HIV and reduced carb diet....

[puertorico2006]

Does anyone know about the effects a low carb diet has on viral load, CD4+, and immune system in general???

I have been doing a low carb diet for the past 2 weeks or so and have already gotten back down to the weight i like to be at, im 175 now and was up to 185 or a bit more for a while because i ate like a pig....

Sweets tend to be addictive for me so once i start eating them i cant stop, same goes for pasta and high carb foods (even if its not sugar) so when i cut them out i do much better when weight is concerned...

I started working out again so i do have like 20-30g simple sugars right after my workouts so i dont have sore muscles the next day...

Parts of the day i feel kind of weak/tired but that always happens when you go on a diet and lose fat because i guess that caloric defecit runs you down.....

Anyways back to the question...does cutting carbs have any effect on someone HIV+?

[pozattitude]

Hi there guapo...

Simple carbs really do not have nutritional value (refined sugars and flour) so I don't think a low carb diet will have a negative impact on you.  I am a sugar freak myself ( i could go days on eating chocolate alone).
Just make sure that you are adding good complex carbs such as whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.

Take care of yourself

Hugs

Rich

[John2038]

Hi puertorico2006,

I found your post quite interesting:

- Both have been contaminated almost at the same time
You said dec 06, and its between Jun 06 and May 07

- We have almost the same count (I have CD4: 509 / VL: 1732)

- We both are doing sport (low carb diet)

and finally the same questions.


I don't have the answers to your questions, but I'm 200% convinced that  sport + diet, maybe not for everybody, but for some (and I believe you and me are part of those) it help to maintain the counts we have.

Could it be because to do sport + diet, the required mind is having a positive impact on the fight against the HIV, maybe its due to the food (hyper protein + hypo caloric + very low carbs for me), maybe any others reasons or all of them.

So even if its too early to conclude anything, one thing is sure:
I'll continue sport + diet, and probably continue later on to eat hyper protein.

I also take every day a cocktail of vitamins + minerals + nutrients (since 3 months) and drink daily a fair amount of green tea.
I also eat 3-4 time per week fish (tuna, salmon) or shrimps.

I have lost 25 pounds in 2 months, 1h30 cycling 70-80% HCM 6 time/week + weight training 6x/week.

I'm providing all these details because I'm convinced that it have definitely a favorable effect on my condition.

So if others want to try, here are the infos.

And if others have try, it will be very interesting if they could share their results (counts) as well as their general feeling on the impact of their lifestyle on their counts.

[puertorico2006]

Hi there guapo...

Simple carbs really do not have nutritional value (refined sugars and flour) so I don't think a low carb diet will have a negative impact on you.  I am a sugar freak myself ( i could go days on eating chocolate alone).
Just make sure that you are adding good complex carbs such as whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.

Take care of yourself

Hugs

Rich

well actually ive cut out most complex cabrs out also (thats kind of the point of the diet)....so ive been living off veggies and meats ....

but im feeling ok and havent gotten sick yet so i guess its not too bad

[bear60]

guapito.....
I understand that a low carb diet is often NECESSARY with HIV to control cholesterol levels.  So it makes no sense that a low carb diet is harmful. My partner is on a low carb diet and it drives me crazy because we used to have pasta and rice regularly, but other than that he seems to benefit.  His cholesterol levels are good now.
I think you can do anything you want with your diet as long as you keep it within reason...no extreems.  Cheat regularly...lol.

[aztecan]

Hola mi hijo,

As Joel said, low carb is often a good thing for us hi-fivers. I am  planning on going on one myself because this viejito is getting too much tonage to be comfortable.

I gained eight pounds while in San Francisco. I don't know how, but I did.

Everything in moderation. It sounds like you are doing things right.

HUGS,

Mark

Who sounds way too much like a priest in this post.

[John2038]

As it seems for some that what is good for the body is good for the virus as well, can we say there is a better way than an others (without considering the extreme) ?

[TheBorg]

Interesting, processed foods are not great for anyone I imagine.

[frenchpat]

im 175 now and was up to 185 or a bit more for a while because i ate like a pig....

Sweets tend to be addictive for me so once i start eating them i cant stop, same goes for pasta and high carb foods (even if its not sugar) so when i cut them out i do much better when weight is concerned...

I started working out again so i do have like 20-30g simple sugars right after my workouts so i dont have sore muscles the next day...

Hi,

You know you've put on weight by eating too much, why not cut down on food and exercise more, without a special diet that is, by definition, unbalanced?

Sugars:

Carbohydrates are sugar, albeit in a form that takes time for the body to process; because of this slow breakdown into glucose, they are ideal for endurance sports.  It turns out that endurance sports are the best to burn fat because it takes a good 20 to 30 minutes for the body to burn through its stock of available glucose, before it has to start using the reserves of glucose it stored as fat.

when you eat simple sugars, sweets or drink sodas, you are giving your body an amount of sugar it can not use readily; because levels of glucose in your blood are strictly controlled by you body, as soon as these rapidly processed sugars flood your veins, the body converts the rest into ... fat, for later use.

If you want to avoid sore muscles, drink a lot of water, stretch after working those muscles and get a massage; it will all contribute to the flushing of the waste built up in your muscles because of the exercise.

Could it be because to do sport + diet, the required mind is having a positive impact on the fight against the HIV, maybe its due to the food (hyper protein + hypo caloric + very low carbs for me), maybe any others reasons or all of them.

So even if its too early to conclude anything, one thing is sure:
I'll continue sport + diet, and probably continue later on to eat hyper protein.

I also take every day a cocktail of vitamins + minerals + nutrients (since 3 months) and drink daily a fair amount of green tea.
I also eat 3-4 time per week fish (tuna, salmon) or shrimps.

I have lost 25 pounds in 2 months, 1h30 cycling 70-80% HCM 6 time/week + weight training 6x/week.

That regular exercise and a balanced diet is good for the body is a given. It will help in keeping a healthy heart, lungs and possibly liver, all things we need in our life with hiv. I am not sure it takes a special frame of mind to live healthily or attempt to. Overeating or starving are usually signs of psychological issues which can be addressed.

As for Hyper / Hypo diets, save for people who have health problems related to the absorption of food or a hormone imbalance, they are not balanced at all. If your only problem today is to be hiv+ , I wonder if such extreme diets and exercise regimen are at all good for you. Exhausting your body through over exerting it will not flush it from the hiv but will certainly end up weakening it. And whilst looking supermuscular seems to satisfy some people, I doubt it has any effect on their CD4's and VL.

I've always exercised regularly and have a reasonably balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. This did not prevent my CD4's from tumbling down, my VL from shooting up. I still had to go on HAART 36 months after I was infected.

hope this helps,

Pat (just back from a 2 hours bicycle ride)

[John2038]

Pat (just back from a 2 hours bicycle ride)

I like the conclusion 

Otherwise I'd like to create a community of people doing sport more than the average of the population.
No extreme, just a continuous, healthy and controlled training plan (see http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=16322.0)
If you want to join (blog and much more), you are welcome (free of course).

[Tim Horn]

Just a clarification...

I understand that a low carb diet is often NECESSARY with HIV to control cholesterol levels.

Actually, low-carb dieting is known for its effect on triglyceride levels, not so much cholesterol levels. Reducing the intake of animal products -- dairy, eggs, and meat -- is the dietary approach to reducing cholesterol levels.

Cheers,

Tim Horn

[bear60]

Thanks Tim. I believe it is, in fact, triglyceride levels that my partner is trying to control.  But he also is not eating eggs and cheese.

[NYCguy]

Hey PRico
From your hot picture, you don't look like you need to lose any weight at all...perhaps you should post a more revealing photo shoot so we can help you decide

I love carbs myself, but constantly try and control it so it doesn't go to the belly.  planning to try a BB suplement that is supposed to increase the efficiency of insulin use in the muscles and block fat at the same time. sounds like hype, but we'll see.  Hopefully it won't do anything bad...

[richie]

I can testify that I have done the low-carb diet for years (for at least 4-month periods at a time) with -0- effect on my HIV.  It does help to lose the weight, but personally I cannot do it long-term (life it too short with or without HIV, and self-mediicating with pasta, bread, desserts, etc. is just toooooooo good!)

My Doctor doesn't like the low-carb approach just on general grounds, not because of any affect on HIV, but he does see the results and can't really argue.  He would prefer to South-Beach, but I'm not a veggie fan at all (so Atkins fits me perfectly).

Personally, I find the low-carb approach only works for me because if I do it, I don't get hungry.  Stop the glucose, and the pangs just go away, hence the lower calorie days can continue longer.  Ultimately, it is really only about taking in less calories than we expend in a day/week anyway.  That's the bottom line.  I do admit to working out 4 - 5 days per week with weights, but that's because it's just a habit and I'm hoping it helps the cholesterol, keeps the muscles toned, and wards off lipo.  I'm 50, and at ~155 (5'8") with this fairly consistent approach.

As Opus from Bloom County said long ago, just eat less, exercise more.  Ultimately, however you can accomplish it, it does work!

[frenchpat]

...it's just a habit and I'm hoping it helps the cholesterol, keeps the muscles toned, and wards off lipo. 

Richie,

Exercise does not ward off lipo, not in my experience. It does not prevent one from losing fat. And it only seems to have marginal effects on fat accumulation, since it will only affect subcutaneous fat and seems to have no action whatsoever on lipomas.
But even with lipo, regular exercise keeps one's body healthy and helps with a self image that is threatened by lipo (but that's a mind thing...).

Pat