 | Steve Brotton
is a Nurse Practitioner who has worked in Preventive Medicine and Bariatrics (treatment of obesity and eating disorders) for over twenty years. He previously worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in General Practice where he saw the profound effect obesity and overweight issues were having on patients' health and medical conditions and he found by implementing a weight management program for the patient that frequently it would correct and control their hypertension, diabetes, gastric problems, or lower their risk to develop these problems. Steve has worked extensively in medical weight management. You can reach Steve and his team by e-mail at Kelloggclinic@hotmail.com or by phone at (316) 682-5900. |
Diet & Nutrition
2004-04-01 16:41:00
High-protein/low-carbs not good
Question: What can you tell me about the long-term affects of the high-protein, low-carb diet craze?
ANSWER: You are correct in saying diet craze! Yes, this is another fad diet. These types of diets are effective because a lot of people are losing weight but there are many health risks associated with removing any part of the food pyramid from your daily diet. Consuming a high percentage of your diet, as protein is contrary to everything respected authorities in nutrition know to be true. Simply put, it is not truly healthy. When you do not provide your body with adequate calories, it begins to slow the rate at which it burns calories down to a survival rate. In essence, your body begins to hold on to everything you do eat because it is not sure when it is going to be given the nourishment it needs. This makes weight loss next to impossible. Those who follow the extremely low-calorie diets (less than 1000 calories per day) have been known to stop losing weight after a few weeks. What's worse, when you come off such a low calorie diet, the rate at which you burn calories (aka metabolism) tends to remain at the lower level. Weight gain is then inevitable. To increase the rate at which your body burns calories, you need to eat small meals frequently throughout the course of the day. For instance, when you get up Eat Breakfast, this IS the most important meal of the day! Then between lunch and dinner have a low calorie, light snack. It is also important to eat your last meal 3 to 4 hours before you go to sleep. Your main goal should be to go no longer than 3 to 4 hours without eating something. It doesn't have to be much, especially in regards to your snacks.High protein diets trigger short-term weight loss through a process called ketosis. Ketosis occurs whenever the body lacks a sufficient supply of carbohydrates. During ketosis, your body (now in a carbohydrate depleted state) turns to other sources to satisfy its energy needs, including ketones from stored fat or protein. While it may seem like a good idea to have your body use stored fat for energy, you need to realize what is the cause…desperation. The desperation is a result of depriving your body of the necessary carbohydrates needed for energy. Normally, the concentration of ketones in the blood is very low. When adequate amounts of carbohydrates are not consumed the level of ketones may reach very high levels. Over a prolonged period of time ketosis can be very serious. Ketosis disturbs the body's acid-base balance. This happens because it is the body's counteraction to provide the fuel necessary to maintain normal brain function, as well as other tissues.This is one example of the damaging affects fad diets may have on your body so always consult your physician before acting on the latest infomercial!
