Letters from the Specific Carbohydrate Diet support group
5/07/96 18:37
Subject: Fish oil
From: BERNINGER JOSEPH LLOYD,berninge@ucsub.Colorado.EDU,Internet
Hello everybody,
Hope all are well. I've just returned from a trip back home helping out
with my father. I'm still on the diet; however, I have fallen off the
wagon several times...a humbling and frustrating lesson. Like many of
you, I have been in a flare for about a month. I have been on the diet
since mid-April, so I guess the timing is right for a flare, eh?
I have some news about fish oil capsules for those of you interesting. I
have two sources for the exact same capsule; therefore, I will not repeat
the ingredients twice.
Here is the description of the capsule:
EPA-DHA COMPLEX - Marine lipids from cold water fish oils, cholesterol
free
Each Capsule contains:
Natural Marine Lipd concentrate 1000 mg
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 180 mg
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 120 mg
Vitamin E (d-Alpha tocopherol) 1 IU
Recommendations: 3 capsules daily
These nutrients are without any no-no's from our diet - so they are safe.
One company is called Metagenics (very reputable, excellent quality and
customer service.) However, I believe you can only order them from a
distributor. I get mine through my family, because they are all
chiropractors and have an account. You can call the 800 number, they have
distributors all over the country and internationally as well. The phone
number is 1-800-522-6382.
The other contact is for those of you who live in California and Arizona.
The company is called Trader Joe's and they have quite a wonderful and
extensive line of nutrients called Trader Darwin's (for the Surivial of
the Fittest). Cute, but effective. Their same formula as Metagenics is
called Omega-3 EPA. It's a bit cheaper than Metagenics but they won't
ship to any location, so only the locals can purchase this at the store.
Not to worry, between these two sources, everyone from all locations
should be able to attain fish oil if so desired.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need more info.
Peace, love, and healing,
Athena Eliopulos
*
25/07/96 19:34
Subject: Hello, UC question.
From: Matt and Meg,mheffron@gtii.com,Internet
Hello all!
First and foremost, a big thanks to Deborah for maintaining this list, and
also to those of you in the group that have responded to questions we have
posted elsewhere. It is such a relief and a comfort knowing that there's
"someone" that we can talk to!
Brief background: We are Matt Heffron and Meg Franklin, a couple of
"late-twenty-somethings" located in Traverse City, Michigan. Meg
was
diagnosed with UC three years ago, after her family doctor completely
misdiagnosed her symptoms and "ignored" the problems for a couple
months.
This landed Meg in the hospital for a fair amount of time... Anyway, things
had been going quite well for her for the last two years, but she started
suffering more and more frequent flares early this summer. The medication
hasn't done much to bring things around this time, so we're looking for
alternative / supplimental treatments. I happened to stumble across some
information on Elaine's book while searching the web for UC inforamtion,
and
it led me (albeit in a round-about fashion) to this group.
Our question is this; I have read many of the testimonials and am amazed
and encouraged by the results that those of you suffering with Crohns have
reported. What seems to be in short supply, (at least from what I've seen
so
far) is any information on the effectiveness of the diet in dealing with
UC.
If any of you UC-folk "out there" are having success or problems
with the
diet, we would certainly like to hear from you. Meg's condition has improved
a bit over the last few days, and if it continues to do so, she's
considering starting in on the diet. While I'm fairly convinced she should
just go for it, I'm having a devil of a time convincing her to give up
several of her favorite foods to try "...some crazy diet..." <g>.
Any info
at all about UC and the diet would be most appreciated...
Good health!
Matt & Meg
*
26/07/96 5:34
Subject: UC question, acupuncture
From: Roger Rettig,76544.2050@CompuServe.COM,Internet
Hello All,
Matt & Meg - I have UC and would definitely recommend the diet. I have
been on
the diet since Jan 96 and I noticed a positive difference in the first week
of
the diet. I showed slow but steady improvement for months, fewer bm's, less
urgency, more energy. I am nowhere near where I want to be but I was desperate
enough to try anything when I started it. I was on medication for 4 months
with
little improvement when I found the diet, almost didn't start it because
I
didn't think I could give up most of my favorite foods for 2 years. I'll
admit
it not an easy diet to follow, but for me the results outweigh all the extra
work. Things have flared up for me the past week, most I believe is due
to my
sister being very ill and some added stress at work. You can always try
it for
a month, you should show some improvement if it will work for you.
Michael - I am behind on answering my e-mail but you had asked how the bread
made from the recipe in the book holds up in a sandwich. Well, I take it
to
work almost everyday and I enjoy it. I cut it in ?" slices, every once
in a
while it will crumble a bit, but it works well for me.
I don't remember who mentioned the other day that they have had acupuncture
treatments but I have some questions. After thinking about it for a few
months,
I decided to take the plunge and make an appointment. That night I read
the
e-mail but I deleted the message. The doctor said that he has had positive
results with UC patients so I'm going to give it a try. My questions are:
How
many treatment did you have before you saw results? Were you on a special
diet
when you were in remission? How often should you go to maintain things?
Take care,
Roger (Oh)
*
26/07/96 1:58
Subject: Re: Hello, UC question.
From: Benito Rey,102036.610@CompuServe.COM,Internet
Hi Matt and Meg,
Please investigate Mr. Daniel Drucker' work on a new protein ( GLP-2 )
from the University of Toronto.
I posted it before to the group but nobody showed interest. Perhaps you
would
like to know about it.
Welcome and good luck
Benito
*
26/07/96 6:19
Subject: Re: GLP-2
From: Carol Brown,103401.1727@CompuServe.COM,Internet
Benito,
I must refute your posting that nobody showed interest in GLP 2, which Drucker
has received publicity for. I am so gratified by this breakthrough and some
others that I have found on websites, such as some preliminary indications
of
isolation of an offending microorganism. I'm sure we are so close to a
breakthrough here, I really must believe that. And to think that the wall
of
the intestine may soon be repaired by medication, namely GLP 2. Unfortunately
these things take time and may not come through at all, so I faithfully
plod
away with the diet in the meantime. But a little hope on the horizon goes
a
long way, no doubt about it.
Anne,
I have had IBS for 20 years and have had many experiences in not being able
to
tolerate foods, having them go through me viciously. That doesn't happen
to me
anymore and I hope you can reach a new level of tolerance. I don't know
how
many things you have tried. Yogurt helps some people be able to digest better,
of course homemade only. I only use 18% table cream and 36 hours incubation.
Then a few more hours after that in the fridge, even overnight, then faithfully
pour off the small amount of whey which accumulates. I do more than just
soak
my lentils, I rinse them thoroughly right in the beginning, it's amazing
how
much starch comes off, especially before they are soaked. I think the orangey
lentils are the best, really flavorful. I think the rinsing is more valuable
than the soaking. I have seen improvement with the addition of some supplements
like Cat's Claw and garlic. I am now experimenting with fermented foods
and
it's going well. I have been eating sauerkraut. ( I don't know if it is
legal
or not so don't try it yet!) There was a time when that would have been
deadly, I can practically feel the cramps just thinking about it. Now it
does
give me diarrhea, but no cramps or pain involved at all and seems to me
to be a
good diarrhea, a kind of cleansing. I am searching for other legal fermented
foods, I use apple cider vinegar always instead of white. These fermented
foods, yogurt included, are supposed to deliver a dose of good microoganisms
to
the digestive tract. Don't stop pursuing this thing, you can make progress
with
persistance. I recently successfully put honey back in my diet and am fine
with
nuts now as well. I hope some of this will be of help. I have had a hard
time
getting on and staying on the diet but have seen good progress, just slower
than
others who are more faithful, and I believe now, that when I eat something
I
shouldn't it takes my digestive system a full five days to recover. Therefore
if I am slipping up on the weekends, it does hamper any sign of improvement.
(Slipping up can be as simple as a small helping of a pasta dish just to
keep a
hostess happy.) Five days payment for that! Especially as I get better,
this
effect becomes more pronounced. Don't think I don't still struggle, this
is a
constant battle for me. I am much healthier than I have been in 20 years,
but
not as healthy as I intend to be. Talk about slow progress!!!!
Russ,
Was it you who posted the technique for yogurt cheese. I gave it a try and
it
works great, thanks for the tip. Also was it you too who posted a message
from
"Sue" who is about to give up on the diet. Perhaps the above message
could be
sent to her to give her a few more options before she cans it. I deleted
her
address by accident so you would have to send it along if you wanted to.
Meg and Matt,
UC appears to be the more difficult of disorders to deal with and seems
to take
longer. However I have not seen anybody who has any better answer than this.
While the dietary changes are challenging, I have found some foods that
I really
like and I am now prepared to do this long term or until GLP-2 rescues me.
The
longer I am on this diet the less I crave carbohydrates. Good luck as you
consider your options.
Athena,
I have recorded the number for the fish oil. Have you tried it yet, seen
any
benefit? Sure hear a lot about it.
Carol
*
26/07/96 14:00
Subject: Re: GLP-2
From: Benito Rey,102036.610@CompuServe.COM,Internet
Yes, these things take time, even more if everybody show the interest showed
in
this group where
the protein ( it's not Prednisone ) is badly needed..
Thanks
Benito
*
26/07/96 17:31
Subject: fish oil
From: BERNINGER JOSEPH LLOYD,berninge@ucsub.Colorado.EDU,Internet
Carol,
I have not been on a disciplined regimine of taking fish oil, however, I
do plan to start one in August. My brother ( the chiropractor) who
specializes in nutrition/supplementation highly recommends fish oil, as
others in alternative healing that you've read.
I have been on a program of various supplementations. Including some
specifically recommended for people with IBD. One formula is called
Permeability factors, for leaky gut. It contains a high dosage of
L-glutamine, N-Acetyl-D Glucosamine, Gamma-Linolenic Acid, Gamma-Orzanol,
Vitamin E, andPhosphatidyl Choline. These are safe for the diet.
I also take a special formula(an herbal complex along with pancreatic
enzymes) that are for people challenged with IBd It contains many herbs
that have been consistently recommended for IBD in all of my research..
I
can't take too much credit - my loving brother has done alot of research
for me and has come up with these formulations through his contacts.
I'd be happy to answer any questions, if I can help. I do feel that these
formulas help. It is difficult for me to be convinced that any thing is
helping when I am in a flare (as I am now). Yet, discouragement is all
part of the game and it shouldn't interfere with obvious progress.
I am still perplexed about the iron supplements. I do not take them even
though I haven't eaten red meat in sixteen years. If anyone has any
input, I'm happy to hear from you. I'm only 31 years old, so I quit
eating meat as an early teenager, does anyone else have similar
experience?
Hope all of you are well.
Peace, love, and healing,
Athena Eliopulos (CO)
*
26/07/96 18:01
Subject: Re: Permeability factors
From: Russ Johnson 214-283-7554,Russ_Johnson@SIL.ORG,Internet
Athena,
Thanks for the info on the supplements you take. The Permeability Factors
sounds like a good one. Where do you get it from?
- Russ Johnson
Dallas, TX (USA)
*
26/07/96 21:45
Subject: Hello Matt & Meg
From: Deborah A. Dowd,100760.1110@CompuServe.COM,Internet
From: Jim Roberts, 76247,3242
RE: Hello Matt & Meg
Hello Matt & Meg,
Its nice to have a couple more locals in our group. I envy you two living
up
in Traverse City... such a beautiful place. I live in Wyandotte, just
outside of Detroit. But Traverse City was always a favorite vacation spot
of
our family. I'm 42, have had crohn's for about 16 years. We live in a big
old house built back in 1924. With 5 kids we needed the room. Although,
now
we only have 3 of the kids left at home.
I'm not real keen on the diet. It didn't work for me. But everyone here
realizes that the diet is not for everyone. Its still a great group for
support and understanding. And I always hear about new medical treatments
and breakthroughs from the people in our group. So it keeps me current on
a
wide range of treatments.
Welcome and enjoy!
Jim (MI)
(send to group)
*
27/07/96 19:53
Subject: UC question, acupuncture
From: michael cabarles,cabarles@geko.net.au,Internet
Thanks for the reply about the bread, when I get over this flareup , I'll
give it a try. As for accupuncture, I've just had one treatment by Dr Lu's
measles scaping method, which is a non invasive form of traditional chinese
medicine. It is based on the same pressure points as accupunture but
produces faster results. the areas are rubbed (with a coin in china -
ouch!) but Dr Lu has produced a smooth hard, ivory-like tool. If you don't
like needles , you may want to try this.
regards michael
*
27/07/96 20:10
Subject: Hello Matt & Meg
From: michael cabarles,cabarles@geko.net.au,Internet
This may be of info to some on the diet:
from michael
Carbohydrates
Well, at long last, here's the sports nutrition primer that I've been
promising for four months. I had originally planned to start with protein
but cannot find some of the references that I need. So, first I'l like to
talk a little about carbohydrates: what they are, how they are digested,
what they do in the body, athlete's requirements, etc.
What they are
As the name suggests, carbohydrates are carbon chains with hydrogen and
hydroxyl (OH) groups attached. They tend to occur in 6 carbon chains which
have a tendency to form into rings. Single chain carbs are called
monosaccharides or simple sugars. This includes glucose (blood sugar),
fructose (fruit sugar) and galactose.
When monosaccharides join, they form disaccharides. Examples are sucrose
(which is a glucose joined to a fructose), lactose (glucose + galactose),
and maltose (glucose + glucose).
Multiple unit chains of monosaccharides form polysaccharides or starches,
also referred to as complex carbohydrates.
How it is digested
Digestion of carbs start in the mouth during chewing due to the action of
ptalin or salivary amylase where polysaccharides (chains of multiple
monosaccharides) are broken down. In the small intestine, pancreatic amylase
continues the breakdown of starches. Then specialized enzymes (maltase
breaks down maltose, lactase breakse down lactose, etc) continue the
breakdown into monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, and galactose).
FYI, you may have heard of a condition called lactose intolerance. This
disease afflicts many people and is the inability to digest lactose. It
is
cause by a decrease in the enzyme lactase and can be treated with lactase
supplements (Lact-Aid and Dairy Ease are two) which are taken with dairy
products. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include gas, diarrhea, and
indigestion when dairy foods are eaten. Some people find yogurt easier to
digest than milk or cheese presumably due to the presence of active yogurt
cultures which aid in digestion.
The fate of broken down sugars varies. Glucose and galactose are generally
stored as glycogen (strings of glucose) in the blood and muscle. Fructose
is
further digested in the liver and can be converted into glucose, lactic
acid, or triglyceride (a type of fat). If large amounts of glucose reach
the
bloodstream, some may be stored as fat. However, conversion of carbo to
fat
is only about 70% efficient meaning that, of 100 extra calories taken in
as
carbs, only about 70 will actually be stored with the other thirty being
used up to fuel the conversion process. Another factor which may affect
carbs being stored as fat is the glycemic index (which I'll cover in a
little bit). When carbs are eaten, insulin is released, the amount of
insuling depending on a number of factors. Insulin moves carbs (and amino
acids) into muscle cells and also into fat cells. Some have suggested that
it is extremely high insulin levels which promote fat storage but I'm
getting ahead of myself.
Next time, I will talk about carbohydrates uses in the body and get into
how
much athlete's need along with the various sources and timing of
carboyhydrate ingestion.
References:
1. Contemporary Nutrition: Issues and Insights 1992 by Mosby-Year Books,
Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This time I want to talk about the uses of carbohydrate in the body.
Carbohydrate's main use in the body is for energy needs. Whether it is to
fuel immediate energy requirements (during exercise) or to be stored for
future use (as glycogen in the muscle) it's main purpose is to provide
energy. However, it pales in comparison to fat as an storage depot for
energy. A sedentary person can store about 1700 calories as glycogen (with
400 of that in the liver) while fat stores may total up to 35000 (more than
10 marathon's worth) calories (assuming 10lbs of fat). An athlete may be
able to store as many as 4000 calories as carbohydrate due to training
adaptations, but this is still limited compared to the 10000-30000 calories
stored as fat. In any case, glycogen is limited and ,if carbohydrate is
not
supplied regularly, stores become rapidly depleted. Ideally, during
exercise, only fat would be used as it is essentially limitless.
Unfortunately, this is not chemically possible as some carbohydrate must
be
available for fat to be oxidized.
Another use of carbohydrate (and one which is related to energy needs) is
to
spare protein. When I talk about protein and nitrogen balance, this will
make a little more sense. For now, let me say that inadequate carbohydrate
intake will raise protein requirements.
Another form of carbohydrate (which I didn't mention in part 1) is fiber.
There are two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble). Fiber serves many
purposes in the body including softening the stool and decreasing blood
cholesterol levels (I'll go into more detail in the section on fats).
Another function of fiber is to slow gastric emptying and digestion. This
serves to slow the release of carbohydrate into the bloodstream and helps
to
keep insulin levels steadier. Recommendations are 25-30 grams per day.
Average intake is around 10-15 grams per day.
Ok, well what about carbohydrate recommendations for athletes and other
folks. With all the recent fervor over heart disease, the trend has been
to
increase carbohydrate intake in this country in lieu of fat. General
recommendations are for 65-75% of total calories to come from carbohydrates
with no more than 10% in the form of simple sugars. Actual American intake
hovers around 45% of total calories. There is no RDA for carbohydrates.
Next time, I will get into more specific details regarding carbohydrates
for
athletes including when to take in carbs relative to training and also what
kind of carbs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, before I talk about specifics about carb intake, let me talk a little
about insulin. Insulin is a hormone which is released from the pancreas
after carbohydrate is digested. Insulin has a couple of functions. One is
to
drive glucose into the muscle cells by increasing glucose transport. Another
is to drive glucose and fat into fat cells by stimulating an enzyme called
lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Thus, insulin is a double edged sword when it
comes to athletic performance. Without it, glucose cannot reach the muscle
cells where it is needed, but an excess will contribute to fat storage.
Well, depending on certain factors (which I'll cover in the next post),
you
may or may not want a high insulin level. The amount of insulin released
is
basically a factor of how quickly glucose is released into the bloodstream.
Rapid release will result in a large insulin response. Sometimes, too much
insulin is released leading to low blood sugar as too much of the ingested
carbohydrate is shunted into the muscle/fat cells which results in hunger
and impaired performance.
The general thinking was always that complex carbohydrates (rice, potatoes,
etc) released less insulin than simple carbohydrates (fruit, etc). However,
in the last 10-15 years, this idea has been challenged by the introduction
of something called the glycemic index (GI). The GI was developed for
diabetics who need to keep a lid on their insulin release as their bodies
are not capable of dealing with the excess (or any) insulin. Basically,
the
GI is a measure of how much insulin is released by a given food. Glucose
is
defined as 100 and all values are relative to it. Unfortunately, only a
handful of foods have even been tested as it is quite expensive to do. Also,
there is a lot of individual variability so treat these numbers as
guidelines only.
Please note that these values only apply if the food in question is eaten
by
itself. As soon as you combine foods off of this list, the value changes.
And, if the food in question is eaten with fat, protein or fiber, the GI
drops as digestion, and hence, gastric emptying is slowed lessening the
insulin response. Oh, yeah, number closer to 100 release more insulin than
numbers farther from it.
Sugars Grains/cereals Legumes
glucose 100 white bread 69 beans
fructose 20 wheat bread 72 soy 15
maltose 105 brown rice 66 baked 40
sucrose 59 white rice 72 butter 36
spaghetti kidney 29
Vegetables white 50 chick peas 36
beets 64 wheat 42 peas (frzn) 51
carrots 92 corn 59 lentils 29
potatoes cornflakes 80
instant 80 oatmeal 49
yams 51 shredded wheat 67
Fruits Dairy products Misc.
apples 39 ice cream 36 honey 87
bananas 62 milk, skim 32 Mars bar 68
oranges 40 whole 34 peanuts 13
potato chips 51
You may notice that fructose (fruit sugar) has a very low GI. This has
prompted some to suggest it as the optimal form of carbo for exercise. This
is not the case as too much fructose in one's diet can cause diarrhea and
elevate blood triglycerides. Next time, I will talk about the consequences
of the GI for both athletes and sedentary people.
References:
1. Glycemic Index reprinted from Science Digest January 1984.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last time, I introduced somthing called the Glycemic Index (GI) which is
a
measure of how much insulin is released by a given carbohydrate food
(relative to glucose). Now, I want to talk about the consequences of the
GI
at different times during the day.
Sedentary person: Let's say you eat a carbohydrate meal during the day.
If
you eat a high GI food, you will get a high insulin response and, since
glycogen levels are high, glucose will be stored equally to skeletal muscle
and adipose (fat) tissue equally. So, you should try to stick with low GI
foods for most of your meals.
Before exercise: For a long time, it was thought that taking in carbs before
exercise might be detrimental as it would cause an insulin burst and
ultimately lower blood glucose levels. This was found in several studies.
However, if carbs are taken in at least an hour before exercise, insulin
levels have a chance to return to normal and exercise performance is not
impaired. (1) Also, low GI foods (beans, etc) make an excellent pre-exercise
carb source as they don't realease much insulin anyway.
During exercise: At this time, the situation changes and some interesting
things are going on hormonally. The body releases epinephrine and
nor-epinephrine which increase heart rate in addition to other things and
also inhibits insulin release. This causes insulin levels to drop increasing
the mobilization of free fatty acids from adipose tissue. Since glycogen
is
being used up, there occurs an increase in glucose transport to the muscle
which is insulin independent. Thus, it is best to drink a high GI fluid
(preferably glucose or glucose polymer) as it will empty from the stomach
quickly and reach the muscles faster than a low GI carbohydrate would. This
applies for any exercise session lasting 1.5-2 hours.
If you are exercising more than two hours, something else is going on. In
addition to depletion of muscle glycogen, liver glycogen is also being used
up. Thus, it is best to combine glucose (or polymer) with fructose (which
preferentially increases liver glycogen) and drink it constantly during
exercise.
But, how much carbohydrate should be used during exercise? The composition
of drinks during exercise has been the study of much research and
advertising. The first drink on the market was Gatorade and it has been
joined by dozens of others (Cytomax, Endura, and Hydra Fuel to name a few).
Without going into too many details regarding the research that has been
done which deals with not only concentration, type of carbohydrate,
absorption, gastric emptying and a lot of other stuff, I'll cut to the chase
and make recommendations.
The first problem during exercise that must be dealt with is fluid
replacement. Without adequate fluids, dehydration sets in rapidly and fluid
loss can be 1 liter/ hour during intense exercise. So, adequate fluid intake
is crucial to athletic performance. At a dehydration level of 1%,
performance suffers by 3%. At a dehydration level of 5% or more, death can
result.
The second is maintaining carbohydrate levels during exercise. Well,
unfortunately, the addition of carbohydrate to water tends to retard gastric
emptying of the water and thus impairs fluid replacement. A good guideline
is to take in 100-200 calories of carbs (25-50 grams) every half hour split
into 2 8oz feedings. Basically, this works out to a 5-8% concentration of
carbohydrate which has been found to maximize gastric emptying while still
maintaining blood glucose levels. Up to 2-3% of this may be fructose. Higer
fructose concnetrations may cause gastro-intstinal upset (i.e. diarrhea)
and
should be avoided. Most commercial drinks fall somewhere into this
concentration range. (2)
Also, many drinks add electrolytes (sodium and potassium) to their drinks.
This has been found to increase glucose and water uptake and also increases
the palatibility of the drinks making it more likely that the athlete will
drink them frequently.
As to which drink is the best, that's a tough call. Most have some reason
to
claim being the best. Cytomax has alpha-poly-lactate which is supposed to
buffer lactic acid. Endura has extra magnesium as they claim endurance
athletes are chronically depleted. Basically, pick one that you like the
taste of. No matter how good one of these drinks is, they are useless if
you
don't like the taste and don't drink it.
To digress slightly, protein is not needed during exercise unless it is
extremely intense and of long duration (i.e. Tour De France, Race Across
America, etc).
Next time I will talk about one of the most controversial areas of
carbohydrate intake which is carbohydrates immediately after exercise.
References:
1. Andrew Shields Ed. The Health for Life Training Advisor Health For Life
1990.
2. Jacqueline Berning Sports Nutrition for the 90's Aspen Pubications 1991.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing from last time, I would like to talk about carbo intake
immediately after exercise.
At this point, assuming you have worked out a sufficient amount, muscle
glycogen is depleted immediately after workout, even if you took in carbs
during exercise. This has a couple of consequences. First, and foremost,
glucose transport is high due to low levels of muscle glycogen. Also,
glycogen synthase (the enzyme responsible for turning glucose into glycogen)
activity is high. Now, two things can happen.
1. If you don't take in any carbs after your workout, the body will take
protein (muscle) and lactate and go through a process called gluconeogenesis
(literally the making of new glucose) and convert it into glucose. This
is
bad as it has the potential to break down muscle tissue.
2. You can take in carbs, satisfying your muscle's needs and avoid muscle
breakdown. This is the better choice.
But, what kind of carbs are best for glycogen repletion? My professor
suggested that low glycemic index carbs be used so that an insulin response
would be avoided which would impair muscular glycogen repletion. However,
glycogen synthase activity only stays elevated for 2 hours after exercise
so
low GI carbs may be too slow in digestingto be of any use. Michael Colgan
suggests glucose polymers with a little pure glucose so that insulin will
be
stimulated to increase glucose transport into the cell. He contends that
the
high insulin response won't push glucose into the fat cells since the
muscles will take it up too quickly (1). One study found that simple
carbohydrates (high GI) were better than complex, fiber-rich carbs (low
GI)
for glycogen repletion after six hours but that no difference was found
after 20 hours for muscle glycogen (2). Another study found that combining
112 grams of carbs with 40.7 grams of protein maximized muscle glycogen
due
to a higher insulin response when compared to either the carbs or protein
taken separately (3). And, finally, a recent muscle magazine suggested
taking in simple carbs while doing low intensity exercise so that insulin
independent glucose transport could occur withoutfear of insulin response
(4). To me, this last suggestion makes the most sense. With it, you neither
risk an insulin response (which may or may not drive some glucose into fat
cells) and get good quick glucose uptake and synthesis by the muscles. The
key is to make the exercise intensity low enough that you aren't depleting
more carbohydrate than you are ingesting.
The magazine suggests 10 minutes of easy exercise during which time 75-100
grams of simple carbs (like fruit juice) are sipped.
In actuality, a study was done that backs this up indirectly (5). The study
was looking at carbs immediately prior to exercise (which as stated has
been
found to cause an insulin response and reactive hypoglycemia or low blood
sugar) to see if mild exercise would blunt the insulin response. A warm
up
done consisting of 5 minutes easy spinning, and 20 minutes of slightly
harder riding with 10 sec intervals thrown in. During this time, a variety
of carb drinks were ingested at either 300 or 600 ml. At the onset of
exercise, increased blood glucose levels were found with only a
slightincrease in insulin levels after a seven minute break. So, carbs taken
during light exercise have the capacity to increase blood glucose (and
presumably muscle glycogen when it is depleted) without an insulin response.
The magazine suggests 10 minutes of easy exercise. Every supplement company
makes some type of post-workout carb drink. Personally, I've used Twinlab
Ultra Fuel and Gatorlode. Gatorlode is good because it's cheap but it
doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles like chromium (which may help)
or even fructose as it is mainly glucose polymer. Another option is plain
fruit juice although you have to drink quite a bit to get a lot of carbs
(figure 3-4 cups to get 60-90 grams of carbs). Also, it may not be a bad
idea to use a drink containing some fructose (or add some yourself) to help
replenish liver glycogen which can be very depleted following exercise.
When I talk about protein, I'll complete this explanation and talk a little
more about protein after exercise. Next time, carbohydrate needs for
athletes.
References:
1. Colgan, M. Optimal Sports Nutrition
2. Kiens, B. et al. "Benefit of Dietary Simple Carbohydrates on the
Early
Postexercise Muscle Glycogen Repletion in Male Athletes" Med Sci Sports
Exercise (Abstract)
3. Zawadzki, K. et al. "Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the
rate f
muscle glycogen storage after exercise" J. Appl. Physiol. 72(5): 1854-1859.
4. Ron J. Clark "Insulin Management accelerates Muscle growth in drug-free
bodybuilders" Muscle Media 2000. Dec-Jan 1994.
5. Brouns F. et al. "Effect of carbohydrate intake during warming-up
on the
regulation of blood glucose during exercise" Int. J. Sports Med. 10:
S68-S75, 1989.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, to wrap up carbohydrates, let me talk a little about how much
carbohydrate athletes need. For endurance athletes, it's a little more clear
cut than for weight training in terms of how much one needs. However, when
I
talk about fats, we'll see that the old ideas regarding carb intake may
not
necessarily be correct.
The general thinking is that carbs should make up anywhere from 65-75% of
the diet of an endurance athlete. Since may calories are expended during
training, sufficient carbs must be ingested to maintain muscle glycogen
so
that training can continue. One study found that people ingesting 40%
calories from carbohydrates slowly depleted their muscle glycogen to the
point that they could not exercise. By contrast, a group eating 70% carbs
was able to maintain muscle glycogen levels even with daily training.
What about for strength athletes? Well, here the waters muddy a bit and,
quite honestly, I haven't seen a lot of research. One theory has it that,
as
with endurance athletes, the majority of calories should be in the form
of
carbs. Other sources suggest that only enough carbs should be taken in to
prevent ketosis (buildup of incompletely burned fatty acids) with the
remainder of calories coming from protein.
Ultimately, the amount of carbs necessary to maintain athletic performance
will vary with the athlete and the type and amount of training. The 65-75%
of calories should provide a good guideline. As a brief teaser, let me
mention that there is some more recent research that indicates that less
carbs and more fat may be more conducive toathletic performance and bodyfat
loss but you'll have to wait a little for me to get to that.
Next time, protein and athletes.
*
Message 30 27/07/96 14:22
Subject: Permiability factors
From: Anne Valinski, INTERNET:flow@postoffice.ptd.net
Could someone explain what permiability factors are?
Flow@prolog.net(Anne)
*
Message 29 27/07/96 14:22
Subject: Lang Bread
2From: Anne Valinski, INTERNET:flow@postoffice.ptd.net
I accidentally deleted the person who offered to send a recipe for Lang
bread. If you read this, I would really like the recipe because it
isn't in Elaine's book Food and the Gut Reaction.
Thanks, Anne
flow@prolog.net
*
7/07/96 19:47
Subject: Ramblings :-)
From: Cheryl L. Crabill,clc@cs.purdue.edu,Internet
Hi everyone,
It's been a while since I've written anything. Everything has been going
well here. I'm off the Prednisone now finally and everything is fine, I
have
UC for those who are new or don't remember. I came off of the prednisone
fine the first time also but then flared 3 months later. I was on Asacol
then and eating a lot of wheat bread, so it wasn't doing it's job.
That's when I decieded to try the diet..starting in May. My doctor has
now switched me to Pentasa. I also ran out of Pentasa pills one weekend
waiting for the pharmacy to get some more. I had 8 pills for the weekend
and was supposed to be taking 16 a day so...I was a bit worried but
everything was fine. I took one a time instead of the four and had
no problems at all. That was also my first days off of Prednisone too.
So maybe in a few months I'll ask to reduce my Pentasa. I'm starting to
wonder if it's doing anything for me at all. I occassionally miss
taking it at all and have no problems then either.
I did a bit of experimenting last week with recipes. I added a bit
of cinnamon to the muffins, which was a good change. I also used the
sweet and sour lentil recipe but instead of using lentils I used a combination
of some green beans, peas and some onions. I cooked the beans and
peas in the microwave, sauteed the onions in the butter and combined everything
together for a few minutes till it was hot then I put it in the refrigerator
to make a cold "three" bean like salad. It was good.
I got a couple of recipe books at the library this week and I'm finding
some that look good. Some were allergy cook-books for people with various
sensitivities to wheat, milk, eggs, sugar etc. So I'll let you
know if any of them turn out any good.
Most everyone says that the Lois Lang bread is good. Has anyone tried
that with pecans instead of almonds? I can't find almonds locally around
here and don't have enough storage place to store 25 lbs worth.
Elaine questions?? What's the status of that? It sounded like a great idea
to me. I'd like to ask Elaine about Pentasa. What she thought of it and
whether we need to get off of it to make the diet truly "successful".
If
we do get off of it what should we be taking instead?
Well that's about all for now.
Take care everyone,
Cheryl
*
28/07/96 21:20
Subject: WARNING!!
From: michael cabarles,cabarles@geko.net.au,Internet
Welcome to all the new one's
I've written about this before but I feel I should repeat this warning
since I didn't take my own advice and found myself in this life threatening
situation.
KETOSIS - BEWARE!
The introductory diet in Elaine's book is dangerous if followed for more
than a 5 days as recommended. If not closely monitored as to caloric
requirements, It may not include enough carbs to sustain life indefinitely.
I was on this diet for more than 2 weeks and went into KETOSIS (lack of
carbs) where the body starts burning fats and protein. This is the essence
of the Atkins diet and there are numerous warnings on the net about this
diet. Ketosis can lead to a drop in PH (acid) in the blood (not good for
those with IBD whose acid levels are already high. this forces the kidneys
to compensate to neutralise this acid by producing large amounts of
bicarbonates and the lungs hyperventilate to remove the CO2 in an attempt
to buffer the large amounts of acid being produced. In addition a rise in
potassium occurs in the blood which may if exceeding 6.5 cause cardiac
arrythmias and death (even in healthy young individuals) many in the 70's
died as a result of this compensatory mechanism. The danger remains today!
I was suspicious of my carbohydrate intake because I was constantly tired
depressed. So I got some keto tabs from the chemist and to my surprise by
glucose was fine but my ketones were way up to 4 (Though this a mild
reading the danger lies in staying at this level over a period of weeks)
you should be at 0 level for normal metabolism functioning. As soon as I
moved to correct this My energy level shot up my depression cleared (things
just seeemed bearable even though my condition did not change drastically
and the most notable thing was that my circulation improved, My hands and
feet warmed up considerably) I added fresh squeezed and strained fruit
juice to breakfast, carrots and zuchhini, swedes to lunch (all pressure
cooked or well steamed) and pumpkin to dinner (cooked till really soft)
It's a bit monotonous but I feel much more able to cope with my job and
life in general!
*
28/07/96 21:44
Subject: Re: Hello, UC question.
From: ShodanRT@aol.com,Internet
Dear Meg & Matt, I also have UC & have been helped tremendously
thru Elaine's
diet. I've been on it since Apr.1,1995. Prior to that, I'd been on
azulphadine since diagnosed approx. 8 years ago. From almost day 1 on the
diet, I noticed major changes. It took a couple of months from there, but
the
healing was progressive from the beginning. I've had a couple of minor
backslides (some diahrea, blood) but they usually followed a food risk I
took, and were shortlived. Prior to the diet I had 10 years of severe
diahrea and major bleeding. The azulphadine kept it mildly controlled, but
even with that I was definately sick. I looked sick (gray palor, puffed,
bloated) I felt and I acted sick. By contrast, if you met me today (a year
and a quarter into the diet), unless I told you I had a chronis disease,
you
wouldn't know. I live a full active life, work full time, play hard (I've
been pacticing martial arts for 13 years) and am able to share and enjoy
more
fully, my marriage to my husband and best friend of almost 30 years and
my
relationship with my 2 adult children. Has the diet helped me? Its given
me
my life back! I have a question for those who share that the diet hasn't
really worked for them. This is not a judgement, just curiousity. Has the
effort been 100%? Even Elaine says the diet doesn't work for everyone, its
just that it works so well for me, I can't understand how or why it doesn't
work for all. I know that there are varying degrees to this illness but
I was
awfully sick and seemed to be at high risk of bleeding to death, not to
mention always having to be in a 30 second sprinting range of the nearest
bathroom. I guess what I'm saying to those who have tried it and don't
believe it works, is that if your initial attempt wasn't 100% wholehearted,
maybe this lifesaving diet is worth a second try. Wishing you all luck and
love, Rachel
*