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Low-Carb Diet: A Closer Look

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When the scale isn’t moving or is moving in the wrong direction for those who want to lose weight, the only option is to try a new strategy. If you ask most people, the best strategy for weight loss is to “cut carbs.” I think it may be fundamentally accepted among dieters that “carbs are bad.” However, carbohydrates are essential to the body’s functionality with its main use being an unrivaled energy source. In fact, eliminating carbs from the diet for a long period of time may prove dangerous and would definitely be ill-advised.

In a 2005 article on webmd.com, it was concluded that participants in a short-term study lost weight from cutting carbs simply because of the loss in calories; they ate less calories by cutting carbs which resulted in weight loss. Back to the old numbers game: weight loss will result from eating less calories or increasing the number of calories burned during the day and doing both will undoubtedly speed up the process. According to the article, the lead researcher was surprised to find that the participants did not try to make up for the lost carbs by eating more of other foods; instead, the participants seemed satisfied with the diet as there were no hunger complaints. Because of that outcome, he states: ‘That told me that it was the carbs that fueled their excessive appetites in the first place. In my opinion, carbohydrates do stimulate appetite.’ Nevertheless, he concluded that: “there is no convincing evidence that low-carb diets are easier to stay on or help people lose more weight than other approaches to weight loss.”

That conclusion was challenged by the comparison of “23 Studies on Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets” which is a 2017 article on healthline.com. Almost all of the studies proved that low-carb diets result in greater and faster weight loss than low-fat diets. Likewise, in most of the studies, the low-carb diet had measurable improvements to blood triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. In other words, low-carb diets showed greater improvements to blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Low-carb diets are not celebrated by everyone. According to a 2018 article on psychologytoday.com, researchers at two top universities (Harvard and Minnesota) warned that a low-carb diet may cause an early death. The author of the article took issue with many things about the study including its method, missing data, and lack of explanations. The author’s overall concern seemed to be the “potentially far-reaching implications for public health [because] . . . people will take this study at face value.”

To Low-Carb Diet or Not to Low-Carb Diet? That is the question within thy frontal lobe.

In the opinion of a person who took an intro to medicine class in 2002 (Go Knights!), all three articles appear to have merit. Cutting calories via a low-carb diet will most likely result in weight loss especially if carbs do increase appetite which, from personal experience, I suspect to be true. Cutting carbs on a short-term diet seems to be easier to maintain than measuring out foods for each meal – you basically know what you can and can’t eat v. trying to eyeball a proper serving size. Assuming the person has a strong will, the short-term low-carb diet would likely yield a higher compliance rate than calorie counting or portion control because cheating is more obvious when you eat something that you are not supposed to eat v. guesstimating the correct portion size on your plate. In addition, a low-carb diet seems less of a hassle and would likely be easier to adhere to while eating out.

Lastly, I understand how a long-term low-carb diet may lead to an earlier death than other diets because some people replace the carbs with very fatty meats for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. I suspect that, in the studies with decreased cholesterol levels from the low-carb diet, the participants were consuming mostly (if not all) lean meats, poultry, and fish and that they were prepared in a healthy way most of the time. I do not believe that a low-carb diet is license to eat 5 strips of bacon for breakfast each morning, a porterhouse steak for lunch each day, and fried chicken (naked) for dinner each night. In the end, unhealthy eating is unhealthy eating regardless of the diet you choose. Even on a low-carb diet, balance should be the goal.

For a list of low-carb foods, click here (also referenced below).

Sources:

Boyles, Salynn, WebMD, March 14, 2005, “Why Do Low-Carb Diets Cause Weight Loss?” https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050314/why-do-low-carb-diets-cause-weight-loss#2

Ede, Georgia, MD, Psychology Today, Sep 05, 2018, “Latest Low-Carb Study: All Politics, No Science”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diagnosis-diet/201809/latest-low-carb-study-all-politics-no-science

Gunnars, Kris, BSc, Healthline, June 22, 2017, “23 Studies on Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets — Time to Retire The Fad,” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets#section4

Gunnars, Kris, BSc, Healthline, July 9, 2018, “44 Healthy Low-Carb Foods That Taste Incredible”
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/44-healthy-low-carb-foods

Sustainable or Responsible Seafood: Does it even matter?

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Usually, traditional farming gets all the attention when it comes to food quality and the processes in place. Consequently, I never really paid attention or questioned the quality of my seafood until I started shopping a Whole Foods Market. At Whole Foods Market, you don’t have to guess about the seafood quality because there are visible banners explaining that this and that are sustainably and responsibly this or that. After taking a moment to be enlightened about seafood quality, I decided years ago that I would buy most of my seafood at Whole Foods Market; there were still some items that I needed from my Caribbean grocer. Regardless, if it was a choice between Publix or Whole Foods Market, when it came to seafood, Whole Foods Market would always get my green because I trusted that the quality was as described on the visible banners.

Last week, I was already in my neighborhood Publix getting a few things and I glanced over at the seafood section. Lo and behold! There it was – a banner about GreenWise this and sustainably that. Well then. I would no longer need to travel a little bit farther to my neighborhood Whole Foods Market now that Publix stepped up its seafood game or at least its marketing in the seafood department. I bought some sustainably farmed salmon, a cluster of snow crab legs, and a pound of shrimp. Winning! However, I did scoff at Publix’s marketing team for trying to play trickster when I saw the sustainable/GreenWise tag on the shrimp and snow crab legs. Aren’t shrimp and snow crab legs always of nature and therefore already natural wherever they are bought? If you have questions like I did, see information about the labeling below from both Publix and Whole Foods Market (click on each link to view the source).

Let me know in the comments section if the labeling makes a difference to you.

 

>>>>>>>>>>> According to Publix <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Responsibly Sourced

Wild-caught: Considered managed by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) OR in a credible, graded fishery improvement project (FIP).

Farm-raised: The farm level of the supply chain qualifies for a Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)-approved ecolabel or in an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP). May also be certified at the hatchery, plant, and/or feed levels.

Sustainably Sourced

Wild-caught: Qualifies for a GSSI-approved ecolabel OR evaluated by the SFP and considered well managed.

Farm-raised: All four levels of the supply chain (farm, hatchery, plant, and feed) qualify for a GSSI-approved ecolabel. Shellfish must qualify at three levels of the supply chain (farm, plant, and hatchery).

GreenWise

Wild-caught: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

Farm-raised: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, is raised without ever using antibiotics or hormones, and contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

 

>>>>>>>>>>> According to Whole Foods Market <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Why do we need sustainable seafood?

Today, 80 percent of the world’s marine populations are fully fished, over-exploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. With seafood growing in demand, it’s critical that sustainable fishing practices are followed if wild-caught seafood is going to be available in the future and if farmed seafood is going to be able to supplement wild fish supplies. Whole Foods Market is committed to working with organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Monterey Bay Aquarium to advance the market for sustainable seafood.

What makes Whole Foods Market’s seafood different from other seafood?

Whole Foods Market works harder than any other retailer to source seafood from responsibly managed fish farms and abundant, well-managed wild-capture fisheries. This means that we seek fisheries that keep fish populations abundant, rather allowing overfishing to occur. It also means that in the process of fishing or farming, impacts on the ecosystem are minimized. In contrast, other seafood may not be sourced from farms or fisheries taking these kinds of measures. We’re committed to working towards sourcing all of our seafood from well-managed farms and fisheries.

Does sustainable seafood taste any different?

This may depend upon the individual fish. For instance, MSC-certified sustainable wild Alaska salmon has a much different flavor profile than farm-raised salmon.

What does the Responsibly Farmed™ logo stand for?

The Whole Foods Market® “Responsibly Farmed” logo means that the product meets our strict Whole Foods Market Quality Standards for finfish and shrimp. No other grocery store or fish market has standards like ours for keeping farmed seafood healthy and for protecting the environment. The logo also means that the product has been third-party verified to ensure our standards are being met.

Is our farm-raised seafood organic?

In our U.S. stores we have chosen not to sell “organic” farmed fish until the United States establishes organic standards for aquaculture and there is a “USDA Organic” label in place for organic farmed fish. This is our way of maintaining the integrity of the organic label. We’ve contributed to the policy-setting process for national organic standards for farm-raised seafood in an effort to encourage the strongest organic standards possible.

Soda: A Closer Look

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I drink soda, on rare occasions. With a slice of veggie or margherita pizza, I may get a Sprite or Sierra Mist. If I see Ting on the shelf at the grocery store, I might get it. It all depends on my mood. I tend to stick to clear soda instead of dark soda or the fruity versions. Definitely never really drank Coke or Pepsi and don’t really make a habit of drinking orange soda. It makes me wonder if all sodas are created equal; is my Ting or Sprite better than Coke or orange soda?

According to Soda King, the first naturally carbonated drink came on the scene in England around 1265. In the 18th century, manmade carbonated water was introduced to the world by Joseph Priestly’s method of infusing water with carbon dioxide. It was only a matter of time before flavors and other elements were added to create the sodas we all know today.

According to CNN, the biggest health risk for regular soda drinkers is the added calories which are devoid of any actual nutritional value. The calories in soda come from its sugar content and, as a result, habitual consumption of soda has been linked to health issues like obesity, tooth decay, bone thinning, and diabetes. Also, the diet version may be better calorie wise, but not health wise because diet versions carry many of the same health risks and have also been linked to depression in women.

So, the general idea is that sodas should only be consumed on rare occasions because they are not good for overall health. If you are ok with the rare occasion, which soda should you opt for – light, dark, or fruity? Eat This, Not That! analyzed 50+ sodas and selected the top 32. On the website, Sierra Mist was ranked #1 as the best soda out of the 32, Sprite was #6, Coca-Cola Classic was #8, Crush Grapefruit was #15, Fanta Orange was #19, and Fanta Grape was the worst at #32. In the end, it appears that the fruity sodas should be avoided, but, when it comes to light v. dark soda, you can go with personal preference. The main goal is that you drink soda on rare occasions because it is not good for your health. It’s difficult to quantify “rare occasions,” but it’s something that does not happen often which to me would fall into the realm of about once every two or more months.

If you want to get even healthier with your soda choices, Rodale’s Organic Life highlights these options: organic soda syrup, Steaz Sparkling Green Tea, Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew, Virgil’s Root Beer, Bionade, Oogavè, GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha, HotLips Real Fruit Soda, and Fizzy Lizzy.

Of course, the healthiest soda may be the one that you make at home; you can find many homemade grapefruit soda recipes online. Search the THA Recipes page as well to see if a soda recipe is available.

Food Quality: Snack Upgrades

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I used to be there; my snack foods consisted of peanut M&Ms, blue Doritos, cookies, and potato chips. My snack world was extremely limited because I was a creature of habit and those snacks were the snacks that I tried and knew that I liked so I didn’t bother looking elsewhere.

However, starting a journey to health forces you to examine your choices, and an examination of my choice of snack was long overdue. So, we all know that fruits make great snacks, but sometimes you don’t want fruit, nuts, or any other “healthy” snack. Sometimes you want something sweet like chocolate, search this website for the post called “Weakness: Chocolate” for some tips. Sometimes you want a bag of chips or other salty snack. One of the highlights of eating in 2018 is that you have a ton of healthier snack options; it seems that the demand for healthier snack options is at an all-time high and corporations are competing for the number one spot.

The end result is that you are no longer limited to the options that you once treasured growing up. Explore the new snack world which is filled with more “healthier” options than ever before.

THA Challenge: Try a new healthier snack that is in the same category as your treasured snack; love popcorn? Try a healthier brand or popping method. Love chips? Try a different type of chip like plantain chips. Love cookies? Try crispy thin cookies instead of thick chewy cookies.

Breakfast: A Closer Look

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According to Wikipedia, the word breakfast comes from the Old English word disner which means to break a fast. The word was used to describe the first meal eaten in the day. Then, in the 15th century, the word “breakfast” came into use and was known to mean breaking the fasting period of the prior night. Now, we associate breakfast with the first meal of the day that is eaten before noon.

According to Priceonomics, breakfast began as a morning ritual during the Industrial Revolution once people stopped farming and started working as employees; because people were no longer in control of their time, breakfast allowed them to work longer hours for the employer. Then, there was a period of time where breakfast was more like dinner in that it was a heavy meal consisting of meat, potatoes, cakes, and pies. In the 1800s, that hefty breakfast ritual led to complaints of chronic indigestion. A healthier breakfast trend developed with the advent of graham crackers, granula, and corn flakes from 1827 to the 1890s. As you know, however, those healthier options were soon overrun by sugary options.

Arguably, one can say that, at this point in time, breakfast is anything you want it to be. Whether that’s a healthy cereal; oatmeal; pop tarts; country fried potatoes; hash browns; corn beef hash; quiche; eggs; steak and eggs; sausages and eggs; bacon; muffins; bagels; pastries; etc., as long as it is eaten before noon, it is considered breakfast.

However, the food eaten before noon and used to break the fasting period of the prior night does not have to be grain or meat friendly. Why not start the morning with a fruit? Break the fast of the prior night with a healthy and light fruit before eating your cereal, bagel, eggs, fried potatoes, sausages, or bacon. One fruit and then proceed with your “breakfast” ritual.

THA Breakfast Challenge: 1 fruit in the morning before any other food item or your breakfast ritual.

Let’s go!