Diets! Do They Work and Are They For Me?Most diets work - for a while!! The question is are they healthy and are they sustainable. I've tried to give a brief synopsis of some diets and their pros and cons. I discovered an exciting website where you can get more detailed analysis of the different types of diets. Its called Diet Debate UK. My aim here is to give you my opinion on some of the various diets and their usefulness.
The Atkins DietThe Atkins diet has been modified. Originally it was fanatical in cutting out all carbohydrates including fruits, vegetables and whole grain. Protein however was permitted in abundance.The revised Atkins diet allows some carbohydtrates which are introduced into the diet in phases ranging from 20 grams in the initial stages to 40-50 grams at the latter stages. As protein is a natural fat burner and hunger repressant, dieters on this programme dont usually suffer from hunger pangs and can lose weight very fast in the initial stages. However a friend of mine who was on this diet couldn't sustain it because she ended up craving for carbohydrates and eventually succumbed to that craving. Another disadvantage is that as it allows and encourages unlimited consumption of all types of protein and the resultant increase in all types of fat is known to have caused increased blood presure and heart disease problems. The lack of fibre, fruit and dairy can also result in difficulties in digestion and deficiency in vitamin intake.
The Zone DietThis diet recommends eating a ratio of 30:40 of protein to carbohydrates to ensure that you are in the Zone where your insulin levels are neither too high nor too low but in the balance.It also ecourages the consumption of essential fatty acids of Omega 3 and Omega 6 contained in fish oil. You are allowed to eat more carbs than protein though certain refined carbs are to be limited. If you have the time to analyse your intake of carbs and proteins so that they fall in the right ratio and analyse the content of the food you do eat, then this diet can result in
weight loss
and improvement in moods and energy levels. The Blood Group DietThis requires you to eat certain types of food depending on your blood type. Type O are meat eaters, Type A are Vegetarians Type B are omnivores and Type AB are mixed diet eaters.This means that those who have type O blood can eat all kinds of meat and can have fruits and vegetables but must avoid corn, wheat, cabbage, dairy products and beans. Those who have Type A blood must avoid all kinds of meat, dairy, wheat and legumes. They should only eat seafood, tofu, vegetable, legumes and fruits. People with Type B blood can have meat (except chicken), legumes, dairy, beans, fruits, vegetables and should only avoid seeds ,lentils, corn, wheat and peanuts. Those who have Type AB blood must stick to the vegetarian diet with occasional intake of meat, tofu, legumes, beans, fruits, grains, and vegetables This diet promotes oveall health but it also has its disadvantages. The diet increases the risk of heart disease for people with Type O blood. Restrictions of certain types of foods also restrict the intake of particular nutrients. The dieter must find other sources of these
nutrients
other than the foods not allowed in the specific diet plan. The G I DietFood is categorised into the three colour groups of traffic lights. Food coloured red are to be avoided when losing weight those coloured yellow can be eaten occasionally and those coloured green can be eaten in abundance.The colours indicate the glycemic index (GI) of the particular food groups.The glycemic index measures how fast the food is converted into glucose and how fast it is absorbed by the body. If it is absorbed too fast it gives you an immediate high and a fast low so that your energy level sinks and you crave more of the stuff that gave you a high in the first place. If you do not use the energy quickly your body will store it as fat. One of the criticisms to this diet is that Glycemic indexing does not consider factors such as insulin response, the individual’s blood sugar level, and how GI levels can vary for a specific food depending on the food’s preparation, processing, etc. The Slim Fast DietThe Slim Fast Diet is a meal replacement diet where you substitute two meals a day with slim fast shake.I find the concept to be quite effective as a weight loss tool but the problem is with the product and the way it is administered.Even though it is fuss free and very easy to follow, the shakes themselves do not have much nutritional value and the sugar content in them put your sugar levels into overdrive and this results in intense cravings and chronic fatigue. There needs to be a whole lifestyle change and you need to take additional nutritional supplements to make this work. This could be difficult without some form of assistance. The Weight Watchers DietThis is a complete health programme where group discussions and support add to the motivation to stay on the programme.Under the programme you are allowed a specific number of calories depending on your current weight and your desired weight. You however need to count calories or points and this can be time consuming. The disadvantage is that you eventually will get tired of counting calories. In addition to this you may get obsessed with counting calories and not pay particular attention to the health benefits of what you are eating. Try out this info on Dieting in general. How to lose weight and keep it off. |