A Diet Primer
Over the last 30 or so years society has lost track of what is healthy and what is not. We have been convinced that low-fat dieting is the best and we accepted it without question. On the surface it makes sense: less fat in your mouth = less fat on the hips, right? Well, no, actually. If it were so, why have we been overcome by an epidemic of obesity and related diseases such as Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infertility to name a few? And even while the statistics show an ever-increasing percentage of the population is getting fatter than ever before, still we insist that the food we are told to eat is okay.
As a result we have found ourselves in a fix. We are out of shape and overweight and if we don’t act fast, the damage will become irreparable.
So the race to health fitness is on and more and more people are feeling the need to be part of it. The reasons are as varied as the people involved: some do it to achieve a sexier body, some do it because they are embarrassed with the body they own, while others do it to stay fit and healthy and avoid getting overweight at all.
The Internet is flooded with fitness programs and the fitness center industry is booming. And when you have booms you have people out there taking advantage of any sucker they can lure. Some programs are so expensive you’d lose weight just working out the money needed to pay for them every month!
But you don’t need to go to the gym and spend a fortune just to slim down. There are many books available in bookstores and online which offer much cheaper guidance on weight loss. The range of dietary regimes to choose from is endless so it can take some time to find what is right. So to help you in your search, try reading these summaries about the most popular diet programs out today.
Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert Atkins.
This weight loss program has gone through numerous tweaks over the last 40+ years since its introduction. It encourages high protein and virtually no carbs. The diet is based on the concept of ketosis and works because fat in itself won’t make you fat without the presence of sugar (carbohydrate). And because there is no restrictions against against fat intake it is okay to pour on the salad dressing, freely spread on the butter and indulge in some of those exotic cheeses you’ve often longed for.
It works and works well, although I personally wouldn’t recommend it for extended periods of time. I used it once to strip weight for a tournament and lost 22lbs (10kgs) in 4 weeks. And I wasn’t especially overweight, I was just cutting weight to make the cut-off.
Downside? Well, the severe carbohydrate restriction means very little fiber, so yo may find yourself having trouble with regular bowel movements. A herbal laxative or psyllium husks (the main ingredient of Metamucil) can help. If you are younger and training with enough intensity though, that should help keep your digestive system working.
Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet by Drs Richard and Rachael Heller.
Again, the key is restricting carbohydrate. That is the key to make just about any diet work. This diet allows meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy and grain products. However it warns against consuming too much carbohydrate. “Reward” meal can be high on fats and saturated fats but keeping mind that fat calories need the presence of carbs to convert into stored fat, the idea of the Reward meals is not bad at all.
Diets usually concentrate on fat or calorie content bu this one is more about how your body reacts to the foods you eat. Instead of counting fat grams or calories, you watch what you eat according to the hormonal response of your body to “bad” carbohydrates.
I kind of feel this is one of the many diets spawned by the groundbreaking research of Dr Barry Sears of Zone Diet fame (see below). It is Zone with a twist and may well suit many exactly for that reason.
Choose to Lose by Dr Ron and Nancy Goor.
Limits fat intake. You get a “fat” budget and you’re given the liberty on how to spend it. It does not pressure the individual to watch his carbohydrate intake but reduces caloric intake through ft calorie controls. Fat has 9 calories per gram whilst protein and carbohydrate contain 4. So by restricting fat intake, or balancing it better with protein, you get a good caloric intake restriction which is the key to making this diet work.
Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafoods is okay. Vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta are all okay. See the pattern? Low fat everything. This weight loss plan is fairly healthy with good amounts of fruits and vegetables ensuring plenty of fiber to protect the digestive system. Watch triglyceride levels though; if high, trim down the carbohydrates and tuck into more monounsaturated fats.
The DASH Diet.
Suffering from high blood pressure? This one is especially good for you. The DASH in the name is an acronym for Diet Approaches to Stop Hypertension and numerous studies have shown it to successfully reduce blood pressure in just 14 days.
Not necessarily designed for aggressive weight loss, many users nevertheless report excellent weight reduction.
DASH advocates moderate fat and protein intake and is fairly high on healthy, high fiber carbs. The diet plan follows the well-known pyramid food guide and encourages high intake of whole grain, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
Some dieters think it advocates too much eating to procure significant weight loss and the changes required can demand quite an effort. But if your health is in danger due to high blood pressure, an effort to change is exactly what you need. The DASH meal plans are based on up-to-date research on how to make satisfying meals and help prevent hunger between meals. That is a key feature of high-fiber, low caloric-density, balanced meals with appropriate serving sizes.
Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish.
All-vegetarian and strictly low-fat, this diet says that it is not just how much you eat but what you eat that counts. Most diets rely on making meals smaller to reduce caloric intake. That often means you feel hungry, especially between meals. Dr. Ornish’s approach is scientifically based on the type of food rather than the volume to reduce these feelings of hunger. As a result you can eat more often, eat a greater quantity and still lose weight. And that’s always good news.
Dr. Ornish’s program, like any good diet, helps to improve health and well-being, not just lose weight. Its holistic approach provides nourishment not just for the body but also for the soul. His program has given millions of people new hope and new choices.
Downside? It is mainly vegetarian so if that doesn’t grab you it may be tricky to stick to. That can also mean it is poor in calcium, protein, certain B vitamins and restricts consumption of healthy foods like seafood and lean poultry. Some experts suggest you’ll eventually need more fat than is prescribed and many users also suggest the recipes can be a bit on the bland side.
Eat Right for Your Type by Dr Peter D’Adamo.
I always found it interesting when I lived in Japan how people would ask your star sign AND your blood type. Many application forms for various things also include a space for your blood type. The fact that I didn’t even know my blood type when I first went there surprised many, in a way, I guess, that we would be surprised if someone had no idea of their star sign. In Asia, whole sections of book stores are dedicated to personality typing based on blood type. This diet is based on just that: selecting food based on your blood type. I know that the diet’s recommendations for my own blood type seem to suit me very well.
Statistics gathered from over 6,000 participants in this diet regime show that over 70% of those who took part reported positive results. That means you have a 3 out of 4 chance of doing well with this one.
In a nutshell, D’Adamo recommends a higher protein, low carb intake for Type O, a lower fat, higher vegetarian intake for type A and a more balanced, omnivorous diet for types B and AB.
Some participants suggest the intake for some blood types are somewhat nutritionally imbalanced and too low in calories, but that could simply be because they are used to the wrong diet for their own blood type. Old habits die hard. And for the record, there is no definitive proof that blood type does affect dietary needs. As I said though, this concept of blood type variations in has a solid history in Asia, the home of acupuncture, aryuveda, zone therapy and reflexology, so you know they are on to something.
The Pritikin Principle by Dr Nathan Pritikin.
This one, like The Atkins Diet, has stood the test of time and has been a fundamental of sensible dieting since the mid 1970’s. It’s really just a healthy, common sense diet that suits us, although it doesn’t seem its sense is very common at all these days with many of us having lost touch with what a basic, healthy, natural diet really is.
The focus of the Pritikin diet is unprocessed or minimally processed straight-from-nature foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as black beans and pinto beans), whole grains such as brown rice, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, lean meat, and seafood. Food, according to Dr Pritikin, that is as close as “mankind’s original meal plan” as possible.
The diet limits protein sources to lean meat, seafood and poultry. Like nature made it I suppose. Although it is healthy by providing low amounts of saturated fats and rich amounts of vegetables and fruits, it is also potentially low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.
The Zone by Dr Barry Sears
Based on caloric intake being protein sufficient according to each person’s needs, the Zone Diet was the first diet to point out the effect of excessive carbohydrates on insulin levels and eicosanoids, a hormone that plays a role in every function of the body. This diet has spawned whole industries and many popular diet books since the Zone are nothing more than Zone with a twist, often with the twist being nothing more than a deliberate device to make the diet appear new, unique or different.
Sears is a biochemist, not an MD or a dietician. So his diet approach is very strongly based on the chemistry occurring as a result of diet. That makes a lot of sense to me. After all, it is primarily the chemistry of food that has got us to where we are.
Sear suggests the lowest level of the food pyramid, carbohydrate in the form of grains, pastas and bread and so on, can be virtually done away with. Whilst many dismissed it as just another high protein diet, Sears points out that the Zone Diet is anything BUT high protein, in fact protein-adequate, with the ratio of macronutrients–carbs, protein and monounsaturated fats–respectively at 40-30-30. Currently, the Zone uses the idea of 3-2-1 (3 units of complex carbohydrate, 2 units of lean protein and 1 unit of monounsaturated fat).
By following such a regime, Sears says the insulin levels are kept in a safe and healthy zone (hence the diet’s name) which ensures the body maintains a healthy weight level.
Downside? If you like pasta, bread and pastries you might have to make a few adjustments, otherwise this one makes a lot of sense.
You can find a broad range of intelligent dietary information at my web site (http//:www.bestenergydiets.com).
Just browse at your own pace and if you have any questions, get in touch.
Here’s to your health.
Cameron
This is the link to my web site again for more diet and weight loss information.
