Loading ...Low Carb Weekend
This weekend I went with a group of buddies to The Preakness. These guys know I’m a big low-carb follower and tease me about it sometimes in a good-natured way. I have heard stories from others who get lots of flak from their friends or coworkers about eating low-carb, but I suppose this is probably happening less these days with the popularity of such plans.
For the first time I can remember, though, I did get into somewhat of a debate about the efficacy of such plans. I don’t mind debating about this stuff, but I always feel unprepared because I don’t have actual studies that I can pull out to prove a point. What I did get out of this discussion was that there are studies purporting to “prove” or at least indicate a connection between low-carb eating and health benefits as well as low-carb eating and health dangers. Without looking at these studies individually, and reading them carefully and fully, you can’t use them for any kind of ammunition. You can punch holes through studies which on the surface seem fine, but when you dig deeper you find that they don’t account for some important variables, or that they use animal models instead of human models, or that they are flawed in of a million different ways. Unfortunately most studies are funded by a company or even a government institution that could be considered somewhat to obviously biased. These groups have agendas, and whether they are blatant about theirs to the scientists they give money to or not, theirs at least a subconscious understanding that one should bite the hand that feeds you. Look at what’s been revealed in the medical industry with the Neurontin debacle. Cynicism has lead me really to not believe anything I read in the papers reporting the benefits or dangers of any drug or diet. I don’t have the time or energy to read all these studies word for word, so I suppose I will just reserve judgment until I have cause to do so.
Anyway, we went to Philips for lunch on Sunday. Philips is a regional chain of seafood restaurants around here, and like many other chains, they have started to include a section for low-carbers. It was nice that with their low-carb entrees they offered both a veggie and a salad, whereas on other entrées if you wanted to add a salad you had to pay. So, I ordered a broiled salmon and when the waiter came and started handing out our plates and saying what was on them, he said for mine “low-carb salmon.” Ok, well, maybe it’s not that bad, but Salmon is not low carb or high carb, it is NO carb! Ok, so maybe he’s just referring to the plate and not the fish, but I still thought it was funny.
