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Special
The Truth About Carbs:
Everything In Moderation
by Amy E. Lemen
 Are you a “carbavoid”?
If you haven’t jumped on the low-carb bandwagon or heard of the low-carb craze, count yourself among the very few. Given the dramatic weight-loss stories of Atkins-ites, South Beachers and Zoners, low-carb hysteria is at its peak – and shows no signs of abating.
It’s hard to believe the Atkins diet has been around since 1972 when Dr. Robert Atkins published “The Diet Revolution”. Since updating his book in 1992 (“The New Diet Revolution”), it has sold more than 10 million copies and been on The New York Times bestseller list almost seven years.
Atkins might be the most well-known, but many other diet plans tout less carbs and more protein. Among them are the South Beach Diet, SugarBusters and The Zone. What gives? Is all this low-carb talk just mumbo jumbo from protein-happy carnivores, or are there really some health benefits?
“The diet that restricts an entire group of foods isn’t nutritionally sound,” says Alexa Sparkman, M.A., R.D., L.D., an Austin nutritionist for more than 35 years who has seen many diets come and go. “When people eliminate things from their diet, they put other things at risk – like not getting enough calcium, folic acid or phytochemicals. Vitamins are crucial to ensure you’re getting all your nutrients.”
 Go Low-Carb – Not No-Carb
Dr. Vince Bellonzi shares Sparkman’s concern. Bellonzi, a clinical nutritionist, chiropractor and triathlete who is a proponent of a balanced, moderate-carb diet, says the problem with Atkins is that most people don’t get past the “induction” phase of the diet, which can be pretty strict if you’re a pasta-loving runner or a bread-obsessed cyclist.
After all, a slice of thick-crust pizza can pack 25 to 50 carbs, which doesn’t sound like a lot – unless you’re a newbie Atkins follower limited to 20 carbs a day. This induction phase lasts just two weeks, and your carb allotment eventually increases to a more reasonable 100 grams a day, but
according to Bellonzi most people don’t get that far in Atkins’ book.
“No carbs isn’t the point of the diet – rather, it’s the choice of where your carbs are coming from,” he says. “Most people don’t understand Atkins. You start off with a short-term high-protein diet, then transition to a more balanced diet, but most people don’t read that far.”
Sparkman says that in an instant gratification society like ours, people are more focused on how many pounds they can lose, and how quickly they can do it. Sparkman says even those at Atkins are advising dieters to watch the saturated fats.
“If we feel we’ve been given license, we’ll overeat for reasons other than to nourish our bodies,” Sparkman says.
It Works – If You Follow It
Before writing off Atkins and relegating nutritionists’ views of high-protein diets as health hazards, it’s important to note that these diets do work, when followed properly.
“The diet is good – if you follow it,” says Sparkman. “People aren’t that interested in the vegetables and whole grains that are part of a balanced diet, but that’s what keeps you feeling full.”
Kristy Summers has been on the Atkins diet for the last 18 months and has lost 95 pounds from a pre-diet weight of 240. She started the diet because diabetes runs in her family, and she looks back on the experience as a literal life-changer.
“It’s been a pretty surreal thing,” she says. “I feel incredible, I sleep better and I run four miles a day. It’s been a complete 180 for me. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.”
Because of her experiences, Summers has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Atkins diet – a distinction that earned her a job at the Carb-Free Shop on Burnet Road. As a result, she’s done the diet the right way and says there are a lot of misconceptions about it.
“People think they can never have a baked potato or rice again, and that’s not true – you just limit yourself to how much,” she says. “There are people who just eat meat and cheese, and they stall out on weight-loss.”
Summers says veggies, vitamins and lots of water are crucial to the diet, along with eating a balanced diet when it comes to the maintenance phase.
“You add carbs, but you have to eat healthy,” she says. “My weakness was macaroni and cheese. I still eat it, but now I make it with pasta that’s made with soy and whole grains.”
 Low Carbs Are Everywhere
Even in Austin, you can’t go by a restaurant or fast-food joint these days without seeing the words “low-carb” somewhere on the menu, on the door or on a sign. Now there are even two low-carb stores in Austin: the Carb-Free Shop on Burnet Road (where Summers works) and Great Health Nutrition off Braker Lane and Highway 183.
Carb-Free Shop owner Jeff Robinson opened his store after wife and co-owner Connie – who had been following the Atkins plan for six years – was having trouble finding low-carb options for her favorite foods.
“She was ordering a lot online and paying ridiculous shipping charges, as well as going to several stores to find what she wanted,” he says. “We decided to open a store that had everything.”
Robinson, who’d been laid off from his job, opened the Carb-Free Shop in October 2003 and says people love that they can find what they need. And while he’s not at all a carbavoid, he knows the benefits of the products he sells.
“I eat about two low-carb meals a day, mainly because my wife cooks,” he says. “I’m not on the Atkins diet, but I’ve lost about 10 pounds.”
The demand for low-carb menus has been so strong that national chains like Burger King and T.G.I. Fridays have added new choices for customers. There was even a “Low-Carb Summit” in Denver at the end of January that attracted more than 400 industry attendees, plus reps from more than 200 companies selling low-carb products.
NPD Foodworld, a consumer information clearinghouse, estimates that 3 percent of the U.S. adult population is eating an Atkins-style diet. All those devotees mean big bucks for foodmakers – about $780 million in annual sales, according to NPD Foodworld.
“There are a lot of entrepreneurs who have created products around the low-carb diets,” says Robinson.
A few of those businesses are in Austin, including the Great Harvest Bread Company, Low-Carb Success and Gram’s Gourmet. Erum Dewji, assistant manager for Great Health Nutrition – Austin’s other source for nutritional and low-carb products – says as a preferred retailer they have a “huge selection” of Atkins products.
“Doctors recommend our store to patients who are diabetic or hypoglycemic, but we have a lot of people who come in because they’re leading a low-carb lifestyle,” she says. “The diet works for a lot of people, mainly because they’re cutting out simple carbs.”
Dewji, who has her masters in psychology and a background in nutritional counseling, says the high-protein diets seem to be especially popular in Texas, typically a hotbed for beef consumption. However, she stresses that too much meat is definitely not a good thing. “Many people keep doing the induction phase, thinking if 20 grams of carbs per day is good, then 10 must be better, and that’s not the case,” Dewji says. “Everything in moderation – food is a daily issue for people.”
Make Low-Carb Work for You
As a registered dietician, Sparkman advises clients interested in a low-carb eating plan to follow the diet for a maximum of six weeks, and then start adding foods back for a healthy, balanced diet – just as Summers is doing.
In addition, one benefit that nutritionists tend to agree on is a gradual reduction in the amount of refined foods we eat, such as white flour, breads and pasta. In fact, most, if not all of these refined foods, can easily be replaced with the whole grains they’re derived from. After all, one quick glance at most food labels reveals ingredients that should probably stay in a chemist’s lab anyway. A good rule of thumb: If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, leave it on the shelf.
Here’s an example. I run 25 to 40 miles a week and eat pretty healthy most of the time. My drink of choice is a lot of sparkling water with a splash of cranberry juice. I drink it when I wake up, when I work out and for the rest of the day because l love the way it tastes and it’s just more interesting than plain water. Occasionally I’ll live on the edge and add a few lemons, limes or oranges to it – it’s delicious.
While researching this story, I happened to look at the label of my juice. Much to my surprise, cranberries are the second ingredient, after water. The third ingredient? High fructose corn syrup. Yum-yum. Needless to say, I’m searching for a healthier brand of cranberry juice.
“It’s important to get rid of refined foods,” says Bellonzi. “That’s why white rice, white bread and white pasta are so bad – not because they’re carbs.”
Bellonzi advises “shopping the perimeter” of the store – that’s where all your fruits, veggies, tofu and lean meats are. Concentrate on “good carbs” such as whole grains (amaranth, quinoa, brown rice), and try to make your breakfast, lunch and dinner plate as colorful as possible.
“Realize that your carbs should come from brightly colored veggies and fruit, and that you should use processed foods and starches sparingly,” he says. “People think they can eat saturated fats and no carbs and be okay, but that’s not true. Look at the source of the foods you’re eating.”
Even Weight Watchers, known for its sensible, balanced and more realistic eating plan for weight-loss, has addressed the low-carb issue by publishing “The Truth About Carbs” for its members – advocating a moderate, balanced diet with good carbs.
“Fiber is satisfying and protein is satisfying, so if you eat a healthy, balanced diet with heart-healthy foods that are low in saturated fat, and add some exercise, you’ll more than likely lose weight,” Sparkman says. “But the bottom line is – don’t eat more than what your body calls for.”
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