I looked over The Mediterranean Diet and nixed it, I just know that bread is one of my biggest downfalls as well as cheese. I also glanced over the Paleo Diet, not too bad from what I can see but I am concerned about the no dairy. Osteoarthritis is fairly common in women and being as tall as I am with all the joint problems I have now I can't really afford to jack my bones up too.
I have been trying so hard to read over Eat to Live but man is it a tough read for me. The points bounce back and forth, I sometimes feel like the guy is trying to sell me something in that round about way were he swears he isn't trying to sell me anything. I haven't actually gotten to the point where he states exactly what his theory is, just spouting the same statistics that dietitians and nutritionist the world over use. Yes, we know America is obese and it is horrible that such a rich country wants to take the short cut with magic pills instead of doing whats right. I wouldn't be reading your book if I were one of those people so just get to the point already. I don't know his outcomes sound terrific and he is backed by Dr. Oz so I'd like to find out what his plan is but just getting through the repetitive mumbo jumbo that he uses to prove he has done his research and that he is a doctor is driving me insane.
I've also looked over The Primal Diet which in a lot of ways appears to be the same as the Paleo Diet. From what I understand dairy is allowed with the Primal Diet. I haven't finished reading either so I can't say for certain. I like the idea of creating a leaner, more fuel efficient me with a diet that gives me that fuel.
I was also told about the DASH Diet, I glanced over the website and I am impressed that it was named the #1 Diet. However, the cost of the book is just too much for someone like me who is unemployed. It's very frustrating that our society actually makes it hard for people to lose weight. Healthier food option are harder to find and more expensive. The things we are taught at school about nutrition are not entirely accurate and the foods we are served certainly don't fall under health guidlines. Potatoes are not a vegetable, someone needs to let the school systems know this. ><
I've never been a fan of fad diets and anything too restrictive seems to lead to cheating or gaining all the weight back when you let up on the diet.
ReplyDeleteI have had success by cutting out drinking and going vegetarian. We cook at home more and try to stay away from a lot of processed foods. Our meals have become healthier just in picking out good food that will gives us all the nutrients we need. Cutting out almost all fast food I'm sure has helped a lot as well. I'm also on www.sparkpeople.com which has helped me count calories, track weight, fitness hours and other progress. Though, I haven't used it much recently. I like that it has a community to share stories and ideas, including recipes and work out tips.
Although both the Paleo and Primal diet say no grains (because their theory is that our bodies are not meant to break them down), they aren't too terribly restrictive. You can eat all you want just of high fiber and high protein foods. I like the recipes both offer and Primal also has a blog that allows discussions boards. It's pretty neat actually. I'm trying not to count calories as much because I can eat 1500 calories a day with no problems but I don't lose weight because I am eating the wrong calories. I definitely want to cut out fast food and processed foods, I really think these recipes these two diets offer help with that. They are just normal recipes, not that sugar free and fat free kind of crap that makes it tasteless.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Mark's page it's actually really cool. He has lots of doctors and scientist who subscribe and post discussion boards too. http://www.marksdailyapple.com
you know i'm a big promoter of the vegan lifestyle :) but i know that seems extreme for a lot of people. have you ever thought about cutting out meat and going vegetarian? a lot of people lose weight doing that. i agree that fad diets are probably not the best way to go. i also know a lot of people who swear by weight watchers and i think they have a lot of online tools if you can't get to actual meetings.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I know that I couldn't get Rodney to go vegetarian. I wouldn't have a problem with it but that would mean making two meals that we just can't afford. :(
DeleteI'm certainly no nutritionist, but with all my dietary issues, I've become very aware of what I eat. When I was in high school, I was diagnosed as borderline hypoglycemic, which basically means my blood sugar numbers weren't low enough to classify me as such, but I have the same patterns. My body uses sugar so quickly I can't use it as a viable calorie-power source. The doctor recommended trying this diet - http://www.programwitch.com/diet/Hypoglycemia_diet_plan.pdf - to keep my blood sugar constant. As you can see, the diet isn't really a "diet" in the modern sense of the word. It's a change in eating habits. It incorporates several small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. This keeps your body in a constant state of energy consumption, and actually burns more calories, since it's hard work for your body to break down proteins and complex carbohydrates.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't recommend artificial sweeteners, but that's mostly because they give me three-day migraines, and you may not want to have bread before going to bed at night, since your body slows down. My favorite quick snack is peanut butter crackers - carbohydrates and protein all in one! And this may not work for you.
In my opinion, the more we understand about food and body chemistry, the better we can control what we use. Everything eventually breaks down into either glucose or cellular waste. Our bodies use glucose to function, and get rid of everything else. Simple sugars break down quickly into glucose, giving quick bursts of energy, which is why you feel hyper after eating a candy bar, but also why that energy doesn't last. Carbohydrates (both simple and complex) are the next level of energy, and take slightly longer to break down. Proteins take even longer to break down. Fats take the longest, and are more likely to be stored by our bodies as reserve energy as a backup plan in case we have to go days without other types of food. This is why a diet like Atkins works, where you cut out everything but protein for the first "phase". Your body goes searching for glucose, and when it can't find it, it starts breaking down its reserves (fat cells).
No one thing is "bad" for us - our bodies need sugars, carbohydrates, proteins and fat. I'm a big advocate of portion control and regular exercise.
I will check that out. :)Thank you Jen!
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