Low-Carb Diets: Why What the Dietitian Says May Not Make Sense

Our new patient intake forms have a section regarding diet.  In that section we ask our prospective patient to list the “Top 4 Healthiest Foods” that they eat on a regular basis. Frequently we see a variation of the following: whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, low fat yogurt,  lean meats, and even diet soda. Occasionally salad, and fruits are listed in the healthy section. The section that requests the “Top 4 Unhealthiest Foods” that are consumed on a regular basis will usually have more variation, but include the following: steak, ice cream, candy, soda, bacon, junk food, etc. “Healthy” vs “Unhealthy” is a highly debated subject. Ask 10 different health care providers what a healthy diet is, and you may get 10 different answers.

Low-carb dieting is frequently portrayed as a “fad diet” or “Hollywood diet” and many dietitians do not consider it to be a “healthy” diet. Today +Jamie Fellrath  shared an article from +Authority Nutrition  that hit the nail on the head regarding the effectiveness of why we should all be eating a low-carb diet, all of the time.+Kris Gunnars, a medical student and personal trainer, expertly present 10 common misconceptions of low-carb dieting, and presents a variety of researched studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of avoiding sugars in order to stay healthy.

According to his post, “Since the year 2002, over 20 randomized controlled trials have been performed that compare low-carb and low-fat diets. They all lead to a similar conclusion.

Low-carb diets:

• Reduce body fat much more than low-fat diets, even though the low-carb groups are allowed to eat until fullness
• Cause a greater reduction in blood pressure
• Lower blood sugar and improve symptoms of diabetes
• Lower blood triglycerides much more
• Change the pattern of LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol from small, dense LDL (very bad) to Large LDL
• Increase HDL (the good) cholesterol much more than low-fat diets

It is worth checking out. And after you read it, make the decision to change your diet in order to change your health!