The Atkin's answer man: Protegè of late diet guru scheduled to speak in Buena

By LORINDA JARVIS, Staff Writer; ljarvis~vineland.gannett.com

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/news...ews/409673.html
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You've been on the Atkins diet for months now.

And you still have so many questions.

Lucky you. Atkins dieters from around greater Cumberland County may learn more about the low-carb lifestyle when a self-described Atkins disciple, Dr. John Salerno, speaks at a health seminar at 7 p.m. May 26 at Buena Regional High School auditorium.

He will discuss the Atkins diet, proper nutrition and its effect on your health. A question-and-answer session is planned. Cost of the seminar is $20, and pre-registration is required.

Salerno joined the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City in July 2002. He was personally trained by the late Dr. Robert Atkins at the center, which now bears Salerno's name.

The Daily Journal spoke to Dr. Salerno about the diet.

Q: Our nation is going low-carb crazy these days. How do you react to all of this?

A: It's something that validates what Dr. Atkins said. We see the clinical results of what we teach. Our patients look better, they are losing weight. It's an exciting time. It keeps us very busy. We have patients from all over the world, including one person who flies in once every six weeks from Spain. I am really sticking to what I learned from Dr. Atkins. And I practice what I preach. It really works.

Q: So you personally follow the low-carb diet. What did you have for lunch today?

A: Yes, I do. I had meatloaf with a side of squash and a snack of blueberries. Blueberries are probably the healthiest fruit of all, judging by carbs and the net effect of antioxidents in them. Antioxidants are vitamins and nutrients that tend to keep the body from becoming toxic.

For example, if you take the skin of an apple, you will see the inside of the apple brown. The skin of an apple is an antioxident. And blueberries tend to be the strongest of all antioxidants.

Q: What's the most common thing that people ask you about low-carb dieting?

A: The most common question is, "All that fat is going to kill you, isn't it?" The short answer is we know it doesn't.

The issue with Atkins, the reason why it's so popular, is it reduces the potential to be insulin-resistant or diabetic. That's the major reason why people develop heart disease or stroke. The first issue is diabetes, which is a major contributor to heart disease and strokes. It's always a difficult sell. It doesn't sound right because we were told to believe the opposite, but once you see how it works, you really become a believer.

Q: How many carbs should the average American be eating, assuming they are are active and not overweight?

A: It depends on their level of activity, but assuming 30 minutes a day of exercise for a person within his normal weight parameters, it would probably be between 60 and 100 grams of carbohydrates. The more active you are, the more carbs you can get away with because you'll burn them off quickly.

Q: From your experience, how many of us low-carb dieters are following the diet correctly?

A: On the outside, probably not much more than 30 to 40 percent.

Q: Should people see a doctor before going on the Atkins diet?

A: Yes. See a doctor trained in the Atkins protocol because they might be on medications that must be taken into consideration. They should always be seen by a doctor, definitely.

Q: The goal of the Atkins diet is to try to determine how many carbs you can consume without gaining weight, or to know your number. Is that correct?

A: Yes, that's a part of a phase of Atkins. Get to your goal weight and count your total daily intake of carbs to determine how many you can handle before gaining weight. It's very individual, it's really a fingerprint.

Q: What is the single biggest mistake you see Atkins dieters make?

A: The biggest mistake? I'm starting to believe doing those net carb products and taking them at face value. I'm seeing that all too often now. You need to question them, look at them with a magnifying glass.

Q: Is the Atkins lifestyle for everyone?

A: Really, it is for everyone. In a modified version, all of us should follow this as a lifestyle.

Originally published Thursday, May 13, 2004