Carbohydrates

As researchers get closer to pinpointing the biological factors of premenstrual syndrome, the race is on to tame it.Health experts have trotted out a variety of pills and powdered potions, even Prozac, as potential remedies for irritability, anxiety and headaches. But some women are finding relief with a much simpler prescription: food.Cravings, especially for sweets, are a well-known component of PMS. But women can handle their cravings in a way that reduces symptoms, said Joanne Mentzel, a registered pharmacist with the Women's Health America group in Madison, Wis. The group of pharmacists specializes in women's health issues, especially PMS and menopause.

As a sport dietitian, I find it very interesting to be on the sideline listening to what parents and players have to say about feeding and hydrating lacrosse players. Where do they get this information? Do they really believe that three Red Bulls before a game will improve performance? Here are the three common sports nutrition myths heard on the sidelines: MYTH: Players do not need to eat carbohydrates because lacrosse is a sprinting sport, not an endurance event. FACT: The game of lacrosse involves lots of sprinting and jogging, and very little walking.

Giving up bread and pasta is one thing. But chocolate? It's simply unimaginable for some dieters trying to slash their carb intake. Realizing this, candy makers and other food companies are marketing low-carbohydrate chocolates for those on the Atkins diet and other eating plans that restrict starchy and sugary foods. Dieters can choose among mint patties, peanut butter cups, toffee squares and even old-fashioned chocolate bars. But though the labels may be new, the low-carb treats are no different from many sugar-free chocolates that diabetics have been buying for years.

September afternoons on the soccer field at Randallstown High can heat up quickly, and Ousmane Toure tires much more quickly than he usually does. During a break in practice, Toure eagerly pours water over his head and arms to cool off, but he will not drink any. At Oakland Mills, it's heating up, too. Fuad Suleiman, in full pads, goes all-out in hitting drills at football practice. He gradually slows down, eventually taking a knee on the sideline to catch his breath. His buddies tell him to get some water, but he does not. Toure and Suleiman won't drink anything at practice for 30 days as they observe the Ramadan fast.

Feeding kids has never been easy.Time crunches, grab-'n'-go lifestyles, single-parent families, two-working-parent families and mounds of confusing nutrition information increase the pressure.But help is at hand, and it's free!The ABC's of Children's Nutrition is a 20-page, magazine-size pamphlet stuffed with sound nutrition information that's geared to make meal times easier, while improving kids' performance at school and at play.Written by Mindy Hermann, a registered dietitian and mother of twin boys, the pamphlet covers special nutritional needs from pregnancy through the teen years.

ATLANTA -- In the days before a big race, endurance runners customarily fuel up on pasta, bread, bagels, crackers and English muffins. "Carbs," they say, help them go the distance.Indeed, carbohydrates -- fruits, vegetables, grains, potatoes, rice are the runner's main source of energy during a rigorous workout. The trick comes in manipulating diet and exercise so that the marathoner's energy level peaks at the starting gate.The "carbo-loading" theory, introduced 20 years ago, has recently undergone revision.

Q: I'm a 14-year-old boy. I'm kind of skinny and I feel tired all the time, even though I eat three meals a day. When I play sports, I get dizzy and feel like I'm going to faint. My doctor said my complete blood count was normal. Is there anything wrong with me?A: The symptoms you describe are not normal, and a careful search for an explanation is warranted. We can think of several possibilities.Although you eat three meals each day, you may not be getting enough of the basic nutrients your body needs.

Late in the fall, in the midst of budget uproar and threats of war, Congress passed and President George Bush signed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1989.Despite the lack of fanfare, the new law can eventually have a tremendous impact on American health, because it will force manufacturers to provide the information we need to make healthful food choices.Consumers will be big winners when the new requirements for the nutrient label become effective.*Old requirements will still be used, including "serving size" in standard, common household measures, "number of servings per container" and "total calories."

Alan Portnoy is an avid fan of the Atkins diet. The Columbus, Ohio, accountant lost 40 pounds and four inches from his waist in a few months by avoiding sugar, bread and cereal, all carbohydrates that the diet severely limits. He was able to eat plenty of satisfying foods such as meat and cheese. But when it came time for a snack, Portnoy had a hard time finding munchies that passed the low-carb test. That's because his favorite things to nibble on - pizza, pretzels and chocolate chip cookies - are all serious no-no's for Atkins' followers.

In recent years, dozens of newfangled diets, including the Atkins plan, have warned Americans about carbohydrates. The hype has caused many diet-conscious folks to limit their daily intake of starchy foods. But carbs are an important - and necessary - part of a healthy diet. The compounds "provide much-needed vitamins and minerals and folate, in particular," said American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Noralyn Wilson. They also supply energy, she added. In fact, many marathon runners and other hard-training athletes eat large amounts of carbohydrates - a practice called "loading" - just prior to a big event.

Sometimes parents are doing a better job than they think they are. When we sent out our most recent call for guinea pigs for our monthly Make Over My Meal series, we got this e-mail from Bill Bennett and his wife, Monica: "We have sons 12 and 14 who are year-round swimmers. They practice eight times a week, sometimes very early in the morning. We are concerned that we are not doing the right thing with cereal, or English muffins, etc. But it is a very difficult meal to schedule / coordinate and prepare."

Ask Dolores Mason, 72, the best way to keep the doctor away, and she'll tell you to eat a pickle. Mason, who just won top prize at the Maryland State Fair for her jar of kosher dills, praises the pickle for its ability to brighten a plate and make you feel better. "There's something in that vinegar that's good for your body," says Mason, who lives in Springfield, W.Va. Whether or not that is true, pickles seem to be enjoying a resurgence of popularity, boosted by the introduction of new flavors and the recent clamor over low-carb diets.

There's at least one clear beneficiary of the low-carb craze, with its bun-free burgers and thinner-crust pizzas: restaurants that have figured out that people will pay the same for less. The lettuce-wrapped Low Carb Six Dollar Burger, for example, is the hottest-selling sandwich in the Carl's Jr. premium-burger lineup. And it costs $3.99, the same as the Original Six Dollar Burger with the bun, which sports 55 more grams of carbohydrates. Likewise, Round Table Pizza customers who order the Concord, Calif.

If you have declared war on carbohydrates, you may be pleased to know that alcohol is not your enemy. In fact, if you're busting carbs from your diet but you really want a drink, you can't do better than scotch on the rocks or a shot of bourbon. Neither one will nudge your carbo-meter. The same is true of a classic gin martini, provided you use dry vermouth. Should you prefer a vodka tonic, or even rum and Coke, you're also home free, as long as you stick to a diet tonic or cola. Unlike wine and beer, distilled spirits are carb-free drinks, whether they are made from potatoes, sugar cane or grains.

ST. LOUIS - DuPont Co. thinks St. Louis might hold its next Teflon, Kevlar or Lycra. The chemical giant, headquartered in Wilmington, Del., has built an empire turning scientific successes into household names synonymous with quality. Using advertising and trademark logos, DuPont has convinced a world of consumers that products without its patented knowledge are of less value than products with it. Now, DuPont wants to capitalize on the low-carbohydrate food kick and turn its soy proteins into the value-added ingredient no health-conscious consumer could live without.

I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T admit this to you younger readers, but when my generation was your age, we did some pretty stupid things. I'm talking about taking crazy risks. We drank water right from the tap. We used aspirin bottles that you could actually open with your bare hands. We bought appliances that were not festooned with helpful safety warnings such as "Do Not Bathe With This Toaster." But for sheer insanity, the wildest thing we did was -- prepare to be shocked -- we deliberately ingested carbohydrates.

Will eating carbohydrates fatten you up or trigger diabetes? It depends on the type and amount of carbohydrates you choose.New information from the Nurses' Health Study of 65,000 women shows those who ate the least cereal fiber and the most quickly digested carbohydrates like white bread, cola drinks and white rice were the most likely to develop diabetes. Those who chose the most cereal fiber and more slowly digested carbohydrates from yogurt and breakfast cereal had the lowest risks.The women's research echoed findings from a similar study in men. Together, they confirm the Food Guide Pyramid recommendation to base your eating habits on grain foods.

The American Diabetes Association issued new dietary guidelines yesterday saying that people with the disease can eat sweets occasionally as long as they keep their blood sugar levels under control. The new guidelines are designed to improve the treatment and prevention of diabetes and to simplify the lives of an estimated 16 million Americans who have it. Although specialists have advised patients for years that they can consume sugary foods if they control their blood sugar levels, there is still widespread belief that a person with diabetes should never eat concentrated carbohydrates, such as sweets.

We knew we ate more; we knew we had gained weight. Now a new study that looked at 30 years of Americans' eating habits has pinned down how many more calories, carbohydrates and fats are eaten daily. From 1971 to 2000, the study found, women increased their caloric intake by 22 percent, men by 7 percent. Much of the change was found to be due to an increase in the amount of carbohydrates we have been eating. The findings may reinforce the current trend among those sometimes known as carb-avoids, of reducing or even eliminating foods like breads and pasta.

The low-carbohydrate bandwagon rolled onto York Road some weeks ago, hauling pasta, chips, candy bars, ice cream, pancake and bread mixes. The merchandise costs more than enough, but consider the promise, the new beginning, the new you. Marketeers refer to the low-carb "lifestyle," which seems mostly to be a thing demanding accessorizing. The new La Vida Lo-Carb store stands ready to provide the stuff tossed ashore by this latest dieting tsunami. Mark the low-carbohydrate spaghetti at $3.29 for an 8-ounce box, nearly three times the price of the standard brand.