Category Archives: Diet And Food

We offer numerous modalities of treatment; selecting only the most appropriate for you and your lifestyle. Long term weight loss success is our goal as we teach you about nutrition and give you effective techniques to apply throughout your day. As your progress becomes visible on the outside, your level of inspiration will reflect that on the inside.

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The Smart for Life Weight Loss Program was created by Sasson Moulavi, MD, a board certified bariatric physician. Dr. Sass has been supervising his successful weight loss program for over fifteen years. Through diligent research and continuing education, Dr. Sass sustains his ability to help others with ever-evolving information. Not only will the Smart for Life Program give you access to these leading edge philosophies and techniques, but Dr. Sass also leads the team that creates and produces the amazing, healthy, Smart for Life products in our own award-winning manufacturing facility.

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Tips for Planning, Enjoying, and Sticking to a Nutritious Diet

Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, its about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and stabilizing your mood. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, youre not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, youll find another saying exactly the opposite. But by using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create a tasty, varied, and healthy diet that is as good for your mind as it is for your body.

We all know that eating right can help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid certain health problems, but your diet can also have a profound effect on your mood and sense of wellbeing. Studies have linked eating a typical Western dietfilled with processed meats, packaged meals, takeout food, and sugary snackswith higher rates of depression, stress, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Eating an unhealthy diet may even play a role in the development of mental health disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimers disease, and schizophrenia, or in the increased risk of suicide in young people.

Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, cooking meals at home, and reducing your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, may help to improve mood and lower your risk for mental health problems. If you have already been diagnosed with a mental health problem, eating well can even help to manage your symptoms and regain control of your life.

While some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on mood, its your overall dietary pattern that is most important. That means switching to a healthy diet doesnt have to be an all or nothing proposition. You dont have to be perfect and you dont have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet and make a difference to the way you think and feel.

Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable stepslike adding a salad to your diet once a dayrather than one big drastic change. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices.

Prepare more of your own meals.Cooking more meals at home can help you take charge of what youre eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food.

Make the right changes.When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, its important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with healthy fats (such as switching fried chicken for grilled fish) will make a positive difference to your health. Switching animal fats for refined carbohydrates, though (such as switching your breakfast bacon for a donut), wont lower your risk for heart disease or improve your mood.

Simplify.Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed foods and opting for more fresh ingredients.

Read the labels.Its important to be aware of whats in your food as manufacturers often hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be healthy.

Focus on how you feel after eating.This will help foster healthy new habits and tastes. The more healthy food you eat, the better youll feel after a meal. The more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy.

Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydratedcausing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. Its common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Instead of emphasizing one nutrient, we need to move to food-based recommendations. What we eat should be whole, minimally processed, nutritious foodfood that is in many cases as close to its natural form as possible.

Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts University

Key to any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. Moderation is also about balance. Despite what fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

For many of us, moderation also means eating less than we do now. But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinnerbut not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with extra vegetables.

Try not to think of certain foods as off-limits.When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Start by reducing portion sizes of unhealthy foods and not eating them as often. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

Think smaller portions.Serving sizes have ballooned recently. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, visual cues can help with portion sizesyour serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, add more leafy green vegetables or round off the meal with fruit.

Take your time. Stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

Eat with others whenever possible. As well as the emotional benefits, this allows you to model healthy eating habits for your kids. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.

Aside from portion size, perhaps the single biggest problem with the modern Western diet is the amount of added sugar in our food. As well as creating weight problems, too much sugar causes energy spikes and has been linked to diabetes, depression, and even an increase in suicidal behaviors in young people. Reducing the amount of candy and desserts you eat is only part of the solution as sugar is also hidden in foods such as bread, cereals, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, low-fat meals, fast food, and ketchup. Your body gets all it needs from sugar naturally occurring in food so all this added sugar just means a lot of empty calories.

Slowly reduce the sugar in your dieta little at a timeto give your taste buds time to adjust and wean yourself off the craving.

Avoid sugary drinks.Try drinking sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice instead.

Dont replace saturated fat with sugar. Many of us make the mistake of replacing healthy sources of saturated fat, such as whole milk dairy, with refined carbs or sugary foods, thinking were making a healthier choice. Low-fat doesnt necessarily mean healthy, especially when the fat has been replaced by added sugar to make up for loss of taste.

Avoid processed or packaged foodslike canned soups, frozen dinners, or low-fat meals that often contain hidden sugar that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

Be careful when eating out. Most gravy, dressings and sauces are also packed with salt and sugar, so ask for it to be served on the side.

Eat healthier snacks. Cut down on sweet snacks such as candy, chocolate, and cakes. Instead, eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Check labels and choose low-sugar products.

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Focus on eating the recommended daily minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables and it will naturally fill you up and help you cut back on unhealthy foods. A serving is half a cup of raw fruit or veg or a small apple or banana, for example. Most of us need todoublethe amount we currently eat. To increase your intake, add berries to breakfast cereals, eat fruit for dessert, swap your usual side dish for a salad, and snack on vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes instead of processed snack foods.

The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidantsand different colors provide different benefits.

Greens.Branch out beyond lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.

Sweet vegetables.Naturally sweet vegetablessuch as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squashadd healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for added sugars.

Fruit.Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

Eating foods high in dietary fiber can help you stay regular, lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and help you lose weight. Depending on your age and gender, nutrition experts recommend you eat at least 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day for optimal health. Many of us aren't eating half that amount.

Since fiber stays in the stomach longer than other foods, the feeling of fullness will stay with you much longer, helping you eat less. Fiber also moves fat through your digestive system quicker so less of it is absorbed. And when you fill up on fiber, you'll also have more energy for exercising.

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long-lasting energy. Whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes.

Healthy carbs(or good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs(or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. They digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Avoid refined carbs such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Your body uses calcium to build healthy bones and teeth, keep them strong as you age, send messages through the nervous system, and regulate the hearts rhythm. If you dont get enough calcium in your diet, your body will take calcium from your bones to ensure normal cell function, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Try to get as much from food as possible and use only low-dose calcium supplements to make up any shortfall. Limit foods that deplete your bodys calcium stores (caffeine, alcohol, sugary drinks), do weight-bearing exercise, and get a daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and Knutrients that help calcium do its job.

Dairy.Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, unsweetened yogurt, and cheese.

Vegetables and greens.Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

Beans.Good sources of calcium include black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

Protein gives us the energy to get up and goand keep going. While too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, the latest research suggests that most of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age.

Protein needs are based on weight rather than calorie intake. Adults should eat at least 0.8g of high-quality protein per kilogram (2.2lb) of body weight per day.

Despite what you may have been told, not all fats are unhealthy. While bad fats can increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats are essential to physical and emotional health. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats, for example, can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent dementia.

Monounsaturated fatsfrom avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin and sesame).

Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3s, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Good vegetarian sources of polyunsaturated fats include flaxseed and walnuts.

Trans fats,found in processed foods, vegetable shortenings, margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, or anything with partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients, even if it claims to be trans-fat free.

Saturated fats are mainly found in tropical oils, dairy, and animal products such as red meat, while poultry and fish also contain some saturated fat.The latest news in the nutritional world studieswith old and new studies to back them upsuggest that not all saturated fat is a dietary demon, either. While many prominent health organizations maintain that eating saturated fat from any source increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, other nutrition experts take a different view.The new argument is that saturated fat contributes to weight control and overall health.

Of course, not all saturated fat is the same. The saturated fat in whole milk, coconut oil, or salmon is different to the unhealthy saturated fat found in pizza, French fries, and processed meat products (such as ham, sausage, hot dogs, salami, and other cold cuts) which have been linked to coronary disease and cancer. See: The Fat Debate

Sodium is another ingredient that is frequently added to food to improve taste, even though your body needs less than one gram of sodium a day (about half a teaspoon of table salt). Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, memory loss, and erectile dysfunction. It may also worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Be wary of processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners often contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

Use herbs and spicessuch as garlic, curry powder, cayenne or black pepper to improve the flavor of meals instead of salt.

Be careful when eating out.Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium. Some offer lower-sodium choices or you can ask for your meal to be made without salt.

Buy unsalted nuts and add a little of your own salt until your taste buds are accustomed to eating them salt-free.

Related HelpGuide articles

Mastering the mindful meal Describes the importance of mindful eating, along with tips on how to eat more mindfully. (Brigham & Womens Hospital)

Diet and Mental Health How dietary factors affect mental and emotional health. (Mental Health Foundation)

Omega-3 Fats: An Essential Contribution All about health benefits of the important omega-3 fatty acids, including the best food sources in which to find them. (Harvard School of Public Health)

Clarifying the Facts on Fats: Is Butter Really Back? Concentrating too much on eliminating fat from our diets has led us to replace healthy fats with simple carbohydrate foods that may actually be worse for our health. (Harvard Public Health)

The Truth About Fats Understanding what counts as good fats, bad fats, and thosein-between. (Harvard Health Publications)

Face the Fats (PDF) Describes the complicated relationship between good fats, bad fats, and various diseases. (Nutrition Action Healthletter)

Sugar exposed as deadly villain in obesity epidemic Article about addictive sugar can be, with tips to cut down. (Guardian)

How to spot and avoid added sugar Why sugar is so bad for you and how to spot it hidden in foods such as cereal, pasta sauce, and crackers. (Harvard Health Publications)

Sodium Content of Your Food How sodium affects your body and how to cut down on dietary sodium. Included tips on reading nutrition labels, and suggestions for cooking and shopping. (University of Maine PDF)

How to stay in the sodium safe zone Tips to reduce your sodium intake and improve heart health. (Harvard Health Publications)

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Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal Ph.D., and Robert Segal, M.A.Last updated: January 2017.

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Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It

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I wanted to write a quick article that I think everyone should read if they want to do the HCG diet safely and effectively. The diet is safe but you still need to follow a few simple tips to keep it that way. And if you havent read this post yet: HCG diet dangers please go read that first and then come back, as that covers the basics as far as which method to use for the best results.

OK, so the first tip is to know the rules and to follow them. Sounds simple enough but I get so many questions from people while they are on the diet and I know they havent even read Dr. Simeons original guide and dont even know the basics of the diet. You must know what you are suppose to eat, what not to eat, and how the whole process works. So when someone emails me and asks how long they can stay on the diet, I know they probably havent read the guide and dont know what they are doing. If they did they would know they would do a 23 or 40 day round, then they can take a break and start again.

So know the diet before starting, and if you have already started, then learn the rules fast.

The second tip is to make sure you are drinking ALL your water and eating ALL your meals. When people are on the HCG they arent as hungry as they used to be (and thats a good thing!) but they still need to be eating all their food and especially getting all that water. You need these few calories to keep your system going normally so you dont fall into starvation mode which will prevent you from losing as much weight as possible. And the water is very important and the more you drink the more cleansed you will be and the more weight you will lose. So do your best and eat and drink all that you are suppose to.

The third tip is to not worry too much. I have a lot of clients who just worry too much and it causes problems. They get a small headache, they start to worry. They have one leg cramp, they start to worry. They dont lose as much as yesterday, they start to worry. They have fewer bowel movements than when they started the diet, they start to worry. Its good to be aware of your body and whats going on but dont worry so much about everything. People who start to worry too much start doing things they shouldnt on the diet like skipping meals, exercising, taking supplements, etc to try and calm their worry. But just stick to the instructions and dont worry so much. You are fine and the weight will come off.

The fourth and final tip is an important one. And that is to keep yourself healthy while on the diet. If you are on any prescribed medication, stay on it unless a doctor says you should go off it. If you get a headache, take an Advil or Tylenol. Whatever it is, you need to take care of your health first and then worry about the weight loss. Once you do start losing the weight though you will notice most of your medical problems and health annoyances will start to disappear. Its absolutely amazing and you wont believe it till you see it. But until then stay on the meds you need to be taking.

So thats pretty much it. If you follow tip #1 you will do well and youll be safe. So follow the instructions, eat and drink everything youre suppose to, dont worry too much and make sure to take care of yourself. Youll be glad you did and your weight loss will be amazing.

Tagged as: HCG Diet Safety, HCG Diet Side Effects, HCG Diet Tips

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How To Do The HCG Diet Safely - HCG Diet Dangers

How to use the Atkins Diet Food List

A delicious meal with eggs, bacon and salad

Trust me, I know how difficult it can be to lose weight, Ive been there. I understand that when all you want to do is lose weight fast and safely, you dont want to be bombarded with irrelevant or misleading information.

All you really need is a simple food list that tells you what foods you can eat and what foods you cant.

We all know that you need a balanced diet of healthy foods to lose weight, but sometimes its difficult to know where to begin.

If you work all week, and also run a busy home, then the last thing you want when youre buying the weekly food shop is to be sidetracked. Having to think about what you need to buy for your weight loss plan as well as for the rest of the family is an inconvenience you could do without. You just want a clear and simple list with diet food so that selecting the right foods becomes second nature to you, and something you dont have to keep worrying about.

After all, life is complicated enough already! Which is the whole reason why I have put together this site.

Being overweight can quickly become overwhelming. There is a huge emotional factor that cant be underestimated.

Your whole life can become completely consumed first by your unhealthy relationship with food, and then by your desire to change it. Once youve made the decision, if you are anything like me, youll probably find you want to find fast ways to lose weight, and will start looking for easy weight loss diets. But these quick fix diets arent as easy to follow as the Atkins.

It may sound like a clich, but when I first started out on the Atkins diet I really was at rock bottom. After the birth of my second child the baby weight just didnt disappear, in fact more fat just kept creeping on until I had ballooned.

I felt that my life was spiraling out of control even just thinking about starting a diet had me breaking down in tears. I couldnt face the prospect of failing again.

My moment of clarity came when I went on a trip to the funfair with my eldest son he wanted to ride on the roller-coaster, it was his first time and he was so excited, but when the safety bar came down it wouldnt fit over me. We both had to get out of the car in front of everyone people I knew and who my son went to school with. Humiliating (for me and for him) is an understatement.

There are hundreds of diets out there believe me when I say I think Ive tried about 90% of them! The Paleolithic diet, the Special K diet, the yeast free diet, hey Im even old enough to have tried the F-Plan diet anyone else remember eating can after can of baked beans?

So this time I wanted a diet that was going to be easy to follow, give fast results and be something I knew I could stick to in the long term. After looking around I decided that The Atkins Nutritional Approach seemed like the best choice for me, and besides I already knew people who had shed tens of pounds by following the healthy diet plans, so I knew it worked.

If this is your first introduction to the Atkins diet, then you may be asking yourself, what is this diet? Well, the Atkins diet plan was developed by Dr Robert Atkins way back in 1972. Atkins was a scientist, who was also overweight, and he devised his diet to help himself lose weight, and consequently help millions of other people worldwide to do the same by following the plan and using the food list a low carb food list and high protein diet plan that guarantees results.

Put simply, tis diet involves limiting your intake of carbohydrates so that your body switches from metabolizing (burning up) glucose and switches over to burning fat in a process called ketosis so, instead of using carbohydrates for energy your body uses fat.

Digested carbohydrates convert to glucose (sugar), which is transported in your bloodstream. This glucose triggers the release of a hormone called insulin. Glucose cant be stored in the body so the body uses it for energy first, rather than using fat, which incidentally can be stored in unlimited quantities in the body (mostly on my hips and backside it would seem!).

Atkins argued that rises in insulin levels after a carb-heavy meal causes the blood sugar to fluctuate wildly, giving us short bursts of energy followed by periods of tiredness and hunger, whereas a low carb diet keeps the blood sugar levels more constant and so your energy levels also remain steady.

Eating a diet high in protein, fat and fiber means the body has less glucose to burn first, and so it starts to burn fat instead.

Once your body is using fat as its primary source of energy it will mean that you will start to lose weight.

To get the body into this fat burning mode foods that are high in carbohydrates have to be avoided during the first two weeks of the diet (the induction phase), after which time they are gradually reintroduced. Its all made a lot easier by using the food list to select the right foods which will induce ketosis, and therefore encourage weight loss.

If you want to know more about the science behind the diet and how it works, then take a look this page, What is the Atkins Diet?

For your motivation, take a look at this short video:

The diet is broken down into four distinct phases. These phases are there to ensure that you lose weight fast and safe. It also means that you wont be on the same restrictive phase forever! The food list for Atkins diet followers explains what you are allowed to eat in each phase.

This lasts for two weeks and is the most restrictive phase of the whole diet. You eat three main meals a day (or five to six smaller ones if you prefer) choosing items from the Atkins diet food list. There are a few basic rules you must follow.

* You should not go for longer than six waking hours without eating. This means you can choose how many meals a day you will need to have based around your working hours or lifestyle.

* Every meal should be made up of at least 120-180 grams of protein (four to six ounces). See the foods to eat during the diet induction phase for a list of high protein foods.

* If possible, include one tablespoon of oil, or a pat of butter, on your meat, salad or vegetables at each meal.

* Eat up to 20 grams of net carbohydrates a day from the Acceptable Foods List, you can find details of this diet food list below.

* Each day you can also have up to 120 g of cheese, 10 black or 20 green olives, half an avocado, 30 g of sour cream, or two to three tablespoons of cream, and up to three tablespoons of lemon or lime juice.

* It is recommended that you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Make those normal sized or big glasses, not too small.

* You are also advised to take a daily multivitamin tablet and some omega 3 oil (like fish oil or krill oil).

There is more detail on this first phase if you go to the Atkins diet induction page.

The OWL phase, where the net carb allowance is gradually increased to a point where weight loss is still ongoing. This is done by increasing your daily net carbs by 5g a day, so that you keep losing weight. If your weight plateaus or you start to put it back on again, youve added too many additional carbs!

Its a balancing game to find out how many carbs your body can take in and still be able to shed fat. You can use the Atkins carb counter to help during this transitional phase.

This phase starts when you are within ten pounds of your goal weight. Once again, you will start to increase your net carb intake as well as introducing extra foods until your weight loss slows and starts to maintain at the same level.

Here, you commit to a healthy lifestyle to keep the pounds off! You will still need to keep an eye on what you are eating, using the food list and Atkins carb counter will help you to do this.

I just wish that someone had written out an food list for me when I first began. Knowing what foods to eat would have made the first month or two a whole lot easier for me.

A trip to the food store would have been a treat and not the chore it would inevitably turn into. I would stand in the aisles and panic, not knowing what foods were on the Atkins diet plan, then Id pick up what I thought I could eat only to find out when I got home that it was not suitable for Atkins recipes.

Fortunately my steady weight loss kept me going, and I soon got the hang of the Atkins diet menu.

But you dont have to struggle like I did. Ive done all the hard work for you, just use the food list for Atkins diet followers that Ive compiled especially for all of my fellow weight loss friends out there!

The induction phase lasts for two weeks, it is designed to kick start your body into burning fat. All of the foods below are carb free and can be eaten freely.

* Meat

This means all types of unprocessed meat: beef, pork, lamb, veal, mutton, ostrich, reindeer, crocodile, kangaroo, camel and anything else you can find at your butchers. If the meat is processed you will need to check for any added carbohydrate, if you see it listed in the ingredients then either count the carbs or avoid it.

* Fish and shellfish

Any unprocessed. Haddock, tuna, cod, prawns, oysters, lobster, crab any, yes any fish and shellfish.

* Poultry, fowl and game

Any unprocessed. For example, chicken, turkey, duck, venison, pigeon.

* Fats

Butter. Oils (vegetable and olive). Mayonnaise (with no added sugar).

* Eggs

In any style, scrambled, deviled, fried, poached, boiled, etc. Hen, chicken, goose,duck all types of eggs are included.

* Cream

Single or double. Use in your coffee instead of milk (you can water it down first if you prefer).

* Drinks

Water, diet tonic, zero calorie flavored waters,tea and coffee. Caffeine should be taken in moderation, and decaffeinated is preferable.

* The following herbs and spices can also be eaten freely (as long as they do not contain sugar):

basil, cayenne pepper, coriander, dill, oregano, pepper, rosemary, sage, tarragon.

The foods on this Atkins diet food list all contain carbohydrates, so they have to be limited. You should aim for 20 g of net carbohydrate per day. And, 12-15g of this should be made up from any of the following salad and vegetables, this is known as the foundation list.

Remember that cheese contains carbohydrate. You can have 90-120 g of cheese per day. A 30 g serving of these cheeses contain the following net carbs:

Blue cheeses (0.7 g) Cheddar (0 g) Sheep or goat (0.03 g) Cream cheese (0.8 g) Emmental (1 g) Feta (1.2 g) Gouda(0.6 g) Mozzarella (0.6 g)

1 tablespoon portion of parmesan is (0.2 g) Two tablespoons sour cream (1.2 g)

Made without sugar. A two tablespoon serving of each of these contains the following net carbs:

Blue cheese (2.3 g) Caesar (0.5 g) Italian (3 g) Lemon juice (2.8 g) French (1 g) Ranch (1.4 g)

One serving of Splenda is equal to 1 g of net carbs.

Remember, you are trying to reduce your carbohydrate intake, so the following are banned during the induction phase.

Avoid: Legumes and starchy vegetables

This includes potatoes, corn, beans, pulses and peas.

Avoid: Grains

So no bread or anything that contains flour, including pasta and rice.

Avoid: Fruit and fruit juices

Fruit is very high in sugars.

Avoid: Alcohol

Contains carbs, and will weaken your resolve!

Avoid: Milk

Very high in carbs.

Avoid: Nuts and seeds (pretty much!)

Only to be avoided during phase one, and this is only because portioning is difficult to control!

Hamburger with low carb burger buns, see the recipe on the page with low carb burger buns.

So now you have a list of the foods you are allowed to eat in phase 1 of the new Atkins diet plan. But how do you use this list on a day-to-day basis?

Well, I have a print out that I keep in my purse (in fact I have several print-outs, one in the car, one at work, one in my kitchen- you get the picture, I find my life works a lot better when I use a list!), so when Im at the food store I can refer to my food list and make sure that I only buy foods I can eat.

Making yourself a grocery list before you go shopping is also one of my quick weight loss tips, it stops you from impulse buying all the junk that you dont really need there are no junk foods on the Atkins list! You can find more quick weight loss tips on this page.

If youve used the list, you should now be the proud possessor of a refrigerator full of foods you can eat, all you have to do is plan your menu from the diet food list.

What works for me is planning a whole weeks worth of meals in advance. This way I tally up the net carbs as I go along using the food list, so each day only adds up to 20g in total, 15g of this being from the salad and vegetable list. Then I know Im not going to accidentally go over my net carb allowance, preparation is another of my quick weight loss tips.

Just so as to be absolutely crystal clear about how the food list works, Ive given you an example of a typical days Atkins diet menu during phase one.

Fried bacon and eggs, 35 g mushrooms fried in butter (net carbs 1.2 g), one grilled tomato (net carbs 4.3 g)

Basil and coriander omelet with 56 g grated Emmental cheese (net carbs 2 g)

Fried chicken strips, 25 g cucumber (net carbs 0.5 g), 35 g iceberg lettuce (net carbs 1.25 g), two tablespoons blue cheese dressing (net carbs 2.3 g)

Bowl of cold, cooked prawns which have been fried in garlic butter made with one clove of garlic (net carbs 0.9 g)

Read the original:
Atkins Diet Food List All about Atkins Diet and Low Carb ...

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Milk & Milk Products Measure Calories Kilojoules Full-fat milk 1 cup 150 630 Low fat milk (1%) 1 cup 102 428.4 Cows milk 1 cup 157 659.4 Goat milk 1 cup 264 1108.8 Sweetened Condensed Milk from can 28 g 123 516.6 Full cream milk powder Half a cup 635 2667 Skim milk powder Half a cup 435 1827 Full-fat chocolate milk 1 cup 208 873.6 Strawberry Milk 1 cup 244 1024.8 Cheddar cheese slices Slice, 28 gm 114 478.8 Feta cheese 28 g 75 315 Finuta cheese 25 g 110 462 Gouda cheese 28 g 101 424.2 Mozzarella cheese 28 g 80 336 Kraft Cheese blocks 28 g 80 336 Edam cheese 28 g 98 411.6 Blue cheese 28 g 104 436.8 Mascarpone cheese 28 g 128 537.6 Ricotta cheese Half a cup 216 907.2 Ricotta cheese low fat Half a cup 171 718.2 Parmesan cheese 28 g 130 546 Camembert cheese 28 g 86 361.2 Cottage cheese 100 g 99 415.8 Halloumi cheese 100 g 363 1524.6 Cream focused 1 spoon 52 218.4 Cream Medium 1 spoon 37 155.4 Greek yogurt full-fat 1 spoon 141 592.2 Greek yogurt low fat 1 spoon 114 478.8 Ice Cream Clabber 1 cup 99 415.8 Vanilla ice cream 10% fat Half a cup 135 567 Vanilla 1 ball 240 1008 Cocoa 1 ball 280 1176 Strawberries 1 ball 220 924 Drinks & Juices Apple juice Half a cup 60 252 Apricot juice, canned Half a cup 72 302.4 Grape juice, canned Half a cup 78 327.6 Lemon juice canned Spoon to eat 3 12.6 Fresh orange juice Half a cup 59 247.8 Canned orange juice Half a cup 52 218.4 Grapefruit juice, canned local Half a cup 58 243.6 Grapefruit juice, unsweetened Half a cup 47 197.4 Canned peach juice Half a cup 67 281.4 Canned pear juice Half a cup 75 315 Canned pineapple juice Half a cup 70 294 Canned tomato juice Half a cup 21 88.2 Canned juice Islands Half a cup 49 205.8 Guava juice One cup 175 735 Mango juice One cup 110 462 Hot Drinks Nescafe coffee without sugar Teaspoon 5 21 Instant coffee without caffeine Teaspoon 5 21 Tea without sugar One cup 1 4.2 Soft Drinks Pepsi-Cola 240 ml cup 100 420 Diet Pepsi-Cola 240 ml cup 0 0 Seven Up 240 ml cup 90 378 Sprite 240 ml cup 96 403.2 Fanta 240 ml cup 119 499.8 Coca-Cola 240 ml cup 97 407.4 Diet Coca-Cola 240 ml cup 1 4.2 Cream soda 240 ml cup 126 529.2 Drink grape gas 240 ml cup 107 449.4 Luncheon Meat Beef Approx. 42 g 142 596.4 Pastrami turkey 28 g 40 168 Pepperoni beef 28 g 141 592.2 Salami turkey 28 g 56 235.2 Salami beef 28 g 72 302.4 Turkey 28 g 57 239.4 Beef 28 g 88 369.6 Chicken meat 42 g 116 487.2 Eggs Egg whites, (fresh or iced) One, big 17 71.4 Fresh egg yolk One, big 59 247.8 Full cook boiled eggs One, big 79 331.8 Fried eggs One, big 91 382.2 Omelet One, big 92 386.4 Omelet with cheese and vegetables 113 g 252 1058.4 Duck eggs One, big 130 546 Goose eggs One, big 267 1121.4 Turkey eggs One, big 135 567 Quail eggs One, big 14 58.8 Nuts & Legumes Nuts Half a cup, 60 g 380 1596 Almonds, dry Quarter a cup 209 877.8 Cashew, roasted, dry 28 g 160 672 Cashew, roasted, oily 28 g 165 693 Nuts, roasted, dry 28 g 170 714 Hazelnut, roasted, oily 28 g 176 739.2 Lentils, whole, green Half a cup 215 903 Lentils, cooked One cup 210 882 Oils & Fats Margarine 1 Tablespoon 105 441 Olive oil 1 Tablespoon 120 504 Sunflower oil 1 Tablespoon 120 504 Sheep fat 1 Tablespoon 114 478.8 Vegetable oil 1 Tablespoon 126 529.2 Beef fat 1 Tablespoon 125 525 Butter 1 Tablespoon 36 151.2 Corn oil 1 Tablespoon 120 504 Fresh Fruits Apples Medium, 140 g 81 340.2 Apricot Medium, 30 g 17 71.4 Banana Medium, 100 g 105 441 Fig One, 40 g 37 155.4 Grapefruit Half 38 159.6 Cherries 10 beads 49 205.8 Avocado Half 162 680.4 Grapes Half a cup 53 222.6 Guava One, 85 g 45 189 Kiwi One, 76 g 46 193.2 Mango Half, 85 g 68 285.6 Orange One, 110 g 62 260.4 Papaya Medium 117 491.4 Peach One, 85 g 37 155.4 Pear Medium, 170 g 98 411.6 Pineapple Slice, 82 g 42 176.4 Plum One, 60 g 36 151.2 Pomegranate Medium, 150 g 110 462 Nectarine Medium, 142 g 67 281.4 Watermelon Piece, 100 g 26 109.2 Melon Piece, 100 g 33 138.6 Strawberries Half a cup 23 96.6 Tangerine One, 85 g 37 155.4 Blueberry One cup 122 512.4 Ripe dates 10 beads 150 630 Plum 100 g 52 218.4 Lemon One, 60 g 17 71.4 Sweet Lemon Fruit size 53 222.6 Black berry One cup 117 491.4 Quince Medium 60 252 Tamarind Half a cup 82 344.4 Canned Fruits Canned apricots (with sugar syrup) Half a cup 111 466.2 Fruit salad (with sugar syrup) Half a cup 94 394.8 Canned cherry (with thick sugar syrup) Half a cup 107 449.4 Canned peaches (with sugar syrup) Half a cup 95 399 Canned pear with (with sugar syrup) Half a cup 94 394.8 Canned pineapple (with sugar syrup) Half a cup 100 420 Dried Fruits Dried dates One 26 109.2 Dried figs 100 g 288 1209.6 Raisins Half a cup 109 457.8 Dried plum Half a cup 113 474.6 Dried Apricots Half a cup 169 709.8 Spices Cardamom 1 teaspoon 7 29.4 Dried hot red pepper 3 teaspoons 13 54.6 Cinnamon 1 teaspoon 7 29.4 Cloves 1 teaspoon 6 25.2 Latency 1 teaspoon 6 25.2 Ginger powder 1 teaspoon 1 4.2 Ginger root One, medium 20 84 Nutmeg powder 1 teaspoon 9 37.8 Black pepper 1 teaspoon 8 33.6 Red Meat Lamb shoulder, cooked with fat 63 g 220 924 Lamb shoulder, cooked without fat 48 g 135 567 Lamb thigh, roasted with fat 85 g 205 861 Lamb thigh, roasted without fat 73 g 140 588 Lamb rib, grilled without fat 85 g 200 840 Lamb rib, grilled with fat 85 g 307 1289.4 Beef, chest, cooked 85 g 189 793.8 Beef shoulder, without fat 85 g 183 768.6 Beef, minced and cooked 85 g 245 1029 Beef steak without fat 85 g 174 730.8 Sosaties 85 g 226 949.2 Slices without fat 85 g 182 764.4 Cow heart, cooked 85 g 148 621.6 Cow kidney, cooked 85 g 122 512.4 Cow tongue, cooked 85 g 241 1012.2 Vegetables Carrot Medium, 60 g 31 130.2 Carrot, cooked Half a cup 35 147 Cauliflower, cooked Half a cup 15 63 Cauliflower, uncooked Half a cup 12 50.4 Cucumbers, chopped Half a cup 7 29.4 Fried eggplant Half a cup 100 420 Eggplant, cooked Half a cup 13 54.6 Green beans, cooked Half a cup 20 84 Green beans, canned Half a cup 25 105 Cabbage, cooked Half a cup 16 67.2 Cabbage, uncooked Half a cup 8 33.6 Celery Half a cup 10 42 Corn One, medium 77 323.4 Mushrooms, fresh Half a cup 9 37.8 Mushroom, canned Half a cup 19 79.8 Lettuce Half a cup 4 16.8 Mixed vegetables (variety cooked) Half a cup 54 226.8 Okra, cooked and chopped Half a cup 25 105 Fresh onions, chopped Half a cup 27 113.4 Green onions, chopped Half a cup 16 67.2 Green peas, cooked Half a cup 67 281.4 Peppers, chopped Half a cup 12 50.4 Hot pepper One, 30 g 18 75.6 Baked potato, with the peel 195 g 220 924 Baked potato, without the peel 195 g 162 680.4 Fried potato 10 pieces, 42 g 158 663.6 Shalgam kale, boiled Half a cup 14 58.8 Watercress Half a cup 2 8.4 Squash Half a cup 41 172.2 Red radish 10 grains, 40 g 7 29.4 Red radish, leaves 10 leaves, medium 9 37.8 Chopped spinach Half a cup 6 25.2 Zucchini, chopped and cooked Half a cup 18 75.6 Sweet potatoes, mashed Half a cup 111 466.2 Red tomatoes One, medium 26 109.2 Green beans One cup 73 306.6 Beet One cup 46 193.2 Cabbage One cup 73 306.6 Leek 1 Spoon, minced 1 4.2 Coriander 1 package 97 407.4 Fenugreek, leaves 1 package 25 105 Garlic 5 pieces of garlic peeled 7 29.4 Grape leaves 1 cup 146 613.2 Mint Package, medium 84 352.8 Black olives 10 grains, medium 95 399 Green olives 10 grains, medium 66 277.2 Parsley 1 cup, minced 34 142.8 Parsley Package, medium 25 105 White radishes Package, medium 58 243.6 Spinach 1 Cup, chopped 14 58.8 Zucchini 1 cup, chopped 31 130.2 Zucchini One, medium 40 168 Basil 100 g 50 210 Legume 100 g 32 134.4 Sugar-cane 20 g 82 344.4 Grains Bread, cereals 100 g 17 71.4 Whole wheat bread One, 50 g 130 546 Cake 50 g 150 630 Pasta with sauce Small, 130 g 190 798 Corn flakes Cup, 25 g 95 399 French bread Quarter of a loaf, 115 g 333 1398.6 Plain biscuits 4 pieces, 55 g 178 747.6 White rice, cooked (tastic) Half a cup 131 550.2 Brown toast A slice 61 256.2 Plain white toast A slice 64 268.8 Spaghetti, cooked or pasta Half a cup 99 415.8 Spaghetti, cooked with minced meat and tomato Half a cup 110 462 Lasagna with meat sauce Half a cup 154 646.8 Barley One cup 672 2822.4 Pasta One cup 344 1444.8 Cornstarch One cup 471 1978.2 Rice, uncooked One cup 675 2835 Rice powder One cup 354 1486.8 Wheat One cup 485 2037 Meat & Chicken Chicken leg (hip), without skin, grilled 85 g 167 701.4 Chicken leg (hip), with skin, grilled 85 g 223 936.6 Chicken breast, without skin, grilled Half a breast 142 596.4 Chicken breast, with skin, grilled Half a breast 193 810.6 Chicken breast, without skin, fried Half a breast 161 676.2 Chicken wings, with skin, grilled 35.5 g 99 415.8 Chicken pieces, vacuum, fried 104 g 290 1218 Chicken gizzards, fried 85 g 238 999.6 Chicken livers, cooked 85 g 135 567 Duck meat, without skin, roasted 85 g 173 726.6 Red dark meat, without skin 85 g 161 676.2 Red dark meat, with skin 85 g 190 798 Red light meat, meat without skin 85 g 135 567 Red light meat, meat with skin 85 g 169 709.8 Fish and Shellfish Sardines, canned in oil 28 g 58 243.6 Anchovies, canned in oil 21 g 42 176.4 Tuna, canned in water 85 g 104 436.8 Tuna, canned in oil 85 g 169 709.8 Smoked salmon 85 g 99 415.8 Grilled Fish 85 g 136 571.2 Fish fried with rusk 85 g 228 957.6 Shrimp fried with rusk 85 g 206 865.2 Crab, canned 85 g 84 352.8 Shrimp, cooked 85 g 83 348.6 Oyster, uncooked 28 g 23 96.6 Oysters, fried 28 g 46 193.2 Oysters, fried with rusk 85 g 84 352.8 Caviar, black or red 1 tablespoon 40 168 Legumes Beans, boiled One cup 187 785.4 Dry beans Half a cup 349 1465.8 Beans Half a cup 37 155.4 Chickpeas, boiled One cup 269 1129.8 Flour Half a cup 339 1423.8 Lentil 28 g 192 806.4 Nuts mixed with roasted and dry peanuts 28 g 170 714 Mixed nuts roasted in oil 28 g 175 735 Sunflower seeds, roasted and dry 28 g 170 714 Sunflower seed, roasted in oil Half a cup 175 735 Pistachios, dry and roasted 28 g 357 1499.4 Peanuts, dry and roasted 28 g 165 693 Peanuts, roasted in oil 1 tablespoon 170 714 Peanut butter 28 g 95 399 Roasted chestnut 28 g 44 184.8 Coconut 28 g 100 420 Grated coconut 28 g 59 247.8 Roasted pumpkin seeds 28 g 127 533.4 Dried watermelon seeds 28 g 158 663.6 Circuit pills 28 g 102.2 429.24 Sesame 28 g 174.16 731.472 Pine 1 cup 172.7 725.34

Link:
Kilojoules & Calories Food Table - Diet & Weight Loss

Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption, often for the treatment of obesity or diabetes. Foods high in easily digestible carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fats and moderate protein (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds) and other foods low in carbohydrates (e.g., most salad vegetables such as spinach, kale, chard and collards), although other vegetables and fruits (especially berries) are often allowed. The amount of carbohydrate allowed varies with different low-carbohydrate diets.

Such diets are sometimes 'ketogenic' (i.e., they restrict carbohydrate intake sufficiently to cause ketosis). The induction phase of the Atkins diet[1][2][3] is ketogenic.

The term "low-carbohydrate diet" is generally applied to diets that restrict carbohydrates to less than 20% of caloric intake, but can also refer to diets that simply restrict or limit carbohydrates to less than recommended proportions (generally less than 45% of total energy coming from carbohydrates).[4][5]

Low-carbohydrate diets are used to treat or prevent some chronic diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, auto-brewery syndrome, high blood pressure, and diabetes.[6][7]

Gary Taubes has argued that low-carbohydrate diets are closer to the ancestral diet of humans before the origin of agriculture, and humans are genetically adapted to diets low in carbohydrate.[8] Direct archaeological or fossil evidence on nutrition during the Paleolithic, when all humans subsisted by hunting and gathering, is limited, but suggests humans evolved from the vegetarian diets common to other great apes to one with a greater level of meat-eating.[9] Some close relatives of modern Homo sapiens, such as the Neanderthals, appear to have been almost exclusively carnivorous.[10]

A more detailed picture of early human diets before the origin of agriculture may be obtained by analogy to contemporary hunter-gatherers. According to one survey of these societies, a relatively low carbohydrate (2240% of total energy), animal food-centered diet is preferred "whenever and wherever it [is] ecologically possible", and where plant foods do predominate, carbohydrate consumption remains low because wild plants are much lower in carbohydrate and higher in fiber than modern domesticated crops.[11] Primatologist Katherine Milton, however, has argued that the survey data on which this conclusion is based inflate the animal content of typical hunter-gatherer diets; much of it was based on early ethnography, which may have overlooked the role of women in gathering plant foods.[12] She has also highlighted the diversity of both ancestral and contemporary foraging diets, arguing no evidence indicates humans are especially adapted to a single paleolithic diet over and above the vegetarian diets characteristic of the last 30 million years of primate evolution.[13]

The origin of agriculture brought about a rise in carbohydrate levels in human diets.[14] The industrial age has seen a particularly steep rise in refined carbohydrate levels in Western societies, as well as urban societies in Asian countries, such as India, China, and Japan.

In 1797, John Rollo reported on the results of treating two diabetic Army officers with a low-carbohydrate diet and medications. A very low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet was the standard treatment for diabetes throughout the 19th century.[15][16]

In 1863, William Banting, a formerly obese English undertaker and coffin maker, published "Letter on Corpulence Addressed to the Public", in which he described a diet for weight control giving up bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes.[17] His booklet was widely read, so much so that some people used the term "Banting" for the activity usually called "dieting".[18]

In 1888, James Salisbury introduced the Salisbury steak as part of his high-meat diet, which limited vegetables, fruit, starches, and fats to one-third of the diet.[original research?]

In the early 1900s Frederick Madison Allen developed a highly restrictive short term regime which was described by Walter R. Steiner at the 1916 annual convention of the Connecticut State Medical Society as The Starvation Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.[19]:176177[20][21][22] People showing very high urine glucose levels were confined to bed and restricted to an unlimited supply of water, coffee, tea, and clear meat broth until their urine was "sugar free"; this took two to four days but sometimes up to eight.[19]:177 After the person's urine was sugar-free food was re-introduced; first only vegetables with less than 5g of carbohydate per day, eventually adding fruits and grains to build up to 3g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight. Then eggs and meat were added, building up to 1g of protein/kg of body weight per day, then fat was added to the point where the person stopped losing weight or a maximum of 40 calories of fat per kilogram per day was reached. The process was halted if sugar appeared in the person's urine.[19]:177178 This diet was often administered in a hospital in order to better ensure compliance and safety.[19]:179

In 1958, Richard Mackarness M.D. published Eat Fat and Grow Slim, a low-carbohydrate diet with much of the same advice and based on the same theories as those promulgated by Robert Atkins more than a decade later. Mackarness also challenged the "calorie theory" and referenced primitive diets such as the Inuit as examples of healthy diets with a low-carbohydrate and high-fat composition.

In 1967, Irwin Stillman published The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet. The "Stillman diet" is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat diet. It is regarded as one of the first low-carbohydrate diets to become popular in the United States.[23] Other low-carbohydrate diets in the 1960s included the Air Force diet[24] and the drinking man's diet.[25]Austrian physician Wolfgang Lutz published his book Leben Ohne Brot (Life Without Bread) in 1967.[26] However, it was not well known in the English-speaking world.

In 1972, Robert Atkins published Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, which advocated the low-carbohydrate diet he had successfully used in treating patients in the 1960s (having developed the diet from a 1963 article published in JAMA).[27] The book met with some success, but, because of research at that time suggesting risk factors associated with excess fat and protein, it was widely criticized by the mainstream medical community as being dangerous and misleading, thereby limiting its appeal at the time.[28] Among other things, critics pointed out that Atkins had done little real research into his theories and based them mostly on his clinical work. Later that decade, Walter Voegtlin and Herman Tarnower published books advocating the Paleolithic diet and Scarsdale diet, respectively, each meeting with moderate success.[29][not in citation given]

The concept of the glycemic index was developed in 1981 by David Jenkins to account for variances in speed of digestion of different types of carbohydrates. This concept classifies foods according to the rapidity of their effect on blood sugar levels with fast-digesting simple carbohydrates causing a sharper increase and slower-digesting complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, a slower one.[30] The concept has been extended to include the amount of carbohydrate actually absorbed, as well, as a tablespoonful of cooked carrots is less significant overall than a large baked potato (effectively pure starch, which is efficiently absorbed as glucose), despite differences in glycemic indices.

In the 1990s, Atkins published an update from his 1972 book, Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, and other doctors began to publish books based on the same principles. This has been said to be the beginning of what the mass media call the "low carb craze" in the United States.[31] During the late 1990s and early 2000s, low-carbohydrate diets became some of the most popular diets in the US. By some accounts, up to 18% of the population was using one type of low-carbohydrate diet or another at the peak of their popularity,[32] and this use spread to many countries.[citation needed]Food manufacturers and restaurant chains like Krispy Kreme noted the trend, as it affected their businesses.[33] Parts of the mainstream medical community has denounced low-carbohydrate diets as being dangerous to health, such as the AHA in 2001,[34] the American Kidney Fund in 2002,[35] Low-carbohydrate advocates did some adjustments of their own, increasingly advocating controlling fat and eliminating trans fat.[36][37]

Proponents who appeared with new diet guides at that time like the Zone diet intentionally distanced themselves from Atkins and the term 'low carb' because of the controversies, though their recommendations were based on largely the same principles .[38][39] It can be controversial which diets are low-carbohydrate and which are not.[citation needed] The 1990s and 2000s saw the publication of an increased number of clinical studies regarding the effectiveness and safety (pro and con) of low-carbohydrate diets (see low-carbohydrate diet medical research).

In the United States, the diet has continued to garner attention in the medical and nutritional science communities, and also inspired a number of hybrid diets that include traditional calorie-counting and exercise regimens.[7][40][41][42] Other low-carb diets, such as the Paleo Diet, focus on the removal of certain foods from the diet, such as sugar and grain.[43] On September 2, 2014 a small randomized trial by the NIH of 148 men and women comparing a low-carbohydrate diet with a low fat diet without calorie restrictions over one year showed that participants in the low-carbohydrate diet had greater weight loss than those on the low-fat diet.[44] The low-fat group lost weight, but appeared to lose more muscle than fat.[45]

No consensus definition exists of what precisely constitutes a low-carbohydrate diet.[46] Medical researchers and diet advocates may define different levels of carbohydrate intake when specifying low-carbohydrate diets.[46][not in citation given]

The American Academy of Family Physicians defines low-carbohydrate diets as diets that restrict carbohydrate intake to 20 to 60 grams per day, typically less than 20% of caloric intake.[47]

The body of research underpinning low-carbohydrate diets has grown significantly in the decades of the 1990s and 2000s.[48][49] Most research centers on the relationship between carbohydrate intake and blood sugar levels (i.e., blood glucose), as well as the two primary hormones produced in the pancreas, that regulate the blood sugar level, insulin, which lowers it, and glucagon, which raises it.[50]

Low-carbohydrate diets in general recommend reducing nutritive carbohydrates, commonly referred to as "net carbs", i.e., grams of total carbohydrates reduced by the non-nutritive carbohydrates[51][52] to very low levels. This means sharply reducing consumption of desserts, breads, pastas, potatoes, rice, and other sweet or starchy foods. Some recommend levels less than 20g of "net carbs" per day, at least in the early stages of dieting[53] (for comparison, a single slice of white bread typically contains 15g of carbohydrate, almost entirely starch). By contrast, the U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends a minimum intake of 130g of carbohydrate per day.[54] The FAO and WHO similarly recommend that the majority of dietary energy come from carbohydrates.[55][56]

Although low-carbohydrate diets are most commonly discussed as a weight-loss approach, some experts have proposed using low-carbohydrate diets to mitigate or prevent diseases, including diabetes, metabolic disease, and epilepsy.[57][58] Some low-carbohydrate proponents and others argue that the rise in carbohydrate consumption, especially refined carbohydrates, caused the epidemic levels of many diseases in modern society, including metabolic disease and type 2 diabetes.[59][60][61][62]

A category of diets is known as low-glycemic-index diets (low-GI diets) or low-glycemic-load diets (low-GL diets), in particular the Low GI Diet.[63] In reality, low-carbohydrate diets can also be low-GL diets (and vice versa) depending on the carbohydrates in a particular diet. In practice, though, "low-GI"/"low-GL" diets differ from "low-carb" diets in the following ways: First, low-carbohydrate diets treat all nutritive carbohydrates as having the same effect on metabolism, and generally assume their effect is predictable. Low-GI/low-GL diets are based on the measured change in blood glucose levels in various carbohydrates these vary markedly in laboratory studies. The differences are due to poorly understood digestive differences between foods. However, as foods influence digestion in complex ways (e.g., both protein and fat delay absorption of glucose from carbohydrates eaten at the same time) it is difficult to even approximate the glycemic effect (e.g., over time or even in total in some cases) of a particular meal.[64]

The low-insulin-index diet, is similar, except it is based on measurements of direct insulemic responses i.e., the amount of insulin in the bloodstream to food rather than glycemic response the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. Although such diet recommendations mostly involve lowering nutritive carbohydrates, some low-carbohydrate foods are discouraged, as well (e.g., beef).[65] Insulin secretion is stimulated (though less strongly) by other dietary intake. Like glycemic-index diets, predicting the insulin secretion from any particular meal is difficult, due to assorted digestive interactions and so differing effects on insulin release.[citation needed]

At the heart of the debate about most low-carbohydrate diets are fundamental questions about what is a 'normal' diet and how the human body is supposed to operate. These questions can be outlined as follows.

The diets of most people in modern Western nations, especially the United States, contain large amounts of starches, including refined flours, and substantial amounts of sugars, including fructose. Most Westerners seldom exhaust stored glycogen supplies and rarely go into ketosis. This has been regarded by the majority of the medical community in the last century as normal for humans.[citation needed] Ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis, a dangerous and extreme ketotic condition associated with type I diabetes. Some in the medical community have regarded ketosis as harmful and potentially life-threatening, believing it unnecessarily stresses the liver and causes destruction of muscle tissues.[citation needed] A perception developed that getting energy chiefly from dietary protein rather than carbohydrates causes liver damage and that getting energy chiefly from dietary fats rather than carbohydrates causes heart disease and other health problems. This view is still held by the majority of those in the medical and nutritional science communities.[66][67][68] However, it is now widely recognized that periodic ketosis is normal, and that ketosis provides a number of benefits, including neuroprotection against diverse types of cellular injury.[69]

People critical of low-carbohydrate diets cite hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis as risk factors. While mild acidosis may be a side effect when beginning a ketogenic diet,[70][71] no known health emergencies have been recorded. It should not be conflated with diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening.

A diet very low in starches and sugars induces several adaptive responses. Low blood glucose causes the pancreas to produce glucagon,[72] which stimulates the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose and release it into the blood. When liver glycogen stores are exhausted, the body starts using fatty acids instead of glucose. The brain cannot use fatty acids for energy, and instead uses ketones produced from fatty acids by the liver. By using fatty acids and ketones as energy sources, supplemented by conversion of proteins to glucose (gluconeogenesis), the body can maintain normal levels of blood glucose without dietary carbohydrates.

Most advocates of low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, argue that the human body is adapted to function primarily in ketosis.[73][74] They argue that high insulin levels can cause many health problems, most significantly fat storage and weight gain. They argue that the purported dangers of ketosis are unsubstantiated (some of the arguments against ketosis result from confusion between ketosis and ketoacidosis, which is a mostly diabetic condition unrelated to dieting or low-carbohydrate intake).[75] They also argue that fat in the diet only contributes to heart disease in the presence of high insulin levels and that if the diet is instead adjusted to induce ketosis, fat and cholesterol in the diet are beneficial. Most low-carb diet plans discourage consumption of trans fat.

On a high-carbohydrate diet, glucose is used by cells in the body for the energy needed for their basic functions, and about two-thirds of body cells require insulin to use glucose. Excessive amounts of blood glucose are thought to be a primary cause of the complications of diabetes, when glucose reacts with body proteins (resulting in glycosolated proteins) and change their behavior. Perhaps for this reason, the amount of glucose tightly maintained in the blood is quite low. Unless a meal is very low in starches and sugars, blood glucose will rise for a period of an hour or two after a meal. When this occurs, beta cells in the pancreas release insulin to cause uptake of glucose into cells. In liver and muscle cells, more glucose is taken in than is needed and stored as glycogen (once called 'animal starch').[76] Diets with a high starch/sugar content, therefore, cause release of more insulin, and so more cell absorption. In diabetics, glucose levels vary in time with meals and vary a little more as a result of high-carbohydrate meals. In nondiabetics, blood-sugar levels are restored to normal levels within an hour or two, regardless of the content of a meal.

However, the ability of the body to store glycogen is finite. Once liver and muscular stores are full to the maximum, adipose tissue (subcutaneous and visceral fat stores) becomes the site of sugar storage in the form of fat.[citation needed] The body's ability to store fat is almost limitless, hence the modern dilemma of morbid obesity.

While any diet devoid of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and essential amino acids (EAAs) will result in eventual death, a diet completely without carbohydrates can be maintained indefinitely because triglycerides (which make up fat stored in the body and dietary fat) include a (glycerol) molecule which the body can easily convert to glucose.[77] It should be noted that the EFAs and all amino acids are structural building blocks, not inherent fuel for energy. However, a very-low-carbohydrate diet (less than 20 g per day) may negatively affect certain biomarkers[78] and produce detrimental effects in certain types of individuals (for instance, those with kidney problems). The opposite is also true; for instance, clinical experience suggests very-low-carbohydrate diets for patients with metabolic syndrome.[79]

Because of the substantial controversy regarding low-carbohydrate diets and even disagreements in interpreting the results of specific studies, it is difficult to objectively summarize the research in a way that reflects scientific consensus.[80] Although some research has been done throughout the 20th century,[81] most directly relevant scientific studies have occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s. Researchers and other experts have published articles and studies that run the gamut from promoting the safety and efficacy of these diets[82][83] to questioning their long-term validity[84][85] to outright condemning them as dangerous.[86][87] A significant criticism of the diet trend was that no studies evaluated the effects of the diets beyond a few months. However, studies emerged which evaluate these diets over much longer periods, controlled studies as long as two years and survey studies as long as two decades.[82][88][89][90][91]

A systematic review published in 2014 included 19 trials with a total of 3,209 overweight and obese participants, some with diabetes. The review included both extreme low carbohydrate diets high in both protein and fat, as well as less extreme low carbohydrate diets that are high in protein but with recommended intakes of fat. The authors found that when the amount of energy (kilojoules/calories) consumed by people following the low carbohydrate and balanced diets (45 to 65% of total energy from carbohydrates, 25 to 35% from fat, and 10 to 20% from protein) was similar, there was no difference in weight loss after 3 to 6 months and after 1 to 2 years in those with and without diabetes. For blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes markers there was also no difference detected between the low carbohydrate and the balanced diets. The follow-up of these trials was no longer than two years, which is too short to provide an adequate picture of the long term risk of following a low carbohydrate diet.[5]

A 2003 meta-analysis that included randomized controlled trials found that "low-carbohydrate, non-energy-restricted diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energy-restricted diets in inducing weight loss for up to one year."[92][93][94] A 2007 JAMA study comparing the effectiveness of the Atkins low-carb diet to several other popular diets concluded, "In this study, premenopausal overweight and obese women assigned to follow the Atkins diet, which had the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more weight and experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects at 12 months than women assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish, or LEARN diets."[89] A July 2009 study of existing dietary habits associated a low-carbohydrate diet with obesity, although the study drew no explicit conclusion regarding the cause: whether the diet resulted in the obesity or the obesity motivated people to adopt the diet.[95] A 2013 meta-analysis that included only randomized controlled trials with one year or more of follow-up found, "Individuals assigned to a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet achieve a greater weight loss than those assigned to a low fat diet in the long term."[96] In 2013, after reviewing 16,000 studies, Sweden's Council on Health Technology Assessment concluded low-carbohydrate diets are more effective as a means to reduce weight than low-fat diets, over a short period of time (six months or less). However, the agency also concluded, over a longer span (1224 months), no differences occur in effects on weight between strict or moderate low-carb diets, low-fat diets, diets high in protein, Mediterranean diet, or diets aiming at low glycemic indices.[97]

In one theory, one of the reasons people lose weight on low-carbohydrate diets is related to the phenomenon of spontaneous reduction in food intake.[98]

Carbohydrate restriction may help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes,[99][100] as well as atherosclerosis.[101]

Potential favorable changes in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values should be weighed against potential unfavorable changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol values when low-carbohydrate diets to induce weight loss are considered.[102] However, the type of LDL cholesterol should also be taken into account here, as it could be that small, dense LDL is decreased and larger LDL molecules are increased with low-carb diets.[citation needed] The health effects of the different molecules are still being elucidated, and many cholesterol tests do not account for such details, but small, dense LDL is thought to be problematic and large LDL is not. A 2008 systematic review of randomized controlled studies that compared low-carbohydrate diets to low-fat/low-calorie diets found the measurements of weight, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and systolic blood pressure were significantly better in groups that followed low-carbohydrate diets. The authors of this review also found a higher rate of attrition in groups with low-fat diets, and concluded, "evidence from this systematic review demonstrates that low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets are more effective at six months and are as effective, if not more, as low-fat diets in reducing weight and cardiovascular disease risk up to one year", but they also called for more long-term studies.[103]

A study of more than 100,000 people over more than 20 years within the Nurses' Health Study observationally concluded a low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetables, with a large proportion of proteins and oils coming from plant sources, decreases mortality with a hazard ratio of 0.8.[104] In contrast, a low-carbohydrate diet with largely animal sources of protein and fat increases mortality, with a hazard ratio of 1.1.[104] This study, however, has been met with criticism, due to the unreliability of the self-administered food frequency questionnaire, as compared to food journaling,[105] as well as classifying "low-carbohydrate" diets based on comparisons to the group as a whole (decile method) rather than surveying dieters following established low-carb dietary guidelines like the Atkins or Paleo diets.[106]

Opinions regarding low-carbohydrate diets vary throughout the medical and nutritional science communities, yet government bodies, and medical and nutritional associations, have generally opposed this nutritional regimen.[citation needed] Since 2003, some organizations have gradually begun to relax their opposition to the point of cautious support for low-carbohydrate diets. Some of these organizations receive funding from the food industry.[citation needed] Official statements from some organizations:

The AAFP released a 'discussion paper' on the Atkins diet in 2006. The paper expresses reservations about the Atkins plan, but acknowledges it as a legitimate weight-loss approach.[107]

The ADA revised its Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes in 2008 to acknowledge low-carbohydrate diets as a legitimate weight-loss plan.[108][109] The recommendations fall short of endorsing low-carbohydrate diets as a long-term health plan, and do not give any preference to these diets. Nevertheless, this is perhaps the first statement of support, albeit for the short term, by a medical organization.[110][111] In its 2009 publication of Clinical Practice Recommendations, the ADA again reaffirmed its acceptance of carbohydrate-controlled diets as an effective treatment for short-term (up to one year) weight loss among obese people suffering from type two diabetes.[112]

As of 2003 in commenting on a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association reiterated the association's belief that "there is no magic bullet to safe and healthful weight loss."[113] The Association specifically endorses the high-carbohydrate diet recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. They have stated "Calories cause weight gain. Excess calories from carbohydrates are not any more fattening than calories from other sources. Despite the claims of low-carb diets, a high-carbohydrate diet does not promote fat storage by enhancing insulin resistance."[114][bettersourceneeded]

As of 2008[update] the AHA states categorically that it "doesn't recommend high-protein diets."[115] A science advisory from the association further states the association's belief that these diets "may be associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease."[34] The AHA has been one of the most adamant opponents of low-carbohydrate diets.[citation needed] Dr. Robert Eckel, past president, noted that a low-carbohydrate diet could potentially meet AHA guidelines if it conformed to the AHA guidelines for low fat content.[116]

The position statement by the Heart Foundation regarding low-carbohydrate diets states, "the Heart Foundation does not support the adoption of VLCARB diets for weight loss."[46] Although the statement recommends against use of low-carbohydrate diets, it explains their major concern is saturated fats as opposed to carbohydrate restriction and protein. Moreover, other statements suggest their position might be re-evaluated in the event of more evidence from longer-term studies.

The consumer advice statements of the NHS regarding low-carbohydrate diets state that "eating a high-fat diet could increase your risk of heart disease" and "try to ensure starchy foods make up about a third of your diet"[117]

In 2008, the Socialstyrelsen in Sweden altered its standing regarding low-carbohydrate diets.[118] Although formal endorsement of this regimen has not yet appeared, the government has given its formal approval for using carbohydrate-controlled diets for medically supervised weight loss.

In a recommendation for diets suitable for diabetes patients published in 2011 a moderate low-carb option (3040%) is suggested.[119]

The HHS issues consumer guidelines for maintaining heart health which state regarding low-carbohydrate diets that "they're not the route to healthy, long-term weight management."[120]

Low-carbohydrate diets became a major weight loss and health maintenance trend during the late 1990s and early 2000s.[121][122][123] While their popularity has waned recently from its peak, they remain popular.[124][125] This diet trend has stirred major controversies in the medical and nutritional sciences communities and, as yet, there is not a general consensus on their efficacy or safety.[126][127] Many in the medical community remain generally opposed to these diets for long term health[128] although there has been a recent softening of this opposition by some organizations.[129][130]

Because of the substantial controversy regarding low-carbohydrate diets, and even disagreements in interpreting the results of specific studies, it is difficult to objectively summarize the research in a way that reflects scientific consensus.[131][132][133]

Although there has been some research done throughout the twentieth century, most directly relevant scientific studies have occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s and, as such, are relatively new and the results are still debated in the medical community.[132] Supporters and opponents of low-carbohydrate diets frequently cite many articles (sometimes the same articles) as supporting their positions.[134][135][136] One of the fundamental criticisms of those who advocate the low-carbohydrate diets has been the lack of long-term studies evaluating their health risks.[137][138] This has begun to change as longer term studies are emerging.[82]

A 2012 systematic review studying the effects of low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors showed the LCD to be associated with significant decreases in body weight, body mass index, abdominal circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, blood insulin and plasma C-reactive protein, as well as an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and creatinine did not change significantly. The study found the LCD was shown to have favorable effects on body weight and major cardiovascular risk factors (but concluded the effects on long-term health are unknown). The study did not compare health benefits of LCD to low-fat diets.[139]

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2013 compared low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, low-glycemic index, high-fiber, and high-protein diets with control diets. The researchers concluded that low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, low-glycemic index, and high-protein diets are effective in improving markers of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.[140]

In the first week or two of a low-carbohydrate diet, much of the weight loss comes from eliminating water retained in the body.[141] The presence of insulin in the blood fosters the formation of glycogen stores in the body, and glycogen is bound with water, which is released when insulin and blood sugar drop.[citation needed][142] A ketogenic diet is known to cause dehydration as an early, temporary side-effect.[143]

Advocates of low-carbohydrate diets generally dispute any suggestion that such diets cause weakness or exhaustion (except in the first few weeks as the body adjusts), and indeed most highly recommend exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.[142][144] A large body of evidence stretching back to the 1880s shows that physical performance is not negatively affected by ketogenic diets once a person has been accustomed to such a diet.[145]

Arctic cultures, such as the Inuit, were found to lead physically demanding lives consuming a diet of about 1520% of their calories from carbohydrates, largely in the form of glycogen from the raw meat they consumed.[145][146][147][148] However, studies also indicate that while low-carb diets will not reduce endurance performance after adapting, they will probably deteriorate anaerobic performance such as strength-training or sprint-running because these processes rely on glycogen for fuel.[144]

Many critics argue that low-carbohydrate diets inherently require minimizing vegetable and fruit consumption, which in turn robs the body of important nutrients.[149] Some critics imply or explicitly argue that vegetables and fruits are inherently all heavily concentrated sources of carbohydrates (so much so that some sources treat the words 'vegetable' and 'carbohydrate' as synonymous).[150] While some fruits may contain relatively high concentrations of sugar, most are largely water and not particularly calorie-dense. Thus, in absolute terms, even sweet fruits and berries do not represent a significant source of carbohydrates in their natural form, and also typically contain a good deal of fiber which attenuates the absorption of sugar in the gut.[151] Lastly, most of the sugar in fruit is fructose, which has a reported negligible effect on insulin levels in obese subjects.[152]

Most vegetables are low- or moderate-carbohydrate foods (in the context of these diets, fiber is excluded because it is not a nutritive carbohydrate). Some vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, have high concentrations of starch, as do corn and rice. Most low-carbohydrate diet plans accommodate vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and peppers.[153] The Atkins diet recommends that most dietary carbs come from vegetables. Nevertheless, debate remains as to whether restricting even just high-carbohydrate fruits, vegetables, and grains is truly healthy.[154]

Contrary to the recommendations of most low-carbohydrate diet guides, some individuals may choose to avoid vegetables altogether to minimize carbohydrate intake. Low-carbohydrate vegetarianism is also practiced.

Raw fruits and vegetables are packed with an array of other protective chemicals, such as vitamins, flavonoids, and sugar alcohols. Some of those molecules help safeguard against the over-absorption of sugars in the human digestive system.[155][156] Industrial food raffination depletes some of those beneficial molecules to various degrees, including almost total removal in many cases.[157]

The major low-carbohydrate diet guides generally recommend multivitamin and mineral supplements as part of the diet regimen, which may lead some to believe these diets are nutritionally deficient. The primary reason for this recommendation is that if the switch from a high-carbohydrate to a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet is rapid, the body can temporarily go through a period of adjustment during which it may require extra vitamins and minerals. This is because the body releases excess fluids stored during high-carbohydrate eating. In other words, the body goes through a temporary "shock" if the diet is changed to low-carbohydrate quickly, just as it would changing to a high-carbohydrate diet quickly. This does not, in and of itself, indicate that either type of diet is nutritionally deficient. While many foods rich in carbohydrates are also rich in vitamins and minerals, many low-carbohydrate foods are similarly rich in vitamins and minerals.[158]

A common argument in favor of high-carbohydrate diets is that most carbohydrates break down readily into glucose in the bloodstream, and therefore the body does not have to work as hard to get its energy in a high-carbohydrate diet as a low-carbohydrate diet. This argument, by itself, is incomplete. Although many dietary carbohydrates do break down into glucose, most of that glucose does not remain in the bloodstream for long. Its presence stimulates the beta cells in the pancreas to release insulin, which has the effect of causing about two-thirds of body cells to take in glucose, and causing fat cells to take in fatty acids and store them. As the blood-glucose level falls, the amount of insulin released is reduced; the entire process is completed in non-diabetics in an hour or two after eating.[citation needed] High-carbohydrate diets require more insulin production and release than low-carbohydrate diets,[citation needed] and some evidence indicates the increasingly large percentage of calories consumed as refined carbohydrates is positively correlated with the increased incidence of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes.[159]

In addition, this claim neglects the nature of the carbohydrates ingested. Some are indigestible in humans (e.g., cellulose), some are poorly digested in humans (e.g., the amylose starch variant), and some require considerable processing to be converted to absorbable forms. In general, uncooked or unprocessed (e.g., milling, crushing, etc.) foods are harder (typically much harder) to absorb, so do not raise glucose levels as much as might be expected from the proportion of carbohydrate present. Cooking (especially moist cooking above the temperature necessary to expand starch granules) and mechanical processing both considerably raise the amount of absorbable carbohydrate and reduce the digestive effort required.

Analyses which neglect these factors are misleading and will not result in a working diet, or at least one which works as intended. In fact, some evidence indicates the human brain the largest consumer of glucose in the body can operate more efficiently on ketones (as efficiency of source of energy per unit oxygen).[160]

The restriction of starchy plants, by definition, severely limits the dietary intake of microbiota accessible carbohydrates (MACs) and may negatively affect the microbiome in ways that contribute to disease.[161] Starchy plants, in particular, are a main source of resistant starch an important dietary fiber with strong prebiotic properties.[162][163][164] Resistant starches are not digestible by mammals and are fermented and metabolized by gut flora into short chain fatty acids, which are well known to offer a wide range of health benefits.[163][165][166][167][168][169] Resistant starch consumption has been shown to improve intestinal/colonic health, blood sugar, glucose tolerance, insulin-sensitivity and satiety.[170][171][172] Public health authorities and food organizations such as the Food and Agricultural Organization, the World Health Organization,[173] the British Nutrition Foundation[174] and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences[175] recognize resistant starch as a beneficial carbohydrate. The Joint Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Consultation on Human Nutrition stated, "One of the major developments in our understanding of the importance of carbohydrates for health in the past twenty years has been the discovery of resistant starch."[173]

In 2004, the Canadian government ruled that foods sold in Canada could not be marketed with reduced or eliminated carbohydrate content as a selling point, because reduced carbohydrate content was not determined to be a health benefit. The government ruled that existing "low carb" and "no carb" packaging would have to be phased out by 2006.[176]

Some variants of low-carbohydrate diets involve substantially lowered intake of dietary fiber, which can result in constipation if not supplemented.[citation needed] For example, this has been a criticism of the induction phase of the Atkins diet (the Atkins diet is now clearer about recommending a fiber supplement during induction). Most advocates[who?][dubious discuss] today argue that fiber is a "good" carbohydrate and encourage a high-fiber diet.[citation needed]

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Low-carbohydrate diet - Wikipedia

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