Atkins/Warrior Diets and Carbs

[Guest guest]

Here's an article about carbs that Ori wrote in his Warrior Diet

weekly newsletter. I didn't see any copyright notice so I pasted

it. The thing that struck me was that Ori's carb recommendation

looks an awful lot like the Atkins Lifetime Maintenance phase of his

diet, with the exception that Ori recommends light, low-glycemic

snacks during the day, and carbs consumed in the evening with the

meal. If I remember correctly, the Atkins diet is only a low-carb

diet for the first phases, and becomes a moderate carb diet of about

90-100g per day, which is about what Ori recommends. (Christie can

correct me on both copyright issue and the Atkins diet if I'm wrong :-

) )

Dietary carbs are currently regarded as the culprit for most modern

human diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and

neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, numerous studies demonstrate the

association between over consumption of carbs and a high percentage

of blood sugar problems, obesity and cognitive impairments among

modern humans from all age groups.

Consequently, carb-bashing today is at an all-time high. Many people

develop carb phobia and low or no carb diets are now the darling of

the media. So it seems, the two most popular dietary methods are

currently carb or calorie restriction. Most, if not all diets are

based on either one or both methods.

Yet, in spite of the growing awareness of the hazards of over

consumption of carbs and calories, the rate of weight gain, obesity

and blood sugar related diseases is still accelerating. To make

matters worse, people who follow extreme low calorie or low carb

diets often face unpleasant symptoms including mental and physical

fatigue, chronic cravings for carbs (in particular sweets), loss of

libido and severe mood swings. Bodybuilders, who try to slim down

via low calorie low carb diets, often face similar adverse symptoms

in addition to loss of muscle mass and strength.

Obviously, something must be wrong with the assumption that chronic

carb and calorie restriction is the practical solution for most of

modern disease. Even though the idea of carb and calorie restriction

may very well work theoretically, in practical terms (in vivo) it

fails.

The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the critical

role of dietary carbs in human metabolism as well as to challenge

the notion that carbs aren't essential for human survival. Finally,

conclusions are presented together with some practical methods as to

how to take advantage of dietary carbs for reaching a desired

metabolic potential to build lean tissue (including muscles), burn

fat and increase energy production.

Maximum Oxygenation

Maximum oxygenation is a biological term that describes maximum

energy production from metabolic processes that require oxygen.

Active individuals, including athletes and bodybuilders, should note

that maximum oxygenation is a principal key to maximum performance.

The upcoming paragraph may be somewhat technical. Nevertheless,

understanding this topic could mean the difference between average

and superior capability to build muscles and ignite energy.

Living organisms derive most of their energy from

oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, which involve the transfer of

electrons to the respiratory chain complex (an aerobic

energy-yielding metabolic process that involves interaction between

hydrogen protons and oxygen). Aerobic energy production requires

oxygen and yields most of the energy needed for survival. In fact,

the electron transfer system (oxidative phosphorylation) yields ten

times more energy than the Krebs cycle itself.

Dr. Otto Warburg, one of the world's foremost leading biochemists,

won a Nobel Prize for his basic work with respiratory enzymes and

cellular energy production. He discovered and characterized certain

nucleotide compounds and proteins, which are necessary for the

actions of the respiratory chain, which, as noted, yields most of

the energy needed to maintain an optimum metabolic state.

Dr. Warburg suggested that energy released in the oxidation of

foodstuff may be conserved and transferred via a special mechanism

for use in synthesis and growth. On the other hand, anaerobic

respiration (an energy yielding metabolic process that does not

require oxygen) may adversely catabolize and damage healthy tissues.

Dr. Warburg and other researchers showed that there is indeed a

relationship between anaerobic respiration, tissue destruction and

cancer. Dr. Abram Hoffer and Dr. Morton , in their book

Smart Nutrition (Avery 1994), suggested that anaerobic respiration is

the most primitive energy producing method compared to aerobic

respiration which is a later development in the evolution of life

from unicellular to multicellular organisms. It is likely that

multicellular organisms did not develop until cells became aerobic.

According to this theory, the switch back from aerobic to anaerobic

respiration brings the cell back to a primitive condition that may

cause uncontrolled cell division and a resultant catastrophic damage

to the whole organism. As you're about to see, aerobic respiration

clearly depends on dietary carb utilization and the production of

substrates and enzymes that serve as energy molecules. All energy

molecules are, in fact, made from nucleotides. Most important, all

nucleotide material, including all energy molecules, are derived

from glucose that is then predominantly derived from dietary carbs.

The Essential Role of Carbs

It is commonly assumed that carbs serve as fuel and nothing more.

This assumption is wrong and quite misleading since it fails to

recognize the main biological functions of carbs, which go far

beyond being just a sheer substrate for energy. Evidently, optimum

carb utilization from food is critically necessary in order to

afford full activation of two vitally important metabolic pathways,

which are bound together: i) the pentose phosphate pathway and

ii) the uronic acid pathway.

As you'll soon see, these pathways play essential roles in

facilitating DNA, RNA and nucleotides synthesis as well as steroid

hormones production, enhancing immunity and generation of energy. As

such, these pathways regulate hormonal actions, rate of tissue

regeneration as well as protection against DNA damage and disease.

Most important, both pathways' actions depend upon dietary carb

consumption and utilization.

The Pentose Phosphate Pathway

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is an anabolic process that is

derived from glucose metabolism and occurs mostly (but not

exclusively) in the liver. It utilizes pentose (a five-carbon sugar)

from and glucose (a six-carbon sugar).

The pentose phosphate pathway's primary functions are:

To generate the energy molecule NADPH for biosynthesis reaction

in the cells

To provide ribose-5 phosphate for the synthesis of nucleotides

and nucleic acid including DNA and RNA

To metabolize dietary pentose from the digestion of nucleic acid

To biosynthesize steroid hormones and fatty acids (by utilizing

in NADPH)

To regenerate the most powerful antioxidant glutathione enzyme

and thereby protect cells and mitochondrial DNA from oxidative

stress and aging

To support the production of UDP glucuronic acid, that is

essentially important for overall detoxification. Hormonal transport

production of proteoglycan and glycoproteins and the synthesis of

sphingolipids (lipids that are necessary for detox and neural

protection)

The Adverse Effects of Low Calorie and Low Carb Diets

As you can see, the pentose phosphate pathway controls critical

metabolic functions. However, in times of a desperate need for

energy, such as during prolonged fasting or due to low calorie

diets, the pentose phosphate pathway may shut down its main

functions and instead switch into sheer energy production. It is

likely that energy demand is a top priority for the body and

therefore, in times of desperate need for energy, the body would

suppress certain important metabolic pathways to accelerate

immediate energy production. In fact, 30 percent of liver glucose

oxidation can occur via the pentose phosphate pathway.

Consequently, dietary carb utilization is a factor that can

significantly influence the pentose phosphate pathway's actions.

Since the synthesis of glucose from protein or fat (gluconeogenesis)

is in fact a limited metabolic process that occurs mostly in the

liver (muscle can't produce glucose), it is reasonable to conclude

that severe low carb diets, for active individuals in particular,

which chronically over-restrict dietary carb consumption (under 100g

of carbs per day), may adversely affect the pentose phosphate

pathway due to insufficient glucose supply and increased energy

demand.

The pentose phosphate pathway's actions also decreases with age, a

fact that may contribute to the decline in steroid hormone

production, muscle waste, increased vulnerability to disease and

reduced energy production. Finally, it's important to note that

insulin sensitivity is necessary for optimum glucose utilization and

the activation of the pentose phosphate pathway.

Glucuronic Acid Pathway (or Uronic Acid Pathway)

The glucuronic acid pathway, or as it is called, uronic acid

pathway, is also derived from glucose metabolism, mostly in the

liver. Its active compound UDP glucuronic acid is a co-enzyme

responsible for binding with toxins to facilitate their elimination.

In that respect, UDP glucuronate conjugates with endotoxins such as

bilrubine (a toxin metabolite of hemoglobin and dietary meat) as

well as sulphoric acid and thereby protects the body from

endotoxicity and exposure to carcinogens.

SIDEBAR: Meat Eaters and Coffee Drinkers

Meat eaters and coffee drinkers should be aware of the important

role that glucuronate plays in overall detox, in particular with

regard to the digestion and assimilation of animal protein and the

neutralization of coffee acid toxin compounds.

The Uronic Acid Pathway is a primal evolutionary metabolic process

that initially synthesizes Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mammals,

except in primates including humans. Nevertheless, UDP glucuronic

acid's primal actions include:

Detoxification

The transport of fat soluble hormones and substances to target

tissues for subsequent release

The production of proteoglycans and glycoconjugated compounds

such as glucosamine glycan and glycoproteins, which perform critical

immune and hormonal signaling functions on the cell surface and in

the extracellular matrix. Some proteoglycans serve as growth factor

receptors.

The uronic acid pathway also regulates the production of

sphingolipids (lipids which are based on a lipophilic amino alcohol

backbone rather than glycerol). Sphingolipids play an important role

in transduction signals, protection against toxins, viruses and

bacteria, activation of cell receptors and neuroprotective actions.

The glucuronic acid pathway functions depend on the pentose

phosphate pathway and therefore depends on overall glucose

metabolism. Evidently, both pathways' optimal actions requires

sufficient dietary carb utilization.

In summary, dietary carbs and glucose utilization go far beyond just

sheer energy production. Chronic carb or calorie over restrictions

may help one lose fat in the short run. However, in the long run,

such dietary methods may diminish the essentially important pentose

phosphate pathway with its related UDP glucuronic acid functions and

thereby adversely affect critical metabolic processes including

steroid hormone synthesis, nucleic acid and nucleotides production,

tissue repair, removal of toxins and overall generation of energy.

Bodybuilders and athletes should never overlook the important role

of carb utilization in muscular development and overall performance.

Nonetheless, the question remains - how can one practically consume

carbs in order to maximize all the beneficial effects without

causing insulin resistance or fat gain?

How To Take Advantage of Dietary Carbs for Building Lean Tissue,

Removing Toxins, Burning Fat and Igniting Maximum Energy

Avoid prolonged low calorie or crash diets to grant sufficient

energy supply necessary for optimum function of the pentose

phosphate pathway and the related uronic acid pathway

Avoid chronic carb over restriction due to prolonged very low or

no carb diets. Insufficient carb utilization may adversely affect

the pentose phosphate pathway and its related UDP glucuronic acid

functions.

Limit your carb consumption to one meal per day, preferably at

night. That way you may be able to keep high insulin sensitivity

toward the end of the day and thereby afford optimum carb

utilization.

You can opt to cycle between days of low carbs and days of

moderate to high carbs. This method could be highly effective in

protecting against insulin resistance and preventing fat gain, while

maximizing carb utilization for overall regeneration of tissue and

ignition of energy. For instance, you can incorporate a high carb

day followed by two days of low carbs (high fat), followed by a

moderate carb day, followed by a low carb high protein day, and so

on.

Minimize simple carb consumption. Prioritize your dietary carb

intake. Always choose complex carbs with low a glycemic index and

those that are naturally high in fiber. The best choices for carb

food are legumes, roots, squashes, barley, oats, wild rice and

quinoa. Whole complex carb food releases glucose at a slower rate

than simple carb food and therefore may afford better glucose

utilization with a decreased risk of insulin and blood sugar

fluctuation.

Do not eat carbs alone, in particular grains or roots. Always

combine these carbs with protein or fat to decrease their glycemic

effect. Carbs alone may provoke an insulin spike and a consequent

low blood sugar with symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue,

irritability, headaches and a craving for sweets. Bodybuilders and

athletes should carefully design their pre-workout recovery meals to

contain a high ratio of protein to carbs.

Eating low glycemic whole fruits such as apples, berries or

kiwis on an empty stomach is ok. Nonetheless, it is highly

recommended to squeeze lime or lemon juice on the top. Acid slows

the rate of carb absorption. The fiber in whole fruits significantly

reduces the sugar impact and effectively enhances overall detox.

Take multivitamin and multimineral supplements as well as EFAs

to facilitate optimum assimilation of all essential nutrients. A

lack of even one essential nutrient may lead to severe metabolic

impairment and compromise the ability of the body to utilize glucose

and energy. B vitamins, in particular, are precursors to co-enzymes,

which are vitally important for glucose and energy utilization.

Antioxidants are necessary for protection against oxidative free

radicals and overall detox. Note that active individuals, including

bodybuilders and athletes, need to increase essential nutrients and

antioxidant intake due to higher food consumption and increased

oxygenation with their respective waste and toxin metabolites.

Final Notes

Dietary carbs should be regarded as a double edge sword.

Nonetheless, in times of so much confusion as to what to eat and how

much, it's important to present another way of looking at food,

including carbohydrate-rich foods.

Food should be regarded as a source of complete nourishment and as

such, it should satisfy three requirements:

Food should supply all essential and conditionally essential

nutrients

Food should be clean of chemical toxins. It should smell and

taste well and be fully digestible.

Food should supply an optimal amount of energy substrates

(including glucose) to satisfy the body's metabolic needs. Optimum

means: the right amount needed - no less, no more!

Dietary carbs are a most viable source of conditionally essential

glucose as well as fiber, minerals, oils and phytonutrients. Carbs

add unique taste, smell and aroma to food and are considered the

cleanest and most digestible fuel. One should never dismiss the

importance of smell, taste and overall satiety from food. Hunger and

satiety mark the presence of most powerful neuropeptides that aside

from regulating feeding cycles, also regulate hormonal secretion,

sleep-awake cycles, aggression and relaxation, regeneration of

tissues (growth), overall energy expenditure and rate of fat

burning.

From that aspect, both sensation of hunger and satisfaction from

food are necessary for maximum nourishment. Food works as a source

of nutrients and also as a neurocatalyst for other numerous critical

metabolic functions that regulate the rate of growth, fat burning

and energy production. Chronically over restricting or eliminating

dietary carbs from one's diet may lead to severe consequences

including hormonal and neural impairments, stunted growth, sluggish

metabolism and advanced aging, notwithstanding chronic hunger, in

particular craving for sweets, mood swings, depression and fatigue.

Saying all that, carbs should always be treated as the fastest to

assimilate and most aggressive component of food. As noted, they

should never be consumed too often during the day to avoid insulin

resistance and blood sugar fluctuation.

Finally, use your instincts and common sense. Through trial and

error, you can find the right amount of carbs that your body needs.

Using old dietary methods such as carb depletion followed by carb

the loading will enable you to periodically consume a large amount

of carbs without gaining fat. Remember, what you see is what you

get, and in a related matter, what looks good, smells good and

tastes good is generally good.

Regardless of what many low carb advocates say, our human body is

well preprogrammed to ingest and utilize carbs. Therefore,

chronically over restricting or avoiding carbs may be biologically

perceived by the body as a suppression of a primal need. When you go

against your true nature, your body may come back with a vengeance

to reclaim what was taken away from it, and it will do so by

inducing an excruciating hunger with a chronic cravings for sweets,

that often leads to compulsive binging on carbs and undesirable fat

gain. Do not deny your body from its primal need to eat carbs. Do

not tempt to fool your body with carb substitutes and artificial

sweeteners. Nothing can take the place of real dietary carbs and

their critical function in your body.

NOTE: People suffering from diabetes and blood sugar related

problems should consult their physician or health professional

before adopting any dietary regimen.

[Guest guest]

>Here's an article about carbs that Ori wrote in his Warrior Diet

>weekly newsletter. I didn't see any copyright notice so I pasted

>it. The thing that struck me was that Ori's carb recommendation

>looks an awful lot like the Atkins Lifetime Maintenance phase of his

>diet, with the exception that Ori recommends light, low-glycemic

>snacks during the day, and carbs consumed in the evening with the

>meal. If I remember correctly, the Atkins diet is only a low-carb

>diet for the first phases, and becomes a moderate carb diet of about

>90-100g per day, which is about what Ori recommends. (Christie can

>correct me on both copyright issue and the Atkins diet if I'm wrong :-

>) )

Someone told me his diet looks a lot like the " Carb addicts diet " too. And

other that it is an extension off another one (Diet for life? I forget the

name). Anyway, I think of it as " convergent evolution " -- kind of like

all the cars are beginning to look alike in any given class!

>Food should be regarded as a source of complete nourishment and as

>such, it should satisfy three requirements:

>Food should supply all essential and conditionally essential

>nutrients

>

>Food should be clean of chemical toxins. It should smell and

>taste well and be fully digestible.

>

>Food should supply an optimal amount of energy substrates

>(including glucose) to satisfy the body's metabolic needs. Optimum

>means: the right amount needed - no less, no more!

I like this article -- lots of good science for them that likes

it. Thanks! I think he is right on the carb issue -- you need

just enough. Which could vary by person. And carbs vary a LOT

in quality ... we tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater

a lot on food.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/1/03 4:18:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

christiekeith@... writes:

> But to me the most egregious error he makes in this article is associating

> low-carb diets with increased hunger or sugar cravings. The exact opposite is

> what happens, at least on Atkins, due to the high levels of dietary fat. I

> am never hungry, I never crave sugar or carbs.

I really think it depends on the person. The only truly low-carb diet I've

done is the anti-candida diet. The opposite happened to me-- I lost my

appetite, and my energy with as well, and about 5 pounds. But that really

supports

what Ori's saying-- with the caveat that everyone's different.

Chris

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/1/03 11:11:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

christiekeith@... writes:

> I think you'd need to differentiate the impact of the diet from the impact

of

> candida-die off, which can have horrible symptoms.

I don't think I had/have candida, and the diet didn't have significant impact

on my symptoms. Primal Defense basically eliminated my symptoms with

immensely more progress in very little time, and I had no die-off symptoms.

Whereas

on the diet the problems I'm referring to lasted the entire 30 days I tried

it, and disappeared on the addition of fresh milk (sugar) to my diet.

> I agree everyone is different, though. But I'm on a few Atkins lists, some

> of which have thousands of members, and again and again people say " I can't

> believe I'm not hungry and how much energy I have! " Obviously for some it's

> not right, but I'd say less hunger, less cravings, and more energy is the

> rule more than the exception.

Maybe.

Chris

[Guest guest]

On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 13:26:28 -0000

" Betsy " <bettysmith997@...> wrote:

> The thing that struck me was that Ori's carb recommendation

>looks an awful lot like the Atkins Lifetime Maintenance phase of his

>diet, with the exception that Ori recommends light, low-glycemic

>snacks during the day, and carbs consumed in the evening with the

>meal. If I remember correctly, the Atkins diet is only a low-carb

>diet for the first phases, and becomes a moderate carb diet of about

>90-100g per day, which is about what Ori recommends. (Christie can

>correct me on both copyright issue and the Atkins diet if I'm wrong :-

>) )

Actually Ori doesn't recommend a carb amount. The 100 grams a day would

be minimal for someone who is active. And much more for someone very

active or a professional athlete. I eat anywhere from 150 - 250 grams a

day. For example, a couple of nights ago I had two large yams for

dessert and 4 beers over the course of the evening (one an hour).

Other nights I have had fried potatoes with wine and dessert,and I am

losing fat.

I think one of the points of the WD is that you find what works for you.

That was a pretty good article you posted btw, although one can quibble

with a few things here and there.

Exciting Jealousy in Women and Terror in Men

Taki on marriage.

http://tinyurl.com/p7pr

[Guest guest]

On Wed, 01 Oct 2003 12:28:45 -0700

Heidi Schuppenhauer <heidis@...> wrote:

>

>Someone told me his diet looks a lot like the " Carb addicts diet " too. And

>other that it is an extension off another one (Diet for life? I forget the

>name). Anyway, I think of it as " convergent evolution " -- kind of like

>all the cars are beginning to look alike in any given class!

It is only superficially like the Heller's diet in that the Heller's

call one of the meals a " reward " meal and don't restrict carbs all that

much. Other than that they are pretty off when it comes to their low fat

diet recommendations at the reward meal.

The undereating phase of Ori's diet is similar to Fit for Life by the

Diamonds. Only with Fit For Life you had fruit until noon, not until

dinner. Nevertheless, they share the same idea that cycles need to be

considered in our eating patterns.

Exciting Jealousy in Women and Terror in Men

Taki on marriage.

http://tinyurl.com/p7pr