Low carb goes mainstream

Despite some medical concerns, more and more dieters are choosing the low-carb path to weight loss

Asbury Park Press, September 23, 2003

By KELLY-JANE COTTER
STAFF WRITER

Is pasta the enemy?

Will a daily slab of steak keep you trim?

What about veggies and vitamins? Where does fat fit in?

Gina Ricciardi of Ocean Township has been asking herself those kind of questions lately. Somehow, between raising her two young daughters and running her electrolysis business in Middletown, she has gained 30 unwanted pounds.

"I'm thinking of trying a low-carb diet," she said. "But I need to know more about it."

Low-carb diets, popularized by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins, restrict intake of both simple and complex carbohydrates in favor of boosting intake of protein. Calories and fat are not counted, but "net carbs" are, meaning the amount of carbohydrates minus the amount of fiber.

The Atkins diet begins with a two-week induction -- during which time even healthy veggies, fruits and grains are restricted -- that encourages rapid weight loss. After the extra pounds are eliminated, dieters embark on a maintenance program that is more flexible and well-rounded.

Many nutritionists and doctors balk at the low-carb regimen, saying the diet is a short-term solution that ignores the risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other problems caused by animal fat.

"You can also rebound and gain even more weight back," said Robyn Flipse, a registered dietitian based in Ocean Township. "It's better to deal with portion sizes and have a diet with bigger variety, rather than smaller. Low-carb sounds like a quick, easy fix, but it's not."

Despite such warnings, "low-carb" has become a battle cry for many dieters and an effective marketing tool. Sunday newspaper inserts now regularly contain coupons for CarbWise, Kashi GoLean and other brands of low-carb cereals, bars and waffles. These products substitute soy, which is high in protein, for high-carb grains.

Even beer makers are touting low-carb varieties, complete with a TV commercial depicting trim torsos and flat tummies.

Employees at area Vitamin Shoppe and GNC stores say they've seen more and more shelf space devoted to low-carb products and supplements. Linda's, a low-carb store on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, recently opened. The Low-Carb Connection in Shrewsbury can't keep low-carb bread in stock.

"The bread and the candy fly off the shelves and, in baking season, the mixes go fast," said Debbie Kritzky, owner of the Low-Carb Connection. "People come in and take the bread straight from the boxes, before I can even shelve it."

Flipse warns that the popularity of a diet does not mean that it's safe or that it works.

"Ask everyone where their juicer is," Flipse said. "A few years ago, everyone thought you could get all the nutrients you needed by juicing everything. Just because there's a market niche right now for low-carb muffins doesn't mean it's viable over the long term. It means it's selling. And there are plenty of business people ready to take advantage of people's gullibility."

Ricciardi became interested in low-carb diets not because of what she heard, but because of what she saw.

"With Atkins, I have seen large people who look like they've melted," Ricciardi said. "I mean, 40 or 50 pounds -- gone. My lawyer, my doctor, and one of my clients are all on Atkins. With each one, their face is smaller, their torso."

Two years ago, Meryl Schultz of Holmdel found herself in a middle-age slump. Her clothing size fluctuated from 6 to 8 to 10. Her teenage children were always hungry and she would snack along with them, munching pretzels. During meals, she'd eat everyone's leftovers rather than throw anything away.

The Atkins diet whittled her back to size 8. Schultz lost 15 pounds and is now trying to keep it off.

"The Atkins muffin mix got me through my carb cravings," Schultz said. "Between February and now, I've seen so many new low-carb products, it's incredible."

Low-carb diets don't need to be radical

While many people think a low-carb diet means bacon and eggs for breakfast, steak for lunch, steak for dinner and pork roll as a snack, Schultz said she has found the Atkins diet to be much less radical.

"Fish and eggs are good for you and you can eat that," Schultz said. "And I still snack on carrots, even though it's a carb, because carrots have vitamins. It's more about being aware about all the junk you put in your body and eliminating that."

Rachel Ciocca, a registered dietitian at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, would agree.

"The most important thing for weight control is to get proper exercise, to have a well-balanced diet and eliminate junk food," Ciocca said. "If you're snacking on carrots all day, yes, that will have an effect on blood sugar and that's not good. With the high incidence of diabetes in this country, there's definitely a need for people to cut back on sugars and high intake of carbs that turn into sugars."

"But," Ciocca added, "a high-protein, low-carb diet is not safe for everyone and I would not recommend it as a safe diet overall."'

Too much protein and animal fat in the diet can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, high cholesterol and heart disease, Ciocca said.

"It's really popular because you do lose weight quickly," she said, "but a low-carb crash is not sound nutritional advice."

Flipse said the low-carb diet is an unrealistic approach for many people.

"I'm also against any diet that defies the lifestyle choices in your world," Flipse said. "If you live in a world where there's pasta, pizza and cake, you have to deal with that. Low-carb also denies the cultural significance of food. There are ethnic traditions and holidays that involve certain foods, and now you have to deny yourself that? How long will that last? You're gonna be the only one not having stuffing and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving?"

Kritzky, of the Low-Carb Connection, said the Atkins diet's best contribution to nutrition was in debunking the notion that "low-fat" cookies and other products are healthy.

"He was getting away from the idea of 'low-fat' because things that are low-fat can still be high-carb and turn into sugar," Kritzky said. "And there needs to be a distinction between good fats, like olive oil, and bad fats, because your body needs fat."

In this year's book, "Atkins For Life," the author emphasized the need for a varied diet rich in fresh foods, preferably organically grown. He advised eliminating from the average American diet all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup, processed foods and empty calories.

Those ideas, far from being radical, are the building blocks of most healthy diets.

"I'm finding you can mix and match," said Schultz. "In the beginning, I was much stricter on Atkins. Now, I'll make chicken cutlets with bread crumbs, but I'll have a Caesar salad without croutons."

Ways to lasting weight loss

Shakil Med, who owns Lincroft Health Foods, lost 30 pounds in eight months on the Atkins diet, but gave it up three years ago at the urging of his wife, Pauline Cherry, a nutritionist. Instead, he became a vegetarian and maintains a low-sugar diet with no junk food. He has kept the weight off.

"I think Atkins is popular because you can eat what you want and there are so many low-carb, sugar-free products -- cheesecake, ice cream, who wouldn't want that?" Med said. "I ate a lot of eggs and meatloaf on the Atkins diet. I don't do that anymore, but I still follow the part about low sugar, which I think has really helped me."

In her 20s, when Ricciardi wanted to lose five pounds fast, she'd go on the Scarsdale diet for two weeks: "Half a grapefruit and dry protein toast in the morning, assorted cold cuts for lunch, steak with cucumbers for dinner or chicken with no fat and Brussels sprouts, that kind of thing."

In her 30s, she had success with Weight Watchers. "That works well over the long term, but I don't like the new points system," she said. "My life makes it very difficult to count points. What appeals to me about Atkins is you don't have to measure and weigh, and you can eat what you want. It's just so hard to get a jump-start on weight loss -- I just need something where I can see results right away, and then get back on a maintenance diet."

Flipse, while sympathetic to that desire for a quick fix, said that's not the wisest course.

"The popularity of low-carb diets plays to the feeling of urgency of people wanting obesity to be over with," Flipse said. "But when your motivation is highest, when you really want to lose the weight, that's the time to do a maintenance diet that does have vegetables and grains. I've been in practice for 30 years, and I know it's hard work to change habits. But you need to make a concerted effort to do that, because if you take the easy route, it won't last."