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CNN Sunday Morning
Weekend House Call
Aired February 01, 2004 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, and welcome to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. I'm CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer. And, in case you haven't noticed it's a low carb world out there. Low fat is being released by low carb on supermarket shelves and diets across the country. You can't seem to go anywhere without being could be consumed by this low carb culture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Low carb is all the craze now.
ANNOUNCER: They'll help you satisfy your low carb goals.
ANNOUNCER: TGI Friday's new Atkins-approved menu.
FIRFER: Even the beer ads have gone from "less filling" to:
ANNOUNCER: This beer has one-third less carbs than Koors Light.
FIRFER: And magazines advertising low carb rum, which never had any carbs in the first place. Burger chains are also helping people lose losing carbs so they don't lose customers. Burger King and In-N- Out Burger now sell bunless burgers with lettuce replacing the bread. It appears that 30 years after Dr. Robert Atkins published his first book, his diet revolution has really taken off. And now more and more products bare his name. But, there's more to low carb than just Atkins.
Demand is so high now that entire stores are dedicated to low carb products. There's low carb pancake mix and syrup, low carb tortilla chips, even low carb ice cream, and candy. So, is this the panacea? Is this how to two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese will lose weight or is this just the newest equivalent of the low fat Snackwell craze of the early '90s? Some health experts might say it's the latter because many dieters seem to interpret low carb diets to mean eat all of the red meat you want and don't worry about the calories, an approach Atkins and other low carb diets do not support.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIRFER: Low carb diets have had mixed reviews. Some people swear by them, others say they didn't lose any weight at all. Like any diet plan, there are pros and cons. People who truly follow the diet do tend to lose weight quickly and studies have shown that low carb diets actually improve your so-called good cholesterol levels and this surprised opponents of the diet who maintain that the opposite would occur. But, there is a flipside, studies shown that over the span of a year, people on low carb and traditional low fat diets, lose about the same amount of weight, and the low carb diet is not easier to stick to than other diets. People still tend to drop out at similar rates as other plans. And the food choices are more limiting than other diets, most limiting being, obviously, the carbs.
Now, the recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates is 130 grams, but many of the low carb diets recommend just 20 grams a day to begin with. So, how does a low carb diet actually work? Well in simple terms, by lowering your daily intake of carbs, your body burns its stored carbs for energy. Now, your body's starts to burn fat and you might lose weight.
Now, I'm sure many of you have a million questions so go ahead call us at, 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com.
Kathleen Zelman, a registered and licensed dietitian now joins to us give us the skinny on the low carb craze and answer your questions. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
KATHLEEN ZELMAN, DIETITIAN: My pleasure.
FIRFER: A lot of people interested in this, we've got a lot of calls and e-mails I want to get quickly to our first e-mail from Tannaz in Colorado, and he asks:
"Growing up, we learn about the food pyramid and a healthy balance, plus exercise. Diets are not the answer, right? But, what about this low carb craze...can it be good for you?"
So Kathleen, what about the food pyramid, is it outdated or is that still tried and true?
ZELMAN: Well, the food guide pyramid is being looked at and being evaluated. At this time there's a committee to evaluate: Do we need 8 to 11 grams -- 8 to 11 servings of carbohydrate? Do we have the right proportions? So, there's no such thing as one size fits all. We're all individuals, and the food guide pyramid gives us a basis upon which to have our own individualized diets, and carbohydrates are just misunderstood. People don't understand the difference between healthy carbs that are good for you. You don't want to eliminate whole food groups such as carbohydrates, but you really want to choose carbs that have whole grain, fruits, vegetables, low fat, dairy, those are all good sources of carbohydrates. Yes, we could eat less sugar, refined products, and what happens with the low carb diets is essentially you lower the calories. It's the calories that counts and most experts will agree with that.
FIRFER: OK, we have a phone call from Judy in Georgia. She has a question for you.
Judy, go ahead.
JUDY, GEORGIA: Good morning, and thanks for taking my call. Briefly, I'm 56 years old, exercise about four to six hours a week, and I've tried a bunch of diets, most previous -- presently, sorry, the South Beach and after about two weeks I absolutely go nuts and have to seemingly have low glycemic carbs like my whole grains. Is this unusual?
ZELMAN: Well, are you craving the carbohydrates, is that what you're saying, that you just crave them after you eliminate them in your diet
JUDY: Exactly and you made it kind of ease -- you answered that somewhat, but it's mostly the beans and the -- you know, steel-cut oats and the breads, I've never -- it's not necessarily the fruits. So you maybe answered that question already, though.
ZELMAN: Well, you do, you crave them, you need them. I mean carbohydrate is the body's preferred form of fuel, so when you don't have it, it taps into muscle and fat and your body really prefers glucose, and all carbohydrates, they have the same number of calories, four calories per gram, and they all become glucose, which circulates in your body and gives you energy.
FIRFER: Is that why people, when they say you eat more carbohydrates, you crave more carbohydrates? Is there a -- sort of a correlation there?
ZELMAN: Well, there's a craving because -- I mean, bread is the staff of life and we're accustomed to eating carbohydrates and it's the body's preferred form of fuel, so it's easy for your body to utilize it. You have to shift into an alternate metabolic pathway in order to use ketone bodies, or put you into the state of ketosis which is what the low carbohydrates do.
FIRFER: Gotcha. Maybeline is on the phone from Texas, she has a question for you, Kathleen.
Go ahead Maybeline.
MAYBELINE, TEXAS: Yes, I'm a diabetic, and I want to know -- is how much carbs should I be eating during the day and what kind of carbs?
ZELMAN: Well, first of all, you need really talk to your doctor if you're a diabetic to make sure you're on the right kind of plan. But, in general, about 100 grams of carbohydrate is the minimum amount anyone should really have. So, at least 100 grams and if you're a diabetic, what's really important is that you eat frequently, that you have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and you have some snacks and the kinds of carbs that are best not just for diabetics, but everyone, are: whole grains, fruits, vegetables. I know it sounds like a broken record, but technically, you want the carbs that have fiber and they slow down the absorption, and therefore, don't cause the peaks and the valleys in blood sugar, which is what sometimes gets people into trouble.
FIRFER: OK, we have a lot of questions and e-mails. We're going to have to take a quick break. We know it's a low carb jungle out there, so we're going to take a peek at some of the low carb products. We're going to talk about these so-called good carbs, bad carbs, and even neg or impact carbs. We're going to have a little carb reality check straight ahead. Plus, more of your questions. We're taking your phone calls at 1-800-807-2620, or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com. Back in two.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: Orange juice sales are taking a hit from low carb diets and Florida citrus growers are fighting back. The state is launching a nearly $2 million marketing campaign to convince consumers that orange juice can be compatible with things like the Atkins diet and Dr. Phil's weight loss plan, among others. Orange juice consumption has dropped by tens of millions of gallons in the past two years and Florida's citrus industry is blaming some of that droop to the low carb diet revolution.The South Beach Diet, for example, urges dieters to eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juice.
So, what is the difference between orange juice and whole oranges? That brings us to the difference between so-called good carbs and bad carbs. Kathleen touched on it a moment ago.
Good carbs are in foods, such as, whole fruits and vegetables, where you get the carbs, but also the fiber. Those kinds of carbs are also in whole grain products, such as, brown rice or whole wheat bread, and in low fat dairy, such as, milk and yogurt.
The so-called bad carbs are in simple sugars, like foods such as, white bread, soda, juice, drinks, candy, and even cookies. They contain, mainly, refined sugars which are absorbed quickly by the body.
Now, if cutting out the bad carbs is part of a low carb diet, sounds like a good plan, right? We went out and bought low carb products from the supermarket and when we looked at the labels, most of them seemed pretty healthy to us.
We're joined again by Kathleen Zelman, registered dietitian.
And, Kathleen, they didn't seem to have a whole lot of carbs, but you do, like you mentioned earlier, have to look at calories, and look at fat, because -- just because you say, "Oh it's only got 'x' amount of carbs, means I can have two bars," but you may be getting 400 calories in your snack.
ZELMAN: That's exactly what happened when we had the low fat foods, you know, when you people were eating whole boxes of low fat cookies because they were fat free or low fat. So, you always look at the label to determine how many calories per serving. And, it's interesting to note that when we had the labeling laws passed in 1992, they defined terminology so that if a product would say it's low in calories, the definition meant that it could only have 40 calories per servings, there is no terminology defining what is a low carb product, so you're really at the manufacturer's mercy. So, you got to make sure that -- they might be calling it low carbohydrate, but you need to look on the panel, look at the total grams of carbohydrate per serving, and more importantly, look at the total number of calories, because the bottom line, it's the amount of calories per serving that really counts.
FIRFER: Now, we took a look at some of these products, anything from spaghetti sauce to beer, we have snack chips. Do you think they're generally healthy products?
ZELMAN: Well, you know, all foods can fit, Holly, so that -- you know, spaghetti sauce is great, I mean it's a nutritious product, but you don't really necessarily need to make sure that it's low in carbs, and I think what's happening is, there's certain foods that never had carbs in the first place that are being advertised as low carbs. So, you need to just buyer beware, read it carefully, and know that the terminology "net carbs," that's been manufactured by the Atkins people, there's no such thing as "net carbs," they're doing some fancy calculation. Carbs are carbs.
FIRFER: Good to know.
ZELMAN: Yes, absolutely
FIRFER: OK, Jack in New York is on the phone, has a question for you.
Good morning, Jack.
JACK, NEW YORK: Hello. Good morning. I must let you know, I was on the Atkins diet, it worked perfect for me, fine. No negative side effects, as yet. I am expecting maybe there are some. However, my question is, is it advisable for a 14-year-old to asthmatic child to go on a low carb diet.
ZELMAN: Absolutely not.
FIRFER: Brings up -- yeah, a lot of kids trying these diets.
ZELMAN: You really -- I mean, first of all -- you know, you need the energy from carbohydrates, and even though your body can shift into alerted metabolism to use ketone bodies there are no long-term studies to document the safety and efficacy of that kind of a program. And so yes, it's been, for most normal healthy adults, there's no problem on a short-term diet, such as an Atkins or low carbohydrate diet, but it is not indicated for children.
FIRFER: OK, Marguerite e-mailed us, and she's from California. She's asking:
"What does a low carb diet do to your cholesterol level?"
Now, as we had said -- you know, earlier, that a lot of opponents to the plan were actually surprised that it lowered some of the bad -- so-called bad cholesterols and raised so-called good cholesterols. Is that surprising?
ZELMAN: Well, the reason why the cholesterol levels were lowered is because of the weight loss, so that when you lose weight that's one of the positive benefits, so that any kind of weight loss, generally, will be associated with a decrease in the blood lipid levels.
FIRFER: OK, terrific. Let's go to Stephanie from California, her e-mail asks:
"There are so many 'carb blocker' pills on the market. Do those really work?"
You see them all over, any drugstore you go to now, they have them front and center, they have them in -- you know, almost every section. Do they work?
ZELMAN: Well, yes, they can work. What they've done is they've taken a substance from white kidney beans, which essentially will disable your body's -- an enzyme in your body that will digest the carbohydrate from starches, so it does reduce the absorption. Is it the answer? It's a band-aid approach, it's not really advocated, and there are people on both sides of the fence in the scientific community, whether or not, is it a product that we should be promoting? My sense is, leave it alone -- you know, don't waste your money. You know, eat those beans and enjoy them -- you know, starches are not where we get into trouble.
FIRFER: Can they be dangerous long-term?
ZELMAN: I think they can be if you overdid them or if you became reliant on them. You know, you're just playing with your system and it's not the way it should be altered, so my professional opinion, as a registered dietitian, is: I don't promote them.
FIRFER: OK, good advice. Now, we've talked low carb, we've talked high carb, low calorie, high fat, but it is Super Bowl Sunday and this day would not be complete without talk of game day food and parties, you've got to admit it. That's straight ahead.
But first, another tip for feeling fit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): Toys that market fast food, games that promote candy, snacks tied to movies or sports figures. These are just some of the marketing techniques condemned by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
MICHAEL JACOBSON, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: Parents have a virtually impossible job when manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants use every trick in the book to hook kids on their brands of processed foods.
FEIG: Jacobson says these types of ads are bombarding children from every direction and that's driving the obesity epidemic in children. But, the industry says there's no evidence these ads are influencing what children eat. They also say obesity is a complex issue and trying to single out advertising as the cause is missing the point.
Christy Feig, CNN Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: If all this talk of carbs and food has made you hungry, you're in luck. It is Super Bowl Sunday, a day of beer and buffalo wings, pizza, and that little thing called football. This day is second only to thanksgiving for the amount of food consumed and many of the foods have a very high carb and calorie count.
Americans will consume 11 million pounds of potato chips, 8 million pounds of tortilla chips, and 43 million pounds of guacamole.
The restaurant chain, Hooters, is expected to sell 1.3 million buffalo wings and Domino's is expected to sell 1.2 million pizza. And to go with that, beer sales go up 15 percent. According to a survey done by eDiets.com, only 27 percent of dieters will stick to their diet on this Super Bowl Sunday.
We're joined again by Kathleen Zelman, and she has some healthy alternatives for today.
Now you got to love Sunday, football, Super Bowl, the food is out, everybody has parties. How do you navigate healthy eating on this day?
ZELMAN: It's easy. It really is, especially if your host or hostess has given you some options that are healthy. First of all, it's OK if today you decide -- I'm not going to stick to my diet. Just get right back into your program tomorrow or maybe it's nice and early, go on out and get your exercise and sort of -- you know, burn a few extra calories and then go and enjoy the party.
FIRFER: Glad to hear that.
ZELMAN: Really. But -- you know, here we have a wealth of very healthy kinds of foods to eat.
FIRFER: Veggies, fruits.
ZELMAN: Obviously. I mean, clementines are perfect, put a bowl out for your friends, they're still in season, they're easy to peel. They'll sit there watching the game. Isn't this better than some buffalo wings? And it tastes good. Whole fruit and fiber.
FIRFER: Well, I'll refrain from commenting on that.
ZELMAN: OK.
FIRFER: But, you have some -- you know, you have your chips and salsa.
ZELMAN: Right, salsa's terrific. We have baked chips instead of the fried ones, that's always a good idea. Popcorn, great thing to munch, because sometimes it's about just munching and the physical activity of putting hand-to-mouth, so munch on celery, munch on things that are nutritious.
FIRFER: Or if you're going to sort of sway the other way and you have to have a few buffalo wings, balance it out perhaps? (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ZELMAN: Absolutely, and if you want some of those buffalo wings -- you know, just have a few. Put them on a plate, don't get stuck next to the buffet table with that hand-to-mouth action going. Watch the game, be with your friends, socialize, make yourself a plate, and be reasonable about your portion sizes.
FIRFER: Katy in Massachusetts has a question for you. She's on the phone, and it's a question that I actually asked about, too.
Good morning, Katy.
KATY, MASSACHUSETTS: Hello.
FIRFER: What's your question for Kathleen?
KATY: I just wanted to ask about that, about what alcohol consumption does to the progress of your diet? I'm at the second -- end of the second week of the South Beach. I've lost about ten pounds...
FIRFER: Wow.
KATY: ...and I'm just curious, if it will mess up the progress.
FIRFER: Well, Kathleen I know that the South Beach diet, when you first go on it, they tell you no alcohol for two weeks, at all. So, what would you recommend, if people want to have an occasional drink or two, is something better than the other? Should you do beers or liquors, what would you suggest?
ZELMAN: Well, first of all, I think portion control is what you need to remember. You know, have one, have two drinks at most, or -- you know, try to intersperse your drinks with non-caloric drinks.
In the first part of the South Beach diet, they're trying to get into you into ketosis, so that -- you know, that's -- and it's also a calorie reduction, to not drink alcohol. So, let's face it, if you don't drink alcohol, those are fewer calories, and there's seven calories per gram in alcohol. What you choose, whether you choose white, yellow, whatever color alcohol, doesn't really matter. Don't nix with things like sweetened drinks, mix it with club soda possibly, a glass of wine, a light beer, doesn't have to be the carb or ultra- light, just a light beer, those will be lower in calories and just watch your portions.
FIRFER: OK, good advice. Well we've talked about the low carb craze and the Super Bowl treats, but coming up next, some news for you, so you know how, if the diet -- it might be the right one for you, if you're trying to decide which one to choose. But first, let's take a look at today edition of "For Your Health."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: The Food and Drug Administration launched an educational campaign, this week, to raise awareness about the safety of over-the-counter pain relief medications. The campaign will focus on products that contain acetaminophen such as Tylenol and medications known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which include aspirin and ibuprofen.
The FDA stresses the importance of taking only the recommended doses of these medications and being careful not to take multiple medications with the same ingredients. The drugs can be especially dangerous in patients who consume large amounts of alcohol or have certain preexisting medical conditions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: For more on low carbs and general diet information, check out these Web sites: mayoclinic.com, ediets.com, and where Kathleen Zelman is the director of nutrition, webmd.com. They're going to give you the tools to pick the right diet just for you.
Well, Kathleen, quickly tell us one last take-home message, if people have been watching and listening, what's the main message here?
ZELMAN: Well, it's really hard to pick the right diet and yet most experts agree, it's the calories that count. And the way you lower your calories, might be through a low carb diet, but it's just as important that you get daily, regular exercise, and look for a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. That's the ticket.
FIRFER: All right, great advice. Kathleen Zelman, thanks so much for joining us today. We appreciate your time.
Well, that's all we have time for. Make sure to watch next weekend's HOUSE CALL show when we take your medical questions and ask the experts. We appreciate you being here, thanks for watching.
I'm Holly Firfer. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" continues, right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 1, 2004 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, and welcome to WEEKEND HOUSE CALL. I'm CNN medical correspondent Holly Firfer. And, in case you haven't noticed it's a low carb world out there. Low fat is being released by low carb on supermarket shelves and diets across the country. You can't seem to go anywhere without being could be consumed by this low carb culture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Low carb is all the craze now.
ANNOUNCER: They'll help you satisfy your low carb goals.
ANNOUNCER: TGI Friday's new Atkins-approved menu.
FIRFER: Even the beer ads have gone from "less filling" to:
ANNOUNCER: This beer has one-third less carbs than Koors Light.
FIRFER: And magazines advertising low carb rum, which never had any carbs in the first place. Burger chains are also helping people lose losing carbs so they don't lose customers. Burger King and In-N- Out Burger now sell bunless burgers with lettuce replacing the bread. It appears that 30 years after Dr. Robert Atkins published his first book, his diet revolution has really taken off. And now more and more products bare his name. But, there's more to low carb than just Atkins.
Demand is so high now that entire stores are dedicated to low carb products. There's low carb pancake mix and syrup, low carb tortilla chips, even low carb ice cream, and candy. So, is this the panacea? Is this how to two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese will lose weight or is this just the newest equivalent of the low fat Snackwell craze of the early '90s? Some health experts might say it's the latter because many dieters seem to interpret low carb diets to mean eat all of the red meat you want and don't worry about the calories, an approach Atkins and other low carb diets do not support.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIRFER: Low carb diets have had mixed reviews. Some people swear by them, others say they didn't lose any weight at all. Like any diet plan, there are pros and cons. People who truly follow the diet do tend to lose weight quickly and studies have shown that low carb diets actually improve your so-called good cholesterol levels and this surprised opponents of the diet who maintain that the opposite would occur. But, there is a flipside, studies shown that over the span of a year, people on low carb and traditional low fat diets, lose about the same amount of weight, and the low carb diet is not easier to stick to than other diets. People still tend to drop out at similar rates as other plans. And the food choices are more limiting than other diets, most limiting being, obviously, the carbs.
Now, the recommended daily allowance of carbohydrates is 130 grams, but many of the low carb diets recommend just 20 grams a day to begin with. So, how does a low carb diet actually work? Well in simple terms, by lowering your daily intake of carbs, your body burns its stored carbs for energy. Now, your body's starts to burn fat and you might lose weight.
Now, I'm sure many of you have a million questions so go ahead call us at, 1-800-807-2620 or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com.
Kathleen Zelman, a registered and licensed dietitian now joins to us give us the skinny on the low carb craze and answer your questions. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
KATHLEEN ZELMAN, DIETITIAN: My pleasure.
FIRFER: A lot of people interested in this, we've got a lot of calls and e-mails I want to get quickly to our first e-mail from Tannaz in Colorado, and he asks:
"Growing up, we learn about the food pyramid and a healthy balance, plus exercise. Diets are not the answer, right? But, what about this low carb craze...can it be good for you?"
So Kathleen, what about the food pyramid, is it outdated or is that still tried and true?
ZELMAN: Well, the food guide pyramid is being looked at and being evaluated. At this time there's a committee to evaluate: Do we need 8 to 11 grams -- 8 to 11 servings of carbohydrate? Do we have the right proportions? So, there's no such thing as one size fits all. We're all individuals, and the food guide pyramid gives us a basis upon which to have our own individualized diets, and carbohydrates are just misunderstood. People don't understand the difference between healthy carbs that are good for you. You don't want to eliminate whole food groups such as carbohydrates, but you really want to choose carbs that have whole grain, fruits, vegetables, low fat, dairy, those are all good sources of carbohydrates. Yes, we could eat less sugar, refined products, and what happens with the low carb diets is essentially you lower the calories. It's the calories that counts and most experts will agree with that.
FIRFER: OK, we have a phone call from Judy in Georgia. She has a question for you.
Judy, go ahead.
JUDY, GEORGIA: Good morning, and thanks for taking my call. Briefly, I'm 56 years old, exercise about four to six hours a week, and I've tried a bunch of diets, most previous -- presently, sorry, the South Beach and after about two weeks I absolutely go nuts and have to seemingly have low glycemic carbs like my whole grains. Is this unusual?
ZELMAN: Well, are you craving the carbohydrates, is that what you're saying, that you just crave them after you eliminate them in your diet
JUDY: Exactly and you made it kind of ease -- you answered that somewhat, but it's mostly the beans and the -- you know, steel-cut oats and the breads, I've never -- it's not necessarily the fruits. So you maybe answered that question already, though.
ZELMAN: Well, you do, you crave them, you need them. I mean carbohydrate is the body's preferred form of fuel, so when you don't have it, it taps into muscle and fat and your body really prefers glucose, and all carbohydrates, they have the same number of calories, four calories per gram, and they all become glucose, which circulates in your body and gives you energy.
FIRFER: Is that why people, when they say you eat more carbohydrates, you crave more carbohydrates? Is there a -- sort of a correlation there?
ZELMAN: Well, there's a craving because -- I mean, bread is the staff of life and we're accustomed to eating carbohydrates and it's the body's preferred form of fuel, so it's easy for your body to utilize it. You have to shift into an alternate metabolic pathway in order to use ketone bodies, or put you into the state of ketosis which is what the low carbohydrates do.
FIRFER: Gotcha. Maybeline is on the phone from Texas, she has a question for you, Kathleen.
Go ahead Maybeline.
MAYBELINE, TEXAS: Yes, I'm a diabetic, and I want to know -- is how much carbs should I be eating during the day and what kind of carbs?
ZELMAN: Well, first of all, you need really talk to your doctor if you're a diabetic to make sure you're on the right kind of plan. But, in general, about 100 grams of carbohydrate is the minimum amount anyone should really have. So, at least 100 grams and if you're a diabetic, what's really important is that you eat frequently, that you have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and you have some snacks and the kinds of carbs that are best not just for diabetics, but everyone, are: whole grains, fruits, vegetables. I know it sounds like a broken record, but technically, you want the carbs that have fiber and they slow down the absorption, and therefore, don't cause the peaks and the valleys in blood sugar, which is what sometimes gets people into trouble.
FIRFER: OK, we have a lot of questions and e-mails. We're going to have to take a quick break. We know it's a low carb jungle out there, so we're going to take a peek at some of the low carb products. We're going to talk about these so-called good carbs, bad carbs, and even neg or impact carbs. We're going to have a little carb reality check straight ahead. Plus, more of your questions. We're taking your phone calls at 1-800-807-2620, or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com. Back in two.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: Orange juice sales are taking a hit from low carb diets and Florida citrus growers are fighting back. The state is launching a nearly $2 million marketing campaign to convince consumers that orange juice can be compatible with things like the Atkins diet and Dr. Phil's weight loss plan, among others. Orange juice consumption has dropped by tens of millions of gallons in the past two years and Florida's citrus industry is blaming some of that droop to the low carb diet revolution.The South Beach Diet, for example, urges dieters to eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juice.
So, what is the difference between orange juice and whole oranges? That brings us to the difference between so-called good carbs and bad carbs. Kathleen touched on it a moment ago.
Good carbs are in foods, such as, whole fruits and vegetables, where you get the carbs, but also the fiber. Those kinds of carbs are also in whole grain products, such as, brown rice or whole wheat bread, and in low fat dairy, such as, milk and yogurt.
The so-called bad carbs are in simple sugars, like foods such as, white bread, soda, juice, drinks, candy, and even cookies. They contain, mainly, refined sugars which are absorbed quickly by the body.
Now, if cutting out the bad carbs is part of a low carb diet, sounds like a good plan, right? We went out and bought low carb products from the supermarket and when we looked at the labels, most of them seemed pretty healthy to us.
We're joined again by Kathleen Zelman, registered dietitian.
And, Kathleen, they didn't seem to have a whole lot of carbs, but you do, like you mentioned earlier, have to look at calories, and look at fat, because -- just because you say, "Oh it's only got 'x' amount of carbs, means I can have two bars," but you may be getting 400 calories in your snack.
ZELMAN: That's exactly what happened when we had the low fat foods, you know, when you people were eating whole boxes of low fat cookies because they were fat free or low fat. So, you always look at the label to determine how many calories per serving. And, it's interesting to note that when we had the labeling laws passed in 1992, they defined terminology so that if a product would say it's low in calories, the definition meant that it could only have 40 calories per servings, there is no terminology defining what is a low carb product, so you're really at the manufacturer's mercy. So, you got to make sure that -- they might be calling it low carbohydrate, but you need to look on the panel, look at the total grams of carbohydrate per serving, and more importantly, look at the total number of calories, because the bottom line, it's the amount of calories per serving that really counts.
FIRFER: Now, we took a look at some of these products, anything from spaghetti sauce to beer, we have snack chips. Do you think they're generally healthy products?
ZELMAN: Well, you know, all foods can fit, Holly, so that -- you know, spaghetti sauce is great, I mean it's a nutritious product, but you don't really necessarily need to make sure that it's low in carbs, and I think what's happening is, there's certain foods that never had carbs in the first place that are being advertised as low carbs. So, you need to just buyer beware, read it carefully, and know that the terminology "net carbs," that's been manufactured by the Atkins people, there's no such thing as "net carbs," they're doing some fancy calculation. Carbs are carbs.
FIRFER: Good to know.
ZELMAN: Yes, absolutely
FIRFER: OK, Jack in New York is on the phone, has a question for you.
Good morning, Jack.
JACK, NEW YORK: Hello. Good morning. I must let you know, I was on the Atkins diet, it worked perfect for me, fine. No negative side effects, as yet. I am expecting maybe there are some. However, my question is, is it advisable for a 14-year-old to asthmatic child to go on a low carb diet.
ZELMAN: Absolutely not.
FIRFER: Brings up -- yeah, a lot of kids trying these diets.
ZELMAN: You really -- I mean, first of all -- you know, you need the energy from carbohydrates, and even though your body can shift into alerted metabolism to use ketone bodies there are no long-term studies to document the safety and efficacy of that kind of a program. And so yes, it's been, for most normal healthy adults, there's no problem on a short-term diet, such as an Atkins or low carbohydrate diet, but it is not indicated for children.
FIRFER: OK, Marguerite e-mailed us, and she's from California. She's asking:
"What does a low carb diet do to your cholesterol level?"
Now, as we had said -- you know, earlier, that a lot of opponents to the plan were actually surprised that it lowered some of the bad -- so-called bad cholesterols and raised so-called good cholesterols. Is that surprising?
ZELMAN: Well, the reason why the cholesterol levels were lowered is because of the weight loss, so that when you lose weight that's one of the positive benefits, so that any kind of weight loss, generally, will be associated with a decrease in the blood lipid levels.
FIRFER: OK, terrific. Let's go to Stephanie from California, her e-mail asks:
"There are so many 'carb blocker' pills on the market. Do those really work?"
You see them all over, any drugstore you go to now, they have them front and center, they have them in -- you know, almost every section. Do they work?
ZELMAN: Well, yes, they can work. What they've done is they've taken a substance from white kidney beans, which essentially will disable your body's -- an enzyme in your body that will digest the carbohydrate from starches, so it does reduce the absorption. Is it the answer? It's a band-aid approach, it's not really advocated, and there are people on both sides of the fence in the scientific community, whether or not, is it a product that we should be promoting? My sense is, leave it alone -- you know, don't waste your money. You know, eat those beans and enjoy them -- you know, starches are not where we get into trouble.
FIRFER: Can they be dangerous long-term?
ZELMAN: I think they can be if you overdid them or if you became reliant on them. You know, you're just playing with your system and it's not the way it should be altered, so my professional opinion, as a registered dietitian, is: I don't promote them.
FIRFER: OK, good advice. Now, we've talked low carb, we've talked high carb, low calorie, high fat, but it is Super Bowl Sunday and this day would not be complete without talk of game day food and parties, you've got to admit it. That's straight ahead.
But first, another tip for feeling fit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): Toys that market fast food, games that promote candy, snacks tied to movies or sports figures. These are just some of the marketing techniques condemned by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
MICHAEL JACOBSON, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: Parents have a virtually impossible job when manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants use every trick in the book to hook kids on their brands of processed foods.
FEIG: Jacobson says these types of ads are bombarding children from every direction and that's driving the obesity epidemic in children. But, the industry says there's no evidence these ads are influencing what children eat. They also say obesity is a complex issue and trying to single out advertising as the cause is missing the point.
Christy Feig, CNN Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: If all this talk of carbs and food has made you hungry, you're in luck. It is Super Bowl Sunday, a day of beer and buffalo wings, pizza, and that little thing called football. This day is second only to thanksgiving for the amount of food consumed and many of the foods have a very high carb and calorie count.
Americans will consume 11 million pounds of potato chips, 8 million pounds of tortilla chips, and 43 million pounds of guacamole.
The restaurant chain, Hooters, is expected to sell 1.3 million buffalo wings and Domino's is expected to sell 1.2 million pizza. And to go with that, beer sales go up 15 percent. According to a survey done by eDiets.com, only 27 percent of dieters will stick to their diet on this Super Bowl Sunday.
We're joined again by Kathleen Zelman, and she has some healthy alternatives for today.
Now you got to love Sunday, football, Super Bowl, the food is out, everybody has parties. How do you navigate healthy eating on this day?
ZELMAN: It's easy. It really is, especially if your host or hostess has given you some options that are healthy. First of all, it's OK if today you decide -- I'm not going to stick to my diet. Just get right back into your program tomorrow or maybe it's nice and early, go on out and get your exercise and sort of -- you know, burn a few extra calories and then go and enjoy the party.
FIRFER: Glad to hear that.
ZELMAN: Really. But -- you know, here we have a wealth of very healthy kinds of foods to eat.
FIRFER: Veggies, fruits.
ZELMAN: Obviously. I mean, clementines are perfect, put a bowl out for your friends, they're still in season, they're easy to peel. They'll sit there watching the game. Isn't this better than some buffalo wings? And it tastes good. Whole fruit and fiber.
FIRFER: Well, I'll refrain from commenting on that.
ZELMAN: OK.
FIRFER: But, you have some -- you know, you have your chips and salsa.
ZELMAN: Right, salsa's terrific. We have baked chips instead of the fried ones, that's always a good idea. Popcorn, great thing to munch, because sometimes it's about just munching and the physical activity of putting hand-to-mouth, so munch on celery, munch on things that are nutritious.
FIRFER: Or if you're going to sort of sway the other way and you have to have a few buffalo wings, balance it out perhaps? (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ZELMAN: Absolutely, and if you want some of those buffalo wings -- you know, just have a few. Put them on a plate, don't get stuck next to the buffet table with that hand-to-mouth action going. Watch the game, be with your friends, socialize, make yourself a plate, and be reasonable about your portion sizes.
FIRFER: Katy in Massachusetts has a question for you. She's on the phone, and it's a question that I actually asked about, too.
Good morning, Katy.
KATY, MASSACHUSETTS: Hello.
FIRFER: What's your question for Kathleen?
KATY: I just wanted to ask about that, about what alcohol consumption does to the progress of your diet? I'm at the second -- end of the second week of the South Beach. I've lost about ten pounds...
FIRFER: Wow.
KATY: ...and I'm just curious, if it will mess up the progress.
FIRFER: Well, Kathleen I know that the South Beach diet, when you first go on it, they tell you no alcohol for two weeks, at all. So, what would you recommend, if people want to have an occasional drink or two, is something better than the other? Should you do beers or liquors, what would you suggest?
ZELMAN: Well, first of all, I think portion control is what you need to remember. You know, have one, have two drinks at most, or -- you know, try to intersperse your drinks with non-caloric drinks.
In the first part of the South Beach diet, they're trying to get into you into ketosis, so that -- you know, that's -- and it's also a calorie reduction, to not drink alcohol. So, let's face it, if you don't drink alcohol, those are fewer calories, and there's seven calories per gram in alcohol. What you choose, whether you choose white, yellow, whatever color alcohol, doesn't really matter. Don't nix with things like sweetened drinks, mix it with club soda possibly, a glass of wine, a light beer, doesn't have to be the carb or ultra- light, just a light beer, those will be lower in calories and just watch your portions.
FIRFER: OK, good advice. Well we've talked about the low carb craze and the Super Bowl treats, but coming up next, some news for you, so you know how, if the diet -- it might be the right one for you, if you're trying to decide which one to choose. But first, let's take a look at today edition of "For Your Health."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: The Food and Drug Administration launched an educational campaign, this week, to raise awareness about the safety of over-the-counter pain relief medications. The campaign will focus on products that contain acetaminophen such as Tylenol and medications known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which include aspirin and ibuprofen.
The FDA stresses the importance of taking only the recommended doses of these medications and being careful not to take multiple medications with the same ingredients. The drugs can be especially dangerous in patients who consume large amounts of alcohol or have certain preexisting medical conditions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FIRFER: For more on low carbs and general diet information, check out these Web sites: mayoclinic.com, ediets.com, and where Kathleen Zelman is the director of nutrition, webmd.com. They're going to give you the tools to pick the right diet just for you.
Well, Kathleen, quickly tell us one last take-home message, if people have been watching and listening, what's the main message here?
ZELMAN: Well, it's really hard to pick the right diet and yet most experts agree, it's the calories that count. And the way you lower your calories, might be through a low carb diet, but it's just as important that you get daily, regular exercise, and look for a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. That's the ticket.
FIRFER: All right, great advice. Kathleen Zelman, thanks so much for joining us today. We appreciate your time.
Well, that's all we have time for. Make sure to watch next weekend's HOUSE CALL show when we take your medical questions and ask the experts. We appreciate you being here, thanks for watching.
I'm Holly Firfer. "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" continues, right now.
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