Hot Topic: Taking a Low-Carb Diet to the Next Level

From the Headlines:
Low-Carb Revolution

Commentary:
With low-carb diets gaining ground in the popular mindset, we must remain mindful of the long-term needs of those losing weight on a low-carb diet.  Those seeking to lose weight using a low-carb diet must focus on not only the short-term weight loss, but the eating habits required to maintain their weight and health in the long-term.  This future focus is a controlled-carb approach to eating for life.  Over time, the low-carb diet evolves into a controlled-carb approach that includes a wider variety of carbohydrate foods with more carbohydrates eaten each day.  

The media remains captured by the "low-carb" diets and while remaining oblivious to the long-term in their reporting of the lifestyle.  This short-sighted look at the lifestyle leaves many believing that one remains on the most restrictive phases of low-carb for the long-term. As research continues to provide insight into the health benefits of low-carb diets and controlled-carb nutrition, we must include the long-term in our communications with the press, public policy makers, industry and consumers.  A deeper understanding of the controlled-carb nutritional approach in the long-term will begin to quell the alarmist reporting we see almost daily in the media.

Weekly Feature:  Trans-Fats, Coming Soon Food Labels

FDA Ruling Requires Trans-Fat Listing on Labels by 2006
The FDA announced that by 2006, foods and dietary supplements will be required to specify on their labels the level of trans fatty acids, or trans fat, contained in their products. Why? Because there is consistent, persuasive scientific evidence that trans fat raises LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, thereby increasing risk of coronary heart disease. Having trans fat on the label will give consumers more information when making food choices. It will also likely cause food manufacturers who currently use trans fat in their products to look to healthier alternate ingredients. The FDA estimates that by the end of the decade, trans fat labeling will prevent from 600 to 1,200 new cases of coronary heart disease and 250 to 500 deaths each year.

Understanding Trans-Fats
Trans fat is found in foods such as vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, cookies, candies, baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, salad dressings and other packaged foods. Most trans-fats are derived from liquid oils that have been processed to be more solid at room temperature, like shortening and hard margarine, by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil — a process called hydrogenation. 

Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats. If the ingredient list on the food label includes "shortening" or "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," the food usually contains trans fat, although the amount could still be negligible (amounts less than 0.5 grams/serving will be declared as zero). 

What Consumers Can Do Now
Trans fats have detrimental effects on cholesterol levels and their consumption should be minimized while maintaining essential nutrient intake. On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats may have beneficial effects on blood cholesterol and triglycerides and should be substituted where possible for trans fats. Until the mandatory listing of trans-fats on the Nutrition Facts Panel on labels is in effect, consumers can become savvy label readers and check ingredients.  If a product contains "partially hydrogenated" oils or shortening, margarine, etc. in the ingredients, the product contains trans-fats. By looking for and selecting products without these ingredients consumers are able to limit their exposure to trans-fats contained in processed, packaged products.

Cooks Nook

Chicken Herb Bake
Six Servings

1/3 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
1/3 Cup Fresh Chopped Mint 
1/3 Cup Fresh Chopped Dill 
2 Cloves Garlic, minced 
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts 
2 Lemons 
6 Tablespoons Butter 

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Arrange six squares of aluminum foil on counter workspace.
3. Mix herbs and garlic together in a bowl, set aside.
4. Flatten the chicken breasts by gently pressing them on a board or counter with the palm of your hand.  Arrange each breast piece on a foil square and season with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle herbs and garlic evenly over al the chicken pieces on foil.
5. Slice lemons and arrange 2 or 3 lemon slices on each chicken breast.  Place 1 tablespoon of butter on each chicken breast and seal each foil loosely around the chicken to create a packet.
6. Place packets into baking dish and set in the middle of your oven to bake for 30 minutes. 
7. Open foil carefully when done since contents will be steaming hot!  Serve each packet individually on guests’ plate, or open and place on platter to serve family style.

Per Serving:
Total Carbs = 1.5g
Fiber = 0.5g
Net Carbs = 1.5g

Reader Questions & Answers

Question:  How should I be counting carbs? Friends tell me to subtract fiber, is this correct?

Answer:  The idea behind deducting fiber carbohydrate from your total carbs each day comes from the work of Dr.'s Mary Dan & Michael Eades (authors of Protein Power).  Fiber may be deducted from the total carbohydrate to determine the "effective carbohydrate content" - that is what your body will metabolize.  For example, if a food contains 5g of total carbohydrate and 2g of fiber, you would count 3g net carbs.

Do you have a question you’d like answered, email us!  Please be aware we may not be able to answer all questions received.

Quote of the Week

"I think the consumer is really being taken advantage of right now," Pescatore said.

--Dr. Fred Pescatore, MD, in the Reuters article, Atkins diet collaborator calls for "oil change"  about the plethora of new low-carb products and some of the ingredients being used in them.