The Ledger.com has an article on fasting, covering a few specific plans and potential health benefits. It’s written for the general public.
A Response to “Low-Carb Eating and Cardiovascular Risk Factors” in Obesity Reviews
Here’s a response to the article in my last post. W.S. Yancy, a well-known low-carb advocate, is one of the authors. So maybe the original article is critical of low-carb eating.
Comments Off on A Response to “Low-Carb Eating and Cardiovascular Risk Factors” in Obesity Reviews
January 7, 2013 · 6:05 PMLow-Carbohydrate Diets and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
The current issue of Obesity Reviews has an article entitled “Low-carbohydrate diets and cardiovascular risk factors.” I haven’t read it but predict that the authors found lowered triglycerides, higher HDL cholesterol, unchanged or slightly higher LDL cholesterols, and lower blood pressures in those eating sufficiently low-carb. All these changes would tend to reduce risk of heart attack and cardiac death. The article’s not free but you can probably pick it up for $20-40 (USD).
Comments Off on Low-Carbohydrate Diets and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Filed under Uncategorized
From MedPageToday
January 7, 2013 · 4:12 PM
Please Support SilverLobster
My 14-year-old son is a budding artist. His work is viewable and for sale at DeviantArt. You can order prints of various sizes and quality, along with his art on cups and refrigerator magnets. Thanks for taking a look. Paul will get a kick out of the bump in page views whether you buy or not!
Some samples:
Filed under Uncategorized
Type 2 Diabetes Ages Brain Prematurely
Type 2 diabetes accelerates age-related cognitive decline in the Netherlands, according to new research published in Diabetes Care. T2 diabetes is also linked to decreased brain gray matter in women. Finally, T2 diabetes in the elderly is associated with altered brain structure (as seen on MRI scans) and impaired brain function.
The Mediterranean diet may help prevent this sort of decline.
—Steve
Filed under Dementia
Meal Plans From “Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes”
A couple blog readers have asked to see meal plans for the Low-Carb Diabetic Diet. I’ve lined up three days worth so far, to be published today, Jan. 12, and Jan. 19, 2013. I’ll do more if requested. These recipes are from Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes.
Day 1
Breakfast: Eggs and Bratwurst
3 large eggs
1.5 tbsp (22 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper
1 (66g) pre-cooked bratwurst
Sauté eggs in the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Microwave a pre-cooked bratwurst. Digestible carb grams: 2.
Lunch: Tossed Tuna Salad and Almonds
3.5 oz (100 g) lettuce
1.5 oz (42 g) chopped onion
5.5 oz (150 g) chunked tomatoes
5-oz can (140 g) of solid white albacore tuna packed in water (drain and discard the fluid)
1.5 tbsp (22 ml) extra virgin olive oil
½ tbsp (7.5 ml) balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 oz (28 g) almonds
In a 3-qt (3 liter) bowl, put lettuce, onion, chunked tomatoes, and tuna (3.25 oz or 90 g at this point). Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a fork. Enjoy almonds separately, before, during, or after salad. Digestible carb grams: 12.
Dinner: Steak and Mushrooms
1.5 tbsp (21 g or 22 ml) butter
2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil
6 oz (170 g) steak
5 oz (140 g) sliced white mushrooms
2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce or A.1. Steak Sauce
5 oz (150 ml) red wine
salt and pepper
Grill or sauté (with olive oil or butter) the steak. Melt 1.5 tbsp (22 ml) of butter in pan, add mushrooms and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Season steak and mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy steak with your favorite steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce, but no more than 2 g of carbs in the sauce (e.g., 2 tsp (10 ml) of A.1. Sauce or Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce has 2 g of carb). Digestible carb grams: 10.
Comments Off on Meal Plans From “Conquer Diabetes and Prediabetes”
Filed under Recipes
My Paleo Diet Trial
For the last year, I’ve been pondering whether the paleo diet has anything to offer folks with diabetes or prediabetes. The paleo diet, by the way, is also called the Paleolithic, Stone Age, Old Stone Age, hunter-gatherer, or caveman diet. It definitely has some potential as a diabetes management approach. I’ve been eating paleo-style for the last three months.
Why am I trying it?
- Direct experience with implementation obstacles
- Potential health benefits
My first Parker Paleo Diet meal: sautéed mixed veggies and pan-fried chicken breast
My current version of paleo is not designed for someone with diabetes or prediabetes. That may come in the future. By “current version,” I mean I’ll quite likely tweak it over the coming months.
Here’s what I’ve been eating (or not) on the Parker Paleo Diet:
FORBIDDEN FOODS: Grains (e.g., corn, wheat, rice), Dairy, Legumes (peanuts, beans, peas, green beans), Industrial Vegetable Oils (soybean, corn, safflower, etc.), Alcohol, Refined Sugars.
PROTEINS: Meat, fish/seafood, eggs, poultry, and wild game. Bacon OK; minimize other processed meats.
NUTS & SEEDS: Especially walnuts, macadamia, cachews, almonds. Limit to 1-2 oz/day.
FRUITS: Limit 2 pieces/day?
VEGETABLES:
Lower-Carb: Greens (lettuce, spinach, chard, collard, mustard geen, kale), radicchio, endive, bok choy, herbs, celery, radishes, mushrooms, cabbage, jicama, avocado, asparagus, okra, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, eggplant, tomatillos, eggplant, artichokes, turnips, rutabagas, spaghetti squash, carrots, onions, leeks, water chestnuts (small serving). This list generally starts with the lower carb items and gradually increases to higher carb grams. All these have 5 or fewer carbs per serving; most are much less.
Starchy, Higher-Carb: Beets (6 g, GI 64), winter squashes (acorn, butternut), water chestnuts, parsnips (9 g, GI 97), potatoes (35 g, GI 87), sweet potatoes, (20 g, GI 61), cassava (37 g), taro (21 g), plantains. Some categorize carrots as starchy.
HERBS & SPICES: Cilantro, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc. Salt (minimal), pepper, vinegar.
OILS: Extra virgin olive, canola, flax, avocado.
CONDIMENTS: Olive oil vinaigrettes, mayonnaise from olive oil & egg yolk, and ?
LIQUIDS: H2O, coffee, tea
After two months of paleo eating, I summarized my experience at Paleo Diabetic.
By the way, I don’t have diabetes or prediabetes. The paleo diet has some potential benefit for those conditions, particularly as compared to the standard American diet. Ideally, I’d like to see more clinical studies before recommending it. Dr. Frassetto and colleagues at the University of California-San Francisco should be publishing their results soon.
Steve Parker, M.D.
Filed under Paleo diet
Mediterranean and Low-Carb Diets Beat Low-Fat for Weight Loss Over Six Years
Israeli flag
Remember Shai et al’s 2008 DIRECT study that compared weight loss over two years on either a low-carb, low-fat, or Mediterranean diet? I reviewed it at length in 2008.
The same Isreali researchers now report the results of an additional four years of follow-up. Do you know of any other weight loss study over that length of time? I don’t.
Of the 322 original study participants, 259 were available for follow-up for an additional four years. Of these, 67% told researchers they had continued their originally assigned diet.
Over six years, the weight loss was as follows:
- 0.6 kg (about a pound) in the low-fat group
- 1.7 kg (almost 4 pounds) in the low-carb cohort
- 3.1 kg (almost 7 pounds) in the Mediterranean group
The difference between the low-carb and Mediterranean groups was not statistically significant.
Almost all the original study participants (86%) were men, so it’s debatable whether these results apply to women. I bet they do. I assume most of the participants were Israeli, so you can also debate whether results apply to other nationalities or ethnicities.
Bottom Line
For long-term weight management, Mediterranean and low-carb diets appear to be more effective than traditional low-fat, calorie-restricted dieting.
Beth Mazur at her Weight Maven blog has some worthwhile comments about the study.
Incidentally, my Advanced Mediterranean Diet (2nd Edition) book features both a traditional Mediterranean diet and the world’s first low-carb Mediterranean diet.
Filed under Weight Loss, Weight Regain
Comprehensive List of Low-Carb Vegetables
A half cup of sliced bell pepper has about 2 grams of digestible carbohydrate
Laura Dolson over at About.com has a helpful list of low-carb veggies. Helpful if you:
- experience excessive blood sugar spikes from high-carb items
- are restricting carbs for weight management
- are eating a Paleo Diabetic diet
-Steve
Comments Off on Comprehensive List of Low-Carb Vegetables
Filed under Paleo diet, Vegetables, Weight Loss
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 