There are so many differing views on diets and the best way to lose weight that it is extremely confusing for many people. This article is an attempt to put the record straight regarding some popular myths about certain diets and to give a comparison of the merits of some of the more popular ones.
The first major argument in dieting is low carbohydrates (carbs) versus low fats Which is the best route to follow ? After the second world war people generally began to be gradually better off financially and were able to buy more food and a greater variety of food. As time progressed it seemed that many people in the western world were getting too fat for their own good and people looked for ways to reduce their weight. It seemed perfectly reasonable to many that eating too much fat was the cause of storing fat in the body and hence of putting on weight. This view was adhered to for many years and there were a lot of diets recommending cutting down your consumption of fats. Rosemary Conley's diet ideas were based largely on this premise after her own success with weight loss by cutting out fat for medical reasons. Many people have loss weight this way but it may well be that part of their success is due to their cutting down total food intake and not just changing the relative amounts of fat or carbohydrates in their diet. Cutting down on total calorie input is generally agreed to be appropriate for many people these days, and coupled with some increase in exercise, a factor stressed by Rosemary Conley, will certainly help achieve weight loss.
The general idea of reducing fat in the diet was challenged of course by Dr Atkins who saw evidence of people on a relatively high fat but low carb diet being able to lose weight. This diet became very popular for a while but was then criticised by some as being unhealthy and then lost favour. The reason it was criticised seems to be based on some misunderstanding of metabolism. When the body changes from what we know as a normal diet ( this is in fact a relatively high carb diet) to a low carb/high fat diet the body's metabolism undergoes changes to deal with this. The fact is that the body is quite capable of using fat as an energy source instead of carbohydrate without suffering any ill effects. Populations of Eskimos managed to stay energetic and healthy over many generations on a diet consisting of mainly seal and whale meat and blubber.
When little carbohydrate is consumed the body's metabolism gradually alters to allow for fat to be converted, producing ketone bodies and energy for use by the body. This causes a ketosis, i.e. a raised blood level of ketones, the excess of which is converted to acetone and excreted from the body in the breath and urine. There is no evidence that this type of metabolism leads to muscle loss as some have suggested. The muscle tissue of the body is not affected. There is simply a change to a slightly alternative metabolic pathway taking place. The body is able to synthesize glucose for use by brain and red blood cells.
If you are going to lose weight you will need almost certainly to reduce your calorie input one way or another and it probably does not matter too much if you reduce fat intake or carbohydrate intake or both, so long as your diet is reasonably varied to make sure you get all necessary nutrients. A certain amount of fat is required by the body for normal function, and, some vitamins and minerals are fat soluble and need fat to be ingested for their transport.
Carbohydrates, on the other hand are a lot less necessary, and some might say not necessary at all, at least not in refined form. Refined carbohydrates are notorious for causing rapid blood sugar spikes that can put a strain on the body's insulin/glucose regulatory system. If you are going to eat some carbohydrate as most of us do, then it's best to eat it in the from of natural foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and beans, rather than processed foods.
So, what diets are available today? Amongst the many there are the following and I'll make brief comments about each:
Low fat diets such as Rosemary Conley Reasonable in that it encourages the consumption of healthy foods such as lean meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread and some dairy products whilst disallowing unhealthy foods such as cakes, biscuits, fried chips and pies. It might not actually lose you weight unless you confine yourself to sensible portions and take plenty of exercise.
Atkins Diet Again this approach is perfectly reasonable and works for many. You can eat a lot of different foods that might be thought fatty, but it's still best to eat healthy fats, rather more fish and nuts than meat, and you still need to eat fruit and vegetables, which although carbohydrate based, are good carbs full of fibre and nutrients.
The South Beach Diet. This is a sensible diet which favours low fat and low carbohydrate intake. It advocates the natural approach to eating, avoiding too much in the way of processed foods. It might be alittle too restrictive for some on a long term basis.
The Paleo or Caveman Diet This focusses on natural foods also, - fish, vegetables, lean meat, roots and nuts. It does not allow consumption of salt, refined sugars, dairy products, grains or oils. This again, although healthy enough is much too restrictive for most.
Fat Loss For Idiots This diet plan although popular does not seem to adequately explain how weight loss is to be achieved. It talks about "calorie shifting" which "tricks" the body to burn fat. Substituting one type of calorie food for another does not seem in itself sufficient to alter the body's metabolism as far as I can see. The body will consume calories in whatever form they are presented. A calorie reduction is necessary to lose weight.
The Zone Diet This is a balanced nutrition approach that supposedly controls the hormones in your body, and keeps them within the "Zone". It's a sensible diet that encourages eating plenty of fish and fish oils to get the important omega 3s, together with a balanced diet of about 40% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 30% protein. This is a perfectly good diet for anyone but probably needs to be combined with exercise to actually lose significant weight.
Strip That Fat This diet plan does its best to rubbish all the fad diets and the weight loss gimmicks. It points out that unrealistic goals and unsustainable diets are the reason that most people fail to lose weight. This is a sensible plan based on sound principles and includes an ongoing program. It centres around good nutrition and healthy eating habits, showing what's good to eat and what is not.. It is not an extreme low fat or low carbohydrate diet, and as such is suitable for virtually anybody and therefore recommended.
