Schwarzbein Principle

[tamarian]

Not covered by anyone yet. Any volunteers?

[gypsy729]

It has been a while since I read the book. I gave it to a friend who has yet to read it.:(

I don't want to misrepresent it at all, so I will give just a quick overview.

Dr. Schwarzbein believes that the ADA diet is killing diabetics. That isn't what the whole book is about, of course. She speaks out against the AMA and the FDA "food pyramid". The book is geared toward women, but the principles are applicable to men as well. She discusses the "low-serotonin state" and the problems associated with it: depression, addiction, obesity.

She does not recommend ketosis except in extreme cases (certain hormonal disorders; e.g. polycystic ovary syndrome), but does recommend a drastic reduction in carbohydrate consumption, especially refined carbs and simple sugars. She recommends increased fat and protein (your body needs these to manufacture neurotransmitters and hormones). She warns against consumption of damaged fats (processed or cooked at high temps).

It is very similar to Atkins and Protein Power, but for the ketosis issue.

Diet: Lots of lean meat, fish, eggs, green leafy and other non-starchy veggies, fruit in moderation, grains in moderation (and always unrefined), nuts and seeds.

I will snag the book back from my friend this weekend and write a better summary for you soon! :)

[tamarian]

Gypsy, thanks for the summary, and yes, please get the book back from your friend! :)

Looking forward to the revision!

Wa'il

[tbanks]

I have just read the Schwarzbein Principle and have found it very helpful in tailoring a lo-carb diet to meet my needs. I don't have time to write a summary right now, but could answer questions that arise about the book or at least comment here and there when the Schwarzbein Principle comes up. I have also read Atkins and Protein Power. SP did the best job convincing me that my low-fat vegetarian lifestyle was not good for me in the long-term, even though it may have given me the results I was looking for in the short term. I would recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about the health issues surrounding a lo-carb approach. I would also recommend this book to vegetarians who are interested in lo-carbing (although it does not really address the issues of a vegan). I'm glad I bought it and will use it often as a reference. therese.

[tamarian]

Hi Therese,

Here are a few short questions:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13898

I'm sure with you and Gypsy, we have all we need for a brief synposis! :)

Wa'il

[lisaf]

Gee, am I the only one following this plan? I guess so. Actually, I should say that I started out on it and have lowered my carbs because I found it hard to have "just a little" at every meal.

Everything I read above is correct. Dr. S. gives a wonderful, lay person description of insulin resistance its effect on the body.

In terms of numbers, an inactive person can have up to 15g of carbs at every meal. The more active you are, the more you get - she maintains that carbs are an important source of glycogen for muscles.

Another important aspect of her philosophy is that you stay on the diet and will either gain or lose until your body stabilizes at its optimum weight - bearing in mind that what you THINK is an optimum weight for you may not be what your body settles at.

Unfortunately, I've loaned my book to a coworker who has taken it to France (I hate it when my stuff is better traveled than I am LOL!) and won't get it back until September.

I HIGHLY recommend the cookbook - I haven't tried a recipe in there that I haven't adored yet! It would be a great source for someone on a maintenance plan after a lower carb diet than this one.

Hope this helps.

Lisa

[IslandGirl]

Wa'il, the 'header' reads "Schwarzbien" and should read "Schwarzbein"...

great stuff, it's going to take me ages to get through all this!

[tamarian]

Thanks for catching it, Fixed!

What do you mean go through this stuff? You are expected to give a summary of your choice first, then go through the stuff!! :)

C'mon, pretty please?

Wa'il

[Crittette]

Hi -- I started following "The Schwarzbein Principle" way of low carbing just over a week ago. I was so pleased to see this thread in your forum (which I just joined). It doesn't look like it is well known yet, but I think it will probably be a good low-carb plan for me.

I strictly followed Atkins for 8 months, but had some increase in my PCOS symptoms after several months so had to stop (one researcher attributed this to an eventual increase in insulin resistance for some people after prolonged exposure to ketosis).

I'm looking forward to the mutual support and informational sharing that is so helpful. I'm having trouble with my server, Juno, so for now my ability to participate may be on and off. It's good to be here. Thanks.

[tamarian]

Welcome aboard Crittette, glad you found us.

Wa'il

[jverhale]

I've been on this plan since August 6th. My OBGYN suggested it to me. She is using it as well. I won't get into the specifics of the diet because the other reviewers ahead of me did a good job summarizing the main points of the program.

The thing I like about it is that it seems very balanced and healty. It is a diet that everyone in the family can be on. My husband and daugher are also WILLINGLY following the plan. She gets more carbs than we do, and my 10 year old son, gets plenty more carbs for an active boy. We've eaten so well these last 10 days. No more junk food.

I shared the information about the book and the diet with my mom and two sisters. I told them where to get a copy of the book for them selves. (I've learned not to share my favorite books!)

If you're looking for a great book, easy read, reasonable plan, this is the one for me.

Good luck to all who are on the plan.

Julie

[Amidala]

Hi again (it seems I found wat I was looking for...)

I would like to point out a thought that helped me trying between Atkins and Schwarzbein (sorry, I do not yet know the rest of LC Plans...)

In my opinion it is "natural" that we eat everything that exists in nature. I mean that if God, Mr. BigBang, or whoever started this pritty-funny-game-of-life, placed all this proteins, carbs, vitamins, mierals, etc around us I guess it ¡s logical that we eat all them. For me the point is to find out the right measure of all of them. Probably we were wrong ten yars ago, thinking we should avoid fats, but for me that does not mean I should avoid completely carbs now!

That's why I belived in Doc S. explanation (which, by the way, are easy explained with medical details).

Of course that is only my opinion. I guess people following atkins or Vegetarians will not agree at all, but I hope their opinion will help me having a new point of view.


In the meanwhile...stay healthy!

amidala
:D

[IslandGirl]

... or the equivalent ...

is VERY unlikely to have contained a Flour Mill and an Oven... so I can see fruit in season, nuts in season, meat, eggs, salady greens and maybe the occasional raw root provided by Mr. BigBang. Not wheat, rice, soy, dairy, etc. unless in very small quantities ... and those small quantities after the accidental discovery of fire and 2-rocks-make-a-grinder discovery because the stuff, any of it, doesn't naturally grow in large fields.

To each his or her own opinion then ... eh?

[Amidala]

well...

first of all my escuse because of two reasons

1. Sorry if I don't understand evrything perfect or if my words are missunderstood. the fact is that english is not my mother language therefore I miss some slang or similar explanations...


2. the thing is that it seems to me that you were "upset" because of my comments. well I hope I'm wrong because I only wanted to opìnt out why I prefer D. S rather than Atkins. i never m,eant to bother anyone.

I hope itwas only me that didn't get your answer enough clear. Sorry

:(

amidala

[tamarian]

Originally posted by Amidala

I hope itwas only me that didn't get your answer enough clear. Sorry



Hi Amidala,

Nothing to be sorry about. As far as I can tell with my english, all the discussion is informative, good natured, and no one is upset with anyone. :)

We always welcome members to share their opinions and speak their minds.

Wa'il

[Amidala]

Thanks for the "translation"...it was good to know.:D

[Natrushka]

Does Dr. S restrict calory intake on her plan? Or is it more similar to PP and Atkins wherein you count the grams of carbs instead?

Nat

[Karen]

No, calories are not restricted. And with her plan, you never go into ketosis.

Karen

[Sher]

I have been lo carbing on and off for a while. I also really like her diet because it is balanced and I don't have to give up fruit and a lot of other foods that I like. Low carbing in general, works for me. I am a life time member of WWatchers but I could never stay on it once I lost the weight. I was always hungry and I actually dreamed about food while I was eating low fat. I had great sucess with Dr. S's woe in Nov. but I was derailed by the holidays and all the baking with my kids. I hope to give this a good try in the next few months. I will turn 38 in April so that is a good time to shoot for the "new" me. I have read a great number of low carb books (including Michel Montignac's book) Amidala------have you read it? I guess it is very popular in Europe. I like the basic idea but I needed more recipes and medical explanations. That's when I found Dr. S and Somersizing........I would love some support in this woe. Thanks for sharing and see you here. Sher :daizy: