Power Protein
By Carl Lowe

Protein, the stuff that muscles are made of, has become the mainstay diet ingredient of today's with-it dieters. In the wake of this hot trend, marketers have begun to trumpet the benefits of eating a high-protein diet to lose weight.

Have you joined the high-protein generation yet? If you're still sitting on the dietary fence, a modicum of knowledge about the ins and outs of this macronutrient can help you add muscle and better health to your weight-loss efforts.

Traditionally, many experts have argued that when you diet and try to lose weight, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

In other words, this conventional weight-loss philosophy maintains that you have to limit calories, the energy contained in your food, in order to drop pounds. By cutting calories, all calories, this argument goes, your body has less material it can use to make fat.
Translation of this attitude: Just eat less food and you'll weigh less.

But scientists who have studied high-protein diets argue that not all calories on your dinner plate are created equal. While cutting calories overall isn't a bad idea, when those energy units enter the digestive tract and are used to make more fat cells, some calories are more equal than others.

Metabolic Pathways
Research now shows that when you eat a high-protein meal, less of the protein calories are converted into fat than are carbohydrate calories when you consume a high-carb meal.
For instance, in a study done at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, women who dieted by cutting carbs and focusing on protein lost twice as much weight after six months than women who merely cut calories (ADA annual meeting, November 2002).

In this research, about 50 women between the ages of 30 and 60 were divided into two groups. One group ate a diet that limited fat to 30% of calories. The other women ate a very-low-carbohydrate diet that was high in protein.

Ketone Effects
The women who barely touched carbs for six months went into what's called a state of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when your blood-sugar level goes so low that your body fat is broken down by your liver and changed into ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are chemicals that the body makes when insulin, a hormone-like substance involved in carbohydrate metabolism, drops very low and fat is mostly burned for energy.

When ketones build up in the blood they can end up in urine or be released in the lungs making your breath smell fruity. (Blood tests of these dieting women confirmed that the bodies of those on a high-protein diet had entered a state of ketosis.)

The result: high-protein dieters in this research lost an average of 18.5 pounds after six months. Just as important is the fact that 10 of those pounds were fat. The other group of women only lost about nine pounds each, five of which were fat. (Each of the women in both groups ate between 1200 and 1500 calories a day.)

Protein Basics
Obviously, protein plays a more basic role in the body than just helping to spur weight loss. Actually, it's the body's second most abundant substance (after water), used to build the "stuff" of which skin, muscles and other organs are made. Hair and nails are also primarily built of protein.

But protein is much more than a simple bodily scaffold. Enzymes, substances vital to chemical reactions within the body, depend on protein, as do disease-fighting antibodies and message-carrying hormones.

Protein is also required to make brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, both of which help improve alertness and concentration. "If you're feeling lackluster and not up to speed, you may need protein foods," says Molly Siple, MS, RD, author of Healing Foods for Dummies (IDG Books).

Protein needs do change throughout life. Pregnant and breast-feeding women need more protein to support fetal growth and milk production, and children need protein to power their growing bodies. Older people often need more protein to keep up their immune defenses. In addition, your protein needs will increase if you are sick or injured.

Whence Protein?
When many folks think of protein, they envision a thick steak, hardboiled egg or fish filet. And animal-based foods, including dairy foods, are excellent sources of protein. "Eggs are one of nature's finest products," Siple says.

But plant-based foods can also provide plenty of protein. For example, while half a chicken breast contains a respectable 31 grams of protein, a cup of soybeans isn't far behind, with 29 grams. Similarly, a cup of whole milk contains 8 grams of protein; a cup of soymilk, 7 grams.
Getting the protein you need from plants is easy if you eat a variety of foods throughout the day; you don't need to worry about eating specific combinations of foods at each meal. "A well-balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes supplies an ample amount of protein to meet [the] body's needs," says Jay Solomon, author of Seven Pillars of Health: Nutritional Secrets for Good Health and Long Life (Prima Publishing).

Protein Protects Your Bones
As high-protein diets have gained in popularity, some experts have cautioned that these diets may compromise bone strength. But new research shows that eating extra protein strengthens bones instead of weakening them.

A study done by researchers from the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University shows that eating more protein and cutting back on carbohydrates, like those in wheat, does not cause the body to take calcium out of the bones but actually slows what's called bone resorption (a process that would otherwise weaken bones).

Consequently, when you eat more protein and hold back on carbohydrates, according this research, bones get stronger (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 3/04).
The scientists found that people who boosted their daily protein intake by 58 grams a day had 25% more bone growth factor, along with lower levels of natural chemicals that show bone is being lost. (Fifty-eight grams is about an eighth of a pound, so the extra protein was the equivalent of about three small pieces of steak.)

Losing More Body Fat
One reason more and more researchers are looking into the benefits of following a high-protein diet to lose weight is the fact that this diet apparently preserves more muscle tissue and encourages the loss of more body fat.

For instance, a study performed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that giving women dieters more protein made them less hungry between meals and also lowered their triglyceride levels (blood fats that have been linked to heart disease risk).

In 10 weeks, these women lost about 10 pounds; in addition, they took off significantly more body fat than other women who ate more carbohydrates (Journal of Nutrition 2/03).

Staying Satisfied
The high-protein approach to eating has an additional advantage: you tend to feel more satisfied, which keeps you from raiding the fridge and consuming needless calories.
When researchers from Arizona State University assigned people to eat either a high-protein or a high-carbohydrate diet-both with restricted calories-for six weeks, they found that both groups of dieters lost weight. However, the folks on the protein-rich eating plan "reported more satisfaction and less hunger in month one of the trial" (Journal of Nutrition 3/04).
The lesson of this continuing research is that while all calories count, if you make more of your daily calories protein calories, you can count on losing a few extra pounds.

When was the last time you exercised? During the past decade, the number of obese Americans has jumped by 50%. A big factor in this increase: lack of physical activity.

Today, technological society seems to make everyday life effortless: car windows retreat at the push of a button, remote controls keep couch potatoes from budging off the cushions and video games have replaced non-cyber ball playing. Americans don't move around and burn off the calories they eat. Instead, our sedentary ways are causing big stomach bulges and a big bulge in health problems linked to being overweight.

Want to lose those pounds? Consuming the right nutrients and pounding the pavement are a great start.

Number of Large Americans Grows Larger
Fifty-five out of every 100 Americans are now overweight. And the numbers continue to surge.
To take yourself out of these alarming statistics, plan a consistent exercise program.

If the thought of sweating during strenuous workouts at the gym scares you, relax. You don't have to do that much. According to a long list of research, a few half-hour walks a week can put you on the road to weight loss.

For instance, researchers at Duke found that walking a total of only 12 miles a week can help you control your weight even if you're not dieting (Archives of Internal Medicine 1/12/04).
Of course dieting and taking the right supplements will help you lose weight a little faster, but walking burns off the pounds.

In the study at Duke, scientists gathered about 180 overweight, sedentary people and assigned them to one of four groups. The first group had to jog about 20 miles a week. The second group jogged 12 miles a week. The third group walked 12 miles, and the last group didn't do a thing.

"We found that the two low-exercise groups lost both weight and fat, while those in the more intensive group lost more of each in a 'dose-response' manner," says Cris Slentz, PhD, one of the researchers.

"Simply put, the more you exercise, the more you benefit. Just as importantly, the control group of participants who performed no exercise gained weight over the period of the trial."
Everybody who was exercising lost weight; their stomachs and hips shrank. The folks who did nothing didn't just stay at the same weight; their weight went up.

Dr. Slentz adds, "From the perspective of prevention, it appears that the 30 minutes per day will keep most people from gaining the additional weight associated with inactivity. Given the increase in obesity in the US, it would seem likely that many in our society may have fallen below this minimal level of physical activity required to maintain body weight."

Enzyme Help
Of course, limiting the carbohydrates you consume and eating more protein at the same time as you exercise can help you lose weight more effectively. To help your body utilize protein more fully to fuel your exercise, many experts recommend taking enzyme supplements.

One of the most valuable enzyme combinations in this process is Aminogen®, an all-natural, patented plant enzyme that assists the digestive tract in liberating the amino acids that are the building blocks of dietary protein.

By helping separate these amino acids, absorption is boosted through the walls of the small intestines and your metabolism is better able to take up proteins and use them.

Add Chromium to Exercise
The mineral chromium is another supplement found helpful in aiding weight loss.

An eight-week study at the University of Texas, Austin, compared weight loss among obese women who exercised and took chromium with the number of pounds that were lost by women performing the same amount of exercise without taking supplements (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 1997; 29:992-8).

The result: women taking chromium lost a significantly greater amount.

How does chromium work? A study at the University of Vermont found that chromium may help muscles take blood sugar (glucose) out of the blood more effectively by improving what's called insulin sensitivity (18th International Diabetes Federation Congress, Paris, 8/03).

Sensitizing Insulin
Insulin is released by the pancreas to help cells take in glucose. By exercising and keeping your weight down, and becoming more insulin sensitive, you potentially reduce your chances of getting diabetes. The cells quickly respond to insulin and blood sugar stabilizes.

On the other hand, when insulin sensitivity drops significantly, the body may suffer what's called insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that complicates and slows the removal of sugar from the blood.

The Vermont researchers found that chromium increases the activity of a protein called Akt phosphorylation. This is a natural substance made by the body that makes cells more sensitive to insulin and speeds the movement of blood sugar into cells, where it can be burned for energy.
So, in combination with exercise, which also helps the body become more responsive to insulin, chromium may help keep blood sugar under control.

As Sandra Woodruff points out in her book Secrets of Good Carb, Low Carb Living (Avery/Penguin), "[P]hysical activity boosts the body's ability to process carbohydrate and helps reduce insulin resistance.…Exercise acts much like an insulin-sensitizing drug to make the body's cells more responsive to insulin, which enables them to remove sugar from the blood more efficiently."

The results of exercise and getting sufficient chromium can help support weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels. The Vermont research team found that the exercising chromium takers boosted their insulin sensitivity by almost 9%.

Building a Lean Body
A prime benefit of exercising while you lose weight is that physical activity builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue, even at rest, burns more calories than fat cells, so having extra muscle means you can eat more and still maintain or lose weight.

An aid in this process is Coleus forskohlii root, Benth., a plant that originated in India. Research shows that forskohlii furthers molecular energy processes within cells that support the development of lean body tissue (muscle) and the enzymatic reactions that break down fat.
In a study of about two dozen women who took forskohlii extract, researchers found that taking this supplement was associated with feeling more energetic and less hungry (Experimental Biology meeting, 2002).

According to Vladimir Badmaev, PhD, who has studied forskohlii, this herb's help in supporting lean body tissue is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight.

"In highly overweight individuals, fat tissue can constitute up to 70% of body weight. The remaining proportion of body composition corresponds to the lean body mass. Lean body mass is composed of muscle, vital organs, bone, connective and other non-fatty tissues in the body," says Dr. Badmaev.

"The body's metabolic rate is in direct proportion to the amount of lean body mass. Therefore, safely maintaining or increasing lean body mass is an important consideration for any weight-loss strategy."

The Skinny on Calcium
Calcium, long known for its ability to strengthen bones, is now turning out to play a key role in weight maintenance as well.

In one study, obese mice who were put on calorie-restricted diets lost body fat when fed extra calcium (Experimental Biology meeting 2000). Both supplemental calcium and low-fat dairy proved effective. What's more, low-fat dairy's ability to burn fat and provoke fat loss have been confirmed in additional research (Obesity Research 4/04; 12:582-90).

Fat cells contain calcium, and scientists believe that the more of this mineral a fat cell contains, the more fat will be burned off. This action is especially important when you cut back on calories, since that often gives your body the idea that it's starving, leading your metabolism to slow and making weight loss extremely difficult.

A Complete Program
To lose weight efficiently, stay in top shape and retain your feelings of energy, you also have to make sure you get enough of the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health.
For those eating a high-protein diet who are limiting their fruits and vegetables, taking a supplement that incorporates nutrients from fruits and vegetables can help restore your feelings of well-being and help maintain your motivation for dieting and losing weight. (Supplements are available that deliver these nutrients without carbohydrates.)

In addition, supplements of what are called ketogenic amino acids-the natural substances that form protein's building blocks-can also help fuel your weight-loss program. These special nutrients can be efficiently used for the body's energy needs, a process that helps you lose weight.

And don't forget to keep moving! Soon you may have the kind of results researchers produced at the University of Pittsburgh when they studied women who exercised 40 minutes, five times a week (Journal of the American Medical Association 9/10/03). Those women lost 25 pounds in six months.

Your results may be just as good or better!

Been there, done that with weight-loss programs? Fed up with weight that comes off and then goes back on? Wondering what it will take to find that svelte, healthy you you've been looking for?

Detoxification-an internal cleansing-could be the missing link in your quest to shed pounds.

Fact is, your weight problem may be linked to our ubiquitously toxic environment. Cleaning out those toxins that have found a home in your body's tissues may help you boost your health while aiding in your quest to get your weight under control.

According to Elson M. Haas, MD, author of the book The Detox Diet (Celestial Arts), "Detoxification is an important component in treating obesity. Many of the toxins we ingest or make are stored in the fatty tissues: hence obesity is almost always associated with toxicity."
In Dr. Haas' view, the stressful release of toxins from body fat is an important reason why people get jittery and headachy while dieting. Other possible discomforts can include persistent tiredness, disturbing dizziness, nausea and a racing pulse.

Because the body releases toxins when you diet and break down body fat, you should protect yourself from cellular havoc by taking in plenty of phytonutrients and antioxidants. (Many of these are available as supplements.)

Membrane Protection
According to researchers, under conditions of dietary restriction and adjustments, your cell membranes can be subject to large amounts of damage when they are engaged in fighting off the caustic molecules known as free radicals (Free Radical Biology & Medicine 1988; 5(3):165-76).

A further complication: When the body is taking in fewer antioxidants from food, the detoxification pathways in the liver may function improperly.

On top of all that, what Dr. Haas calls "false fat" caused by sensitivities to various foods contributes to weight gain.

False fat results from excess bloating and water retention. Once you identify foods you are sensitive to and that make you bloat (hint: often these are the very foods that you crave), taking them out of your diet leads to almost immediate weight loss.

Keeping a food journal can help you identify these foods. In the journal you should carefully note your reactions to various foods. Then you can eliminate them one by one and see if abstaining helps to shrink your waistline.

Dr. Haas believes that the removal of foods that cause these false fat problems is one of the reasons people lose weight quickly at the beginning of many diets.

The Organs of Detoxification
For traditional healers, the liver and bowels are key for toxin elimination. But the kidneys, lymph, lungs and skin are also considered primary organs that help regulate the body's intricate network of detoxification processes.

The colon plays a dual role in that it both absorbs nutrients and eliminates waste. This complex section of the gastrointestinal tract houses a delicate terrain whose ecosystem is home to friendly probiotic bacteria necessary for effective digestion, absorption and elimination.

When the organisms within the colon are out of balance, you can suffer bloating, fluid retention, abdominal distention, indigestion and dysfunctional elimination.

Stress can also play a role in disrupting the proper functioning of the colon.

When you're stressed out, constipation or, conversely, loose bowels may be the result. A consistent program of exercise or meditation can be used to defuse stress and keep your digestion and waste elimination processes behaving satisfactorily.

As one of its many roles in cleansing the blood and regulating much of its contents, the liver is responsible for metabolizing fat-soluble toxins.

According to Christopher Hobbs, LAc, respected herbalist and author of Foundations of Health (Botanica Press), "Certain toxins dissolve only in fatty or oily solutions, not in water."
It is the liver's job to release enzymes that break down fat-soluble toxins into water-soluble compounds.

Once this process takes place, these toxins are converted into chemical forms that can then be released through the kidneys or bowels and evade storage in the body's fatty tissues.

On the other hand, body fat and liver cells can store up toxins for extremely long stretches of time. Frequently, these toxins are then released into the bloodstream when you start to lose weight.

Sweating Out Toxins
The skin is the largest organ designed to eliminate toxins and waste products. Heavy metals such as mercury are frequently released through the skin when you sweat.

By increasing your body temperature and boosting the amount of perspiration released by your body, saunas have been shown to significantly reduce the discomforts associated with rheumatoid arthritis, help lower blood pressure and aid lung functioning (American Journal of Medicine 2001 Feb 1; 110(2):118-26).

Of course, climbing into a foggy, damp sauna does not represent the only effective way to encourage your sweat glands to help you detoxify.

Hot baths, cardiovascular exercise and hydrotherapy can also eliminate a wide range of toxins by improving circulation in the skin and lymph system.

Increase Your Fiber
Fiber, carbohydrate that resists absorption within the intestines, helps the body detox by speeding the passage of wastes through the digestive tract.

Fiber can reduce what is called the leaky gut syndrome, an inflammatory condition in which chemicals from food can cross through the walls of the intestines and cause allergic reactions. When these relatively large molecules enter the circulatory system, this undesirable process may cause a chain of events that motivates the body to manufacture antibodies against these allergens and inflame mucous membranes. Fiber can offset some of this inflammation. Its action in loosening stools and moving waste along the colon reduces the risk that toxins stay in the digestive tract long enough to cause trouble.

Bulking Up
Fibers such as psyllium seed, flax seed or bran act as bulking agents in the intestines. They perform their duties by absorbing water and swelling up like a sponge dipped in water. That bulk consequently stimulates bowel action.

To facilitate this process, drink plenty of water. Otherwise that bulk can cause problematic constipation. (Drinking large amounts of water is always a good idea for weight loss. Like fiber, water can make you feel full on few calories.)

Toxin Elimination
For the most efficient elimination of toxins, your diet should contain what are called soluble and insoluble fibers.

Soluble fiber, which is soluble in water, is found in oats, rice, barley, beans and peas. Contained in apples and citrus fruits, a soluble fiber called pectin may help the immune system eliminate toxins and protect the body against cancer (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 12/18/02).
Insoluble fiber, which is not soluble in water, is found primarily in whole grains, such as wheat bran. This type of fiber is particularly useful in lowering the risk of heart disease (Archives of Internal Medicine 2004; 164:370).

Cleansing Time
Alan Keith Tillotson, PhD, author of The One Earth Herbal Source Book (Twin Streams Health), recommends short fasts as an aid to detoxification.

"A short fast (3-5 days) can be implemented on a Wednesday or Friday to allow for rest on the weekend," he notes.

"Drink only spring or distilled water during the fast. Rest as much as possible….Bathe frequently, but only using warm water, not hot….

"Break the fast with only fruit on the first meal, followed by vegetable soups the rest of the day."
He warns, though, people who are weak and very ill should not fast at all. In addition, if you have a serious health problem, have an eating disorder, are pregnant, or taking prescription medication, consult a knowledgeable health care provider before attempting a fast.

Vitamin C Clean Up
Vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, plays a vital role in preserving the health of your digestive tract, as well as helping protect other organs during detoxification and in the course of everyday exposure to pollutants.

Two circumstances can significantly increase your oxidative stress and boost your need for vitamin C: Being overweight (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2003 Mar 1; 23(3):434) and getting older (Sci Exp 2/19/04).

Antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C and natural vitamin E support the body's efforts to fight off the effects of oxidation throughout the body and may play a key role in protecting the colon.
Researchers at the University of Colorado are currently investigating the notion that oxidative stress can also slow your resting metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. When your resting metabolism slows, you burn fewer daily calories and your body is more likely to store extra calories as fat.

As a result, taking vitamin C may help you burn more calories by offsetting these effects of free radicals (caustic molecules that can damage cell structures). Researchers believe that increasing your vitamin C levels produces this outcome through cellular channels that are not yet completely understood.Vitamin C may also lower your risk of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Research at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) demonstrates that the more vitamin C you have circulating in your blood, the lower your risk of infection by Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacteria that is linked to both peptic ulcers and stomach cancer (Journal of the American College of Nutrition 8/1/03).

Triphala
Triphala, a traditional combination of three Indian fruits, helps tone the bowels, remove toxins, lower cholesterol, improve digestion and regulate metabolism.

Containing a high amount of vitamin C, linoleic acid and absorbable minerals, triphala possesses an important collection of nutrients that support the body during detoxification.
In India, triphala has long been considered a reliable and effective bowel aid, one that can be taken over an extended period of time without the side effects of harsher purgatives. Part of its benefits is triphala's action in reducing blood sugar levels (Journal of Ethnopharmacology 7/02/81; (2):155-60).

Vying for Victory
Aside from improving your health, turning to short fasts and detoxifying herbs (see "Herbal Detox Aids" on page 48) may prove to be the perfect game plan for your weight-loss efforts.
In a world filled with toxins, cleaning up your act offers an increased possibility of long-range victory against poor health and obesity.

That kind of result offers the very best of both worlds: A proudly sleek, trim body that enjoys great health.

In a world where fast-food restaurants reside on every block and even gas stations are as ready to fill you up with sweets as they are to fill up your car with unleaded, losing and keeping off weight is a challenge. Because of our toxic food environment, losing weight requires a cogent plan, a series of actionable events.

Picking your game plan for weight loss entails deciding which diets and exercise programs are best for you as an individual. Focus on a diet that's good for the long run. Pick out a plan you can stick to, that fits your personal style and preferences, and then follow it consistently. Then you can win the diet game and keep on winning!

Today, many observers have noted that the sport of creating weight-loss programs runs rampant.

Frequently, a pushy announcer appears on early morning TV promoting a new, improved slant on losing weight. Then, even before the next commercial break, at least five other nutritionists begin promoting variations on the new dietary theme.

But the overweight situation in the US today is truly reaching a desperate state, and public medical officials believe that we face a rapidly developing crisis inextricably linked to America's growing weight problem.

So the most important measure for improving your health is to pick a dependable weight-loss plan and stick to it until you reach a healthy goal weight.

Then, you'll need to modify your diet so you can stay at that healthy weight for the rest of your life.

The most popular lose-weight variations can be generally classified as:
* Carbohydrate counting
* Calorie counting
Which diet is right for you? You make the call.

Counting Carbohydrates
Seems like counting carbs to control weight has become a national pastime. Experts estimate that up to two out of three Americans are now counting carbs.

While some critics feel the carb obsession is just a new hot trend, others point to it as a health and weight control revolution. And carb counters testify to its effectiveness. Many point to their significant long-term success at taking weight off, and to feeling more energetic and healthier than they have felt in many years.

As a result of these low-carb developments, food makers, supermarkets and restaurants have hurried to make enough low-carb products available to fulfill consumers' dieting desires.

In the meantime, food labels everywhere now loudly proclaim the absence of carbs, and wary consumers are poring over package labels to make sure that goods they contain are low in sugars and starch.

Simultaneously, in the search to hold down their carbohydrate consumption, folks concerned about their health are cutting way back on starchy breads, carb-filled potatoes, spaghetti, rice, soft drinks and many different types of fruit.

To initially launch a low-carb diet, or keep on course for your long-term weight maintenance, keeping careful count of carbs is crucial for reaching and staying at your goal weight.

Weight-Loss Process
In this weight-loss process, you have to be sure of, and keep daily track of, your carbs.
After calculating your daily carbohydrate needs, it's a relatively simple manner to stay within your predetermined carb boundaries and keep on shedding pounds.

That's a big reason why counting carbs has been such remarkably successful game plan for so many dieters: Simply counting carbs, these dieters have found, keeps them right on track for taking off pounds and getting down to their desired weight.

A side benefit of losing these pounds is a sense of renewed energy, health and vitality when carbs are limited in this fashion. (Of course, taking up a consistent exercise program at the same time doesn't hurt, either.)

Tooling Up
A factor that feeds into the popularity of carb counting are the tools available to help dieters stay on the tried-and-true path of carbohydrate limitation.

Yes, many folks do check food labels and add up their daily carbohydrate intake. But many have found that so-called carb counters make keeping track of carbs very simple.

These counting devices are also handy for revealing the hidden carbs in foods like beans, which may have 50 grams of carbs in a cup; dried fruit, which has 50 grams in half a cup; and some forms of squash, which contain practically 11 grams of carb in half of a cup.

For many people the thought of independently keeping track of these carbohydrates is daunting. Luckily, the modern-day carb counter doesn't have to do it all by herself. Quite a few easy-to-use calculators can be had to assist in the counting, usable even for those unable to count on their fingers and toes. With the use of these tools, you can very accurately add up your daily carbohydrate totals and ensure that you are locking in your best low-carb dieting results.

For instance, a tool called KetoCounter, located at www.ketocounter.com, totals up carb counts and contains a myriad of nutrition information on thousands of different foods.
At this website, carb counters can roam through a wealth of food categories, feed in their serving sizes and have KetoCounter calculate their carb counts. Even if you are math phobic, KetoCounter makes sure you come up with the right total.

To keep your low-carbohydrate diet on track nutritionally, tools like KetoCounter help you make sure that your meals don't dip too low in certain nutrients. (If they do, you can make up the difference with the right supplements.)

Accurate Counting
The utility of KetoCounter is its ability to help dieters perform more accurate dietary analyses than they can do on their own.

The advantages of counting carbs in this way: Careful daily carb counts ensures weight loss. Analyzing your nutritional intakes allows you to figure out what kind of dietary supplements you may need. Your digestion may also be improved by getting the right nutrients in this way.

Another advantage to this type of carb counting is the extra help dieters receive to make sure they don't get hung up in the weight-loss doldrums. By carefully adding supplements, lags in weight loss can usually be overcome.

Most importantly, proper supplementation enables you to stay healthy even as you lose weight: you don't have to sacrifice your health for a low-carbohydrate diet. KetoCounter can serve as a warning flag, alerting dieters when their nutritional intake is simply not adequate.

It is easy to calculate carbohydrates for packaged foods, once you know how to properly read a nutrition label. With the aid of a nutrition calculator like KetoCounter, tracking carbs is easier than ever.

Proof is in the Loss
Research is starting to pile up that proves counting carbs and eating more protein is one of the most effective way to maintain a healthy weight.

When researchers in Germany, for example, put lab animals on a variety of diets, they found that those eating more protein had more antioxidants in their bodies. That kind of extra help against free radical buildup produces a potentially stronger resistance to life-threatening diseases (Journal of Nutrition 2000; 130:2889).

Meanwhile, when scientists at Duke University put 50 volunteers on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, the researchers found that four out of five of them stayed on the diet for six months and lost an average of 20 pounds each. None of these dieters felt deprived as they lost weight.
In the Duke research, people ate as much meat and eggs as they wanted plus a couple of cups of salad and a cup of low-carb vegetables like broccoli every day, and they still lost weight.

Soft Drinks
Counting carbohydrates helps health because it limits consumption of simple sugars. How dangerous to our health are simple sugars? Well, according to experts, the fact that we are drinking vastly more soft drinks and fruit juices than we used to is a major contributor to our obesity epidemic and our diabetic dilemmas.

"Over the past several years, a number of studies have emerged that indicated how soft drink and fruit drink intake are adversely linked with adolescent and adult weight gain in the United States and Europe," notes Dr. Barry Popkin, PhD, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina.

In the decades since 1977, Dr. Popkin's research shows that sugary drinks alone have added 66 calories a day from sugar to the average American's diet. During that time period, American citizens, on average, increased their daily intake of sugar calories by 83 calories.

"When the results of this study are coupled with earlier studies, we can clearly see the pronounced shift in the [US and the] world's diet toward increased consumption of caloric sweeteners and away from higher-fiber foods," the researchers note. "Thus, we are increasingly consuming foods that provide energy but few other nutrients."

Counting Calories
A calorie-counting program is appealing to many people because of its simplicity: it limits food (calories) but doesn't require you to pay that much attention to what kinds of foods you consume.

As part of this effort, most experts recommend strict portion control. Don't serve yourself overly large amounts of food, and limit the amount of food you have available in your house. Be especially vigilant when eating out; restaurants tend to fill plates with way too much food.

Eating Habits
Limiting portions is crucial because people tend to eat the food put before them. For instance, when Penn State scientists served sandwiches of various sizes to 75 people once a week for a month, they offered sandwiches that were six, eight, ten or twelve inches long each time. The people in the study could eat as much or as little as they desired.

The results weren't surprising. While not all the food was eaten, being served larger portions led to more consumption (Journal of the American Dietetic Association March 2004).

The researchers conclude that having less on the plate in front of you means you eat less and, therefore, should weigh less.

Simple Concept
Counting calories, while relatively simple in concept, may not be for everyone.

This approach to weight loss entails knowing and calculating how many calories are in the food you eat and then tracking your daily totals. This effort can be time consuming: a pound of body fat equals about 3,500 calories, so if you cut back your food intake by 100 calories a day, it will take you more than a month to lose a pound. To maintain a weekly weight loss of about one pound, you need to eliminate 500 calories a day.

Make Your Calories Count
Cutting down on your calorie intake requires that you get the biggest nutritional bang for your buck from the calories that are left. That means eating complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables and whole grains. These foods contain an impressive array of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients usually missing from more refined foods.

Another advantage of complex carbs on a calorie-counting diet lies in their high fiber content. Fiber is considered a big help to dieters since it makes you feel full but, because it is not absorbed by the body, cannot be a source of calories used to create new body fat. Fiber also helps keep your intestines in peak condition, and helps hold your cholesterol down, to boot.
How do you make room for complex carbohydrates when you cut calories? One of the best ways is to avoid empty sugar calories.

According to Sandra Woodruff, RD, author of The Best Kept Secrets of Healthy Cooking (Avery), "[S]ugary foods are typically eaten in place of nutritious foods….sugary foods are usually loaded with calories, making them a real menace if you're watching your weight."

Sugar Control
If you are cutting calories and worried about the sugar in your meals and in your blood, researchers who have studied people with diabetes have noted 12 good eating habits to keep sugar under control and three bad habits you should avoid.

The habits to embrace, says Carla Miller, PhD, Penn State nutrition professor, include: Strictly curtail your consumption of high-sugar foods; limit all your food portion sizes; cut way back on desserts; ease off the fatty foods; eat complex carbs for breakfast.

Dr. Miller says you should eat three meals a day (don't skip!) and take a shopping list to the health food store. And while you can eat two vegetables with dinner, limit your starchy carbs, like bread, pasta, rice, crackers or potatoes.

When you go out to eat, don't eat at buffets, which encourage overconsumption of all foods, and stay away from fast food joints and large chain restaurants. The choices there often contain way too much sugar.

Burning More
To burn more calories as you diet, increasing the amount of time you spend exercising is crucial. Some experts recommend wearing a pedometer (which counts your steps) and trying to take at least 10,000 steps a day. That kind of activity can burn up to 3,000 calories a week.

This kind of dieting can help control weight, although whether it is effective over a long period of time is open to question. Counting calories all the time can become boring and oppressive after awhile.

Living Longer
However, an advantage to calorie cutting is the possibility that limiting your food this way may help you live longer.

An impressive amount of research in laboratories has shown that when lab animals eat less (but still receive adequate nutrition in terms of vitamins and minerals) their life expectancy increases.
However, no one has ever shown that eating less extends lifespan among humans.

Nevertheless, investigations with mice do show that taking in fewer calories-about a third less food than normal-does extend life significantly, at least if you are a mouse.

Can the same technique work for you?

Well, in larger animals, researchers have found that cutting back on food seems to lower so-called biomarkers of aging: substances in the blood that show the aging-related breakdown of organs (American Journal of Physiology 1994; 266: E540-7).

Studies show that eating a tiny amount of food (while taking supplements to fill in your missing nutrients) can possibly keep your nervous system from deteriorating, preserve the function of your reproductive organs and keep hormones at younger levels. In laboratory tests, food restriction helps the immune system; in addition, it seems to postpone the development of some cancers (Journals of Gerontology: Biology Sciences and Medical Sciences 1999; 54:B89-96).

Vegetarian Dieting
Whether or not you count carbohydrates or calories, eating a vegetarian diet can help you keep off the pounds.

Vegetarian diets, of course, are different things to different people. For some, it's a moral choice not to consume animal products. For others, it's a health decision to lower their risk of cancer and heart disease while staying slender.

Sticking to vegetarian foods can help you lose weight, since it can be an effective way to cut calories without having to count them.

Unfortunately, merely cutting out animal products from your diet-if you're a typical American-may leave you deprived of nutrients like iron and protein. The healthiest way to eat as a vegetarian and still eat a nutritious diet is to utilize recipes and dishes from other cultures in which people have traditionally dined on vegetarian foods.

Traditional Meals
As Madhur Jaffrey points out in World Vegetarian (Clarkson Potter), "Vegetarian traditions have existed in China and India for thousands of years, and like the dietary rules and restrictions of Islam and Judaism, have been prompted by the strong religious beliefs of large numbers of people. There is, thus, a deep core to them that explains their endurance. The great variety in eastern vegetarian dishes may be explained by their slow evolution as they were tested and added to over time."

Today, about 3% of Americans are vegetarians. In general, those 3% weigh less than the average American.

"Vegetarians have been reported to have healthier body weight than non-vegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels and lower rates of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancer," says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

"Planning a healthy vegetarian diet doesn't need to be complicated, but steps should be taken to ensure the diet is nutrient-dense," she notes. "Just as with a meat-based diet, the key to ensuring the body meets all its nutritional needs is to choose a wide variety of foods."

Pick a Plan, Any Plan
No matter which diet plan you pick, if you lose weight and exercise, you are sure to improve your health.

Certainly, the evidence is clear about which eating plan not to choose: Research shows that the typical fat-filled fast-food meal produces unfortunate effects on both your weight and body.
A study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that eating a breakfast of Egg McMuffin and hash browns releases a flood of oxidants (free radicals) that may damage blood vessels (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2004).

"Eating that 900-calorie, high-fat meal temporarily floods the blood stream with inflammatory components, overwhelming the body's natural inflammation-fighting mechanisms," warns Ahmad Aljada, PhD, research assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, at Buffalo's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

So stay away from those fast-food binges and start walking every day. Your body, freed from the ravages of free radicals, may shrink radically, but your good health will have every opportunity to expand.

Reasons to Diet
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 130 million Americans, or 64% of the population, are overweight or obese.

Linked to this weight gain is an epidemic over the past ten years of type 2 diabetes. Your chances of this type of diabetes is greatly increased when you gain weight and you don't exercise.

The CDC figures that more than 18 million people in the US now suffer from diabetes, and more than nine of ten of them have type 2.

Frighteningly, the proportion of adults with diabetes jumped 65% from 1990 to 2001.

"Statistically, adults in the US have gained 2 billion pounds over the past decade, which is an average of one pound per year per person. This is true for both men and women," says C. Ronald Kahn, MD, president and director of the Joslin Diabetes Center. "For every one-pound increase in [your] weight, [you have] a 3% to 4% increase in [your chances] of type 2 diabetes. [That translates into]...about 800,000 new cases. We urge individual Americans to take steps to reduce their own risk of diabetes, but I also believe prevention must be a priority for the healthcare industry, the food industry and the government."

Picking a Diet
The most important weight-loss question for every overweight American, according to Dr. Kahn, is not whether a low-fat diet or a vegetarian diet works better or worse than low-carbohydrate diets, but the simple fact that you have to do something, go on a diet and exercise, to lose pounds and control your weight.

"It boils down to how much we eat and how active we are," he warns.

Weighty Factors
Despite what many people believe, a large body of research shows that a majority of the factors that determine how much you weigh are in your control, says Dr. Kahn.

"While research performed at Joslin and elsewhere has shown that genetics and metabolic factors both play key roles in body weight, we know that Americans' expanding waistlines can be tightened with at least two simple changes-portion control and increased physical activity," he says.

"No matter what diet regimen you advocate, a calorie is a calorie," Dr. Kahn adds. "The overall caloric intake in the US is simply too high. Americans are eating too much. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you will become overweight."

Lose a Little
Research into how your weight affects your health demonstrates that small losses in weight can have big benefits on your well-being.

Losing a moderate amount of weight-on the order of a 10-pound reduction-and moderate exercise, such as walking a mere 30 minutes a day, can drop your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by almost 60%.

"However," Dr. Kahn warns, "I believe we can accelerate our efforts to decrease obesity and type 2 diabetes if the government, the food industry and the health care industry partner for prevention."

Restaurant Visits
No matter what diet you are on, be careful about what you order in restaurants.

"More restaurants," says Dr. Kahn, "both fast food and fancy food, should re-examine their offerings as McDonald's did...when it an-nounced plans to eliminate its supersized offerings. The food industry needs to boost its efforts to clearly label nutrition facts and cut marketing of unhealthy, high-calorie snacks to kids.

"Too often are consumers fooled by foods that look healthy but are excessively calorically dense, like mixtures of yogurt and fruit whips, or by misleading caloric information, like reporting calories on a giant cookie snack assuming the portion eaten will be only one quarter of the cookie.

"And the health care and health insurance industries must not only increase study of the fundamental mechanisms of obesity and diabetes, but also focus on public education."

Kid Weight
Meanwhile, kids need to lose weight, too.

Schockingly, rates of obesity among this nation's children have tripled since the 1970s. The CDC estimates that nearly one in six American children and adolescents-about nine million in total-are either overweight or obese.

"This is truly a time bomb for further fueling the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. And we must remember that people with diabetes are at risk for serious long-term complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney disease and amputations," Dr. Kahn warns.

The consensus among the experts has rarely been so clear-cut and noncontroversial: The time to start a weight loss and exercise program is today. The future of your health, your good looks and, yes, the nation's health depends on your food choices.