The Skinny Kid

When a recent study showed no special weight loss benefit from low-glycemic diets relative to other diets, I said:

I’ve always been a believer in the “weight gain/loss = calories in - calories out” theory. Still, the concept of glycemic load has some intuitive appeal. For example, given the link between obesity and diabetes, and the need to control sugar absorption in the latter case, perhaps overweight people should pay attention to glycemic index even if they aren’t trying to lose weight.

As it turns out, not only was I on the right track with that question but other researchers were in the process of answering it.

Insidermedicine Video News : Low Glycemic Diet Lowers Cholesterol, Good for Weight Loss

Dieters who select a low-glycemic load diet my have more success at losing weight, than those following a low carbohydrate or low fat diet, say researchers in a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Three popular diets have recently received much attention – low fat, low carbohydrate, and low glycemic load. However, there is still no consensus on which diet yields the best results. Glycemic load refers to the increase in blood sugar that occurs following the consumption of a carbohydrate. Foods low on the glycemic index, such as certain fruits, nuts, and vegetables, release glucose gradually into the blood stream. Foods high on the glycemic index, such as breads and pasta, provoke an immediate response in the blood sugar levels and tend to result in increased hunger and overeating.

For people with tendency for high insulin levels 30 minutes after eating, the low-glycemic diet produced a five times greater decrease in weight than the low-fat diet at 18 months. The low-glycemic diet was also more effective in reducing body fat and improving cholesterol and trigyceride levels, while the low-fat diet improved low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol.

Differences in insulin secretion among individuals may help predict the success of weight loss programs, and reducing glycemic load may be especially important for those who secrete insulin at a higher level.

Makes sense to me.

Eggs Enhance Dieters’ Weight Loss - Associated Content

Overweight women lost more weight during the course of their diets eating eggs for breakfast than they did eating bagels, according to the report, released at the annual meeting of Experimental Biology and funded by the Egg Nutrition Center and the American Egg Board.Nikhil Dhurandhar, lead researcher for the study, said the eggs cause people to feel fuller longer, thus reducing the temptation to continue eating.

Study participants were put on a diet that reduced their recommended calories consumption by 1,000 calories a day. One group was given two eggs for breakfast, and another was given bagels with the same amount of calories.

After 8 weeks of this routine, Dhurandhar said the results were more than what he expected. Women on the egg diet lost 65 percent more weight and reported feeling more energetic than the women who ate bagels.

I certainly feel more satisfied if I get some protein at breakfast.

Glycemic load doesn’t affect weight loss - Breaking News - World - Breaking News

When it comes to losing weight, the number of calories you eat, rather than the type of carbohydrates, may be what matters most, according to a new study.The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that diets low in “glycemic load” are no better at taking the pounds off than more traditional - and more carbohydrate-friendly - approaches to calorie-cutting.

I’ve always been a believer in the “weight gain/loss = calories in - calories out” theory.  Still, the concept of glycemic load has some intuitive appeal. For example, given the link between obesity and diabetes, and the need to control sugar absorption in the latter case, perhaps overweight people should pay attention to glycemic index even if they aren’t trying to lose weight.

Low-carb diet beats rivals in weight-loss trial - Diet & Nutrition - MSNBC.com

“It’s a lot easier to follow a diet that tells you to eat bacon and brie than to eat predominantly fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. Dean Ornish, creator of the Ornish diet.

In a study sure to be talked about far more than its apparent statistical value suggests it should, the Atkins dieters showed the biggest weight loss and were better able to stick with the diet, hence the quote above - which we loved.

Five Food Myths Exposed - Forbes.com

“It’s unfortunate, not only because you end up getting less pleasure out of the meals but also because it’s not good for your health,” says Barry Glassner, author of the new book The Gospel of Food: Everything You Think You Know About Food Is Wrong. “You get more out of a meal physically and emotionally when it’s a pleasure to eat.”What’s more, in chasing down a healthy diet, Glassner says, Americans have accepted as fact a number of myths and half-truths that need debunking.

The myths in question are:

1. Fresh is best
2. Vitamin-enhanced foods are better
3. A meal is worthy for what it lacks
4. Natural means less processed
5. Some foods are inherently bad for you

You can read the article to learn why these myths should be busted.

High-fat, Low-carbohydrate Diet Significantly Slows Tumor Growth And Enhances Health In Mice

Boston College biologists have identified an alternative, diet-based method of treating brain cancer that does not involve administering toxic chemicals, radiation or invasive surgery.The biologists found that KetoCal, a commercially available high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to treat epilepsy in children, can significantly decrease the growth of brain tumors in laboratory mice. Moreover, the diet significantly enhanced health and survival rates relative to mice in control groups who consumed a standard low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.

It is well known that healthy fats promote brain development in children. Very interesting that there may also be a connection for cancer sufferers.

Carbs may explain ethnic variations in cholesterol | Science&Health | Reuters.co.uk

Previous research has identified ethnic differences in cholesterol and other blood fat levels that couldn’t be explained by genes, obesity, lifestyle factors or diet, Merchant and his team note, but these analyses usually looked at dietary fat, not carbohydrate consumption. When calories from carbohydrates replace energy from fat in a person’s diet, both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels fall while triacylglycerol levels rise, the researchers explain.

For the uninitiated, lowering the HDL (good) cholesterol is bad.

It may be better than the alternatives. According to Are You Sugar Coating Your Workout:

Most personal trainers surveyed (65 percent) said their clients are fueling their workouts with nutrition bars or shakes. However, both personal trainers and consumers are unaware of the wide range of nutrition content found in popular nutrition bars.

When asked which in a list of food items has the most sugar, more than one in three personal trainers incorrectly identified a Krispy Kreme(R) glazed doughnut as having more sugar than many popular nutrition bars. In an October 2006 consumer survey, half of American adults surveyed made the same mistake in response to the same question. In reality, a PowerBar Performance top-selling* Chocolate bar (18g of sugars) and Clif Bar’s top-selling* Crunchy Peanut Butter (18g of sugars) tip the sugar scale more than a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut (10g of sugars).

Of course I’m being sarcastic about the doughnut. The article identifies low-sugar nutrition bars as an alternative. But why stop there? Why not have a megamuffin, or a grilled chicken salad? Or a chicken salad made with non-fat yogurt rather than mayonnaise? Why, in other words, turn to a highly processed nutrition bar at all?

We all know we should eat more fiber, but how much more? The roughage treatment - USATODAY.com has an answer.

You probably know your weight. You may be a calorie, fat or carbohydrate counter. But do you have any idea how many grams of fiber you eat each day?For most people, the answer is “not nearly enough” to reap all the benefits of the rough stuff, which include weight control, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes and, of course, relief from constipation and other bowel ailments. Though fiber alone is no longer thought to prevent colon cancer, one new British study suggests it might lower breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. In any case, the American Cancer Society says high-fiber foods are full of crucial nutrients.

Yet studies show average adults consume about 15 grams of fiber a day, far short of the 21 to 38 grams that the Institute of Medicine recommends. Studies of children show similar shortfalls.

My megamuffin and bingeing brownie recipes each pack about 9 grams of fiber into 100-150 calories, which helps me get to 40+ grams per day.

United Press International - Consumer Health - Eat To Live: Rice the new weight-loss food

Before you reach into the freezer for that carton of ice cream, they don’t give you license to go mad with your favorite candies and potato chips. You can only consume them at specific times of day in carefully calculated amounts. Otherwise, you will put on weight.The carbohydrates you consume must be fat free or low in fat. Fat slows the serotonin-making process. Besides, it makes you feel lethargic, and the sofa and a bowl of potato chips will develop an irresistible appeal. Nor should they contain protein because it interferes with the brain’s ability to make serotonin.

You have to eat the right foods at the right times. This will be when your serotonin levels are naturally lower, which seems to be late afternoon or early evening, when people can tend to crave a quick boost from a gooey lemon bar, a hot chocolate or a sandwich.

While you can’t have those, you can have a fat-free cookie or a few pretzels. Then later on for dinner, the authors write on buzzle.com, you can “dine on low fat carbohydrate dishes like pasta marinara sprinkled with parmesan cheese or a large bowl of butternut squash soup with crusty bread followed by fat free hot chocolate and vanilla wafers. This afternoon and evening comfort food soothes the appetite and makes you feel good when otherwise you would suffer from cravings and a bad mood.”

I’ve found that a CRON plan will give you the right mix, as nothing is explicitly cut off but getting the nutrients needed requires balancing out the major food groups.