The Best Choices Diet

The secret to good health AND weight-control is to eat less and make the right choices. Fortunately, healthy food is also delicious.

Go to Best Health Secrets web site for the The Best Choices Diet.

The Atkins Diet

There is no question that the Atkins diet has garnered a lot of attention in the medical and mainstream press. Dr. Atkins was a pioneer in complementary medicine, founding and directing the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in New York City. Dr. Atkins, an M.D., graduated from the University of Michigan and Cornell University Medical College and did post-graduate work in cardiology.

There continues to be evidence that his very controversial diet plan can be effective in weight-loss. His plan is based on carbohydrate restriction as a mechanism to induce lipolysis, the process where the body uses fat for fuel. In his book “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution”, he cites the following key concepts:

1. “Most obesity exists when the body’s metabolism – the process by which it turns food into fuel – isn’t functioning correctly. The more overweight a person is, the more certain is the presence of metabolic disturbance.”
2. This metabolic disturbance, and a host of other maladies, is the result of high blood insulin levels caused by excess carbohydrate consumption, which leads to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism.
3. “Excess insulin production can be circumvented by controlling carbohydrate.” In particular, refined carbohydrates are the foods that make you fat. Eating fat does not make you fat.
4. This metabolic correction is so dramatic that weight-loss is possible even with increased calorie consumption.
5. Low-fat foods and diet plans are almost always high-carbohydrate.
6. Over consumption of refined carbohydrates and the resultant insulin imbalances are the underlying cause of our epidemics of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

His claims for his diet include:

1. The Atkins diet will induce more fat burning than any other diet.
2. By consuming fats and proteins, hunger will not be a problem.
3. Other diets that restrict calories cause the metabolism to slow in a “survival” mode. When calorie consumption increases after the weight-loss, the reduced metabolism will result in weight gain.
4. You will feel better and have much more energy.
5. You will be healthier, both physically and mentally.
6. Carbohydrate restriction stops excess insulin production, the root cause of diabetes, heart disease and other ailments. *

The process by which the Atkins Diet induces lipolysis, the biochemical process of burning fat, is called ketosis. By restricting carbohydrate calories to 20 grams per day, a state of ketosis is achieved. This severe restriction, normally maintained for 2 weeks, is called the induction phase. He further explains that all carbohydrates are not the same.

They are divided into three general groups, sugar, sugar alcohol and dietary fiber. Only the “sugar” carbohydrates (any carb other than sugar alcohol and fiber) need to be restricted to induce ketosis.

Pros:

It is quite clear that excess carbohydrate consumption does cause insulin imbalance leading to dire health consequences. Medical advice given to pre-diabetic individuals is quite similar to the low-carb diet plan.

Low-fat diets and the nutritional information from many health institutions, media, government agencies and the “food pyramid” have failed to be effective in weight management. The epidemic of obesity AND the low-fat doctrine both began concurrently in the early 1980s.

Ketosis, induced during the “induction phase” of low-carb diets, does lead to lipolysis, the process of burning fat for fuel, and will effectively cause weight loss.

Recent studies indicate that the Atkins plan will result in greater weight loss than low-fat diets, and you will see improvements in blood chemistry including a significant drop in triglycerides (blood fat).

Cons:

While the allowed foods do tend to satisfy hunger, it is very difficult to adhere to the induction phase limit of 20 grams of carbohydrate daily – the failure rate is high. Not only is this extreme carb-phobia not necessary, it will result in the consumption of high amounts of protein and non-beneficial fats.

Atkins recommends, but fails to properly emphasize the importance of aerobic and resistance exercise. Atkins claims that consumption of relatively large amounts of saturated fats does not present a problem in the absence of abundant carbohydrates even if more calories are consumed. While true that excess carbohydrates are responsible for obesity and a host of other health problems, lack of exercise and excess calorie consumption can lead to weight gain and fats are calorie dense.

Atkins fails to address issues of oxidation and resulting free-radical damage underlying immune system maladies, a host of illnesses, cancer and premature aging. He advocates the consumption of polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils), very unstable fats contributing to free-radical damage. Fats, both beneficial and detrimental, will be discussed elsewhere in this blog.

The low-carb diet with its severe carbohydrate restriction will almost guarantee a deficiency of dietary fiber. Fiber is an extremely beneficial carbohydrate, and everyone should get between 25 and 35 grams of fiber a day — nearly impossible on a low-carb diet.

Conclusion: On balance, the Atkins plan is the most effective weight loss program with a good safety record in short- and mid- term use. With modifications, it represents a good basis for a weight loss. Special care should be taken to ensure adequate fiber intake, however.

* Suggested reading: Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Robert C. Atkins. Click for more details or purchase. It’s one of the 2 most recent Low-Carb books by the esteemed Dr. Atkins.

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet, invented and promoted by Dr. Barry Sears, relies on a restricted calorie diet consisting of 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, all containing 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat. This formula allegedly will keep you in the “Zone”. His basis for this formula comes from a interpretive adaptation of the diet of Paleolithic man, a diet providing a “consistent” supply of glucose for the brain, and control of primitive, transient, but powerful hormone-like substances called eicosanoids, and control of insulin levels.

He distinguishes between “good” and “bad” eicosanoids, claiming eicosanoids affect the synthesis of virtually every other hormone in your body, and are produced by every cell in the body.¹ Good health relies on a balance of these good and bad eicosanoids. He maintains that “bad” eicosanoids are derived from an omega-6 fatty acid, called arachidonic acid (AA), while enhancing production of “good” eicosanoids relies on the presence of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), found in fish oil.

Increased insulin production stimulates the production of the key enzyme that produces AA, the building block of “bad” eicosanoids. Conversely, “good” eicosanoids decrease the production of insulin in the pancreas. Dr. Sears maintains you can control insulin production by eating a 40-30-30 balanced diet.

Furthermore, he specifies exact amounts of food portions to reach the goal of calorie restriction. If you want details about his diet, please read one of his books found in the BHS Health Library

Pros:

The Zone Diet (or the new OmegaRx Zone, promoting high-dose fish oil) is based on a lot of good science about carbohydrates, fats, fish oil, blood markers and those mysterious eicosanoids.

Reduced calorie consumption, advocated in Dr. Sears’ diet, will contribute to both weight loss and increased longevity.

He correctly warns against the consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates, as well as omega-6 fats contained in many polyunsaturated oils, and trans-fats found in margarine and other “partially-hydrogenated” oils.

He urges the consumption of high-quality fish oil and monounsaturated fats, both excellent promoters of good health.

Cons:

Closer inspection of the Zone Diet reveals the real reason it can work for some people — calorie restriction. This diet results in a daily caloric intake of 1200-1500 calories; substantially less than the 2000+ normally consumed. Dr. Sears achieves this by stringent portion control. He defends calorie restriction as a way to slow the aging process; this may be true, but the diet’s weight loss success is based more on low calories than a “magic” formula.

If you avoid the “bad” carbohydrates that Dr. Sears warns against, you will find it quite challenging to keep the carbohydrate portion of your meal up at 40% of each meal (and snack). Keep in mind; the carbohydrates in the Paleolithic diet (where Sears got the 40%) were primarily fiber. Most of foods in our modern diet have relatively low amounts of fiber meaning you’ll need a lot of spinach to get your required serving of carbohydrate.

In fact, you will find it quite challenging carefully preparing 3 meals and 2 snacks daily to that 40-30-30 ratio with precise portions. With the Zone Diet, you have to keep track of both portions and carb-fat-protein ratios. The more complex a diet is, the less is the probability that a person will keep on it.

Of course, the Zone folks make this easier by manufacturing and lending their name to a host of Zone endorsed products. This commercialization is so prevalent, one questions whether this is a scientific diet or an clever product marketing empire.

Conclusion: The science behind the Zone regarding carbohydrates, fats, fish oil, blood markers, insulin resistance and eicosanoids is sound. The “keeping in the Zone” with the 40-30-30 formula is primarily a marketing device loosely based on the science.

* Suggested reading: “The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil” by Dr. Barry Sears found at this address: http://www.besthealthsecrets.com/omegarxzone

Low-fat Diets

The Serotonin Solution diet requires an extreme 0% fat, 20% protein and 80% carbohydrate ratio diet. This diet, promoted by Judith J Wurtman, Ph.D., asserts that obesity is the result of stress, and thus a diet that increases serotonin levels will reduce stress and lead to weight loss.

She claims that proteins are undesirable because amino acids compete with tryptophan for entry into the brain. While acknowledging that some protein is necessary in the diet, fats should be avoided altogether. A brain chemical called galanin, which is activated by fat consumption, competes with serotonin and overwhelms it.

This diet, like many “gimmick” diets should be avoided because it focuses only on one narrowly defined factor; in this case, stress. A healthy weight control diet takes into consideration all of the nutritional needs of the body.

Dean Ornish’s low-fat diet requires a ratio of 10% fat, 15-20% protein and an astounding 70-75% carbohydrates. His diet asserts that a low-fat diet lowers overall blood cholesterol and LDL in particular. The claim is made that fat is more easily converted into body fat. The latter is an oversimplification of a single bodily dynamic; excess insulin has a more profound effect on the storage of fat.

The claims for improved blood cholesterol levels are negated by ample evidence that low-fat (and hence high-carbohydrate) diets cause an INCREASE in blood VLDL and triglycerides (far more critical markers of cardiovascular health) and a DECREASE in HDL, the beneficial cholesterol. He also makes the seemingly valid but in fact incorrect assumption that dietary cholesterol consumption necessarily causes an increase in blood cholesterol.

The final epitaph to the low-diet diet may be this simple fact. If you want to lower blood triglycerides, a marker for heart disease, be sure to get plenty of Omega 3 essential fatty acids in your diet and limit carbohyrates; nothing is more effective.

The score for low-fat diets:

PROS:

A modest decrease in LDL and overall blood cholesterol is observed in some cases. Some fats should be avoided, such as trans-fats and polyunsaturated fats, although these diets don’t discriminate between fat types.

CONS:

The low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet is a prescription for disaster. As you will discover elsewhere in this report, the effects of excess insulin and insulin resistance are far reaching, dramatically affecting the overall health of the individual as well as obesity and killer diseases like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. Excess insulin production and resulting insulin resistance are caused by quickly absorbed carbohydrates, not fat.

The Best Choices Diet

The secret to good health AND weight-control is to eat less and make the right choices. Living well starts with healthy choices.

Go to Best Health Secrets web site for the The Best Choices Diet.