Traditional diet and exercise or the no-carb system? Doctors and dieters debate

By BARBARA KORNBLUH
Special to The Daily Journal
Atkins dieters don't have it easy.

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They can't pig out on bread, pastas, rice and most fruit.

They're forced to improvise (read: take the hot dog out, and throw away the bun) when they get hungry on the road.

And then there are all the questions from friends and family: Isn't that unhealthy? Don't you miss eating bread and fruits? Aren't you worried the diet will raise your cholesterol?

But not all medical professionals sniff at the famous dietary plan created decades ago by Dr. Robert Atkins.

Local Atkins dieters have a friend in Dr. Charles Mintz, a Millville physician. In spite of his small frame, he has been on the diet for years.

"The Atkins diet is really a way of life for me and my family," said Mintz, 64. "I was reluctant to try it, but have been on it for the past 25 years."

Mintz has never been overweight and doesn't have any serious health issues.

Fact is, he loves eating steak, chicken and turkey smothered in sauteed onions. And he doesn't miss stuffed baked potatoes, gooey iced cakes or ice cream sundaes.

The Atkins diet sets few limits on the amounts of food dieters can eat. Instead, it restricts the types of food eaten.

Starches -- such as potatoes, breads and crackers -- are limited or restricted, while dieters can have unlimited amounts of red meat, eggs and cheese -- foods typically off limits in other diets. Atkins claims his diet, if followed closely, will result in weight loss and improved memory and energy levels. Dieters also will find their appetite greatly reduced, too, according to Atkins.

Mintz agrees.

"At one time, I ate a diet filled with junk food just like everyone else," he said. "But today I have more energy and stamina than I did when I was a lot younger. My lipids are good and so is my general health."

His interest in the diet started when his wife, Rina, investigated the diet years ago.

A skeptical Mintz bypassed Atkins' famous book and went right to the source to get his questions answered.

"I told Rina we would try the diet only if we could meet the well-known doctor and learn more about the plan," Mintz said. "And I discovered that it in fact makes lots of sense. Our entire lives changed."

He said Rina's moods improved.

"Shortly into the plan Rina started waking up earlier and experienced more energy," Mintz said. "The extra pounds peeled off, and we both had (fewer) colds."

Mintz said Atkins dieters feel the difference it makes getting rid of the carbohydrates and refined sugars so common in American diets these days.

"Most people want to eat what they see on TV," Mintz said. "That means a diet filled with sugar and empty calories. Once my patients go on a modified Atkins diet for two weeks, they not only lose weight, but have a special twinkle in their eye because they experience progress and generally feel much better."

Dieters adjust to meals filled with red meat, shellfish, cheeses, chicken and turkey usually prepared with mayonaise, butter or oils.

But not everyone agrees with the plan.

Registered dietician Cheryl Ann Macellaro, a member of The Daily Journal's Food Advisory Board, thinks the diet lacks variety -- a problem that makes it nearly impossible to stick to.

"The bottom of the food pyramid is off limits," she said. "That means no breads, cereals and starches. And lots of fruits and even milk are out of the picture.

"A good healthy diet still comes down to watching portion sizes, cooking heart healthy, watching caloric intake and getting physically active," Macellaro added. "If people would follow these steps we would not have an obesity epidemic in America."