7) THE MANY WEIGHT LOSS DIETS POSSIBLE
d) Good Diets
Sugarbusters™ Diet
Sugarbusters™ is very similar to the Moderation diet. Again, ketosis needs to be avoided.
Refined carbohydrates (corn flour, flour, baked goods, sugar, rice, potatoes, bread) Eliminate Unrefined carbohydrates (high fiber carbohydrates) OK in Moderation Red meat (beef, pork, dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey) Discouraged Lean meats (fish, shrimp, white meat chicken, white meat turkey) Unlimited Unsaturated Vegetable Fats (flax seed, canola, Omega 3, plant sterols, olive oil) Only olive and canola Nuts Avoid Dairy Products Can't drink during meals Beans, Orange vegetables, peas, green beans Unlimited Fruit Low Glycemic index fruits only Green Leafy vegetables Unlimited amounts, at least one serving per day Foods Forbidden on the Sugar Busters Diet
White bread (includes any bread with white flour in it)
Pasta, unless whole grain
White rice
White flour, and products made with it such as cake, cookies, crackers, pretzels, doughnuts, bagels, and muffins
Potatoes and potato chips
Corn and corn chips
Sugar and products with added sugar, e.g. canned fruits in syrup
Jams and jellies containing added sugars
Ripe bananas (green OK)
Raisins
Pineapple
Beets
Parsnips
Honey
Syrups
Salad dressings and sauces with added sugar, such as Teriyaki sauce
Fruit drinks containing added sugar
Sugar-sweetened soft drinks
Sugar-cured meats (e.g. ham is often cured with salt and sugar)
Beer
Recommended Carbohydrate Foods on Sugar Busters
All other vegetables and fruits (see low carb fruit and vegetable lists.)
Whole grains, such as brown rice and oatmeal
Whole grain flour
Products made with 100% whole grain flour (note that “wheat flour” is NOT whole grain – it has to say WHOLE wheat), as long as they have no added sugars
Beans
Sweet potatoes
Other Recommended Foods
Lean meats (remove skin from poultry, trim lean cuts of beef, pork, and lamb) Nothing sugar-cured. (Low saturated fat meat list)
Fish and seafood (not breaded)
Eggs
Nuts and nut butters
Flax Seeds
Olive and canola oils
Low fat milk and other dairy products (low fat sour cream, yogurt, etc, with no added sugar)
Mayonnaise and other sauces and dressings with no added sugar
Artificial sweeteners OK
Foods to Eat in Moderation
Fruit juices with no added sugar
Artificially sweetened colas (clear sodas are better)
Chocolate (at least 60% cacao)
Pure fruit jams and jellies without added sugar
Carrots
Butter, cream and regular cheese
Beverages with caffeine
Small portions of sugar-free ice cream, “if you have eaten a low glycemic meal that does not contain red meat”
This Sugarbusters diet is very similar to the moderation diet except that no record keeping or portion measurement is required. Just eat food allowed, period.
Oprah's Diet
Oprah's web site explains her latest diet (it should be noted this site emphasizes BOTH exercise and diet, diet alone is simply useless). Here is a paraphrasing of what is on her site:
Refined carbohydrates (corn flour, flour, baked goods, sugar, rice, potatoes, bread) Eliminate Unrefined carbohydrates (high fiber carbohydrates) Go lightly Red meat (beef, pork, dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey) Go lightly, only small portions of lean cuts Lean meats (fish, shrimp, white meat chicken, white meat turkey) OK in moderation Unsaturated Vegetable Fats (flax seed, canola, Omega 3, plant sterols, olive oil) Keep Low Dairy Products Only skim milk Beans, Orange vegetables, peas, green beans Unlimited Fruit 2 per day Green Leafy vegetables Unlimited amounts, at least one serving per day The "Rules" of Oprah's diet are not bad for a diet for persons with diabetes. Her trainer, Bob Greene, has several excellent books out which can be utilized by anyone with type 2 diabetes to get in shape and lose weight. It is a little discouraging to see that Oprah has regained all the weight she lost but then she is a sample size of one with very little time for exercise.
Pritikin Diet™
Many dieticians and Physicians are recommending the Pritikin diet™ for persons with diabetes. It is not a completely vegetarian diet but it is a very low fat diet that is very close to a vegetarian diet. It discourages both animal and vegetable fats.
Refined carbohydrates (corn flour, flour, baked goods, sugar, rice, potatoes, bread) Largely Eliminate Unrefined carbohydrates (high fiber carbohydrates) Go for low calorie with volume Red meat (beef, pork, dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey) Lean meat only rarely Lean meats (fish, shrimp, white meat chicken, white meat turkey) low fat only rarely Unsaturated Vegetable Fats (flax seed, canola, Omega 3, plant sterols, olive oil) Avoid Nuts, Avacados Avoid Dairy Products Non-fat, non-sugar only, skim milk Beans, Orange vegetables, peas, green beans Unlimited Fruit Unlimited Green Leafy vegetables Unlimited amounts, at least one serving per day The Pritikin diet™ is an excellent diet from the standpoint that it is simple and easy and almost invariably brings anyone into a normal weight range. It is also a diet which many find easy to adhere to for the rest of one's life. We do have a problem with "unlimited fruit" for people with type 2 diabetes but then the diet wasn't developed for those with diabetes. Quoting from the Wikipedia site:
"The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise was created by Nathan Pritikin. The book based on the diet became a best-seller on the New York Times Bestseller list and was entitled "The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise", and was co-authored by Patrick M. McGrady.
Pritikin was regarded as one of the major diet gurus of the early 1980's, a class which also included Dr. Robert Atkins, Gary Null, and Dr. Tarnower of the Scarsdale Diet.
The Pritikin Program was often described by Nathan Pritikin, its creator, as “mankind’s original meal plan.” That’s because the focus of the Pritikin diet is unprocessed or minimally processed straight-from-nature foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as black beans and pinto beans), whole grains such as brown rice, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, lean meat, and seafood.
The Pritikin Program also emphasizes another key characteristic of humankind up until the last century: plenty of daily exercise, including at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise like brisk walking, weight training two to three times weekly, and stretching, optimally every day.
Research supporting the Pritikin Program
In several studies published since 1975, scientists at UCLA and other research institutions have found the Pritikin Program effective in preventing the major diseases that afflict modern society, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. The Pritikin Program has been documented to improve cholesterol profiles better than cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins, and has also been found to lower blood sugars, normalize blood pressure, and shed excess weight.A meta-analysis of 864 type 2 diabetics found that 74% on oral medications left the Pritikin Longevity Center within three weeks free of these drugs, their blood sugars in normal ranges, and 44% on insulin left insulin-free.
In this same article, another meta-analysis of 1,117 hypertensives found that 55% normalized blood pressure and no longer required anti-hypertensive drugs within three weeks of starting the Pritikin Program. The people in this study were not initially following the diet at home, they were studied before and after several weeks of a residential course where their meals were prepared. However, follow-up revealed that they had continued to follow the diet on returning home. While they had been suggested candidates for bypass surgery before the intervention, five years later the likelihood of them requiring coronary bypass had drastically decreased.
In 2005 UCLA researchers studied the health indicators of overweight youngsters, ages 9 to 15, who participated in a two-week family program at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida. Finding that diet and exercise can improve not only the cholesterol levels of children but also a wide range of other biomarkers linked with heart disease. Researchers found improvements in insulin, triglycerides, blood sugar levels, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein and oxidative stress."
The South Beach Diet
Another good diet worth considering is the "South Beach Diet™" by Doctor Agatston. Again, ketosis needs to be avoided.
Refined carbohydrates (corn flour, flour, baked goods, sugar, rice, potatoes, bread) Eliminate Unrefined carbohydrates (high fiber carbohydrates) OK in Moderation Red meat (beef, pork, dark meat chicken, dark meat turkey) "Lean" portions only occasionally Lean meats (fish, shrimp, white meat chicken, white meat turkey) Unlimited Unsaturated Vegetable Fats (flax seed, canola, Omega 3, plant sterols, olive oil) OK in moderation Dairy Products skim milk only Beans, Orange vegetables, peas, green beans Unlimited Fruit Low Glycemic Index Only Green Leafy vegetables Unlimited amounts, at least one serving per day Again, from Wikepedia:
"The South Beach Diet is relatively simple in principle. It replaces "bad carbs" and "bad fats" with "good carbs" and "good fats."
"Good carbs" vs "Bad carbs"
According to Agatston, hunger cycles are triggered not by carbohydrates in general, but by carbohydrate-rich foods that the body digests quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar. Such foods include the heavily refined sugars and grains that make up a large part of the typical Western diet. The South Beach Diet eliminates these carbohydrate sources in favor of relatively unprocessed foods such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
"Good fats" vs "Bad fats"
Given that South Beach Diet was designed by a cardiologist, it should be no surprise that it eliminates trans-fats and discourages saturated fats. Although foods rich in these "bad fats" do not contribute to the hunger cycle, they do contribute to LDL cholesterol and heart disease. The South Beach Diet replaces them with foods rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acid which contribute to HDL cholesterol and provide other health benefits. Specifically, the diet excludes the fatty portions of red meat and poultry, replacing them with lean meats, nuts, and oily fish.
Phases
Agatston divides the South Beach Diet into three phases, each progressively becoming more liberal. "Phase 1" lasts for the first two weeks of the diet. It eliminates all sugars, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables as well. Its purpose is to eliminate the hunger cycle and is expected to result in significant weight loss. "Phase 2" continues as long as the dieter wishes to lose weight. It re-introduces most fruits and vegetables and some whole grains as well. "Phase 3" is the maintenance phase and lasts for life. There is no specific list of permitted and prohibited foods. Instead, the dieter is expected to understand the basic principles of the diet and live by them.
Confusion with "Low-Carb" Diets
Many sources place the South Beach Diet on lists of "low carb" diets such as the Atkins Diet. While the diet does prohibit foods rich in simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white potatoes and white rice, it does not require dieters to forgo carbohydrates entirely or even measure their intake. Instead, it focuses on their source. Many vegetables are permitted even in phase 1. Complex, fiber-rich carbohydrate sources such as brown rice and 100% whole grain bread are permitted after phase 2. Agatston has tried to distance the South Beach Diet from "low carb" approaches: "It is my purpose to teach neither low-fat nor low-carb. I want you to learn to choose the right fats and the right carbs." In fact, there is a vegetarian variation of the South Beach Diet which is relatively high in carbohydrates .
Criticism
1, Most criticism of the South Beach Diet lumps it (fairly or not) with "low-carb" and other "fad diets" and dismisses the entire set as "snake oil" .
2, Dr. Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a diabetes researcher, questions the validity of the glycemic index, on which the diet is based .
3, Cindy Moore, RD, a director of nutrition therapy at Cleveland Clinic and a former spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association noted that the diet meets the important criteria for a healthy diet: it emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein while not omitting any major food group. However, she warns that phase 1 can throw the body's electrolyte balance off because most of the weight loss is water weight."
Current Chapter: 7) The Many Weight Loss Diets Possible
a) Diets: Which One is the Best?
b) The "Hunter Gatherer Diet"
c) Moderation Type 2 Diabetes Diet
d) Good Diets
e) Reasonable Diets
f) Helpful Diets
g) Radical Diets
h) Diets We do not Recommend
i) Fad Diets and Pills
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