low carb products..South Beach mentioned

  • Hi all, I just got this email from WEB MD today. Thought it might be of interest on this forum. It mentions SOUTH BEACH DIET.

    OK Back to my Home Forum --Pookie
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    Low-Carb Products May Jeopardize Weight Loss Efforts

    By Jeanie Lerche Davis
    WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Charlotte Grayson, MD
    on Monday, May 10, 2004

    May 10, 2004 -- It's SNACKWELLS all over again: They were low-fat so we wolfed them down, ignoring the high calorie count. Now, low-carb products could likewise sabotage our weight loss efforts, according to a new report.


    Low-carb versions of comfort foods -- bread, pasta, and ice cream -- often contain more fat and calories than regular versions, says the June issue of Consumer Reports.


    According to the report, 930 low carb food products have been introduced to the U.S. food market in the last five years. The products are aimed at the growing number of Americans trying to lose weight by cutting carbs. But there's a catch.


    "Many of the low-carb food products now flooding supermarkets may in fact be cheating -- consumers, that is -- by undermining the weight loss they hope to achieve," the report says. The FDA is scrambling to figure out how to address this issue.


    Among their findings:


    "Low-carb" labels are meaningless. In manufacturing low-carb products, sugars are replaced with "unnaturally high concentrations" of sugar alcohols, refined grains, and starches -- all of which are carbohydrates and contribute to caloric intake.

    Because these "replacement carbs" move through the small intestine without getting absorbed, manufacturers subtract them from the carb content. That's the "net carbs" number listed on the product label.

    However, that net carbs number is based on research done with whole foods (like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) -- which have a very different composition and calorie content.


    The original low-carb weight loss programs -- Atkins and South Beach -- work when people restrict carb-laden, high-calorie foods like bread, pasta, rice, soft drinks, potato chips, cookies, and fruits, says the report.


    "Indeed, the very lack of availability of low-carb junk food might have been a boon for low-carb dieters," the report says.


    Here's what you can do to follow a low-carb diet and avoid the calorie pitfall:


    Eat whole foods: For 40 grams of carbs a day, you could eat a half-cup of lentils, a cup of carrots, an orange, and a slice of light seven-grain bread -- for a total of 274 calories.

    Those foods contain plenty of natural fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals. Getting those 40 grams from low-carb snack foods might give you 1,440 calories and few other nutrients.

    Carefully read calorie and fat content on product labels.


    Also, treat treats as treats, no matter what the carb count, says the report. Don't eat five low-carb chocolate bars in a single sitting. You wouldn't eat five regular chocolate bars at one time -- or, at least, you shouldn't if weight loss is your goal!



    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    SOURCE: Consumer Reports, June 2004; vol 69: pp 12-21.
  • Great article...saw it elsewhere as well...maybe on MSNBC?

    Love your avatar...so gorgeous!
  • Remember, South Beach is NOT a low carb diet except in the first two weeks! The media keep lumping it in with Atkins.
  • Ruth, It seems like the media is doing that quite a bit. I almost always see South Beach under the heading of Low Carb. It is often referred to as a healthier version of Atkins in the media.

    The other day one of the websites had a diet "quiz". One of the questions was which of the following diets is not a low carb diet (South Beach & Atkins was on the list)
    They had the "correct" answer as DEAN ORNISH was the only diet on the list that was not low carb.

    I did like the way that Consumer Reports / WEB MD spelled out all the info in a very clear way. I laughed when they referred to Snackwells. I remember there was a lot in the news a couple of years ago about Snackwells making people fat! Bye --Pookie
  • All the more reason to stay away from processed foods. I saw a box of Brownie mix at the supermarket today that was low fat. When I read the ingredients it was over 50% sugar! Just goes to show you need to read the ingredients not just the advertising on the box.
  • Thanks so much for posting that!
  • Thanks, Pookie!