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The skinny on diets topic for YWCA series

Next program scheduled April 3

COMPARING NOTES — Sophie Spencer, left, executive director of the YWCA of Steubenville, and guest speaker Rhonda Seelig, registered dietician and a certified diabetes counselor, look over information about the ongoing “Taking the Lead” breakfast seminar held at the YWCA on the first Wednesday of the month. Seelig was the March presenter, addressing diet facts and fads. -- Janice Kiaski

STEUBENVILLE — A group of women participating in the March session of the “Taking the Lead” women’s economic empowerment series held at the YWCA of Steubenville got the skinny on diets.

The informational presentation March 6 was led by Rhonda Seelig, registered dietician and a certified diabetes counselor, whose topic was “Diets — Fads and Facts.”

The monthly seminars addressing varied topics are geared to women entrepreneurs, women in senior management or women who want to start or are starting a business.

She was introduced by Sophie Spencer, YWCA executive director, who noted women are inundated with different diets. “I try every one of them for a day,” Spencer joked of her efforts undermined by a desire for chocolate and bread.

Seelig began with a look at the ketogenic or “keto” diet which is very popular, but not new.

The low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan has been used for centuries, she said, noting that in the 1800s, for example, it was a way to treat diabetes. “In 1920 they started using it to treat children who had epilepsy, and it’s still used today when the medications for childhood epilepsy don’t work,” Seelig said.

“There are other low-carb diets — the Atkins, the Paleo, South Beach and Dukan — but those are high in protein and moderate in fat,” she said. “The Keto diet is distinctive because it’s exceptionally high in fats, 70 to 80 percent in calories, with a moderate intake of protein.”

The keto diet drastically reduces carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fat with the reduction in carbs putting the body into a metabolic state called ketosis, she explained.

“They suggest you follow the diet until the weight is lost and then go back and just do it a couple days a week or a few times a month, just to control your weight,” Seelig said.

“The pros of the diet is that it’s positive to produce short-term results, you get better control of blood pressure and cholesterol and triglycerides. You don’t get hunger pains, you can lose the weight fast,” she said. On the down side? Headaches, fatigue, irritability, constipation and stomach upset, she said.

“There is an increased risk of kidney stones and osteoporosis with this diet and uric acid buildup, which can cause gout,” she said. “You have to plan this diet well.”

The available research on the diet is still limited, and there are few long-term studies, according to Seelig, who said the diet may be an option for people who have difficulty losing weight, “but it’s recommended they be closely monitored and have blood drawn regularly to keep track of what’s going on with your body.”

The Mediterranean, she continued, is promoted to decrease the risk of heart disease, depression and dementia, “and you get to drink red wine with it,” Seelig said.

Studies of the diets of people in Crete, Greece and southern Italy during the mid-20th century showed low rates of chronic disease, and the average life expectancy was increased despite a lack of readily available health care.

“The diet of mainly fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grain, fish, olive oil and small amounts of dairy and red wine contributed to their health benefits,” Seelig said.

“Plant-based eating is what it is, but they urge you to eat fish at least two times a week. The emphasis is on healthy fats, and what they found with this diet is that people could eat a high-fat diet and you gain weight if you’re not careful, but people ate a high-fat diet, mainly healthy fats, and still avoided heart disease so that was a revelation to us pushing low fat diets,” she said.

Daily exercise is stressed along with regular intake of water and one glass of red wine a day for women, two for men.

The gluten-free diet excludes the protein gluten, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and a cross between wheat and rye called triticale. A gluten-free diet is essential for managing signs and symptoms of celiac disease and other medical conditions associated with glute.

“Almost one third of Americans are reducing or avoiding the intake of glute,” Seelig said, adding, “Research on gluten reduction for weight loss is really not available.”

With this diet, people should take a vitamin and mineral supplement and a fiber supplement, Seelig noted.

The Paleo diet harkens back to the Paleolithic era when people hunted, fished and gathered wild plants for food. It includes nutrient-dense whole fresh foods and encourages participants to steer away from highly processed foods, according to Seelig.

Intermittent fasting — brief periods of no food or a significant decrease in calories and then a resumption of regular eating — is an old diet, too, according to Seelig. “They just keep recycling them. They believe it was done in the past for religious and health purposes, believing that fasting would bring them closer to the deity they worshipped.”

Seelig said she lost 30 pounds eating a high-fiber diet and more fish than meat. “That’s what works for me, and everyone has their own way that works for them. It’s just that on some of these diets, you have to be careful to plan so you don’t have vitamin and mineral deficiencies,” she cautioned.

The next “Taking the Lead” breakfast series will be held at 8 a.m. on April 3, featuring presenter Cheryl Bier of Weirton, owner of Momma Made Them. The cost of $10 includes a continental breakfast.

Kelly Jeffers, Urban Mission Ministries’ director of new initiatives, will be the presenter for the May session, discussing the Jobs for Life program.

For information or to register, contact Sophie Spencer, YWCA executive director, at (740) 282-1261. The e-mail is Steubenvilleywca@comcast.net.

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