Re: Fat intake (was Re: breakfast )

February 10, 2001

asked:

<< Many of your posted your breakfasts and many of you mentioned eating

lower fat meats and lower fat items.

I started low carbing by following Adkins (although I have read Berstein

also) and he basically says eat lots of fats. In your opinions, do you

think fat intake should be limited at all times while on a low carb diet?

Or maybe no limits during the induction phase... then limiting to moderate

amounts after that? >>

I spent six months in low-carb weight loss groups before I was convinced it

was safe. One group had over 3000 members! I saw some mistakes, including

non-diabetics thinking Atkins' Induction Phase was a permanent eating style.

Another was paying no attention to portion control and the calorie counts of

fats (9/gram, vs. 4/gram for protein and carbs). Dieters would get all giddy

about the initial whoosh of water loss when they went ketogenic, but some

would then stall out if they didn't watch the calories. Focus problem area

was dieters getting faked out by " peeing purple " (using the ketone strips,

such as KetoStix). The body doesn't know whether it's burning body fat or

fat in the diet. A dieter can live on full cream, pork rinds, cheese and

meat and pee purple every day and not lose any weight.

Since we're diabetics and are working on a lifetime eating style - not a

temporary diet for weight loss alone, we encourage others to pay attention

to fat, calories and portion size. Type 2's are at increased risk of

cardiovascular disease. High saturated fat intake over a period of years

can't be healthy. We encourage other diabetics to minimize sat. fat intake

and choose whenever possible healthy monounsaturated fats such as olives and

olive oil, nuts, flaxseed and flaxseed oil.

Dr. Bernstein and the Drs. Eades convinced me that it was more important to

manage the diabetes by lowering carb intake (which necessarily means eating

more protein and/or more fats). By lowering our fat intake, we lose the

body-fat-burning metabolic advantage of remaining in ketosis, however. Dr.

Bernstein states there are no reliable studies showing that high protein

intake damages otherwise healthy kidneys. But which becomes more important

to a person with already-impaired kidney function? Improving diabetes

control by minimizing carb intake, in the hope of thereby improving the

kidneys? Or limiting protein intake, and thereby eating more carbohydrates,

to hopefully protect the kidneys? That's a really tough call, to be made in

concert with your health care providers.

Susie

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