Nutrition information is a hot topic these days. We are surrounded by messages on healthy eating and diet plans. Magazine and book covers are displaying messages like “lose 20 pounds in 10 days” or “eat you way thin”.
With the abundance of information available, it is ver difficult to know what healthy eating really means and which information is truly legitimate. In order to help you sort your way through the maze of mixed messages, I have prepared a review of some of the current diets that are popular today.
THE ATKIN’S DIET
The Claim: Eating carbohydrates causes hunger, causing you to overeat and thus gain weight. By eliminating carbohydrates and increasing your intake of proteins and fats you can satisfy the hunger and lose weight.
What is actually happening: When your body doesn’t get the carbohydrates it needs for energy, it has to use some other form of energy. Proteins (from lean muscle) and fat are used for that energy source. When your body starts to use fat as energy, it creates a by-product that can be toxic to the system (called ketones). Ketones can build up the bloodstream and need to be processed through the kidneys to be eliminated. Using protein for energy requires a lot of water to be released.
What to be aware of: Too many ketoses in the body can cause some negative side effects (dizziness, fatigue, headaches, confusion, nausea, and bad breath). Eating all that protein also increases your risk of developing high cholesterol levels. Also, high protein intakes can lead to weakened bones as this causes your body to lose calcium that is stored in the bones. Going into ketosis is a signal that your body is in starvation state, which in turn causes your metabolism to slow down (not what you want if you want to lose weight). When you quit the diet, your body will start to store fat very easily in order to avoid another starvation incident and you end up gaining more fat than you had before you started the diet. If you are planning to
stay on the diet long-term, then you need to be concerned about your kidneys. The stress of processing ketones over time can damage your kidneys.
THE ZONE DIET
The Claim: Excess levels of the hormone insulin are what make us fat. The diet is a ratio of 40:30:30 (carbohydrate:protein:fat). The lower carbohydrate, higher protein and fat are used to keep you in line in the “zone of optimal performance”. The concept is to control the ratio of protein carbohydrate in order to lower the insulin levels and lose weight.
What is actually happening: It is just a low-calorie diet that is also low in fibre and carbohydrates. The Zone Diet ranges from 1000 – 1600 calories a day. Most people will lose weight even on 1700 calories a day.
PROTEIN POWER
The Claim: By reducing carbohydrates an increasing protein, your body will be fooled into burning fat without you feeling hungry.
What is actually happening: Similar to the Atkin’s Diet, this diet relies on ketosis for weight loss. In order for the body to burn protein for energy, a lot of water must be released so the weight loss comes mainly form water loss not fat loss. Also similar to the Atkin’s Diet, once you go off it, you gain the weight right back again.
What to be aware of: Some of the side effects of ketosis: diarrhea, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, kidney damage, weakened bones from high levels of protein leeching calcium from them, risk of kidney stones from too much protein or oxalate.
SUGAR BUSTERS
The Claim: Sugar is toxic and foods containing refined sugar cause a sugar spike in the blood which makes you crave more crave sugar. This inturn causes insulin resistance, which then causes weight gain. By eliminating as much sugar as possible, you won’t overeat sugary foods and become insulin resistant. They also claim that you will somehow lose fat in the process.
What is actually happening: Your diet doesn’t cause insulin resistance, it only affects people who have a predisposition to insulin resistance. Also, you can’t just decide you have insulin resistance from reading a book. It had to be medically diagnosed with a blood test. The diet works though because it is again another low-calorie one with an average of 1200 calories a day.
GENERAL GUIDELINES TO THINK ABOUT
Be cautious about diets that:
1. Limit or restrict foods or whole food groups.
2. Claim to provide rapid weight loss.
3. Have “magic” or “miracle” foods.
4. Don’t recommend any physical activity.
5. Emphasize specific food combinations.