Could low-carb be here to stay
Experts say diet may have long shelf life

By Mary Lou Creamer
Times Herald

Ron Atherton and Laura McCallum considered themselves a typical American family, especially when it came to eating dinners of meat and potatoes or pasta.

Then things changed.

Three months ago, the Fort Gratiot couple ditched their starches for vegetables and greens, joining the low-carb craze gripping the nation.

"It makes more sense," Ron Atherton, 29, said. "Look at the cavemen. They ate what they hunted, meat and plants. They didn't eat bread and pasta. We should still be eating what they were eating. It's just a little bit healthier."

It seems everyone is giving the low-carb culture a whirl. Whoopi's doing it. So are Bill Clinton and Jennifer Aniston. According to a new poll from Opinion Dynamics Corp., about 26 million Americans are on a hard-core low-carb diet. Another 70 million limit their carb intake without formally dieting. In total, that's 44% of the American population, said Larry Shiman, a spokesman for the Cambridge, Mass.-based firm.

What started with Dr. Robert Atkins' revolutionary diet of swapping carbs for protein has spawned a new industry. Publishers are churning out copycat diet books, low-carb products are pushing their way onto grocery shelves, and restaurants are redoing menus. Experts and fans alike say the craze is more than a passing fancy. It's also a chance for Americans to put their unhealthy eating habits behind them for good.

"It's not just a diet, but a lifestyle choice," said Dr. Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council. "We're going to see it stick.

"Low-carb eating is something that has been discovered and delivered in a grassroots way. People are watching friends and coworkers do it and having success. They want to get in on it, too."

Carbs & consumers

Carb awareness is building by the day.

Some 586 distinct new low-carb foods and beverages hit the grocery shelves last quarter, up from 633 in all of last year and 339 in 2002, bringing the total to 1,558 new entries in little more than two years.

Low-carb-related sales from consumables such as Michelob Ultra beer and books such as The South Beach Diet are expected to reach $30 billion this year, reports LowCarbiz, a trade publication that owes its existence to the carb-counting craze.

Leading the charge in the low-carb food race is Atkins Nutritionals, founded by Atkins, but other big boys are crowding in on the act. Frito-Lay is making Tostitos and Doritos with soy protein in place of starch. The company also is reformulating Ragu pasta sauces, Kraft salad dressings and Skippy peanut butter with fewer carbs.

McDonald's is dumping its Supersize; Arby's has the Carbys, a sandwich without the bun; and Burger King has plans to launch an Angus steakburger wrapped in lettuce and slathered in low-carb steak sauce.

All of this surprises Jerrod Abro, a 24-year-old from Port Huron and a hard-core low-carb devotee for three years.

"I'm amazed at how it has all taken off," he said. "It's everywhere. Stores now have sections with all low-carb foods. From everything I see, I think it's going to last."


CARB COUNTERS
A CLOSER LOOK
The most common age for low-carb dieters is between 46 and 64. Those older than 64 and younger than 30 are least likely to try it.

For the most part, they tend to be upper middle class with a household income of $75,000 or above.

A slightly higher number of women than men tend to count carbs.

Those who have not tried the diet assumed the hardest thing to give up would be bread or bread products.

Those who have tried the diet said the hardest thing to give up is pasta.



http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/...ews/484604.html

nice article.. thanks for posting

>>"The most common age for low-carb dieters is between 46 and 64. Those older than 64 and younger than 30 are least likely to try it."

That's interesting. I never considered those kind of statistics. I guess my generation and younger were raised to have "fat phobia" while those my parents' age still remember when people skipped the bread and pasta to lose weight.

Almost everyone I know who is low carbing is under 30. But I guess that might be because I am 23 and tend to know more people under 30.

This is a nice touch! I'd like to see more insights from people who have actually tried it. Though I don't miss pasta much...I do like the carb smart pasta line, but it's been a couple of weeks since I've made it.

Except for one failed attempt with Atkin's pasta last fall (crap was NASTY), I've had no pasta since 2002. And yes, sometimes I miss it (though I don't really crave it, an important distinction). Someday soon I'm likely going to break down and try spaghetti squash.

In my case, I'm the exact opposite - I was never a pasta eater, so don't miss it all, but when I pass a bakery and smell the bread being baked, I do need every single bit of willpower I possess to stop me going in and buying some!

I dont miss pasta really even though I thought I would since I ate it very regularly. Bread too.

The hardest things for me are strange foods that I never liked or ate that all of a sudden when they are around me I have the worst cravings for and I am like huh.

The other day I was around my baby brother and he was eating chicken nuggets and I just smelled them and suddenly had to use every ounce of willpower in my body not to just take one and eat it and I dont know why that happened since I never ate chicken nuggets or junk like that.

I haven't had any sort of struggle against any food for quite some time. Smelling bagels toasting in the office, they smelled good but didn't really tempt me that hard.

My carbie coworkers are always amazed that I can "huff" (sniff deeply at close range) the Krispy Kremes and not be the least tempted to eat one.

I just bought one. Its still on the counter staring at me, and I at it. Gotta figure out how to cook this sucker!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/rec...6_26725,00.html

"Mock" Fettuccini Primavera Recipe

courtesy George Stella

See this recipe on air Wednesday Jun. 16 at 5:00 PM ET/PT.

Show: Low Carb and Lovin' It Episode: Cravings Busters

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ratings and Reviews
User Rating: 5 stars

1/2 medium spaghetti squash
Primavera Sauce, recipe follows


*Cook's Note: This recipe is for half of the squash. You may double the recipe to use all of it, or top the other half of the squash with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon to make "mock" baked stuffed potatoes.

Slice squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon as you would a pumpkin. Then completely submerge both halves in boiling water and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the inside is tender to a fork and pulls apart in strands. (It is better to undercook if you are not sure). Remove, drain, and cool with cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking. Then use a fork to scrape the cooked squash out of its skin, and at the same time, fluff and separate the squash into spaghetti-like strands. Discard the skin.

Reheat the squash strands by dipping with a strainer in boiling water just before serving. Top with Primavera Sauce.

Primavera Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets, lightly blanched
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Grape tomatoes, sliced in half, for garnish

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium high-heat. Add broccoli and saute for about 1 minute. Then whisk in cream and egg yolk and cook for only 1 to 2 minutes. Next, add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly just to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the butter and the parsley. Pour over or toss with the hot spaghetti squash. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and grape tomatoes.

Nutrition Information
Calories 524
Total Fat 47 grams
Saturated Fat 29 grams
Carbohydrates 9 grams
Net Carbohydrates 8 grams
Fiber 1 gram