diets in last place.

But don't be so quick to trash all your bread and pasta. Low-carb diets aren't all their cracked up to be. I'm Not Obsessed recently revealed one very big problem with low-carb plans: Not enough fiber, leading to digestive issues, particularly constipation. As someone with IBS (read: regular digestive issues) I would stay away from this kind of diet, and I'm not expert but maybe you should too.

The key, if you ask me, is balance. Low-carb diets can help you slim down, but don't take it to an extreme. Make sure you're still getting a bit of healthy, whole grain fiber in your diet. You know, to keep things moving.

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Comments (4)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Heidi Huser 7-22-2008 @ 8:08PM

That is where something like the South Beach diet is really the way to go. It focuses on lean protein sources, lots of vegetables, and fruit and whole grains in moderation--not the Atkins "eat all the butter you want" craziness that makes me nauseated thinking about it. Actually, I think that latest study showing the benefit of the low-carb diet did involve recommendations that people get more of their protein from plant sources, so it wasn't exactly the Atkins approach.

Yuri | EatingforEnergy.ca 7-22-2008 @ 9:53PM

People...we need to get over the "low carb" nonsense and realize that there is no "magical" diet that is going to help you lose and keep it off for good.

The healthy eating rules are simple. Read them here...

http://www.EatingforEnergy.ca

Y

hermetz 7-24-2008 @ 3:56PM

People, don't be a mushroom. Do your own research. In doing so, I found out that white refined flour converts into sugar which is then stored as fat. In fact, most starchy (carbs) foods will do that. Eating whole grain carbs will force your body to use up the stored energy (fat) and thus you will lose weight. Fruits, vegetables, and meat (in moderation) are all excellent sources of fiber, necessary nutrients, and are just plain good for you. Get natural...get healthy.

Thom 8-21-2008 @ 5:59PM

Once more the Atkins diet is treated as if the first two weeks (the "induction") is the entire diet. If you people understood what Dr Atkins was saying you would realize that after the first two weeks you re-introduce carbs into your diet and the emphasis is on "good" carbs like vegatables and fruit. It also epects you to include Vitamin/nutrient Supplements as well as excercise. It is the most healthy form of eating and has been around for a lot longer than Dr Atkins who readily admits that he merely copied it from the popular diet of his med school days.

I would suggest that you read a book by the noted science author Gary Taubes, "Good Calories, Bad Calories" which is an in depth study of the research into this area, unless of course you would prefer to lack sufficient knowledge and continue to follow incorrect, ineffectual, and mythical eating trends that are causing us to experience the rise in diabetes and obesity that we see today.