Atkins Diabetes Revolution (25 page)

THE FAT IN NUTS

Note: Amounts are for a 1-ounce serving.

Source: USDA.

EATING YOUR OMEGAS

A valuable source of dietary polyunsaturated fats is omega-3 fatty acids. You can get omega-3s from fish and from dietary supplements made from fish or algae.Many studies have shown that fish oil can dramatically help reduce the risk of heart disease.
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The effect of these oils is so powerful that in 2002, the American Heart Association summarized research and recommended that healthy people include omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources to protect their hearts.
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–
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For those with diabetes, the value of fish also comes from the omega-3 fatty acids it contains. Omega-3s can raise HDL cholesterol slightly, have little or no effect on LDL cholesterol, and can significantly help to lower triglycerides. In fact, a meta-analysis in 1998 of 26 different studies showed that fish oil supplements, which are nothing but omega-3 fatty acids, lower triglycerides by almost 30 percent.
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Omega-3 supplements also help in decreasing inflammatory responses which, as you know, is beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome.
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Eating cold-water fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring, or eel, is one way to get the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, as is taking fish oil supplements—and we know it works because most of the studies are based on people consuming fish or fish oil (not to be confused with cod liver oil).Recent tests of fish oil supplements show a lower level of mercury in the supplements than is found in the amount of fish needed to obtain an equal amount of the oil.
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There are also plant sources of omega-3s. If you are concerned about fish as a source of environmental pollutants and/or declining supplies, you can get omega-3s from plant sources such as algae and flaxseed oil. Like fish oil, flaxseed oil and other plant sources can help control blood lipids and prevent heart attacks.
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SUPPLEMENTAL OILS AND BLOOD SUGAR

A few studies of omega-3 fatty acids have suggested that taking them in supplement form could raise blood sugar; a few other studies have suggested that omega-3 supplements actually improve insulin sensitivity. To find out for sure, in 1995, researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind,placebo-controlled trial using 4 grams of fish oil a day for some diabetic patients and 4 grams of corn oil for others.After 16 weeks, the fish oil had no effect on the blood sugar of the people who took it. It did, however, slightly lower their blood pressure; it also modestly lowered their triglycerides.
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THE BAD FAT

Now we have to talk about manufactured trans fats—the type you should avoid whenever possible. To understand why, you’ll need to know a bit more about this widely used fat.

Trans fats start out as an inexpensive polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as corn oil. The oil is then processed to force more hydrogen atoms back into the fatty acid chains. This partial hydrogenation makes the oil thicker, less likely to go rancid, and better able to withstand high temperatures. Trans fats are also inexpensive, so they’re very widely used in baked goods, in snack foods, for deep-frying, and in margarine.

The problem with overexposure to trans fats is that they can have a very dangerous effect on your blood lipids. Trans fats raise your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, lower your HDL cholesterol, and may contribute directly to developing heart disease. A pioneering study published in 1994 showed that, overall, the people who eat the most trans fats also have the greatest risk of having a heart attack.
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Of course, someone who eats a lot of manufactured trans fats is probably also eating a lot of low-quality carbohydrates in the form of highly processed cookies,cakes,breads,crackers,and snack foods.The latest summaries of this research indicate that the quality rather than the quantity of fat is what affects cardiovascular disease risk.
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By eliminating worthless high-carb foods from your diet, as you do when you follow the ABSCP, you automatically also eliminate most of the manufactured trans fats. Bear in mind, however, that these trans fats are also used in most margarines, in peanut butters, and in solid shortenings. We strongly recommend replacing these artificial fats with real butter, fresh unprocessed nut butters, and high-quality vegetable oils. (See Processed vs. Unrefined Oils, page 160.)

COOKING WITH FATS

When you sauté foods or use a deep-fryer, high heat can convert a small amount of oil into trans fats.The amount is so small that it’s not really a problem. To avoid accumulating trans fats in the cooking oil, however, don’t reuse it, as is done in the deep-fryers found in many fast-food restaurants.

PUTTING FATS TO WORK

By now it should be pretty clear why good fats, meaning natural and unrefined, are such an important part of the ABSCP. The best part about adding the good fats is that it’s very simple to do. Substituting extra virgin olive oil for the refined vegetable oil you might be using in salads now is not only easy, it’ll make your food taste better. To get more nuts into your diet, have a handful as a snack now and then; spread a spoonful of sugar-free, nonhydrogenated peanut butter onto a piece of celery; sprinkle some slivered almonds onto green beans; or toss some walnuts in with sautéed vegetables (see Chapters 26 and 27 for more ideas). Get more omega-3s into your diet by eating canned salmon once a week at lunch, by making fish for dinner once a week, and by taking supplemental oils. Such changes are simple, but the effects on your health are profound.And as you’ll learn in the next chapter, combining those good fats with protein sources is one of the best things you can do for your health.

FIND THE FAT

To test your understanding of the sources of different types of fat, answer these questions.

1. Dark green leafy vegetables contain polyunsaturated fat.

1. True
   
2. False
   

2. Which food
isn’t
a good source of monounsaturated fats?

1. olive oil
   
2. salmon
   
3. corn oil
   
4. avocado
   

3. How much of the fat in a typical piece of steak is saturated?

1. all of it
   
2. almost all of it
   
3. less than half
   

4. Cholesterol is found mostly in animal foods.

1. True
   
2. False
   

5. Essential fatty acids are found in:

1. fish
   
2. eggs
   
3. nuts
   
4. olive oil
   
5. all of the above
   

Answers1.True.2.c.3.c.4.True.5.e.

Chapter 13

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN

Protein is the main building block for every part of your body—and it’s also the mainstay of the Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA) and the Atkins Blood Sugar Control Program (ABSCP). Protein plays a vital role in stabilizing your insulin and blood sugar, making it easier to lose weight.

PROTEIN FACTS

Most of your body is made up of protein—even your bones and teeth are approximately half protein. Proteins are made up of long, very complex, intricately folded and coiled chains of some 20 different amino acids.Amino acids are small molecules made from atoms of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and sometimes sulfur. The amino acids fall into two groups: essential and nonessential.

Essential amino acids are the ones you have to get every day from your meals to maintain good health, just as you need vitamins and essential fatty acids. Nonessential amino acids can come from the food you eat, but your body also synthesizes them from essential amino acids.

You need all those amino acids from protein in order to build new cells and maintain and repair your body.Every single day,for instance, your body needs to make millions of new red blood cells to replace the ones that wear out. Without protein, it could not do so. You also need protein to make the many thousands of different enzymes, hormones, and other chemical messengers that make your body function properly. In fact, insulin is a protein—an intricate chain made of 51 assorted amino acids.

WHAT ARE AMINO ACIDS?

Just as you can make any word in the English language from some combination of 26 letters, your body can manufacture any of the many thousands of proteins it needs by combining the 20 or so different amino acids.

The essential amino acids are:

Histidine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Lysine

Methionine

Phenylalanine

Threonine

Tryptophan

Valine

The nonessential amino acids are:

Alanine

Arginine (essential for babies)

Asparagine

Aspartic acid

Cysteine (conditionally essential—in some circumstances you may need this from your diet)

Glutamic acid

Glutamine

Glycine

Proline

Serine

Taurine (essential for babies)

Tyrosine (conditionally essential—in some circumstances you may need this from your diet)

To make your body’s tissues,hormones,and other substances,your cells follow instructions from your DNA and assemble the various amino acids into different proteins. The protein chains can be as short as just two different amino acid molecules (peptides) or so complex that they contain thousands of various amino acid molecules. When exactly the right amino acids are linked together in exactly the right sequence,they coil and fold into the exact shape of that particular protein. The newly formed protein fits, just like a key into a lock, into specialized receptors in your cells—or links up with other proteins to carry out its highly specific job in your body. And when that job is done, other proteins come along and break down the “old” protein so that the amino acids can be reused. Not all the amino acids can be recycled; some are even burned for energy,which is why you need a daily supply of the essential ones.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?

Although there’s a formula to calculate the minimum amount of protein necessary for the standard low-fat, high-carb diet, the amount of protein you need to control your insulin and blood sugar and manage your weight on the ABSCP can’t be calculated by a set formula. Instead, we simply—and strongly—recommend that you eat liberally of delicious high-protein foods such as poultry,fish,beef,pork,and eggs. Eat enough at each meal or snack to feel satisfied but not stuffed.Your body will tell you when you’ve had enough,because you’ll feel satiated. You might be surprised at how quickly you feel full after eating a high- protein meal. That’s because protein helps maintain blood glucose levels within the range for optimum body function. Without the dramatic highs and lows, you’ll feel more energetic and less hungry.