Doctors' group urges Atkins diet ban

Washinton Times ^ | August 22, 2003 | UPI

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Nutritionists are urging the top 10 U.S. hospitals to ban the Atkins diet, reports said Friday.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine announced Friday in Washington it hopes the hospitals will emulate England's Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, which is eliminating the controversial diet from its menus, fearing a link to kidney damage.

[Ladysmith]

Because, in a nutshell, fat doesn't make you fat, excessive carbohydrates do. When your body runs on sugar, it doesn't use up the fat, and excess sugar is converted into more stored fat.

Like a bear who eats carbs all summer and gains weight, then hybernates and survives on stored fat, we gain on high carb diets and lose on low-carb diets. So while thinner, more active people probably burn up their carbs in a hurry, us overweight folks don't and aren't helped any by high carb diets. We have to burn up the excess sugar within us and make the body use it's energy reserve - stored fat.

[SamAdams76]

Thanks for the interesting link on why the carb content in yogurt is much lower than it appears (due to the bacteria "eating" the lactose sugar). But one must remember that this applies to plain, yogurt only, if they get yogurt with fruit on the bottom, there's no way to avoid those carbs! And if there is fruit on the bottom, there's sugar added too.

I will check into this Blue Bunny yogurt. I am not familiar with that brand. (There are no Super WalMarts in Massachusetts either - yet.)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's very sad. (it's also a big pet peeve of mine since i'm a breastfeeding mother of a 10mth old baby and a 2yr old that was breastfed also)

Bump from a past breastfeeding mom.

Companies didn't do anything but line their pockets when they introduced formula to third world countries. Mixing formula with contaminated water was common not to mention losing all the protective qualities of mother's milk.

Luckily more and more women are becoming educated about breastfeeding and encourging others to do it. Back in the mid '70's my mother set me on the right path.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Atkins is already dead, slipped on ice and broke his head....now no more meat will he be fed....

but millions more will his family ged...forever the fad diet and money are wed, the overweight are desperate, or so it is said...spending big money, for a few pounds shed...until a new fad renders the diet dead.

[MadelineZapeezda]

I dip my pork rinds into a bowl of sour cream with Frank's Hot Sauce on top! Yum. Or I eat celery with blue cheese dressing if I get an urge to crunch and munch.

[RJayneJ]

I eat celery with peanut butter, but I had to make my own because the store bought has sugar in it. I'll have to try the sour cream and pork rinds, that sounds yummy. I had more oil in the peanut butter the first time and used Splenda to sweeten it and a little thickener I bought from Atkins online, but as it turned out I didn't have to spread the peanut butter with a knife and just started dipping it so it actually turned out better. Sometimes when I want to munch I cut the veggies in pieces so it's more like eating popcorn.

[DB]

I lost 37 pounds and I sit in front of a computer all day.

I do move around more because I feel better but not in an attempt to lose weight.

I'm a little under 6'-3" and now weigh 214 pounds. I've gone slow. I started at the beginning of the year lowering my carbs by dumping the breads and sugars.

I don't go hungry. Eating more fats slows your digestion so you don't feel hungry anytime soon after eating. The need for snacks is greatly reduced.

My blood pressure went from boarder line high to normal in the process.

[Chemist_Geek]

Where are the studies indicating kidney damage?

In his book, Atkins himself wrote that the diet is contraindicated for patients with active kidney disease. It's not an outrageous leap they're taking, although it requires study, not the ban they want.

[fml]

LOL

[Chemist_Geek]

That was when I went low-carb. I now walk 7-10 miles a day, verified by a pedometer that I wear daily for that purpose. I have dropped 70 pounds to 230 and now wear size 38/40 pants and Large shirts. The 3XL shirts look like dresses on me now and I had to get rid of them!

Do you work outside the home? When you ate breakfast and dinner, it was usually at home, but how did you handle lunch? Packaged it at home and took it to work?

I'm having real difficulty, with my long commute, in finding the time to get in enough daily exercise (walking). Also, I usually end up eating out at lunchtime, and I know that's not good...

We'll talk about my coffee addiction later! ;-)

[SamAdams76]

This is what I bring to work with me everyday for lunch. Fits in my pocket. I keep plastic forks at my desk. I also keep 1oz bags of Planters nuts around as they make good lunches too.

My lunches are very light as I am not hungry that time of day. I do have a decent breakfast and dinner - usually at home.

[SamAdams76]

As for coffee, I just stopped. It wasn't as if I decided to stop drinking coffee but after a few weeks of getting up at 5AM to do my morning walk, I just didn't have any desire for it anymore. By the time I got back from my walk, I was hungry for breakfast and thirsty for water.

[DB]

If your doing Atkins you can still eat out. For example I go and get a sliced roast beef dinners topped with provolone cheese along with a salad pretty often. I don't get potatoes or bread with it.

In & Out sells burgers with lettuce for buns instead of bread. Others do as well.

You can also do Taco Bell. The steak soft taco with sour cream added isn’t bad without the tortilla (open it up and mix it up and then eat it with a spork). A Mexi-melt with sour cream added unwrapped and eaten with a spork isn’t too bad either.

[carlo3b]

Hey ...AnnaZ,  diotima
I really enjoyed talking with you young ladies last evening.. lets do it again real soon, perhaps this time about a subject we can all get out teeth into.. LOL
Too often, dieters on an Atkins type food search, leave our the need for wonderful vegetables... look no further..

 
Vegetarian Quiche

This is a wonderfully satisfying recipe, and great for a luncheon party...enjoy!!

• 1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed (commonly called phyllo, or Filo dough)
• 1 cup fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed (frozen may be used, but must be defrosted and squeezed dry)
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese ( I prefer sharp Cheddar)
•  salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced 

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a quiche dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2 Line the quiche dish with puff pastry, press the pastry firmly in place and trim away any excess pastry. Blind bake for 10 minutes.
3 In a large skillet place spinach and 4 tablespoons water. Heat the mixture over medium and cover the skillet. Cook until the spinach is done, approximately 2 minutes then drain well. Add nutmeg to the spinach and puree the mixture.
4 In a large skillet, sauté the onion with butter or margarine to taste. Sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
5 In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in the cottage cheese, spinach, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange onions along the bottom of the pastry-lined quiche dish. Arrange the tomatoes over the onions. Pour the egg mixture over the onions and tomatoes, and top entire concoction with the remaining cheese.
6 Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the quiche has set in the middle.
Serve hot or cold, your choice!
 

[Soaring Feather]

Vegetarian Quiche

Thanks for the recipe. When are you posting another love theme thread??

[carlo3b]

When are you posting another love theme thread??

We are really overdue.. Soon, very soon...sigh.. :)

[Soaring Feather]

Oh that is great news. Sigh....

[carlo3b]

RED HOT CUCUMBER RINGS

Do your own thing.. be like a squirrel, store'em up for the winter.. ;)

• 1 gallon large cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick and seeded to form rings
• 1 cup lime
• Water to cover
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon alum
• 1 cup white vinegar
• Red hot sauce: I use Tabasco.. it's your call as to how much! (Get brave.. LOL)
• 2 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 7 cups sugar
• 1 cup Red Hot candies
• 4 sticks cinnamon

1) Add lime to sliced cucumbers with water to cover. Let stand 24 hours. Rinse cucumbers and let stand 3 hours in cold water to cover with ice added. Drain.
2) Place cucumber rings in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon red food coloring, 1 teaspoon alum, 1 cup vinegar and enough water to cover the cucumbers; stir gently to distribute coloring evenly. Bring to a simmer; DO NOT BOIL. Simmer 2 hours.
3) While cucumbers simmer, make Red Hot syrup by mixing 2 cups vinegar, water, sugar, Red Hots and cinnamon sticks. Heat until candy dissolves. Drain cucumbers, pour syrup over pickles and let stand overnight.
4) Next morning, heat cucumbers and syrup to a simmer then pack into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space in each jar. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2-piece caps.
Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

[lizma]

I've got a boat load of company this weekend and a vegitarian to please. This sounds perfect.

p.s. If there was a recipe thread last night, could I please have the link? Thanks.

[carlo3b]

I feel your pain..geeeze... how many folks are you cooking for, and do you want some ideas? Carlo