Articles of Interest     Getting a Handle on the Diet Craze   By Leslie Jacobs, M.D., and William Shoemaker, M.D.   "I've heard a lot about diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates lately. In the past, I've followed the low-fat diet recommended by my physician and haven't been able to lose the weight. Which diet is the best?"   Low fat, high protein, low carbohydrates … gets confusing, doesn't it? First, you must realize that any plan to reduce weight and body fat has to reduce the number of calories consumed. Whenever the body takes in more calories than it burns, the extra calories must be stored for future energy needs. Only a small portion of the surplus calories is converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles. The majority of them must be stored as fat. Over the years, many experts have argued over which of the fuel sources (fat, carbohydrates, or proteins) should be emphasized when trying to lose weight. Some of the confusion arises due to the fact that foods and snacks which are "low fat" are often "high calorie," because they have either processed sugar or sugar derived from natural sources (corn syrup, fruit juice) added to improve taste. A further source of confusion lies in the popular practice of consuming more starches and carbohydrates while excluding fats. The prevailing theory that encouraged many to adopt this dietary style was that this practice would diminish one's total body fat. Data now suggests, however, that high-carbohydrate diets lead to elevated insulin levels, which, in turn, increase fat storage.   Presently, most nutritional experts recommend a diet rich in protein. There are definite advantages to this strategy. First, protein exhibits less of an effect on insulin which results in less overall body fat. By using protein as the major fuel source, one can also limit the loss of muscle that is often seen with dieting. How does that happen? Proteins are composed of amino acids, of which the body must have a steady source to produce the millions of enzymes and other molecules it requires each day. If our intake of protein is restricted, the body must meet its amino acid requirements by breaking down its own muscle as a source of protein.   It makes sense, then, to increase one's dietary protein in order to prevent this breakdown. However, a potential problem arises upon adopting this theory-most sources of protein are very high in fat and cholesterol. The answer to this dilemma is a product that contains highly absorbable protein derived from whey, a significant ingredient because the types of amino acids found in whey closely resemble those found in human muscle. This protein provides the best possible building blocks for muscle development and preservation. A husband-and-wife team, Drs. William Shoemaker and Leslie Jacobs are both board-certified internists who practice in Las Vegas. Their family-owned internal medicine practice is one of the largest and most successful in the state of Nevada. These two doctors are also IndependentDistributors of WIN. Main Article Index click here Our copyright and Privacy statements / Medical Disclaimer © 2002, Makena Werks, Int'l, All Rights Reserved.