Article by gill Cummings-Bell BA (Hon’s) M.Sc, PGCE. MBA MIfL

Food choices are decisions we make everyday of our lives. The confusing messages about what we should or should not choose to eat for weight loss becomes lost with popular press coverage of the latest successful calorie restricted diet plan.

A popular diet myth that has been around for many years and keeps raising its head is the ‘high protein – low carbohydrate diet’ i.e. Atkins diet.  This has been recently popularised by celebrity success.

As a nutritionist I’m constantly asked the question about my view of high protein diets and being very opinionated as usual I’m often quite prepared to give it.  To say the least my view is ‘controversial’ meaning open to discussion.

The basis of a healthy diet

One of the problems we face publicly is the word diet itself.  Most people associate the word diet with a reduced calorie intake, (a weight loss plan).  In the fitness world of course the word diet encompasses all eating, and the word weight loss refers to fat loss.  This aside when we consider any weight loss plan, we should all be looking for a balanced healthy approach.  For any diet to be considered healthy it should follow these guidelines;

  • It should cause an energy deficit (for weight loss this should be no more than 500-100 kcals/d than the need. ACSM 2000).
  • It should be balanced across all the food groups (carbohydrate, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and water).
  • It should come from varied nutrient sources (not the same foods all the time)
  • Food should be of a high quality (as unrefined as possible with as much fresh food as possible with fibre, vitamins and minerals)

It should not;

  • Recommend cutting out any food group
  • A reduction in kilocalories below 1000 less than the person needs
  • The buying of special foods
  • Claim any weight loss in excess of one to two pounds per week (realistically this should be two weeks)
  • Be prescriptive in only eating certain foods at certain times (deprivation)

The high protein diets and where they fit.

For many individuals who are suffering from excess weight the quick fix solution is a ‘dream’, and as with all dreams we often pursue them rigorously and can sometimes be disappointed.  The ideal body for one in two individuals in the UK is slowly becoming a dream, as 52% of women are overweight and 48% of men are overweight, not to mention the problem we now have with one in three children suffering from weight problems.  Can diets such as the high protein diet curb this trend.  One of the most important tools for anyone is to be able to evaluate it for themselves.  Does it follow the healthy diet guidelines?

High protein claims

Many recent studies have pointed to the benefits of a reduced kilo-calorie diet, having higher levels of protein relative to the carbohydrate content and that this is more beneficial for weight loss.  The recommendation is as much as 30%. When the England rugby team won the world cup their diet was 40/40/20.  40% Protien, 40% Carbohydrate & 20% Fat. Look what it did for them! But now to science.

A very recent study by Noakes et. Al. (2013) showed that an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet provided nutritional and metabolic benefits that were equal to and sometimes greater than those with a high-carbohydrate diet. Weight loss was 25% greater with the high protein diet in subjects with a high blood concentration of fat esters, where as in the women with low blood concentrations of fat esters, there was no difference between the high carb diet or the high protein. This suggests that if you have an unhealthy bood lipid profile a high protein diet can have a much greater beneficial effect.

Stampfer et. Al,(1999) also found a positive health benefit from a high protein intake in the Nurses’ Health Study, which found a 26% lower rate of cardiovascular disease in those women in the highest protein intake group than in those in the lowest protein intake group.

Further studies by Layman et. al (2003). in overweight women, have shown that diets with a high ratio of protein to carbohydrate have positive effects on body composition, blood lipids, and glucose homeostasis, and that these benefits may be partly due to the effect of protein on satiety and by a lower glycemic load because of a lower carbohydrate intake.

Baba et.al. (1999) also showed that a higher protein intake during weight loss may also prevent some of the inevitable loss of lean body mass and, thus, may improve insulin sensitivity.

There are many more studies available. Altogether a higher protein content to a low calorie diet is becoming accepted as the healthier option.

A permanent way of eating that;

  • Lets you lose weight without counting calories
  • Makes you feel and look better
  • Naturally re-energizes you
  • Improves your metabolic profile
  • Improves your blood lipid profile
  • Keeps lost pounds off forever

Ask yourself the question if people lose weight on a high protein diet.  I know many people who have claimed too, and when they do, they also experience many of the above claims.

The basis of some of the claims is that obesity is caused by the body’s metabolism being disturbed. This disturbance is caused by eating too many high density, refined, carbohydrates, which leads to insulin resistance and hyper-insulinism.  The solution, is that if you control carbohydrates and eat less refined carbohydrates then you avoid the foods that cause you to be fat. This is because of the insulin response to highly refined carbohydrates.

Insulin plays two major roles in the body.   It reduces blood sugar when blood sugar is elevated beyond normal levels (i.e. after feeding on carbohydrates) and it may reduce lipolysis (the release and breakdown of fat from the fat cells).

In brief, many highly refined carbohydrates have a high number of kilocalories packed into a small amount of food (high density) and respond in the body the same way as sugar.  If blood sugar is dramatically elevated then insulin will respond and can often cause a ‘hypo-glycemic’ back lash by lowering the blood sugar too quickly or too low.  This will normalise within one to three hours, however in the meantime  your brain may trigger feeding again.  The idea of limiting highly refined carbohydrates therefore does not seem unreasonable.

Work with your clients to change what they put on their plate and you will facilitate them to achieve their most dreamed of results.

If  you want to learn more about nutrition, join us on our Level 3 Nutrition For Physical Activity or our Level 4 Weight Management Course. These two courses will broaden your knowledge and add to your business services.