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Which Diet is Best? Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig...
Most of the American population is overweight or obese. Surveys now suggest the rate is well over 60%. Rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, strokes and other degenerative diseases are skyrocketing. As we get sicker due to being fat, we become obsessed with diets and dieting. The list of best-selling diet books and programs is endless, and growing. America's most popular diets include: * Atkins Diet
* American Diabetic Association Diet
* Best Life Diet
* Biggest Loser Diet
* The Blood Type Diet
* The Blood pH Diet
* Body for Life
* Cabbage Soup Diet
* Cheater's Diet
* DASH Diet
* Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Solution
* Eat Right for Your Type
* Eat This, Not That
* Fast Food Diet
* The Fast-Burner, Slow-Burner Diet
* Fat Smash Diet
* Flat Belly Diet
* 5 Factor Diet
* Flavor Point Diet
* French Women Don't Get Fat
* Glycemic Index Diet
* Grapefruit Diet
* Hallelujah Diet
* Jenny Craig
* LA Weight Loss
* The Level 1 Diet
* Living Low-Carb
* Macrobiotic Diet
* Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox
* The Mediterranean Diet
* New Beverly Hills Diet
* NutriSystem Diet
* Ornish Diet
* The Perricone Prescription Diet
* Personality Type Diet
* Pritikin Principle
* Protein Power
* Rice Diet Solution
* Shangri-La Diet
* Skinny Vegan Diet
* Slim-Fast Plan
* Sonoma Diet
* South Beach Diet
* The Spectrum
* Step Diet
* Sugar Busters
* Thin for Life
* 3 Day Diet
* 3-Hour Diet
* Ultra Metabolism Diet
* Volumetrics
* WebMD Weight Loss Clinic
* Weight Loss Cure
* Weight Watchers
* Dr. Andrew Weil
* You – On a Diet
* The Zone Have you tried any of these? Of course some are better than others. Most of these approaches center around a kernel of truth, a hook or an angle. Only a few of those diets are in fact based on a in-depth and accurate, up-to-date understanding of what truly makes us healthy. Can you pick the right diets that might actually make you healthy? Most of us overweight Americans have in fact tried at least 2 or 3 of the popular weight loss diet plans, some even more. It would take several lifetimes to try them all out. Scientists and health researchers themselves argue about the details of which diet program is best, and often even which particular detail is advisable; high protein, high carb, low carb, low fat, high fiber, fat balances or ratios, etc.
Changing the Focus from Weight to Health In view of all of this confusion, lets just drop back and try to get a bit of perspective about what it actually takes to BE HEALTHY, instead of merely just losing weight. After all, what do we want -- to win a one year "biggest loser" contest, or to be healthy and happy? We can in fact do one without the other. Yes we can. We can get healthy first, while we're still fat. We don't have to wait for major weight loss.
Getting Healthy Precedes Weight Loss A major study recently at the UCLA Pritikin Center for Longevity proved that. They studied middle-aged men with combinations of diabetes, heart disease and related metabolic degenerative conditions. In only 3 weeks, these men on a good natural diet of mainly vegetables, fruits, teas, high fiber and antioxidant foods and spices and daily clinically supervised cardo-exercise of 45-minutes at a 70% maximum heart rate actually reversed symptoms of heart disease and diabetes in 56% of the patients. These major health improvements only took 21 days to be established. Medications and surgical procedures were reduced or prevented. Hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars in medical expenses were saved. Read the peer-reviewed scientific publication in this free downloadable 32 page PDF of the UCLA health study. Interesting fact is -- these people were STILL OVERWEIGHT at the end of the study, even though their blood pressure, blood sugar,fibrinogen, LDL/HDL and triglycerides were returned to normal in most cases. This study astounded the experts around the world. It shouldn't have, but it did. Simply focusing on health instead of weight and disease fixed MOST of the health problems for MOST participants. Interesting, huh? They didn't even have join a club or buy a book. No confessions on the Dr. Phil show. No "I'm a food addict" claims at Overeaters Anonymous. Many times we're missing the big picture or long view about health. Losing weight is very important, but we can enjoy very significant improvement in health, including reversal of diabetic symptoms, hypertension, cardiovascular disease improvements and reductions of cancer risk or slowing of cancer growth rates by making relatively simple lifestyle changes.
The 8 Lifestyle Changes to Get & Stay Healthy Here is a summary of the changes that recent research indicates will improve overall measures of health:
(1) Balancing consumption of saturated and omega-6 fats against omega-3 fats to result in a 1-to-1 ratio or about 2-3 tablespoons on each side of the equation. Add up to 4-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, plus a handful of unsalted whole nuts daily, to complete a total of about 25% of the calories in your diet from fats. (2) Elimination of high fructose corn syrup sugars and reduction of total sugar intakes to less than 5% of the daily diet. (3) Averaging glycemic index ratings for our foods to be under 50 -- as listed in the International Glycemic Index Scale (a free 52 page PDF doc). (4) Increasing anti-inflammatory spices and herbs consumption to effective levels -- including 500mg-1-gram of curcumin (from turmeric yellow curry), 5-6 cups of green tea drinks or 500mg to 1-gram of extract with high EGCG, 1-2 grams of ginger root extracts or powders in teas or cooking, and some other foods that are high in polyphenols, catechins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory precursor cofactors. (5) Increasing consumption of fish oil concentrates to raise levels of EPA and DHA in the blood, muscles and organs, which produces series-3 anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. This naturally inhibits COX-2, lowers triglycerides, lowers blood pressure, reduces blood clotting factors, and most aspects of metabolic disease. (6) Increasing consumption of borage oil, black currant extracts or evening primrose oils to raise levels of GLA gamma lenolenic acid, which produces series-1 anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, with similar effect to fish oil using different biochemical pathways or processes. (7) Increasing total dietary fiber to at least 40 grams/day by eating more beans, apples, pears, peas, lentils, or taking soluble fiber supplement powder in drinks. (8) Increasing the frequency and duration of daily low-impact exercise to at least 45-minutes of brisk activity that raises heart rate to be about 70% of the individual's "maximim heart rate" (use our free Maximum Heart Rate Calculator to get your own rate) -- start any exercise program slowly, since overdoing it can kill you or make symptoms worse. Good low impact types include bicycling, treadmill walking, outdoor walking, swimming, rowing, elliptical training machines, resistance weight training, barbells, universal machines and similar forms. Interestingly, making these simple lifestyle changes will reverse most metabolic disease symptoms, lower inflammation, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, reduce LDL cholesterol, raise HDL cholesterol, lower fibrinogen levels, and lower systemic levels of sub-clinical persistent inflammation.
Following the dozens of calorie-restriction diets is missing the boat. So are radical surgical procedures such as stomach stapling, banding and so on. All of these may relieve symptoms for a while, but rarely extend life and certainly don't improve your enjoyment of life, over the long term. Following these eight steps above should extend your enjoyable, healthy years substantially -- while improving your looks, your sex life, and even your productivity! Isn't that what we're looking for? By re-focusing our attention on the foundations of health instead of simply losing weight, we will get healthy first. Weight loss will happen too as we get healthier.
Sources For more information on our sources for this health program, read our detailed pages on Level1Diet.com. Each page is heavily footnoted, with links to the original scientific studies. Of special interest are these pages:
* Foods to Eat
* Foods to Avoid
* Exercise
* Supplements
* Why we created Level1Diet.com
Reading those pages may only take an hour out of your life. The rewards you get for that hour or so will build for many years to come. Incidentally, there's no cost to the Level 1 Diet program. We're not selling anything. Everything is free. It's our way of paying back. Read Why we created Level1Diet.com to understand our motivation about "paying the universe back."
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Contributor's Note
©2008 Level1diet.com, all rights reserved. You should always consult your doctor before making any change to your diet, adding any supplement to your program, etc. Never change any medication without advice from your doctor. Please read our fully detailed SOURCES pages listed above.
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I like the idea that we need to make healthy life changing habits and then lose weight. Losing weight happens when we eat and live right. This is a very helpful article. I will refer to it often.
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