chef001_2003

tonite i came to a realization that all of my hatred towards the atkins diet has be unfounded (sort of). I still dissagree with removing carbs from peoples diets but i do agree with the other thing that he un-intionally removed.....

anyone

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Graphs have shown that the rise of obesity and the rise in the use of HFCS goes hand in hand. NO i am not sying that HFCS is not solely to blame but i feel it is a moajor contributing factor. consumption has also incresed but we are consuming empty calories. i don't wan't to sound like a health nut spouting, in actuallity i weigh 360 pounds and i am starting an experiment. i would like the assistance of other Tfpers in joining with me in trying to cut out HFCS from our diet and getting out and excercising.

Also any TFper's from across the pond i would like to know if HFCS is a primary ingredient in most of your foods like is true in the states.

For doubter's look in your cabinets and then at atkins approved items and see that in regular items HFCS is typically one of the first ingredients wheras atkins have little to no HFCS.

for more info please read this http://www.beaconhill.org/NewsLink/N...wsLinkV8N4.pdf

Furry

Evil. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, veg and cut down on fatty meats. No more than 3 eggs a week. Drink skimmed milk. Black chocolate only for treats. No munchies. One "sin" (eg ice cream) every three days.

I lost 3 stones in 3 months with that diet. I still stick to it

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the_marq

A couple of things; first, let's not throw around words like "evil" to describe Dr. Atkins. You're free to disagree with his theories, but let's try to minimize this "evil" bullshit. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone.

Second, the Atkins Diet does not advocate "cutting out carbs." This is nothing but a news magazine sound bite. Dr. Atkins encouraged a balanced diet with a reduced focus on carbohydrates and refined sugar.

As for your question about HFCS, I really don't have much information there, I don't know if HFCS is all that common in Canada. I would guess this is a sweetner for processed foods...right?

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#3 in a series

uncle_el

as the marq pointed out, the problem was not what atkins diet per se, it was the media spin about it, but i digress...

i believe part of the problem with "carbs" in the u.s. (i can't comment on other countries) is the way in which we consume them: dipped/battered and fried, or with tons of sugar on it, or both. for example, our top 3 vegetables in this country:
1. iceberg lettuce (which has little to no nutritional value, as it's just fiber and water)
2. tomatoes consumed as ketchup
3. potatoes served as french fries

from those stats, one can see where the majority of carbs are inhaled... err, consumed. and one can see what is probably consumed along with those top 3 vegetables.

sadly, it seems as though we eat less vegetables and fresh fruit, and would rather have the vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, etc. that veggies and fruits provide in pill form, powders, or nutrition bars.

in short, the atkins diet isn't about removing carbs completely from the diet, just the way in which we in the u.s. tend to consume our carbs.

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An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of inprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. - Malcolm X

duck0987

The fact is you need carbs and sugars to live, if you cut out all sugar your brain will cease to function as sugars are the only type of energy it can use. this is why diabetics will sometime see a decline in cognitive abilities.

As far as the HFCS item the issue may be in the way your body metabolized Fructose. Most sugars are utilized directly by the muscles when exercising, and what is not used is converted to fat. In the case of fructose it is metabolized by the liver and converted into usable energy, i.e. fat. This is why eating fruit doesn't give you the sugar rush that glucose gives you, Glucose is raw energy and ready to be used by the body, fructose is more of a slow release, as the liver can only work so fast.

I would venture to guess that by the time the liver finishes with the Fructose most of it is going directly to fat as the body is inactive.

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crewsor

Not only was Atkins ahead of the curve on Fructose, but many other ideas just now becoming mainstream. I haven't eaten foods with trans-fats for years because of Atkins. Only lately have others come to realize the detriments of trans-fats. By 2006, foods nutritional statements must list them, as they are the most deadly of artery clogging foods. Of course by then most companies will have eliminated them because people will realize its harmfull to consume, and avoid products containing them.
The medias portrayal of Atkins is criminal. If followed properly, you still eat carbs. You just choose them wisely. Aviod sugar, white flour, and starchy vegetables, while eating plenty of green veggies, nuts and berries. How can that be a bad thing? Too many people get caught up in the media hype without taking the time to understand the actual principals behind controlling carbs. Thats controlling, not eliminating.

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uncle_el

1. fructose can be converted into glucose (fructose, to fructose 1 phosphate, to glyceraldehyde 3 phosphtate, to fructose 1 6 bisphosphate, to fructose 6 phosphate, to glucose). once converted to glucose, it can be metabolized in the same way that all glucose is.

2. fructose can be metabolized directly by muscles as they have an enzyme, hexokinase, that the liver either does not have, or has it insufficient quantities (depending on the text you read, and whether or not it's about biochemistry or nutrition)... both fructose and glucose are "raw" energy.

__________________
An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of inprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. - Malcolm X

chef001_2003

Remove carbs was a mis-wording and i apologize
i due understand aktins methods of cutting carbs to like 26 grams for a few weeks then increasing slightly until desired weight is reache dand increasing again until a maintenance point is reached normal about 40-50 grams an day. and i agree evil is a harsh term but as was stated by duck you need carbs/sugars to live. the mass consumption that occurs is part of the porblem.

back to fructose most of the time our body uses the easiest/fastest/simplest way of breaking down carbs/sugars. with enogh enzamatic action any sugar can be made into glucose. another reason for the increase in the use of hfcs is price it is cheapper to use highly refined corn fructose then using sucrose, glucose, etc. plus it is an invert sugar(if i am not mistaken) which makes it many times sweeter than sucrose, glucose.

again refering to duck fruit say an apple contains about the same amount of fructose as i think a 1/2 teaspoon of hfcs and ever tablespoon of ketchup contains a teaspoon of hfcs

also as a side point hfcs is considered a hazardous material during transport

braisler

A friend of mine in med-school told me something they were learning about HFCS as part of their nutrition and metabolism training. He said that HFCS actually stimulates the body to desire more food. So when you drink a sugary beverage (Coke, etc. are a great source of HFCS) you actually end up being more hungry even though you just finished consuming several hundred calories (most soda averages 10 calories/ounce). I don't recall the exact mechanism that he provided for this being the case, but I believe that it had to do with the time lag needed for the body to convert HFCS into usable glucose.

Something to think about, anyway. I agree that eliminating or reducing your consumption of HFCS is a good idea for your diet and your health. My wife and are I focusing on healthier shopping habits as part of making for a healthier lifestyle. If you don't buy it, you won't eat it. It is working well for both of us. We have more energy and feel better overall.

Boo

HFCS is EVIL. I have done Atkins with success. It is amazing how much better I feel after getting all the crap out of my body (after induction flu that is). I am a firm believer that anyone with a health problem should use a diet to eliminate any food alergy or intolerance before resorting to meds. I have not tried any of the cleansing diets.

Remember that Atkins is "low carb", not "no carb".

Most people that I have encountered that criticize Atkins have not done it or have done it wrong. Misconceptions can actually cause health problems.

Evil or genious? IMO - The media and the Atkins marketing companies have really done the diet an injustice. All the low carb foods are really meant for the maintenance part of the diet, not the induction phase, but they are not going to lose a sale due to that left out fact.

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Suave

I don't think Atkins was evil, so much as ignorant and inexhaustive in researching the side-effects of his diet. The best diet ever is: exercise and the food pyramid. Follow the guidelines of the food pyramid and you'll be fine.

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duck0987

From what I have heard, from nutritionist, they tend to lean toward the fructose liver argument. The seminar I went to was geared more towards college athletes, and broke down sugar intake about training. According to the speaker after exercise raw glucose after exercise was important for muscle recovery, her suggestion was honey, and fruits and carbs where not as useful as carbs and fructose where not as readily available for use by the muscles. Although I would be interested to see what the actual percentages of Fructose is metabolized in the liver vs. the muscles.

BTW. I skipped biochem and took Advanced Organic for my chem major, though I am debating picking it up.

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"I've got a lot of friends who don't know how to cook, which I could never understand because not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fuck." --Robert Rodriguez