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This Fredericksburg, VA-based Free-Lance Star column about how important exercise is for the sake of brain function included some rather lamebrained information perpetuating the myths about fruit consumption when you are livin' la vida low-carb that are obviously NOT based on any low-carb program I am familiar with.
Here's the quote from the article:
Low-carb diets are all wrong. "It makes me crazy," the medical expert in the story said, when his patients tell him they can't eat fruit and vegetables because they're on a low-carb diet. "Almost all the anti-aging nutrients come from carbohydrates."
If somebody is telling their doctor they can't eat any fruit at all because they are on a low-carb diet, then apparently they haven't read any of the same low-carb diet books that I have.
Low-glycemic fruits are recommended for a low-carb diet
Certainly, there are a few high-sugar fruits that are not recommended for low-carbers to consume, including bananas, raisins, and even orange juice, especially during the weight loss phases because they will kick you out of ketosis just as fast as a sugary candy bar will.
I have blogged about some of my favorite low-glycemic fruits such as yummy blueberries and strawberries as well as melons and cantaloupes that have been and still are an essential part of my Atkins low-carb lifestyle. It makes me scratch my head in bewilderment whenever people ask me if I eat fruit now that I've lost weight. Um, I've been eating fruit throughout my low-carb journey, so DUH!
 
This may surprise people, but fruit is allowed on the Atkins diet
The truth is you can get all the healthy benefits of eating fruits on the low-carb lifestyle just as Dr. Robert C. Atkins suggested in his program. In fact, right now I'm looking at pages 496-497 in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and Dr. Atkins has an entire list of RECOMMENDED fruits to be consumed on the low-carb lifestyle along with their carb counts.
Look at these 21 fruits with LESS than 8g carbohydrates:
- applesauce
- apricot
- avocado
- blackberries
- blueberries
- cantaloupe
- cherries
- cranberries
- fig
- grapes
- honeydew melon
- lemon juice
- tomato juice
- mango
- papaya
- pineapple
- plum
- raspberries
- strawberries
- tangerine
- watermelon
Yep, that low-carb diet sure is devoid of fruit, ain't it? NOT! I suppose if you never even cracked open the book to begin with, then you would automatically ASSume fruits are not allowed. But clearly that is not the case with the real Atkins diet to anyone who bothers to actually read all 540 pages of it! How much more arrogant can you be than to spread lies and misinformation about something you know nothing about (remember Vee Jefferson)?
The article went on to say that people should "avoid the bad carbs by all means" including white flour, sugars, and corn syrup as well as hydrogenated fats (aka trans-fats). Excellent! That is all very good advice to follow indeed.
So, in the end, check out what foods are recommended:
Green leafy vegetables, lean protein from seafood and poultry, beans, soy products, whole grains, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, berries, nuts, ground flax, garlic, herbs, green tea, non-fat yogurts with fruit, red wine, dark chocolate and cocoa.
Hmmm, what do MOST of those foods listed above look like to you? Can you say LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB, baby! Take away the whole grains, beans, and soy products and you will probably not find that many low-carb supporters who will disagree with any of those other food choices. See, this constant drumbeat of negativity about low-carb living really has become pointless because they agree with us a lot more than they even realize it!
Now go get you a bowl of some low-carb fruit to sit down, relax, and enjoy a healthy snack while you ponder over this newfound understanding and realization of the most amazing nutritional approach known to mankind--that would be livin' la vida low-carb! |
