History and Background of Low-Carb
Part 2
So great were the changes in his appearance and health that his friends and
acquaintances began to notice and just like today wanted to know what
diet he was on. Most important of all Banting could feel and see a difference himself.
"I am told by all who know me that my personal appearance greatly improved, and
that I seem to bear the stamp of good health; this may be a matter of opinion or
friendly remark, but I can honestly assert that I feel restored in health, "bodily
and mentally," appear to have more muscular power and vigour, eat and drink with
a good appetite, and sleep well. All symptoms of acidity, indigestion,
and heartburn (with which I was frequently tormented) have vanished. I have
left off using boot-hooks, and other such aids, which were indispensable, but
being now able to stoop with ease and freedom, are unnecessary. I have
lost the feeling of occasional faintness, and what I think a remarkable
blessing and comfort is, that I have been able safely to leave off
knee-bandages, which I had worn necessarily for many years, and given up
the umbilical truss."
His how-to dieting book became very popular and was translated into
multiple languages. However, over time it was abandoned.
Banting noted in Letter on Corpulence that a common health paradox of
our time did not exist in his. This was the paradox of obesity, widely
believed to be a problem of excess, among the poor. The poor of the
19th century could not afford the refined sugary foods that cause weight gain.
But poor people of the 21st century sure can today.
In a recent Associated Press article titled, "Health Paradox: Obesity Attacks
Poor", the reporter noted that many poor families are stretching their
food dollars by purchasing unhealthy processed and refined foods. Of one family
Barbassa wrote,
"During winter, jobs are scarce, so Caballero feeds her husband and three
children the cheapest food she can get: potatoes, bread, tortillas. As
processed foods rich in sugar and fat have become cheaper than fruits
and vegetables, the poor in particular are paying a high price with obesity
rates shooting up, followed by diabetes."
Unfortunately for the Caballero family, these cheap staples are bad
for their health. Fresh meat, low-starch fruits and vegetables may
be more expensive and have a shorter shelf life, but they are
definitely worth the price in saved medical expenses and better health.
Throughout the years, as "calories" became known, variations of counting them were
included in dietary solutions. And a variety of other issues were explored
like how many of which foods should be eaten and how frequently.
While Banting's diet eventually fell out of favor, low-carb diets did
begin appearing again in the 20th century. The most famous of these are
the Atkins and Scarsdale diets that came to popularity in the 1970s. While
Scarsdale has a set 14 day meal plan that must be followed and greatly
restricts calories, the Atkins diet allowed for unlimited calorie consumption as long
as those calories were from protein, fat
and vegetables and carbs intake was kept low.
Atkins and Scarsdale fell out of favor in the 1980's as the U. S. Department of
Agriculture encouraged the consumption of grains and grain products with the USDA
food pyramid.
It was only in the 1990's that we began to see a return to low-carb dieting that
seems to be more than a fad. It's a lifestyle! As more and more people
realize the weight loss and other health benefits that are available to people
who eat low-carb, the number of diets and stores that sell specialty low-carb
products continue to rise.
In a nutshell, most low-carb diets carry the same basic premise: that too much
of simple, refined carbohydrates leads to over overproduction of insulin,
which leads to the storage of too much fat in the body. This fat storage is
especially prominent around the middle.
While there are degrees of difference among the many diets, they all agree
on the negative effects that excess insulin production have on our systems.
Note that the contents of articles in this series
are not presented from a medical practitioner,
and that any and all dietary planning should be made under the guidance of
your own medical practitioners. This series only presents overviews of
low-carb research for educational purposes and does not replace medical
advice from a professional physician.
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