Weighing the diet plans

Wednesday, April 12th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets all recommend eating less sugar and refined foods as well as fewer starchy carbohydrates, such as corn and potatoes. Regulating insulin production, most claim, is vital for preventing weight gain and for burning excess fat. Many other health and nutrition experts disagree with this.

The Atkins Diet

Author: Dr. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., cardiologist and founder and director of the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine
How the author says it works: By inducing a state of ketosis, stored fat is tapped for energy through abnormal metabolism. The process produces ketones, which can be measured and monitored in urine. Calories do count, says Dr. Atkins, who also says people tend to eat fewer calories on his diet than on a standard high-carbohydrate/low-fat diet.

Method: Limits carbohydrates. There are four Atkins eating plans, the most severe being the Induction diet, which limits carbohydrates to 22 grams per day. Most people must eat fewer than 40 grams of carbohydrates a day to trigger ketosis, he says. Further, these are not just any carbohydrates, but the ones the author says are most likely to cause insulin spikes.

Foods you can eat: High-protein foods, most vegetables, nuts and seeds, some grains and starches (to the extent that your metabolism allows), occasional fruit and some high-fat foods such as butter and cream.

Forbidden foods: Refined starches and sugars, processed junk foods, many fruits.
The enemy: Dietitians, the medical establishment.

Pluses: Advocates exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Strong emphasis on a medical checkup before starting the diet and rigorous tracking of blood chemistry over the course of weight loss.

Minuses: Ketosis is abnormal metabolism.

Extreme ketosis can lead to death.Ketone loss can produce bad breath. Lack of fiber can lead to constipation.

Source of diet: Developed through medical practice.

Critics say: Besides the bad breath and constipation, a dearth of carbohydrates can result in loss of energy and poor workouts, as well as fiber and vitamin deficiencies. Ketosis is not a desirable state. Initial weight loss is water.

Sugar Busters!

Authors: H. Leighton Steward, businessman; Dr. Morrison C. Bethea, M.D., cardiovascular surgeon; Dr. Samuel S. Andrews, M.D., endocrinologist; Dr. Luis A. Balart, M.D., gastroenterologist with emphasis on liver function.

How the authors say it works: Seeks to stabilize the insulin-glucagon cycle so that stored body fat can be metabolized normally. Insulin, they say, signals the body to store energy in cells; glucagon signals it to release energy from cells.

Method: Limits foods that have a high glycemic index and suggests eating fruit separately from other foods. Also emphasizes portion control.

Foods you can eat: Most lean meats, many greens, beans and vegetables, many fruits, dairy products, whole-grain foods, nuts, spices, chocolate (60% or more cocoa), olive and canola oils, peanut butter (no added sugar).

Forbidden foods: Potatoes, white rice, corn (all forms), carrots, beets, white bread, beer, all refined sugar and refined "white" products (such as cookies, cakes and ice cream).
The enemies: Nutritionists and the food industry.

Pluses: Not extreme.

Minuses: Downplays the role of exercise in weight loss and health and the importance of being under a physician's care.

Source of diet: Developed through medical practice.

Critics say: Focuses on insulin as a factor in weight gain and retention to the exclusion of other important factors. Also, its point that high-glycemic foods make you insulin-resistant is wrong. Some of the recipes are out of line with the diet's guidelines.

The Zone

Author: Dr. Barry Sears, Ph.D., biochemistry
How the author says it works: Goes beyond insulin-glucagon balance to maintain eicosanoids (transient hormones) for maximum physical, mental and psychological performance in a state that athletes call "the zone."

Method: Defines food as a drug. After determining daily protein needs, uses a system developed by Dr. Sears to achieve a 3:4 ratio (0.75) of protein to carbohydrates every time you eat. In the beginning, suggests eating no more than 1,700 calories a day, which is a reduced-calorie diet for many people.

Foods you can eat: All foods are allowed as long as the above formula is followed, but foods with a high glycemic index and protein high in arachidonic acid are discouraged. Lean meats are the preferred protein source. Monounsaturated fats are encouraged.

Forbidden foods: Grains, pasta, bread, rice, corn, potatoes, carrots, bananas, fruit juices and other starches. Also egg yolks, fatty red meat and organ meats. Foods high in saturated fat. Refined, processed foods.
Source of diet: Personal biochemical research and work with elite athletes.

Pluses: Integration of exercise. Makes a point of avoiding ketosis.

Minuses: Extremely tedious to calculate protein and carbohydrate content of every mouthful of food.

Critics say: The science isn't correct, and the diet is difficult to follow. The American College of Sports Medicine, the Women's Sports Foundation, the American Dietetic Association and Ken Cooper's Aerobics Center in Dallas have coauthored a pamphlet, Questioning 40:30:30, refuting the benefits of this diet for athletes.

Carbohydrate Addict's Diet

Authors: Richard F. Heller, Ph.D., and Rachel F. Heller, Ph.D.

How the authors say it works: Controls insulin response by relieving craving for carbohydrate-rich foods. Specifically for ''carbohydrate addicts," people predisposed to overproduce insulin when they eat carbs.

Method: All snacks and meals are composed of high-fiber and protein-rich foods except one daily "reward meal" that is made up of equal portions protein, vegetables and carbohydrate-rich foods plus at least 2 cups of salad.

Foods you can eat: Regular and lean meats, fowl (with and without skin), fish and shellfish, most dairy, many vegetables, butter, margarine, oils (sunflower, corn, olive, safflower, sesame and soy), most condiments.
Forbidden foods: Breads, grains, cereals, some dairy, fruits and fruit juices, beans and legumes, nuts, nut butters, luncheon meats, pasta, noodles, rice, snack foods, sweets, beets, squash, carrots, zucchini, corn, tomatoes (in excess), peas, potatoes, alcoholic beverages.

Source of diet: Personal experience.
The enemy: Carbohydrates.

Pluses: Easy to follow. Shows how to integrate mainstream diet guidelines.

Minuses: Broad, general guidelines leave a lot of room for abuse, such as eating too much saturated fat. Scant emphasis on exercise.
Critics say: Too much protein can stress liver and kidneys. Diet shortchanges fiber and some vitamins.

Protein Power

Authors: Michael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., bariatric (weight loss) specialists.

How the authors say it works: Restores insulin balance by restricting many carbohydrates, especially from processed foods and grains.
Method: Adherents limit foods with a high "effective carbohydrate content" (ECC of foods = total grams carbohydrates minus grams of dietary fiber). Revives a meat-eating, neo-Stone Age diet that essentially excludes all grains. Promotes moderate sun-bathing.

Foods you can eat: Meat, fish, poultry rich in protein and "quality" essential fatty acids (such as omega-3s); fruits, berries and vegetables rich in antioxidants; butter, olive oil, many seed and nut oils, avocado oil, lard, fats that occur naturally in meats and poultry.
Forbidden foods: Grains, refined sugars and other concentrated starches, foods containing trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), corn oil, bottled vegetable oils such as soy, margarine, "cheap" cooking oils and shortening, dried beans.

Source of diet: Their medical practice.

The enemy: Civilization.

Pluses: Comprehensive, incorporates current nutrition information and exercise.

Minuses: The ECC is tedious. Some of the Eades' positions, such as the desirability of sun-bathing, fly in the face of mainstream scientific thought.

Critics say: Chronic excess protein burdens the liver and kidneys and may promote calcium loss. The theory that modern man's digestive system is poorly equipped to handle grains is flawed and outdated.