A lot of media attention focused on low carbohydrate diets in the last few years and many of our readers asked us about this kind of diet lately. As a result, we decided to do some research online and to present you with some facts and recommendations when it comes to this kind of diet.

Let’s start with some facts:

– Carbohydrates are nutrients that supply the body with the needed energy for maintaining vital functions. The recommendations of Health Canada are that adults take 45%-65% of their total calorie intake from carbohydrates, about 20%-35% from fats and the remainder from protein.(1)

– A carbohydrate-rich diet should be based on grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as meat, milk and legumes, according to Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

– Carbohydrate containing foods are also rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and vitamin B. By avoiding carbohydrates, you expose yourself to potentially dangerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies. (2)

– Some of the carbohydrate-rich foods such as brown rice and whole grains contain fibre, essential for the good functioning of the digestive system, as well as for the regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar levels. (1)

– Even low carb diets include a certain amount of carbohydrates. It is recommended that you avoid diets based exclusively on fats and protein.

– A fat-rich diet can lead to an increase of the risk of stroke and heart disease, so you should avoid getting more than 35% of your daily calories from such foods that are rich in saturated and trans fat.

– Individuals can decrease their risk of heart disease or stroke by switching to a diet based on foods with a high amount of fibre and a low fat content. Such foods include fruit and vegetables, legumes and whole grains. (3)

– Regular exercise and an adequate nutrition are the main elements that help lowering the heart disease risk. (4)

– If you balance your food intake with physical exercise, you can also control your weight. Less food and more exercise will lead to weight loss. Health Canada recommends Canadian citizens to actively contribute to maintaining their health and well-being by exercising regularly and by switching to a healthy nutrition. (5) (6)

– Unfortunately, most individuals who try to lose weight ignore these recommendations and choose low-carb diets with very little physical activity instead. (7)

– The elimination of carbohydrates from the diet has negative health implications on long term.

Basic Recommendations

The below recommendations are addressed to Canadian citizens. Nonetheless, they can be successfully followed by US residents as well.

General recommendations from the heart and stroke foundation of Canada for the general population:

1. Do not follow a low carbohydrate diet for purposes of weight loss. Such diets are usually very rich in saturated and trans fats.

2. Attempt reaching a normal weight by combining a healthy diet with regular physical exercise. This is what you should do:

a. Choose a physical exercise that’s appropriate for your age and fitness level and perform it 30 minutes a day, every day.

b. Switch to a balanced diet, as instructed by Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Basically, such a diet includes foods that are high in fibre and low in saturated and trans fat and it consists of 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

c. Identify healthy food choices in grocery stores with the help of Health CheckTM, the informational program on foods developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

d. Seek for professional help in establishing the best weight loss programs you could follow.

e. Get more information on healthy eating and a well-balanced life from the website of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, www.heartandstroke.ca.

For Governments:

1. Ensure your regulations are in accordance with the nutrition labeling regulations in Canada.

2. Study Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating in order to assist the citizens who need advice in choosing their healthy nutrition and physical exercise activities. Develop and implement mass media campaigns for creating awareness for the benefits of healthy eating and of regular physical exercise. Encourage and support the creation of health-concerned communities to spread the word about healthy foods and about methods of avoiding unhealthy food choices, especially for children and young adults. Contribute to reducing the access to unhealthy foods in schools and other children-related institutions.

3. Promote measures for healthy living and for reducing obesity rates. Such measures may include pricing strategies, mass media campaigns and other similar activities and initiatives meant to make citizens aware of the dangers of unhealthy nutrition and of a sedentary lifestyle.

For Health Care Professionals:

They should join their forces in providing consistent messages across all information channels in order to address the growing problem of obesity in Canada.

For The Industry:

Develop foods that are in line with the above mentioned recommendations, in order to promote healthy eating habits among the general population. Such foods should be both healthy and easy to prepare and to consume.

Well, that is it for today. We hope that these facts and recommendations about low carbohydrate diets were helpful for you… All the best!

Riley and Madison

References

1. The National Academy of Sciences. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). 2002.

2. Dietitians of Canada. Beyond the low-carb hype – Should I try a low-carbohydrate diet to lose weight? Created for the Canadian Health Network by Dietitians of Canada Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Network Executive. Hall K, Martino R, Ratner S, Clarke C, Yong M, Whitham D, Larrio C. April 2004.

3. Sacks FM, Katan M. Randomized clinical trials on the effects of dietary fat and carbohydrate on plasma lipoprotein and cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Medicine 2002;113 (Suppl 9B):13S-24S.

4. Health Canada. Canadaís Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Minister of PublicWorks and Government Services Canada: Ottawa, Canada, 1997.

5. Freedman MR, King J, Kennedy E. Popular diets: A scientific review. Obesity Research 2001;9(Suppl 1):1S-40S.

6. Health Canada. Vitality: A positive approach to healthy living. Available at: [POP UP LINK] /web/20070715204232/http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/onpp-bppn/leaders_approach_e.html (Accessed December 2, 2004).

7. Serdula MK, Mokdad AH, Williamson DF, Galuska DA, Mendlein JM, Heath GW. Prevalence of attempting weight loss and strategies for controlling weight. Journal of the American Medical Association 1999;282:1353-1358.