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coolwater
Mon, Aug-08-05, 15:09
http://www.carbwire.com/2005/08/08/lowcarb-energy

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LowCarb Energy responds to Atkins naysayers
August 8 - Publications

LowCarb Energy magazine has responded to the recent news that Atkins Nutritionals has filed Chapter 11.

"The low-carb 'revolution,' as Dr. Atkins called it, is not -- and never was -- about low-carb products," says Vanessa Sands, editor-in-chief of the internationally distributed magazine from Coincide Publishing. "Dr. Atkins first debuted his eating plan in 1972 -- when there wasn't a single processed low-carb product in sight." Dr. Atkins recognized the value of more natural foods in later editions of his books, and wrote in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, "It is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods."

Read LowCarb Energy's complete statement after the jump.

Sands acknowledges that some Atkins products serve a purpose. "Low-carbing, at its heart, helps those who think they need sugar and empty carbs break the addiction and turn that 'need' into a 'want.' That's where some of the better packaged convenience foods can be useful, but only as an occasional treat -- not a primary component of any diet. People eat too much packaged stuff, whether it's low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie. If it's low-nutrition, it shouldn't take up much space in your shopping cart. Healthful lower-carb foods like vegetables, nuts, dairy, meats and low-sugar fruits should. Now how different is that from what a doctor or nutritionist will tell you?"

She, along with many "good-carb" advocates, maintains that the sudden explosion in low-carbing's popularity wasn't so much about its established reputation for improving health and weight as it was about corporate greed. "Wall Street saw an opening, and lunged at it with products of lesser quality than Atkins', creating a glut in the marketplace," she says. "Likewise, when groups representing big-money industries, such as the Idaho Potato Commission -- which dumped $5 million into advertising over the past two years -- were threatened, they threw money at the low-carb 'problem.' What you're seeing now is the result."

"The media created the low-carb diet as it's known today, and it is now destroying it," she continues. "What the late Dr. Atkins set in motion more than 30 years ago, however, remains: a nutritional approach. And it's forever changed conventional medical wisdom, waking us up to the danger of empty junk foods and the value of good carbs. This approach isn't going anywhere -- and neither is LowCarb Energy. We've always been about 'real food,' and we're sticking around to serve our readers, who aren't fooled by half-truth reporting."

A recent poll by Opinion Dynamics Corp. backs Sands' assessment. "Despite the problems experienced by manufacturers of low-carb products, the low-carb diet trend has not disappeared," according to the company. "In the latest survey, 13 percent of the public say they are on some type of a low-carb diet." That figure has not changed substantially in 2005, and is similar to figures seen at the height of low-carbing in early 2004. The report continues, "The difficulties experienced by low-carb product manufacturers were predictable, even if there had been no decline in interest in the diet as a whole. Research conducted by ODC in 2004 showed that low-carb dieters were not looking for specialty products to serve as alternatives to high-carb foods. In other words, there never was strong interest in low-carb diet products, even at the height of the craze."

Adds Sands, "I think it's about time that people who follow a low-carb diet plan be given a little respect for their choice. It shouldn't be dismissed as a fad, because it's a way of eating that works for millions of people."

Josiemk
Mon, Aug-08-05, 15:32
Thanks Cool water. Sands is right it's about time.

kattar
Mon, Aug-08-05, 15:43
"The low-carb 'revolution,' as Dr. Atkins called it, is not -- and never was -- about low-carb products," says Vanessa Sands, editor-in-chief of the internationally distributed magazine from Coincide Publishing. "Dr. Atkins first debuted his eating plan in 1972 -- when there wasn't a single processed low-carb product in sight." Dr. Atkins recognized the value of more natural foods in later editions of his books, and wrote in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, "It is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods."

AMEN! EXACTLY!

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Samuel
Mon, Aug-08-05, 17:34
The "Lo carb diet revolution" book which I read was printed in 2000. In the book Dr. Atkins has been expecting us to to count "total carbs". Few months before his death, after founding his food processing company with a partner, he announced the "net carbs" idea which has been the cause of many failures and unfortunately, there is no Dr. Atkins now to correct this error.

Evrybody is assuming that low carb products stall their diet's progress because they are processed foods. Although this maybe correct, I have much simpler explanation.

Dr. Atkins' thirty years of experience have taught him that the carb limit during induction should be 20 "total carbs". An Atkins' advantage bar contains 22 total carbs alone, so how can any body stay on induction if he or she eats one of them a day?

I know somebody may like to say " we know sugar alcohols should not be neglected, but what is wrong with neglecting fibers?" My answer is that if we want to neglect fibers, we should no longer consider the induction carb limit to be 20. It should be considered 10-12 grams because Dr. Atkins patients who have helped developing this diet have been getting 8-10 grams of fibers as part of their 20 gram allowance. The induction carb limit is a critical number since it prepares the body for all other phases of the diet.

Nille
Tue, Aug-09-05, 06:17
What a great article !!
I don't like the LC products, most of them taste like S*** and my body counts sugar alcohols as carbs for sure ! Fortunately, in my part of the world, the LC products are limited and the few there are will dissapear in a short while as people do not want them.

I've had to rely on clean food as long as I've been doing Atkins and I will continue to do so.

The "Lo carb diet revolution" book which I read was printed in 2000. In the book Dr. Atkins has been expecting us to to count "total carbs". Few months before his death, after founding his food processing company with a partner, he announced the "net carbs" idea which has been the cause of many failures and unfortunately, there is no Dr. Atkins now to correct this error..

I agree completely with regard to the sugar alcohols - but not on the fiber.

In most (if not all) European countries the fiber is already deducted from the carbs on the label of all foods. This is because the fiber goes through your body without being digested and has now impact on bloodsugar/insulinlevel. This is a known and accepted fact with all nutritionists and/or diets. And not special for Atkins.

Re. Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution 1982 / Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 1992:
I have one book printed in -92 and one newer edition printed in 1999. In both books fiber is deducted from total carbs. So the deducted fiber is not a new thing. It's certainly not new for the new revised 2001 edition. I did Atkins for the first time in 1982 and I'm not sure fiber was deducted then as well. But the max carb count was waaaaay lower. Unfortunately I can't find the book so I'm unable to confirm that.

Either way: Atkins own experience through 30 years and treatment of 70000 patients + recent research, was the main reason for the latest completely new and updated version of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution in 2001. Where he kept his net carb count. This is duly explained on the pages "Science behind Atkins" on www.atkins.com (http://www.atkins.com). And as you can see it was not a couple of months before he died, but more than two years.

We may think/feel what we want - and follow the 1982, 1992, 1999 or 2001 version of Atkins if we choose to do so, - and those of us who wants to must be allowed to trust that new research and experience from that many patients gave him new knowledge, ideas and suggestions of better ways of doing things. BEFORE his company started manufacturing products big time !

Samuel
Tue, Aug-09-05, 06:47
Re. Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution 1982 / Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution 1992:
I have one book printed in -92 and one newer edition printed in 1999. In both books fiber is deducted from total carbs.


Which chapter addresses this issue?

Nille
Tue, Aug-09-05, 08:56
Which chapter addresses this issue?

In my 1992-1999 edition it's both chapter 6 - then page 63 (92) and page 64 (99) - in the 2001 edition it's chapter 8 page 77-78.