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HEALTHY EATING: Study says carbs OK, in balance

9:25 am July 22, 2009, by AJC

BY CAROLYN O’NEIL

To be, or not to be — on a low-carb diet that is.

All the popular hoopla about pounds shed by skipping carbs has just been joined by new research that found just the opposite — that the lower the percentage of carbohydrates in your diet, the more likely you are to be overweight or obese. Holy rice crackers! Conversely, the folks who ate more carbohydrate-containing foods actually weighed less than their carb-avoiding neighbors.

So, what’s a bread-, potato- and pasta-loving dieter to do? Well, according to a study of 4,500 healthy people in the Canadian Community Health Survey, which was published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the answer is go ahead and enjoy them, within the confines of total calorie needs. The researchers concluded that diets containing 47 percent to 64 percent of calories from carbs were associated with the lowest risk of obesity. But, it wasn’t all bread on the menu. People who ate more carbs consumed more fruits and vegetables and more fiber.

Kevin Rathbun has tried both approaches over the years. The executive chef and owner of Rathbun’s and Kevin Rathbun Steak in Atlanta has battled a weight problem. Once on a low-carb, high-protein diet, he lost 125 pounds, but slowly gained it back over time. Today, he’s proudly dropped more than 100 pounds again, but this time he chose the balanced diet approach of Weight Watchers.

“I like the fact I can eat everything but in moderation,” he said.

The Weight Watchers diet includes a healthy balance of carbohydrates with an emphasis on whole-grain choices and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

The health consequences of following a low-carbohydrate diet — specifically Dr. Atkins’ new diet revolution — were examined in another study published in the same journal. Analysis of a one-day menu revealed the diet was high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

A case study of one previously healthy man who followed this diet for about two and half years showed an increase in blood cholesterol levels, chest pain associated with blockage of a coronary artery and erectile dysfunction. When he went off the diet, his health improved.

So there’s a lot more to weigh than numbers on the scale when choosing a  diet.

Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at carolyn@carolyn
oneil.com.

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3 comments Add your comment

Dr Andrew Carr

July 23rd, 2009
12:11 pm

There are many who will tell you that all impotence sufferers need to do is take part in a daily workout and their sexual health problems will disappear as if by magic. Sure the loss of weight that should result will help, assuming you have weight to lose. As will the extra energy experienced after establishing a regular exercise routine and of course you need to be able to find the time in your schedule to take part in regular exercise to gain any benefits. But exercise does not reverse the ageing process nor will it re open the tiny blood vessels that surround the erogenous zones which become clogged and often close-up with age. Without good blood flow into the groin area both men and women will find enjoying full sexual relations problematic.

As we get older no matter how hard we try our body starts to falter. Until recently the only successful treatment for impotency or erectile dysfunction as it is medically referred to, has been the little blue pill available on prescription from your doctor. Not anymore, recent clinical trials have revealed a little known herb- Butea Superba has exactly the same effect of the body as the blue pill. Butea however is completely natural. In fact the success rate with Butea was actually higher than with prescription drugs. While clinical trials on prescription blue pill show sexual arousal improvement in around 50% of those tested. Butea Superba improved the sexual function of over 80% of all patients taking part in the clinical trials.

The big secret behind these pills is an enzyme we all create naturally in our bodies called PDE5. Butea Superba inhibits the bodies production of PDE’s and in doing so increases the blood flow into the sex organs. As blood flows more freely into the erogenous zones you are more able to achieve full arousal. The additional upside for many of those tested on Butea Superba is that when PDE5 is not being produced arousal lasts longer, many patients reported achieving sufficient arousal levels to enjoy full sex two and three times.

Available online under the brand name HealthyED Butea Superba is taken as a supplement each morning, unlike the little blue pill which has to be taken a specific time before any sexual encounter. There was unanimous agreement amongst those tested that taking Butea as a supplement rather than ‘on demand’, not only gave added confidence it also relieved performance induced stress.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who may be suffering from any form of sexual performance anxiety.

shaun

July 24th, 2009
10:22 am

Thank you for all of that Andrew. As much knowledge as i do currently have, some of what you stated is new to me (The big secret). I will look it up and definitely keep it in mind for the current and near future.

Shaun
http://www.stayfitbug.com

HEALTHY EATING: Study says carbs OK, in balance | Better Health « Great Chefs

July 30th, 2009
9:51 pm

[...] EATING: Study says carbs OK, in balance | Better Health Syndicated from HEALTHY EATING: Study says carbs OK, in balance | Better Health.Kevin Rathbun has tried both approaches over the years. The executive chef and owner of Rathbun’s [...]

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