<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks to those of you who responded to my comments about the high protein
diet and the irony of being celiac and living with a family member who is
choosing to give up bread. I've collected the responses in this message.

Clearly, the high protein diet is not seen as healthful for any long-term
use. However, one theme here is that some people discovered their CD when
they tried a version of the Atkins diet. Given the lack of information some
medical professionals have, I guess we have to be glad to solve the CD
puzzle in any way we can!

                                                        Marlene
______________

It was as a result of a high protein-low carb diet that I discovered my
celiac disease and since starting a gf diet I have been able to start
reversing a life-long compulsive eating. For me, I feel the best when I
limit my carbs to one meal a day and keep all of my meal portions small.

I no longer eat as much protein as in the diet book, but I do make sure that
I am eating LOTS of vegetables and fruit.
____________

Personally I've don't listen to the trends at all.  To me it all boils down
to "everything in moderation" and every new diet fad and the after effects
and contradictions about that fad have proved that.

For the creeping weight gain, along with what you're trying, try eating your
main/heaviest meal in the middle of the day and then something light for
dinner.  It gives you more time to burn that mess off before going to bed.  I
haven't gained an ounce in over 6 years doing this.  I make everything from
scratch and usually one-pot type casseroles, heavy soups, chile over rice,
etc.  I'm just getting ready to make a Portuguese Stone Soup tomorrow, and
it's one of those easy types of chop it up, throw it in, and stir every so
often for about 2 hours.
_____________

Just use the old addage, "Everything in moderation."  I went GF 2 1/2 years
ago.  I gained 35 lbs in 2 years with all that rice, corn and potato.  I've
never been a big meat eater but have tried a combination of the Zone and
Paleolithic diets.  I still have my cookies and non-fat frozen yogurt every
day, the few treats I allow myself, and I lost 18 lbs. in 3 months using
soy, soy cheese and some meats as my main source of protein.  I rarely eat
breads or pastas or rice.  Usually only 2-3 servings total each week.  I
don't get much excercise due to physical problems but it's nice to know one
can still be healthy, get the nutrition they need and lose the weight using
a little common sense.
________________

That's right, no long term safety studies and you're stressing the kidneys
(high protein) and liver (high fat).

I also don't eat bread for other reasons, but still live on a high
carbohydrate diet with carbs from fresh fruit and vegetables. Such carbs
are digested slower and don't leave you hungry a couple hours later, just
as the high protein diets are supposed to do. THe concept is "glycemic
index", a measure of that rate of digestion. Low is good. Do a WEB search
for it and go to a page with Rick Mendosa's name in it or the address.
_______________

Sugar is poison, and adictive.

Hi protein diets are deadly for the kidneys and liver
_________________

 I've been having stomach trouble all of my life.  I've been diagnosed with
ulcers, Irritable bowel, anxiety, etc. etc.  About 5 years ago I became
lactose intolerant and so I went that route.  This summer, after hearing all
the great success with the high protein diets, I decided to try it.  I cut
out carbs first and then after a few days, went on the high protein no carbs.

 Since about all I could eat is meat and cheeses, I decided I would see what
happened if I ate dairy.  I didn't get sick, and in fact felt a lot better
and after a couple of weeks, my symptoms went away!  I didn't stay on the
diet but did stay off of breads and pasta and started to see a connection to
my symptoms and ingesting wheat products.  I went to the dr. again and he
wants to do a biopsy, but since I've been pretty gluten free for about 4
months, I'm not sure if it would show anything.

  Anyway,  I think the high protein diet actually helped me discover the root
of my problem!  Maybe there will be others who will see the connection as
well.
_______________

I think my going on the Atkin's diet last year was instrumental in leading me
to find out I had celiac.  I was in the process of geeting my daughter
diagnosed at the time.  I felt SO much better on the Atkins diet, it made me
wonder about myself.  Of course I had to go off the diet and eat tons of
gluten to get myself diagnosed.  I also have experienced weight gain since my
diagnosis.  The only way I can get it off is to return to a low carb diet.  I
think my body doesn't do well with any kind of carbs.....gluten or not!   I
have a hard rime staying on the atkins diet now.  I think it is a mind
thing.....you know,  I am already feeling deprived because of the celiac so
why deprive myself further. :)  We are our own worst enemies!
________________

I was able to diagnose myself by going on this diet otherwise I would still
be sick and think I had fibromyalgia.
______________

I am a dietitian and a nurse.  I work w. outpatients in the outpatient
nutr'n clinic at my hospital.  I am struggling with more and more
patients who are almost 'religious' about their high-protein diets.

You DO lose a large amount of weight in a very short time AT FIRST on
the all-protein diet (atkins, zone...) but you are risking your health
seriously.

-diet is almost 0 fiber, increasing risk for colon cancer/stomach
    cancers, breast cancers...

-diet is incredibly high-fat which increases 'bad' cholesterol and
    decreases 'good' cholesterol (opposite what you need to do)

-patients are in 'ketosis' which in many people can trigger renal
    failure (renal patients are put on very LOW protein to extend their
    lives a few months - kidneys don't heal!)

-carbohydrates are only foods containing all the anti-oxidants being
    studied now - there are hundreds of these nutrients which fight
    cancer, aging, degenerative diseases ....

-as for degenerative diseases, aging and these disorders will be
    increased rapidly in anyone maintaining this protein diet for more
    than a few weeks (protein metabolism results in 'ammonia'

-high intake of protein, even when NOT on an all-protein diet, ALWAYS
    causes loss of calcium from the bones - so much that taking
    supplementary calcium cannot possibly stop the calcium loss -
    leading to osteoporotic changes/fractures w.  inability to heal the
    fractures - they lead to permanent disability in people still in
    their 'prime-of-life' years

-no-one can maintain this way of eating forever - for one thing,
    constipation is so severe that dynamite can't help!  and young
    people are going to MDs/hospitals to be disimpacted (a pleasure
    usually reserved for the elderly and infirm) - this severe
    constipation (called 'obstipation') greatly increases the occurrence
    of colon cancers/colostomies/diverticulitis.....

-finally, as soon as these dieters come off their diet (you HAVE to get
    sick of FAT eventually), they gain back ALL the weight they lost +
    30-50% MORE - much of the weight lost on proteins is 'water' because
    protein diets are diuretic (lose fluid) and 10# can be regained
    within 1-2 days!  (always causing major panic attacks)

Dr. Atkins and others promoting protein diets don't tell you this - they
have NEVER done studies to determine the long-reaching effects of this
diet, they probably KNOW but they're not gonna tell you - they're making
too much money off this fad!

Consider getting your husband OFF that diet fast!! And NEVER allow a
child to eat this way! (don't know if you have kids.)

Surgeon General, American Dietetic Ass'n, American Heart ass'n, American
Diabetes Ass'n (etc. etc. etc.) have strongly denounced this diet.

(Alternative plan for wt loss:  less REFINED sugar, much much more FIBER
(whole fruits, fresh vegs, whole-grains (gluten-free ones), bran (corn.
rice), nuts/seeds), very low saturated fat intake (use fat-free, low-fat
or very small amounts animal fats {MEAT, CHEESE}), much more activity
{exercise} for the rest of your life is the only healthy fool-proof way
to maintain reasonable weight (no-one should look SKINNY, weight charts
are usually too extreme).

Sane people, intelligent people RAVE about this diet because it works,
at first, and it's a QUICK FIX (everyone loves quick fixes) but they're
refusing to see the long-range effects and the resulting pproblems are
so very dangerous.

(Sorry - I sound like "Dottie Dietitian" - I hate that.)

But Priority # 1 is to be healthy, #2 is to FEEL good/enjoy your food,
#3 is to LOOK good (if you feel good, you'll look good).