Thursday, October 02, 2003

By Mary Alice Gettings and Cindy Javor

Q: I am confused by all of the diet hype concerning eating fewer carbohydrates and more protein. I'm not sure I even understand what is meant by carbohydrate foods and what is so harmful about them. What is the best way to lose weight, to eat carbohydrates or not?

A: Contrary to what many of the new diet books tell you, most people do not need to focus on avoiding carbohydrates. Yes, people should cut down on carbohydrate foods that do not supply much nutrition, such as cakes, cookies, ice cream and potato chips, but the bottom line for weight loss is that you need to reduce the number of total calories you're eating, not a particular group of foods. Remember that all of our food is basically made up of carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals.

Carbohydrates are found in almost all of the foods people eat, with the exception of meat and eggs. The carbohydrate in milk and cheese is called lactose. Many people have a lactose intolerance that causes intestinal discomfort when eating foods that contain it. The carbohydrate found in fruit is called fructose, and in some vegetables, breads, cereals, pastas, rice, etc., it is referred to as starch. You may have heard people say, "Eat your starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas and potatoes." These starchy foods are no worse than other vegetables, but they do contain some calories, more calories if you add butter or cheese (protein and fat) to them.

It also has been erroneously reported in many diet books that too many carbohydrates will raise the level of insulin. Many believe that the insulin then is responsible for weight gain by storing food in fat cells rather than allowing the body to use it for energy. But the truth is that high-carbohydrate diets don't even cause prolonged rises in insulin. In other words, even if higher-carbohydrate eaters did have a higher insulin level, it wouldn't necessarily make them heavier. However, if someone has frequently higher levels of circulating insulin, it could indicate a predisposition to diabetes. This would need to be confirmed by blood tests and a doctor's visit.

Experts with the government have been investigating high-protein diets and found that these can be linked to heart disease, cancer and even obesity. This is contrary to what Atkins and others would like us to believe.

Totally cutting out carbohydrate (starchy) foods, or any food group, can be bad for your health because you could be missing out on a range of nutrients. Additionally, the high-protein diets tend to be unrealistic and dull, and not palatable enough to be tolerated over a long period of time. The truth is that people may lose the weight but then go off the diet only to gain back the pounds, plus some.

The Food Guide Pyramid will help you determine the number of servings from each of the food groups to eat a healthful, well-balanced diet. Make your choices primarily from the bottom and middle of the pyramid. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables and choose whole grains over refined ones, whether it is bread, cereals or rice. From the meat group, choose lean protein sources, including fish, lean beef, poultry and starchy beans. Nuts and eggs also can be an occasional protein choice, which can be especially healthful over a carbohydrate source such as a salad. Add in some daily exercise, watch your serving sizes and the items at the top of the pyramid, and you will most likely find that you can lose those unwanted pounds. For additional help to improve your diet, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Web site, www.usda.gov/ cnpp/, and click on Interactive Eating Index. If you don't have Web access and need a copy of the Food Guide Pyramid, call you local Penn State Cooperative Extension office.

Mary Alice Gettings and Cindy Javor are dietitians for Penn State Cooperative Extension. If you have a question for them, call 724-774-3003 in Beaver County or 412-473-2540 in Allegheny County.

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