South Beach Diet

In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a reportoutlining the key points of their new “Calories Count” campaign. The campaignaims to combat obesity by educating the American public about the importance ofmaintaining a proper balance of calories in and calories out.The FDA’s Obesity Working Group has proposed a number of changes andinitiatives including: Encouraging food manufacturers to include a total calorie count onfood items that may reasonably be consumed all at once (i.e., sodas, potatochips, etc) and to use meaningful serving sizes. Creating a ruling on how to label “low-carb” products. Encouraging restaurants to list nutritional information on theirmenus.It’s unclear how the FDA plans to implement these changes. Right now, theyare merely suggestions that the FDA may or may not choose to explore further.Ultimately, it will be up to the FDA and the Department of Health and HumanServices to work with other government agencies and food manufacturers toaffect positive change.Until these changes take effect, it’s up to you to read nutrition labels with a critical eye—and to learn how to make healthy choices based on The SouthBeach Diet(TM) …(or other LC plan - MY words, not SBD) guidelines whenbuying food or eating out. Remember that when it comes to your health, you areincontrol!

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Really not amounts I just make what I needFrom Deli style hamOn the ham spread cream cheese and put a dill pickleRoll and secure with a toothpick

LC Tip: Don’t ever let any one talk you into the 1 bite thing won’t hurtyou. If you don’t want politely refuse. I have friend who was doing so wellon SB and last weekend she let some talk her into the 1 bite thing won’thurt and she has not be able to get back on track yet.

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They can help you lose weight fast, but low-carbohydrate dietshave at least one pitfall: Cutting all those carbs also cuts needednutrients.With 40 million Americans skimping on carbs, it was only a matter of timebefore specialized vitamins hit the shelves. But do they work?Geoffrey Ginn needs a pill organizer for all the supplements he’s taking,

such as extra B-vitamins and other nutrients often depleted by the Atkinsdiet.He’s lost 40 pounds on the plan but doesn’t want his health to suffer.”When you’re depleting your system of carbs and sugar, you’re initiallygoing to have lower energy,” said Ginn.Depleting B-vitamins found in foods not allowed in a low-carb diet, such asbread and pasta, can hurt your nervous system and have an effect onosteoporosis, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.Thanks for taking our survey. Check back later for updated results.TakeLow-Carb Vitamins?Do you take low-carb vitamins?Yes.No, but I take anotherkindof vitamin.No, I don’t take vitamins. Supplement makers have come up with asolution: a new type of vitamin developed for the low-carb lifestyle.But they can cost up to three times as much as regular multivitamins. Bayer,

the maker of Carb Smart, said the added cost is worth it. The supplementcontains specialized ingredients such as higher B-vitamins, antioxidants,potassium, and biotin, which Bayer claims can turn fats and proteins intoenergy.But nutrition experts question whether there’s an added value.”It makes expensive urine but does not give you more balance, more nutrition

or more health,” said Dr. George Blackburn, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical

Center in Boston.”A multivitamin is still going to have everything you need in it. America is

just being marketed,” said Dr. Mark Mincolla, a nutritional therapist basedin Massachusetts.Blackburn and Mincolla said the solution is simple: Don’t eliminate allcarbs and add a few good ones.”I advise people eat small amounts of right kinds of fruits. I say theyshould get a quarter cup of nuts and seeds a day to get your vitamin E and B

complexes. I think you can do it dietarily,” said Mincolla.For Ginn, adding specialized vitamins has made a difference.”I think my ability to handle stressful situations has increased. I’m alittle more calm,” he said.Experts say the new vitamins won’t hurt you, but you’re wasting your money.They recommended a regular multivitamin for about 7 cents a day.

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How to Do Pre-Maintenance, Part 1Phase three is crucial to getting your weight under control for good, butit is also about taking control of your life and your health.To reduce your long-term risks for conditions such as cardiovasculardisease, hypertension and diabetes, there is nothing more effective thanmaintaining a healthy weight. But learning how to make choices that areright for younot for your spouse, parents, friends or even your doctorarealso important. When you realize you can be in charge of what you eat, howyou look and how healthy you are, it empowers you in all the other aspectsof your life. Instead of worrying about looking good to please someoneelse, you are likely coming to realize that what matters is how you feelabout how you look and feel. You are learning the skills that allow you totake charge of your life. And that enhances self-esteem.When you were doing Ongoing Weight Loss, you learned how to increase yourcarb intake in increments of 5 grams. In this phase, you can shift into ahigher gear: Increase your daily carb count by 10 grams each week as longas you continue to lose. (See The Power of 10,” below, and click here forthe the carb gram counter.) If you introduce new foods slowly and increaseyour carb grams gradually, your Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing(CCLL) should increase gradually. This new and higher CCLL will reflect thefact that you are now losing weight more slowly.As you continue to make 10 gram incremental additions, you’ll quickly reacha point at which you will find that you are no longer losing. If you are atyour goal weight, stay at that level for a month or so before you increaseyour daily carb consumption by another 10 grams to see if you can consumethat level without gaining. Once you do begin to gain, drop back 10 gramsand you should have established your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE).For more on how to do Pre-Maintenance and how to avoid certain problems,click here for How to Do Pre-Maintenance, Part 2.

THE POWER OF 10The following portions each contain roughly 10 grams of Net Carbs. Foodgroups are arranged in the general order in which they should be added.

Starchy Vegetables3/4 cup carrots1/2 cup acorn squash1/4 cup yams (or sweet potatoes)2/3 cup peas, shelled1/4 cup plantain1 cup beets1/3 cup parsnips1/4 cup white potatoes

Legumes1/3 cup lentils1/3 cup kidney beans1/3 cup black beans1/4 cup navy beans1/3 cup lima beans1/3 cup great northern beans1/3 cup chickpeas1/4 cup fava beans1/3 cup pinto beans

Fruit1/2 apple11 cherries1 peach12 grapes1 1/4 cup strawberries1/2 grapefruit3/4 cup cantaloupe1 kiwi1 cup watermelon1/2 cup fruit cocktail, canned in water1 plum1/2 small banana1 cup guava1/3 cup mango

Grains1/4 cup rice (long-grain, brown)1/2 cup plain old-fashioned oatmeal1/3 cup corn kernels1/3 cup whole-wheat cereal (Wheatena)1/4 cup barley1/4 cup semolina pasta

All figures are for cooked vegetables, starches and legumes.

This article is continued here: How to Do Pre-Maintenance, Part 2,

How to Do Pre-Maintenance, Part 2

It may take some time to fine-tune your Critical Carbohydrate Levels forLosing and Maintaining.

Slowing weight loss while still preserving the forward momentum of does not always happensmoothly. If, after an incremental increase, you find that you are gainingor are not losing and you are not yet at your goal weight, you need to backdown to the previous level. The line between gaining, maintaining andlosing is a thin one and you may have to play with your CriticalCarbohydrate Level for Losing (CCLL) andAtkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE)for a while to understand what your body can handle.While it may take as long as three months to drop the last few pounds andclearly establish your ACE, this leisurely pace is critical to yourultimate success. Continue to add new foods slowly and carefully so you’llbe learning good eating habits at the same time. For example, you’lldiscover whether your metabolism can handle whole-grain bread, legumes,starchy vegetables and other potential trouble foods. (People withextremely low carb tolerancemeaning high metabolic resistancewon’t beable to add many new foods and will find Pre-Maintenance similar to OngoingWeight Loss or even Induction.)Some Variations on the RuleRather than add carbohydrate foods in increments of 10 grams each week,another approach to Pre-Maintenance is to continue eating as you were atthe end of OWL and to allow yourself a 20 gram carb treat two or threetimes a week. Add a piece of fruit or a starchy vegetablea serving ofbrown rice or sweet potatoes, for example. You can also have a glass ofwhite wine, a light beer or the white spirits. You could get moreadventurous with some of the excellent controlled carbohydrate conveniencefoods that are increasingly available. Or, if your metabolic resistance isat the low end, you may be able to enjoy such treats more frequently.Still another way to do Pre-Maintenance is to average out your carb intakefor the week. This is how it works: If, for example, your CCLL is 80 grams,you might drop back to 60 grams on Tuesday, then deviate with a beef,potato and carrot stew the following night, pushing your daily total to 100grams. (Up until now, when weight loss was essential, it was important tospread your carbs out through the day. If you do have a heavy dose at onemeal, make sure there is enough fat, protein and fiber in the rest of themeal to slow the glucose load on your system.) However, if you find suchdeviations create cravings, it is probably best for you to stick to asteady number of carbs spread evenly throughout the day.But be careful. There are a couple of reasons why people sometimes get intotrouble: They don’t recognize that this phase is still relatively restrictiveof carbohydrates, compared to the way they were eating before they werefollowing the Atkins Nutritional Approach. They’re startled to discover that without the wonderful advantage ofdeep lipolysis, appetite suppressionhas diminished.These reasons point out exactly why Pre-Maintenance is so important. Thisis the phase during which you acclimate to the carbohydrate moderationyou’ll need to practice for the rest of your life. Not only are you losingless weight and doing so at a slower rate, you are burning less of yourbody fat. Thus, the natural appetite suppression provided by lipolysis isreduced considerably. But as long as you are not skipping meals and arecontinuing to lose weight, you are controlling your blood sugar and burningfat, so your appetite should not be out of control. If you do experienceproblems with renewed cravings, you have gone too far and you need to goback a few notches.

By the time you finally reach your goal weight, you are by definitionofficially in phase four, LifetimeMaintenance. As you move into this next phase of Atkins, you absolutelymust ease into your Lifetime Maintenance regimen, rather than make anabrupt transition. See TheCrucial Phase of Pre-Maintenance.

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These are amazing and less than 1 carb each, don’t miss this easy bread!Preheat the waffle iron1 8oz Pkg cream cheese3 eggs3 tsp Splenda1/2 cup Atkins Bake Mix1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp onion powder1 tbsp parsley flakes1/4 cup buttermilkBeat cream cheese with mixer until blended smooth, add the remainingingredients. Spray pan with a light coat of olive oil flavored non stickspray and pour in pan about 1 to 2 Tbps of mix. It will make a perfectround bun! You can freeze them and reheat them in the toaster! My hubbysays this is the best bread yet.It should come out to about 1 carb per bun! The whole recipe is 17 carbsMake your own Atkins Bake Mix1 cup soy flour2 cups soy protein isolate2 tablespoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons SplendaSift together then store and use as you would Dr. A’s. It’s much cheaperand things come out about the same.3 carbs per 1/2 cup servingNutritional Informationsource grams cals %totalTotal: 72Fat: 6 50 70%Sat: 3 28 39%Poly: 0 4 5%Mono: 2 14 20%Carbs: 1 4 6%Fiber: 0 0 0%Protein: 4 17 24%

And finally, I replaced the savory seasonings with cinnamon and some walnutmeal for a great breakfast waffle. I’m going to try using all nut meal thenext time, instead of the bake mix. I also read that these could be madejust like pancakes in a pan or in one of those ‘muffin top’ pans, to makethem more like a bun. Happy eating

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Del Monte Foods announced sweet news for the millions of Americans who areforgoing the tremendous health benefits of fruit while following alow-carbohydrate diet. Del Monte Foods has developed the Del Monte Carb Cleverbrand, a newline of canned fruit that provides the same nutritional benefits of regularcanned fruit, but has 50 to 70 percent fewer carbs.

Scheduled to hit shelves in November, Del Monte Carb Clever will giveconsumers a new way to enjoy the goodness and sweetness of fruit, while eatingsmart.Rather than packing the fruit in heavy syrup or natural fruit juices, DelMonte Carb Clever is packed in water and sweetened with Splenda. The result isgreat tasting, ready-to-eat fruit that’s lower in carbs and calories, whileretaining a natural, sweet taste.

The complete line includes the following five products:14.5 oz. sliced peaches14.5 oz. fruit cocktail14.5 oz. sliced pears8.25 oz. pear chunks8.25 oz. peach chunks

Low Carb Luxury is tops on the list to receive these new fruits and will bereviewing them at our site soon.

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Do you all pre-plan your meals the day before you eat them? If so, doyou find this helps you stick to plan? I don’t, and I wonder if itwould help.

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The Role of Insulin in Metabolic ResistanceThe usual ways of eating that should lead toweight loss simply do not work for certain peoplewho have extreme difficulty losing weight.

Are you one of those tortured souls who has beentold that the only reason you are overweight isbecause you eat too much? It is a well-documentedfact that people who are significantly overweightmay also have metabolic disorders. Suchconditions not only cause weight gain, they alsomake it difficult to lose the accumulated weight.

Part of the obesity epidemic we face in theUnited States may be due to the misconceptionthat people who are overweight are simplygluttons or lazy couch potatoes. For most of thelast century, the majority of doctors involved intreating obesity did not accept extreme metabolicresistance as a possible explanation for theirpatients’ plight, but rather chose to believethat patients were being untruthful about whatthey ate.

The inability to burn fat or lose weightthephenomenon called metabolic resistance to weightlossis not uncommon. In addition to the use ofprescription drugs or hormones that inhibitweight loss, an underactive hormone andovergrowth of yeast, excessive insulin andinsulin resistanceusually accompanied by hightriglycerides1-4is one of the four majorcategories of problems that contribute tometabolic resistance.

Without question, overweight individuals withexcessive insulin output (known ashyperinsulinism) and the inefficiency of insulinusage (or insulin resistance) respond best to theAtkins Nutritional Approach controlledcarbohydrate philosophy. Even the majority ofpeople who do not lose weight on a1,000-calorie-a-day low-fat diet will lose weighton an 1,800- to 2,000-calorie meal planifcarbohydrates are limited to 20 grams per day.

The vast majority will lose weight, but notabsolutely everyone. For those individuals whohave not lost weight during the Induction phaseof Atkins, nutritionally oriented medicine offersways to break through this last barrier. Inconjuction with Induction, certain vitanutrientscan assist in breaking up weight-loss logjams.

In his practice, Dr. Atkins and the otherpractitioners found the leading nutrient toaccomplish this fat-busting feat is L-carnitine.When carnitine is deficient, the conversion ofburned fat to ketones is impaired5-7. Themechanism for carnitine’s effectiveness is thatit has the ability to ensure that fat converts tofuel. But very high doses of carnitine are oftennecessary. Often, more effective responses occurwith the use of acetyl carnitine, a compound thathelps focus the carnitine action.

Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), another vital nutrientnecessary for fat to serve as fuel8, may alsorequire large doses. Both CoQ10 and carnitine areextremely valuable for other reasons, such aspreserving heart health. For more informationabout these nutrients and other nutrients, seeDr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution (Simon &Schuster, 1999).

Other nutrients capable of overcoming slow weightloss include chromium, alpha-lipoic acid,glutamine, phenylalanine and the combinations ofinositol, choline and methionine. To get theoptimum benefits of these vitanutrients, youshould work with doctors experienced in their useto combine them with the Induction phase ofAtkins.

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Ingredients:2 1/2 cups Splenda granular2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa1/2 cup margarine1/4 cup cream1/4 cup water1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup creamy peanut butter3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (lightly “toast” first for a differenttexture!)Directions:Combine Splenda, cocoa, margarine, cream and water in saucepan. Bring to aboil while stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Do not overcook. Removepan from heat and add in peanut butter and vanilla.Spread peanut butter throughout mixture evenly and add coconut. Roll intoballs, place on tray and put in refergerator to cool.Makes about 20.Per serving: 89 Calories; 2g Carbohydrates; 1g Dietary Fiber; 9g Fat; 2gProtein; 3mg Cholesterol; 85mg SodiumTip-I always try and keep plain LC crackers on hand. With not feeling welltonight I at least had some dry crackers to eat to try and settle my stomach.

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Shrimp Jambalaya

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined1/2 pound boneless cooked chicken, cubed1/2 pound smoked Polish sausage, cubed3 tablespoons olive oil1 medium onion, sliced1 medium bell pepper, sliced4 stalks celery, sliced1 bunch green onions, sliced2 teaspoons garlic powder1 teaspoon thyme1 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/2 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1/2 cup canned chicken stock1/2 cup tomato sauce1 tablespoon Not/Starch

Fry the sausage and chicken in the oil overmedium high heat untilthey begin cooking. That is to say, they aren’tjust warmed through,but are actually cooking. Add the onions, bellpepper, celery, andgreen onions and cook until the onions becometranslucent. Add theshrimp and the dry seasonings and continuecooking until the shrimpbegin to turn pink. Add the Worcestershire sauce,chicken stock, andtomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5minutes. Add theNot/Starch and stir to incorporate it into thejambalaya.

Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes beforeserving. May be servedover Faux Rice (recipe below) if desired.

Serves 6 @ 439 calories, 22 grams fat, 49 gramsprotein, and 8 gramsof carbohydrate w/2 grams fiber. Nutritionalanalysis does notinclude the Faux Rice.

Faux Rice

Faux RiceFrom: Rani Merens

1 head cauliflowerbutter (to taste)salt (to taste)pepper (to taste)

Wash, clean, and trim the cauliflower, discardingany green leaves.(Save the leaves for soup.) Shred the cauliflowerby hand using thelargest holes of your grater to produce rice-likelittle nubbins, orprocess it on “pulse” in your food processor.Place the cauliflowernubbins in a microwave container with a lid or abowl tightly coveredwith microwave-safe plastic wrap and steam in themicrowave untiljust tender. No additional water is needed, (Theamount of time willdepend upon your microwave’s power, so you willneed to experiment.6-7 minutes does it in a 650-watt microwave.)

Add butter, salt, and pepper according to yourindividual taste andserve hot.

Note: If using the Faux Rice with a flavorfulsauce or as a base fora flavorful stew, you may not need to add thebutter or pepper, butwill probably still need to use salt.

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