Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 All of these fascinating threads and videos about low-carb have gotten me motivated to get back on what I KNOW is the healthiest diet for me. I've used Life Without Bread before with success, but I am curious how it compares to other diets or programs out there. I do know I want a plan that is NOT fat-phobic. I firmly believe that my body does very well on high-fat, and that if one is going to cut out carbs, they have to be replaced by fats. I do not know, however, if I want a plan that simply counts total carbs (like Lw/oB), or if I should pay attention to glycemic impact/load. If the latter, what plan would you recommend for this? I also know that I am interested in eating foods that are naturally low in carbs, and not "fake foods" like low-carb pasta or sugar-free desserts. No offense if that works well for anyone else, it's just not my thing. I want the diet to be as natural as possible. I also, sadly, seem to have become lactose intolerant recently. So this eliminates many of the low-carb foods that I know and love! :crying: So I would be especially interested in any information or ideas about low-carb combined with dairy free. Thanks for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I can't recommend this one more highly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Atkins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenMom Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Fat Flush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 South Beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Oh and another thing, with Atkins you can't start off with any fruit and many vegetables are off limits. This is why I have a problem with Atkins. It *does* work. But is it healthy? I don't think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 No, actually Groves takes a more radical stance than Atkins on fruit and vegetables. Groves says to eat them if you enjoy them. He doesn't feel they are required in the high amounts we are told they are (he has a very lengthy explanation for this in the book). Atkins, on the other hand, claims they are necessary for health. Fruits and vegetables, imo, are the most natural things in the world for a human to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 I can't recommend this one more highly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet I recommend Natural Health and Weight Loss by Barry Groves. I read his book and loved it. His "plan" isn't much of a plan. There are guidelines of the foods to eat and the foods to avoid. Carb counts don't have to start as low as on Atkins either. He also heavily stresses natural foods. He even says if you need sweetener in your coffee to use sugar and cut down gradually rather than use fake sugar products because sugar isn't as freaky as stuff like Splenda. He also is anti soy (except fermented soy). Even if you don't go with his "plan" the book has a lot of excellent information. Oh and another thing, with Atkins you can't start off with any fruit and many vegetables are off limits. With Groves you can eat fruit. You can pretty much eat any fruits or vegetables, but the emphasis is on keeping the fat and protein the main parts of the diet. He also believes in having three large meals a day rather than grazing. I found as long as I ate natural foods then I didn't really have to count anything. Basically one flips the food pyramid and treats carbs like how most people treat fats. You treat them like they are going to instantly go to your hips. ;) Thank you ladies, these both sound great! Unfortunately my library doesn't have any books by Barry Groves, but I think I'll set aside the money to buy that one. It (library) does have the Paleo diet book, though it's checked out at the moment. Hopefully I'll get it soon. These both sound good. I like the idea of eating the foods that our ancestors ate, things that are in a natural (less processed) state. I'm also anti-soy, and I know that I don't digest grains and legumes well, so it makes sense to just cut them out (a la Paleo) rather than just limiting them by counting carb grams (a la Life w/o Bread). I also know I need fruit if I cut out sweets! :) I am not familiar with Fat Flush, so I will definitely look into that one too. Atkins is a classic. :001_smile: My brother swears by it, and he is in excellent health. I *thought* South Beach was a low-fat plan -- have I got that wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I'm anti-soy too... mostly because I'm allergic to it. lol I also worry about all the phytoestrogens in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Yes they are. The point Groves makes is that there is no evidence that one needs 5 servings of each a day (or whatever the current claim is). I would think it would be most natural to eat more than that. I like the paleolithic diet's idea of going back to what our ancestors ate before processed foods, before farming, etc. If you were wandering around in the wild, your diet would be mostly fruits and veggies you could find with whatever meat you could kill. That's how humans ate for most of human history. I think it's what our bodies are tuned best for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Well one thing that is very different about the modern diet is we don't eat a lot of organ meats. Organ meats are very high in vitamins and minerals. I know. :ack2: I think they would be a wonderful addition to my diet. I can't yet get myself to do it. Eating a dead animal does so much for you when you eat the whole thing. :ack2: I'm trying. :ack2::ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 I'm anti-soy too... mostly because I'm allergic to it. lol I also worry about all the phytoestrogens in it. LOL -- that IS a pretty good reason not to eat it! I'm not allergic, but the estrogens do a number on me. I cannot have it for that reason alone, it makes a dramatic difference in my cycles. But I understand it's pretty hard on the thyroid too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Yes. The emphasis is on low fat cheeses, lean meats, low saturated oils, etc. Groves discusses in the book why low fat and low carb are a bad combination. I don't want to dis South Beach. Some people like it. I know I wouldn't enjoy it because I can't stand stuff like boneless skinless chicken breast. I also don't want to worry about portion sizes. Same here, I don't want to put it down if it works for others. But this doesn't sound so good for me personally. For one thing, the skin is the BEST part of the chicken! :lol: And it just makes sense to me that you either have to be eating carbs or fat for fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 This is why I have a problem with Atkins. It *does* work. But is it healthy? I don't think so. It's healthy if you continue on to the end of all of the levels. Most people only ever do stage 1. By the end...when you are eating for lifestyle almost nothing is off limits...you just need to stay within your critical carbohydrate level (where you won't gain weight). The first two weeks are to help jump-start you, and they are very limited...but after that every stage adds more foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 I'm with you. My husband likes organ meats (he is from another country). He grew up eating them (all of them). I haven't tried any of them so now the thought just ...eww. They aren't all that easy to come by too. I mean I suppose one can ask a butcher, but I rarely see them at my local big chain supermarket. Yeah, I delved into them a *little* because of Nourishing Traditions. If you can shop from a butcher rather than a supermarket, I recommend asking them to grind it (liver, heart, whatever) for you. That way you can "sneak" it into meat loaf or whatnot, mixed with your usual ground beef and spices, and it's not so bad. I still do not manage to eat them very often, but when I do, that's how I do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 Hey that is a great idea (sneaking them into the meat loaf). I bet I wouldn't mind the taste of them. I just can't get past the idea of them. :001_smile: Funny, I'm the opposite. I don't mind the idea of them because I know that throughout our history, MOST humans have eaten them. But my palate is quite unaccustomed to the intense flavors. But I do fine with it in meat loaf, and I can even handle liver and onions from time to time. I had the nourishing traditions book on hold and then I couldn't get to the library on time. I have to get that book. Maybe I'll order a used copy for Amazon or something. If you can spare the money, it's definitely worth owning! You'll refer back to it again and again . . . if you're like me, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 And it just makes sense to me that you either have to be eating carbs or fat for fuel. The thing is, South Beach is balanced. After the first two-week sugar detox, it's pretty much just healthy carbs and healthy fats, rather than trying to radically cut either out (like Atkins on the one hand and Ornish on the other). Complex, whole grains, legumes, lots of veggies except less of the high-sugar ones, fruits within reason, lean meat and low-fat dairy. Pretty much just a sane, balanced diet. I never counted calories or carbs on South Beach. Even in Phase 1, South Beach allows beans and tomatoes, along with low-fat cheese, meat and eggs - there were enough carbs in the former and fat in the latter in those to keep me going. I should get back on it for a while... too much Halloween candy... pretty sure that's a no-no! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 The thing is, South Beach is balanced. After the first two-week sugar detox, it's pretty much just healthy carbs and healthy fats, rather than trying to radically cut either out (like Atkins on the one hand and Ornish on the other). Complex, whole grains, legumes, lots of veggies except less of the high-sugar ones, fruits within reason, lean meat and low-fat dairy. Pretty much just a sane, balanced diet. I never counted calories or carbs on South Beach. Even in Phase 1, South Beach allows beans and tomatoes, along with low-fat cheese, meat and eggs - there were enough carbs in the former and fat in the latter in those to keep me going. I should get back on it for a while... too much Halloween candy... pretty sure that's a no-no! :tongue_smilie: This diet looks fantastic and I'm willing to agree it's a great diet for some bodies. However, for *me* and *my body*, it was a disaster. I was a screaming, angry, shaking mess. My body does well with meat and veggies. OP, the best place I've found for low carb info is: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/ A wide variety of low carb styles are embraced there. The medical testimonies are amazing - and convincing. Many people are incredibly researched and knowledgable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 3, 2009 Author Share Posted November 3, 2009 The thing is, South Beach is balanced. After the first two-week sugar detox, it's pretty much just healthy carbs and healthy fats, rather than trying to radically cut either out (like Atkins on the one hand and Ornish on the other). Complex, whole grains, legumes, lots of veggies except less of the high-sugar ones, fruits within reason, lean meat and low-fat dairy. Pretty much just a sane, balanced diet. I never counted calories or carbs on South Beach. Thanks for explaining. :001_smile: I'm glad it works for you, and I can respect it. Balance is a good thing! But my body only seems to feel truly balanced when I eat plenty of fat and very few carbs. So I don't think that SB is quite what I'm looking for. I do appreciate you clarifying for me, though. I don't want to misunderstand or misrepresent any diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 OP, the best place I've found for low carb info is: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/ A wide variety of low carb styles are embraced there. The medical testimonies are amazing - and convincing. Many people are incredibly researched and knowledgable. Thanks! I'll check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPair Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 i like fat flush a lot. phase 1 would probably fit the bill for you. i also love eat to live. substitute lean meats/eggs for the legumes w/ eat to live and you'd be good to go, i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 i like fat flush a lot. phase 1 would probably fit the bill for you. Thanks, I had not heard of this one before this thread, but you are the second person to mention it. I'll definitely look into it. i also love eat to live. substitute lean meats/eggs for the legumes w/ eat to live and you'd be good to go, i think. Wow, now I had always thought of that program as pretty much the opposite of what I was looking for! Now you have me intrigued. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Atkins or Protien Power is what I really recommend. I am currently following the Protien Power. I can't do the other diets esp. South Beach. I have intestinal issues and diets with legumes or beans instead of meat really hurts me. Literally hurts me!!! :mellow: Atkins or Protien Power is for me. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda (Australia) Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I highly, highly recommend Protein Power. I went on this about 8 years ago, and lost 30kgs in 9 months. I was the healthiest I'd ever been in my life, and had so much energy, it was amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Atkins or Protien Power is what I really recommend. I am currently following the Protien Power. I highly, highly recommend Protein Power. Thank you! I'll look into this one too. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 This is why I have a problem with Atkins. It *does* work. But is it healthy? I don't think so. It's only the first 10 days that fruit is off limits. After that you begin adding back fruits (and other carbs) until you find out how many carbs your body can tolerate and lose/maintain weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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