Category: Blog
The Real Skinny on Low Carb Diets – A Critique.
This is a Critique of “The Skinny on Low Carb Diets” by Jenelle Croatto. The original article found here: https://www.12wbt.com/blog/nutrition/the-skinny-on-low-carb-diets/
Before I start, I want to preface this by saying that this article is not intended to “carb-shame”, but rather present the facts, which unfortunately is so often neglected when writing about carbohydrates and diet.
DEFINING THE UNDEFINED
So often we hear of the term “Low-Carb” – low carb bars, low-carb breakfast cereals, low-carb pastas, low-carb diets….so, my first question is: what exactly is LOW carb?
Unfortunately, in Australia and around the world, there is no clear definition. One source will claim that the MINIMUM we should consume a day is 130g of carbohydrates (hence implying that anything below that is technically low carb). Another source will state that low carb is less than 20% daily intake (which for someone on a 2000kcal a day diet means 100g of carb versus for someone on a 1300kcal a day diet means 65g of carb). The most extreme sources I have come across suggest 10% of total daily energy from carbs (which using the above example of 2000kcal and 1300kcal a day means 50g and 30g respectively of carbs). For the sake of this article, I am going to adopt a somewhat middle ground and say 50-65g of carb a day is “Low Carb”
However, I am yet to come across a single source that suggest we eat ZERO carbs. So the first point I want to make is: when we are talking low carb, a) the definition varies dramatically, and b) we do NOT imply no carbs.
WHY WE DON’T NEED CARBS
- It is not a premium energy source, nor is it the only energy source
Our body uses carbs as the first line of energy because it is readily available and accessible. In a modern Western diet, carbohydrates are very abundant, so the body adapts to using exogenous glucose from carbohydrate foods as fuel. So – what happens when we don’t have much carbs in our diet? Our body can produce glucose endogenously via gluconeogenesis, a process whereby the body creates glucose using non-carbohydrate derivatives such as amino acids (from proteins) and lipids (from fats). The body can also produce ketones for energy, running the body on fat as fuel as opposed to glucose as fuel.
- It does not help with sugar cravings
When our body is running on fats as fuel, insulin and blood glucose levels are low and stable, hence eliminating the normal issues with sugar cravings, post prandial slumps and strange energy spikes and dips throughout the day. Also a diet high in protein and healthy fats are much more satiating anyway! Who has ever had eggs for breakfast and noticed they don’t feel the need to snack mid morning?
- It is not involved in fat burning, let alone optimises fat burning
One thing I want to clear up before proceeding is: reducing carbs does NOT mean necessarily reducing total calories. Reducing carbs simply means reducing the quantity of carbs, but one can still increase fats and proteins for energy and satiety.
Now, in contrast to this unreferenced “population study” that apparently shows that those who include wholegrains in their diets tend to have smaller waistlines and be leaner, I have a referenced study that shows the striking contrast in FAT loss for those on a low-carb diet, versus a low-fat diet. Furthermore, this study also showed improvements in risk levels for heart disease in the low-carb group versus the low-fat group (Bazzano, LA, et al. Effects of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2014 Sep 2;161(5):309-18.). So – do carbs optimize fat burning? Apparently not.
As for the sensationalist journalism used to compare “soft white bread” to “steak” when describing their “eatability versus satiability” – I don’t think I really need to comment here.
A FINAL NOTE ON FIBRE
I believe that fibre is very important for bowel health. I also believe that fibre does not require eating pasta to obtain (100g of cooked pasta only giving us 2g of fibre) which is no more than what 100g of green beans, carrots, broccoli or eggplant would provide (100g of each would give you 2-3g of fibre). In a day, we are recommended 30g of fibre – so the question is: can we meet this on a “low-carb” diet (remember, we are using 50-65g carb a day as a guide)? Let’s find out:
| Food | Quantity | Net carb | Fibre |
| Raspberries | 50g | 2.5g | 4g |
| Chia seeds | 1 tbsp | 1g | 3g |
| Green beans (as an example) | 200g | 7g | 7g |
| Black rice | 125g cooked | 26g | 4g |
| Psyllium husk | 1 tbsp | 0g | 10g |
| TOTAL | 36.5g | 28g |
The answer is: Yes.
The Bottom Line?
I am not writing this to advocate carbs one way or another for the general population. I am simply presenting facts and figures, and obviously, disagreeing with the general tone of the original article I am critiquing.
As dietitians we are there to educate and present our clients with facts so they can decide whether a low carb approach is for them or not. We should not form pre-conceived stances on these things and attempt to sway our clients one way or another based on our own beliefs.
Hydration In Summer
With Summer well and truly under way, a lot of people get concerned about whether or not to exercise.
“I don’t want to pass out”
“Is it too dangerous to exercise when it is so hot?”
“What if I get dehydrated?”
These are some of the concerns I hear regularly in the warmer months. Staying hydrated is extremely important all year round, but in the warmer months where our bodies are losing more water and salts through sweat, hydration becomes a big focus.
Here are 6 tips to staying hydrated in Summer when exercising:
Aim to start with an optimal level of hydration before exercising. This might sound very silly when spelt out like that, but it is concerning how many people are not getting enough hydration on a day to day basis! A good guideline is 30-40ml per kg body weight. So, if you weigh 70kg, you need to aim for 2.1-2.8L of fluids a day!
Check your urine. How well-hydrated you are can also be tell-tale through the colour of your urine. Optimally, you should have pale yellow coloured urine – if it is dark, it means you are dehydrated, and if it is clear, it means you aren’t retaining enough fluids – time to up the electrolytes!
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine are both diuretics and make your body lose more fluids. So, when you know you will be exercising, or competing in a sport / race, try to avoid alcohol leading into the event, and make sure you have the above 2 tips covered!
For exercise less than an hour, drink water. Often I see people go do a 30-60min session at the gym and they are throwing back sports drinks. Whilst this isn’t harmful, it is also not necessary. When you are exercising for short durations (less than an hour), water is sufficient for hydration. Of course, there are the ones who have very salty sweat, in which case, an electrolyte-filled sports drink may be necessary. However, for the majority, water is all we need. If you feel that you might be a big “salty sweater”, you may benefit from a sweat test. Ask your sports dietitian and they can direct you to where you can get this done.
For exercise longer than an hour, add the electrolytes. If you are doing a long event, aim to hydrate with a sports drink that is abundant in electrolytes and has about 6-8% carbohydrates for re-fuelling. A good one would be Gatorade.
Consider your overall diet, as hydration is only one aspect of it all! Do not neglect a well balanced, nutrient rich diet. For athletes, it is important to consider the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats in your diet, especially around training time. Focusing on foods that are nutrient dense ensures that you are getting a lot of your micronutrients as well as the macros. If you are unsure whether you are eating correctly for your training, speak to a sports dietitian who can assist you in figuring this out!
Stay hydrated and have a great Summer!
Ashleigh – A Bit About Me.
My name is Ashleigh and I’m a Provisionally Accredited Practicing Dietitian and member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA). I’ve completed a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Dietetic Practice at La Trobe University in Melbourne, fulfilling my dream of becoming a dietitian.
My desire to improve the health and wellbeing of others through good nutrition stems from my Italo-Australian background, where I was exposed to my grandparents’ fresh, homegrown produce and the Mediterranean diet from a young age. I spent most days after school at my grandparents’ house where I took pleasure in observing them plant, grow and harvest vegetables from their humble garden, covering their entire backyard. Did I mention that they also have their own egg-laying chickens? This was a privilege I did not truly learn to appreciate until my later years!
Food and nutrition soon became an avenue that I was keen to explore further, along with my growing love and curiosity of science and the human body. At school, I naturally shifted my focus on to biology, chemistry and psychology subjects. necessary? With the incidence of lifestyle and food-related diseases on the rise, I knew that this was an area in which I could truly make a difference! I am inspired by the power of nutrition and eager to share this knowledge to improve the lives of others.
Achieving high quality, client-centred outcomes is one of my passions. I recognise that in today’s society, there are many barriers to achieving good health and nutrition whether it relates to disease, lifestyle, work, financial or personal circumstances – and most importantly that everyone is different!
My special interests include:
- General Healthy Eating
- The Mediterranean Diet
- Weight Management
- Diabetes Management
- Cardiovascular Disease
I will work with each client to produce individually tailored and evidence-based plans to achieve personal goals and assist with the prevention and management of disease. This will include assessing the client’s current diet in a one-on-one consultation, then making the most suitable dietary changes to achieve the best results.
Ashleigh will be available for consultations starting July 2015. Please call (03) 9791 9044 to book an appointment.
The Biggest Loser – A Critique
The Biggest Loser is a show that most people have watched and come to form strong views and opinions about.
Some people are fans and find the show “motivating”, “encouraging”, “successful” whilst others say that it is “unrealistic”, “unsafe”, “outrageous”.
For those who haven’t watched it – The Biggest Loser is a competition to see who can lose the most weight in a set time frame. The weight loss is calculated as a percentage weight loss based on the contestants’ starting weight.
Achieving high quality, client-centred outcomes is one of my passions. I recognise that in today’s society, there are many barriers to achieving good health and nutrition whether it relates to disease, lifestyle, work, financial or personal circumstances – and most importantly that everyone is different!
As a dietitian, I get asked all the time–
- “how does someone lose so much weight in a week?”,
- “is it safe to lose so much weight so quickly?”,
- “they don’t show a lot of their diet – what does it consist of, do you know?”,
- “they seem to be exercising a LOT – is that good for them?”
Since I had only seen bits and pieces of the show, I couldn’t really give a satisfactory answer.
So, I decided to sit and watch an entire episode – which turned into two episodes, and the finale as well.
Here are some of my thoughts on the show.
Pros:
A strong circle of support
A good and sturdy support network is important when making lifestyle changes of any calibre. On The Biggest Loser, each contestant had their trainers, team mates and fellow contestants to lean on when the going got tough. With the constant encouragement and push (and not-so-occasional kick up the backside), each contestant was well supported throughout their journey to lose weight.
Race to the finish line – $$$
Most people are, to varying degrees, competitive by nature. So, setting the show up as a competition, with such a large, beefy carrot dangled in front of the contestants, made the pain of the whip so worth the while! Of course, we cannot all be rewarded in tens of thousands of dollars in prize money for losing weight, but a reward based system definitely gives great incentive for us to do something that is fundamentally so difficult and mundane.
Cons:
Unrealistic expectations making the reality show not a reality at all
The sheer amount of weight contestants were losing was impressive, but outraging at the same time (especially when we are forever stressing to clients that a safe and realistic rate of weight loss is between 0.5 to 1kg a week).
Also, the focus became so centred on absolute weight loss that it lost sight of more important things like – a balance between diet, exercise and REST, quality of life, “weight” loss versus “fat” loss and so much more.
Needless to say, we don’t all have the luxury of being whipped into shape by a personal trainer all day every day, not needing to work, cook or do any housework. When taken out of the context of The Biggest Loser, the “lifestyle” that it portrays is simply not one that 99.9% of the population can mirror – yet, it is what a lot of people who watch the show would take as a fine example of “successful” weight loss.
Exercise, more exercise… what about the food?
Of course, the dietitian part of me is protesting that there was not a big focus on nutrition – but there really wasn’t! I have never been one to attribute successful long term weight loss to diet only, but The Biggest Loser made it seem like as long as you trained REALLY hard (to the point where most contestants were over trained and risking injury), you would be able to lose the weight and keep the weight off.
Whilst I am sure they had their diets taken care of, it would have been nice to see a bit more focus go into the importance of healthy eating and what it entails when it comes to weight loss, fuel for training, recovery and maintaining good energy levels throughout the day.
Finally the finale – but then what?
One of the biggest issues I found was that throughout the show, contestants were not taught real-life strategies to cope with the barriers that can pop up day-to-day, such as: emotional barriers (stress, for example), mechanical barriers (work, appointments, taking the kids to swimming) and knowledge barriers (not knowing the nutritional value of foods in order to make informed choices with meals and snacks). This meant that, when the contestants returned to the real world, they would likely revert back to their old ways and their old weight.
Welcome to Nutrition Digest – Food for Thought. Thoughts to Digest.
Hi and thank you for stopping by Nutrition Digest! Here, you will find a little bit about “everything food and nutrition”.
But to start, I wanted to do a little meet and greet and give you an insight into me. You can find all of my professional qualifications and experiences in the Our Dietitians section of my website www.metrodietetics.com.au, but here is a little bit about my personal experiences and what got me to where I am today:
I didn’t always want to be a dietitian or a nutritionist…I had no idea that there was even such a profession! (That was how naïve I was). Coming from an Asian family background I was brought up thinking that the only way to be “successful” in life is to become a doctor, or a lawyer, or an accountant…
I personally had no idea what I wanted to do…I knew I wanted to work WITH people…I knew I was passionate about health…but that was as far as I got.
So, when university offers came out and I was accepted into Law School, something didn’t seem to fit. In a long epic saga, I managed to switch out of Law and into Nutrition and Dietetics.
Four years came and went.
I learnt a lot, but felt that I had no idea where all of that was taking me. I knew I wanted to help people (Yes, I AM aware how cliché that sounds…but I do actually mean it).
I wanted to ACTUALLY make a difference.
I wanted to see each person as a person, not a bed number in so-and-so ward. I wanted to watch their transformation physically, psychologically and emotionally as they made breakthroughs in their health, fitness and psyche. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to be involved in it, or perhaps even responsible for it.
This hunger for helping people drove me to start my own private practice “Metro Dietetics”.
I have not looked back since.
People often wonder why I would give up a secure full time job to work on something that has no security whatsoever. They would doubt whether or not I had the experience and maturity required to establish a successful practice all by myself. For a long time I shared the same doubts. But the answer did, over time, achieve a level of clarity.
Having my own private practice gave me the starting block, the blank canvas, the empty platform I desperately needed to make the difference I have always wanted to make. I engaged in a LOT of self-learning and reflection to constantly better myself, my knowledge base and my skill set.
Now, 5 years later, I am STILL learning, and I don’t think that will stop any time soon. I strive to apply new research, new methods and new approaches to helping each and every individual that comes to me for assistance. I am not afraid of bending the rules, or challenging the status quo, especially if this means I can help my clients advance in ways that others could not.
So there you go – a bit about me.
Happy Digesting!
