Going Against The Grain

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Before coming to college, I never thought about my food choices.  I ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted to.  I can specifically remember eating large portions of many foods high in carbohydrates, such as a huge plate of pasta with three pieces of garlic bread.  After experiencing a year of college and avoiding “The Freshman 15,” I became intrigued with the reasons for such weight gain.  Because many Americans are overweight or obese, I wanted to do everything in my power to maintain a healthy diet and weight.  Like many health conscious individuals, I began researching what kind of foods to include in my diet and which items I should avoid.  The shocking information I came across goes against the grain—literally.  That is, switching to a low carb diet leads to weight loss and improved health.

Photo from http://www.drgourmet.com/

Photo from http://www.itsyummi.com/

The Typical American Food Pyramid in the 1990's looked something like the picture on the left.  From bottom to top: grains, breads, and starches; fruit and vegetables; milk and dairy products along with meat; and fats, oils, and sweets.  In addition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many other nutritionists would agree that carbohydrates are the staple of the American diet, and we should use them as the basis of every meal.  Even the modernized version of the Food Pyramid includes a decent amount of carbohydrates.  Under a low carb diet, the Food Pyramid would look something like the image on the right.  From bottom to top: proteins, eggs and cheese, nuts and veggies, fats and oils, and then fruits at the top.

Why drastically reduce carbohydrate intake to lose weight?

Photo from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

The first time I heard about this “low carb diet” idea was from my Dad.  Subjected to high blood pressure and high cholesterol, his doctor recommended reading the book Why We Get Fat And What to do About It by Gary Taubes and following the guidelines to lower his high numbers and most importantly blood sugar.  Initially, I could not believe increasing meat consumption and reducing carbohydrate intake could result in weight loss.  After switching to a low carb diet, my Dad has lost fifteen pounds since Thanksgiving, and his numbers are significantly lower.  He didn’t take diet pills, follow some “fad” diet, or even increase his time exercising at the gym.  He simply replaced common foods like bagels, rice, potatoes, and pasta with nuts, eggs, and a variety of meats.  Seeing his remarkable results is all the proof I need to believe in this new lifestyle.  About a month ago, I started to cut back on carbohydrates. 

Photo from http://www.dietdoctor.com/

 So, what's the science behind all of this weight loss and carb cutting? 

Similarly to the photo above, Taubes explains numerous times in his book how carbohydrates make us fat.  First, the hormone insulin causes our bodies to store fat.  Because carbohydrates determine the amount of insulin we secrete, the more carbs we eat, the more insulin is produced, and the more fat is stored.  By reducing the amount of carbs we eat, our glucose levels will be lower and less fat will be stored.  He also describes how the carbs that make us the fattest are the ones we can digest quickly--sugars and starches.  These foods consist of anything from a baked potato, to a bowl of spaghetti, to croutons in a salad. 

Photo from http://www.ifood.tv/

But, increasing meat, egg, and fat consumption is supposed to increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, right?  

Although genetics play a key role in blood pressure and cholesterol, there’s a great possibility an individual at risk for a heart attack is probably overweight or obese.  Because certain carbohydrates make us fatter than others, Gary Taubes introduces the idea that these carbohydrates can also lead to heart disease; similarly, the hype about limiting fats in our diet is overrated.  Many Americans today are more concerned with reducing fat in their diets than in the past, yet more and more people are overweight.  What has changed?  The amount of carbs people consume has increased, especially fried foods, which means cutting out dietary fats and proteins.  Simply put, there has been an increase in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease even though people aren't eating as much fat.  Therefore, eating food, such as proteins and fats that make you lose weight cannot also possibly lead to heart disease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juGUw7KNvBo

In the interview from 2011 of Mr. Taubes on a Denver News Station posted above, he explains how carbs are ruining our bodies and why they must be avoided to maintain better health.  In order to follow the low carb diet proposed by Gary Taubes, you need to know specifically what foods to avoid and what foods to add to your diet.  You should eat eggs and meat everyday, preferably lean meats like chicken and turkey; you should also eat salad greens and vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, mushrooms, and broccoli.  Foods to be eaten in moderation include non-processed cheeses, cream, olives, and mayonnaise.  You can use butter, and oils, such as olive and peanut, when cooking as well.  Try to avoid alcohol, sweets, and sodas as much as possible.  There are many meal options when following this diet, but there are also a lot of carb-related restrictions.  Taken right from his book, here are foods you should not eat:

1.     Sugars (Simple Carbs)

- These include white sugar, brown sugar, honey, syrup, molasses, corn syrup, beer, milk, flavored yogurt, fruit juice, fruit.

   2.    Starches (Complex Carbs)

- These include grains, rice, cereal, flour, cornstarch, breads, pastas, muffins, bagels, crackers, starchy vegetables (such as slow cooked black/pinto beans), carrots, parsnips, corn, peas, potatoes, French fries, potato chips.

  

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As Gary Taubes states, “There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.”  This quote particularly stuck out to me, as I have finally realized that it is possible to remove them from everyday meals.  We don't need bread, or a donut, or even a baked potato to survive.  Our ancestors lived off of fruits, vegetables, and meat from various animals.  They never ate bread, and for the most part, they were way leaner than the American society today.  With that being said, I encourage each and every one of you to try this diet, as I am myself, for a few months and note the changes. These conditions may seem a bit intense, and too strict to follow, but eliminating most or all of the unnecessary carbs from your diet will show crazy results.  Challenge yourself, but adjust your diet accordingly.  Maybe eating pasta once a week instead of five times a week will work for you; on the other hand, maybe completely cutting out pasta from your diet will yield better results.  There is no one defined answer that applies to everyone, but making any significant change will be beneficial.

 I personally don't follow this diet word for word nor do I suggest you do.  Even though the diet restricts mainly all carbs, I do eat cereal, oatmeal, and sometimes toast for breakfast.  This adjustment is huge, considering I was the "carb queen,” and ate bread, pasta, cereal, and bagels with each meal.  I try to eat chicken, turkey, tuna, or salmon everyday along with two eggs and a salad.  Unfortunately, my options are limited here on campus, so I usually just stick with the chicken.  I replaced crackers, chips, and easy mac with dry peanuts, plain Greek yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs.  In addition to this low carb diet, I have not eaten fried foods, chips, or drank soda in over three months.  Even if you don't notice immediate results, you will feel better physically and emotionally from the transition.  Anything worthwhile takes time.  Are you ready to go against the grain?