Protein vs. carbs

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Alan

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To begin with some initial points. First the eating plan I follow was first prescribed in 1861 by a Harley Street surgeon Mr William Harvey with great success to a corpulent London undertaker, Mr William Banting. Thus it is more appropriately named the Harvey/Banting diet. In time the term to “bant” was introduced into the English language. It referred to the use of this low carbohydrate diet for weight loss. Indeed “banting” was the standard treatment for weight loss in all the major European and North American medical schools for nearly 100 years until it suddenly went out of fashion after 1959 when it was written out of all the major medical and nutritional textbooks, to be replaced with its polar opposite, the currently popular low fat, high carbohydrate, “heart healthy” diet.

Dr Robert Atkins re-discovered “banting” in 1974 and his name is now incorrectly used as if he was the first to describe this eating plan. The history of Harvey and Banting’s original contribution was re-discovered by Gary Taubes and is described in Taubes’ momentous books Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why we get fat and what to do about it.

Biological needs

Second the reason why this eating plan has been so extraordinarily effective in my case is because it matches precisely my particular biological needs, perhaps because like Mr Banting, my lineage is from England. In brief I inherited from my father and his lineage, a predisposition to develop adult-onset diabetes because I am what is known as “carbohydrate resistant” (CR) and hence “pre-diabetic”. My biology is such that I am unable effectively to clear from my bloodstream, the breakdown product of ingested carbohydrate, glucose. As a result my pancreas must over-secrete the hormone, insulin, one of whose normal functions is to direct the glucose from the bloodstream into the liver and muscles.

But instead, in my case, under the action of insulin most of the carbohydrate that I ingest is directed into my fat cells where it contributes to progressive weight gain, continual hunger, lethargy and, in time, pancreatic failure and the onset of the irreversible and universally fatal condition, adult-onset diabetes. I am as certain as I can be that this eating plan is the only effective long-term health solution for anyone who shares this Banting/Noakes biology.

The yet to be answered question is: How many South Africans who are unhappy with the effects of their dietary choices on their bodies, share this same biology? If it is a majority, then there are many, many South Africans who will benefit from “banting”. If it is a minority, then relatively few will benefit. Since most South Africans are already eating diets high in carbohydrates, especially those that are refined, my bias is to believe that many might benefit from this eating plan.

Eating plan for life

The third point is that this is not a diet, it is an eating plan for life – it is a life style, it is a new eating behaviour. This is not the way to go for anyone who wishes a quick fix to lose weight and to improve their health by changing their eating patterns for as short a time as possible. Once you “bant”, you have to stick with it for life. Because those who successfully lose weight on this eating pattern will regain that weight and more within a short time of going back to eating the way they did before – that is, returning to eat the foods that precipitated the problem in the first place.

The point is that the metabolic abnormality (CR) driving the problem is not ever going to normalise regardless of how much weight is lost or even how much exercise is performed. For those of us with CR, our metabolism is the problem and if we want to do the best for our bodies, then we have to change forever the nature of the foods that we eat. But I argue that this change is much easier than most would ever believe. Unfortunately it is also the advice that many dieticians may be scared to prescribe for the reason that they have been taught that high fat, low carbohydrate Banting diets full of “artery-clogging” saturated fats are dangerous. But this is an unsubstantiated dogma that does not stand up to an intelligent and independent interpretation of the complete scientific literature.

So those who are unwilling to commit to a life-long change in their eating behaviours should probably not begin in the first place.

Addiction

For to change one has to rid oneself of an addiction for easily assimilated carbohydrates – an addiction that is at least as powerful as those associated with cigarette consumption and some recreational drugs like heroin. It is not easy to give up addictions. And like all addictions, addicts have to take each moment of their recovery one day at a time. In a sense those of us who are unable to metabolise carbohydrates, are never cured of that addiction. We are always in recovery. We have to take each new day of our cure, one day at a time.

But for those who like me are convinced that they have a really good reason to change (in my case to avoid dying from adult-onset diabetes – the fate that struck my father and his brother) and are prepared to change what we eat for the rest of our lives, then we may be up for the challenge.

The fourth point is that this is not a “fad” diet - the reason why it works so well is because there are solid biological reasons why it must produce a successful outcome if followed faithfully by those with CR.
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Anybody on a high protein diet and have you experienced as significant improvement?

Also what do you think of Noakes change of tune.

The sixth point is that many wish to know how this change might affect their athletic abilities since they have been led to believe, not least by my writings in Lore of Running, that without a high carbohydrate intake they will be unable to exercise properly. What I now understand is that carbohydrates are relatively ineffective fuels for those with CR so that there is no risk that the exercise performance of those with CR will be impaired if they cut their carbohydrate intake as have I. Instead I am certain that the less carbohydrate that those with CR ingest (both in training and in racing), the better they will perform.

My experiment has shown me that I can do any amount of exercise I wish without increasing my carbohydrate intake. (I walk for 6 hours on the mountain and race up to 21km without needing any more the 50-75 grams of carbohydrates a day that is already in my diet). We are currently researching a group of serious and some elite athletes who have adopted the Banting diet and who have found that their performances have improved substantially with weight loss and reduction of their carbohydrate intakes both before and during racing. We need to understand why this is possible.
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http://www.health24.com/fitness/Diet_Supplements/16-481-512,73175.asp
 
I am on a high fat high protein low carb diet.

I love it. More energy, losing weight, better moods, fewer headaches, no mid-day slump.
It is the way, I tell you.
 
Atkins ftw. High fat, low carb is the way to go if you want to lose weight.
 
Weight is not really an issue.
 
OK. But it's still an awesome way to eat (for me anyway). You can manage weight by slightly increasing your carb content until you find a balance. Seriously, in terms of energy/overall health I reckon you can't beat it.
 
@Sinbad

Do you follow a diet designed specifically for you by a dietician?
 
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Alan said:
@Sinbad

Do you follow a diet designed specifically for you by a dietician?
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No.

I bought Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, read it, liked what I read, and essentially follow his basic rules.
 
Sinbad said:
No. I bought Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, read it, liked what I read, and essentially follow his basic rules.
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I did the same. Well my personal trainer gave me an audio book.

I started by cutting out all bread and all sugar. Within a week I felt much better, had more energy throughout the day, slept better, etc.

Occasionally I have some pizza or pasta, but it's very rare these days. I eat about 6 eggs a week, lots of Namibian smoked beef, fish, ostrich & other game meat.
 
It's all about balance, those name brand diets don't work for everyone. First rule of losing weight is that you need to eat fewer calories than your body actually uses in a day. Working out your TDEE through a calorie checker is a good place to start.

Carbs are very necessary to achieve the above, but there is a big difference between eating a plate of chips and eating a plate of veggies.
 
Masataka said:
It's all about balance, those name brand diets don't work for everyone. First rule of losing weight is that you need to eat fewer calories than your body actually uses in a day. Working out your TDEE through a calorie checker is a good place to start.

Carbs are very necessary to achieve the above, but there is a big difference between eating a plate of chips and eating a plate of veggies.
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You actually don't need to eat fewer calories than you use. Myth number one.
All veggies are not the same. Carrots/corn/peas are very starchy and high glycaemic load.
Carbs are NOT necessary at all (apart from fibre, really).
 
Pr⊕phet said:
all these people then did as well? :eek: :D
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500165_162-584585.html
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from wikipedia (i know i know)
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., which promotes a vegan diet, preventive medicine, alternatives to animal research, and encourages what it describes as "higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research."[1] Its primary activities include outreach and education about nutrition and compassionate choices to healthcare professionals and the public; ending the use of animals in medical school curricula; and advocating for legislative changes on the local and national levels.


They have an agenda. So they're not trustworthy in my opinion.


http://activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/o/23-physicians-committee-for-responsible-medicine

While PCRM presents itself as a doctor-supported, unbiased source of health guidance, the group’s own literature echoes Newsweek’s observation that 95 percent of its members have no medical degrees. And even the five-percent doctor membership that PCRM claims is open to question. Anyone claiming to be a physician or a medical student can join without paying a dime -- even if their only motivation is to collect free waiting-room reading material. Current data indicates that only 10 percent of PCRM’s members graduated from medical school.

PCRM’s anti-meat and anti-dairy tactics include newspaper op-eds and letters, campaigns against airports and school boards, and television commercials. One 2005 TV spot claims “the most dangerous thing our kids have to deal with today isn’t violence. It isn’t drugs. It’s unhealthy food.” PCRM’s prescription? “Vegetarian foods.”

The American Medical Association (AMA), which actually represents the medical profession, has called PCRM a “fringe organization” that uses “unethical tactics” and is “interested in perverting medical science.”
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Sinbad said:
from wikipedia (i know i know)
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., which promotes a vegan diet, preventive medicine, alternatives to animal research, and encourages what it describes as "higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research."[1] Its primary activities include outreach and education about nutrition and compassionate choices to healthcare professionals and the public; ending the use of animals in medical school curricula; and advocating for legislative changes on the local and national levels.


They have an agenda. So they're not trustworthy in my opinion.
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Maybe, but imho I'd rather go see someone and have a proper plan worked out vs thinking that we are all magically 100% the same using one shoe-fits all.

:edit
If you get heart disease then we'd know someone was right ;)
 
50/50

50% = protein, 50% = carbs.

Body for life book teaches best. Note it doesn't teach a diet, it teaches a healthy eating lifestyle and that is more important than a diet!
 
Nokkie said:
50/50

50% = protein, 50% = carbs.

Body for life book teaches best. Note it doesn't teach a diet, it teaches a healthy eating lifestyle and that is more important than a diet!
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A very good reason to rather get into the mindset of an eating plan and not a diet.
 
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