The Low-Down On Diet Comparison
By: Kirsten Hawkins
Low carbs and high protein is the way to lose weight, or so
you'll hear from one diet guru, and he has the testimonials to back
it up. Low fat, lots of carbs and fresh fruits and veggies, says
another - and he's got the back up from satisfied users, too. A
third swears that you need to count the amount of sugar; another
tells you the enemy is white flour - if you want to lose real
weight and keep it off, who do you listen to?
Take a look at the brief summaries below for a quick overview of
the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.
Low Carb-Hi Protein Diets
Diets like the Atkins, the South Beach and the Zone Diet all
recommend restricted carbohydrates and allow liberal amounts of
protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally,
they limit the overall amount of carbohydrates, or teach you to
differentiate between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. Bad
carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white
bread, and white sugar.
Pros: The diets all encourage learning healthy eating as part of
losing weight. Deriving most of your daily calories from high fiber
sources of carbs like leafy green vegetables and grains is
generally considered the best diet for nutrition by the established
medical community. The popularity of the diets makes it easy to
find low-carb foods.
Cons: The allowance of eating all the protein and fats you like
flies in the face of conventional medical wisdom. A diet high in
saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and
other chronic health conditions. Following the diets' cautions and
advice to keep portions reasonable should mitigate that concern,
though.
Weight Loss "Programs"
Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, SlimFast and a number of
other weight loss programs rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet'
foods. They incorporate professional coaching, social structure and
reinforcement.
Pros: The professional coaching and nutritional benefits are a big
plus, as are the reinforcement and support aspect of the diets.
Meals and supplements are prepackaged in the right proportions, and
if you stick to the diets and exercise as directed you will lose
weight.
Cons: The weekly fees and cost of meals can be expensive. In
addition, if you rely completely on the packaged foods, you miss
out on the re-education of your eating habits, which is important
to maintaining any weight lost.
The Real Mayo Clinic Diet
This is not the diet that has circulated for the past thirty or
more years and purported to have originated at the Mayo Clinic! The
true Mayo Clinic's nutrition and diet center recommends a healthy
eating weight loss plan based on limiting fats, proteins and
carbohydrates, counting calories and deriving most of the daily
nutrition from vegetables, grains and fruit.
Pros: There's no 'diet'. Instead, you're encouraged to take control
of your eating. Portion control and sensible balance of nutrients
are the cornerstones of a weight loss plan that takes weight off
gradually, and helps you keep it off permanently.
Cons: It may be difficult to stay on the diet. Counting calories
and portions can be difficult if you're eating out or on the
run.
There are many diets that promise to take weight off quickly and
painlessly, without exercise or changing your eating habits. The
three major variations of diets above all will result in 1-2 pounds
of loss per week, which most doctors believe is the optimum way to
lose weight for long lasting results.
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit www.popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
RSS Feed
Tags: diet and nutrition
Share and Subscribe:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.