The Best Diet of All

cakebaker

Cathlete
This is from Bottom Line Secrets Daily Health News - one of the best, most concise articles of diet I've ever seen:

Many diets tell you to restrict certain nutrients or foods—or they tell you to load up on just one or a few.

For instance, the Atkins Diet advises you to avoid food high in carbs and eat foods composed primarily of protein, fat and fiber.

The Paleo Diet encourages you to avoid dairy and grains.

And the Grapefruit Diet suggests that you eat few carbs, a moderate amount of protein…and a whole lot of grapefruit.

For people with certain chronic health conditions, a limited diet may be beneficial, but what if you don’t have any major health problems and you’re simply trying to shed a few pounds? With so much conflicting advice, how are you supposed to know what to put on your plate?

A new study weighed the benefits of multiple types of diets and came up with a solution—and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how simple it is.

EAT UP, SLIM DOWN
One thing I like about this study is that it followed participants for two years—well past that initial but misleading burst of success that many diets produce. There were 811 overweight or obese men and women. Researchers gave each participant a diet plan that would reduce his or her calorie intake by 750 calories per day, and subjects were randomly assigned to one of four diets…

1) Low-fat/average-protein

2) Low-fat/high-protein

3) High-fat/average protein

4) High-fat/high-protein

Participants prepared and ate their own foods, but researchers periodically met and spoke with them—and gave them blood tests—to see whether they were following their diets.

The results: At the six-month mark, most people in all four groups were adhering to their diets and had lost, on average, 12% of their fat and 3.5% of their lean body mass (a healthful ratio). But by the two-year mark, adherence to all four diets was poor. About the same number of participants in each diet group had deviated from their diets, and these people had gained back, on average, 40% of what they had lost by the six-month measurement. Only the participants in each of the four groups who had adhered to their diets for the full two years were able to keep off the weight that they had lost at the six-month measurement.

In other words, the amount of weight lost and kept off didn’t depend on the composition of the diet—it depended only on whether or not the dieter stuck with the reduced-calorie game plan.

A DIET “DO”
Is it really that simple, I wondered—are all of the arguments (and all of the books!) about which diet is “best” simply pointless? To explore this, I called endocrinologist George Bray, MD, chief of clinical obesity and metabolism at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge and one of the study’s coauthors.

The reason that no diet seemed to be more effective than another may be due to the fact that no matter what you eat, a calorie is still a calorie, said Dr. Bray. You need to either burn off or not eat 3,500 calories to lose one pound of weight, he said, and this study showed that ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether those calories come from fat, protein or carbs.

As far as adherence to a diet goes, Dr. Bray said, what’s at work is simple inertia. Humans don’t want to change their behavior—or at least not easily. So when you’re checking out different diets, don’t just pay attention to how much weight it says you’ll lose—also pay attention to how long you think that you’ll realistically be able to stay on the diet. Do you love meat? Then why subject yourself to a diet that eliminates it? Do you adore carbs? Then what in the world are you doing on a diet that forbids pasta?

Eat less and you’ll lose weight. I think this is good news—what do you think?

Source: George A. Bray, MD, endocrinologist, chief, division of clinical obesity and metabolism, professor of clinical research, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
 
This is my eating philosophy :D. I have never adhered to any sort of "specific" diet. My diet lifestyle is all the food I love in moderation and portion control. There is no reason for me to eliminate certain foods from my diet (grains, dairy, legumes, ect.), as my body is thriving well on how I nourish it. So I will continue on my merry way, eating good, clean and wholesome foods, while adding in a cookie here and there ;).

I also think what is "good for the goose, is not necessarily good for the gander". Just because my eating lifestyle serves me well, does not mean it will suit another equally as well. Everyone's body responds differently to certain foods. I do agree though, the trick is to find a diet lifestyle you can whole-heartily enjoy and stick with for the long term. Food is one of life's greatest pleasures ;).

Thank you for the article!

Natasha
 
There is a professor who did a study almost two years ago on dieting. Before the diet, he tried to eat only healthly foods. For his experiment, he ate only Hostess products every three hours. Despite the fact the twinkies and cupcakes are unhealthy, he lost 27lbs in two months. I agree with most that the problem isn't so much what you eat but the quantity of it. I think that's why programs like Weight Watchers are so successful because their main goal is to teach portion control.

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds - CNN.com
 
I guess it depends on your goals. If you're looking to achieve scale weight...then calories in/out are all you need to worry about. A 1200 Twinkie diet would work, but I would argue that you will not look good naked.:eek::eek:
If you want to look like Cathe:), quality of food is everything. Not all carbs are created equal.
I agree the best diet is the diet you will stick to, but for many it's not that simple.
Processed food today is created to make us crave more...send us searching for more food shortly after we eat.
Processed food makes portion control impossible for me. One bite of a twinkie turns into eating the entire box for me. :eek:For whatever reason, it turns off the signal in my brain that I am full and starts me on an eating frenzy. Moderation and will power doesn't work for me when I'm eating foods with gluten.

Reading the book 'Wheat Belly" has forever changed the way I view carbs and processed food. How we fuel our body has a bigger impact on our health. I don't think our focus should be all about scale weight. Anyone can achieve a number on the scale. I met a nurse who ate Jenny Craig for months and lost all her weight, but her health declined and her cholesterol was through the roof. What good is skinny if your arteries are clogging?

Here is podcast with Dr. William Davis (cardiologist) who wrote the book "Wheat Belly". He explains in detail how today's engineered wheat contributes to the obesity and health crisis of nations. His research is convincing.

The Paleo Solution – Episode 95
 
I guess it depends on your goals. If you're looking to achieve scale weight...then calories in/out are all you need to worry about. A 1200 Twinkie diet would work, but I would argue that you will not look good naked.:eek::eek:
If you want to look like Cathe:), quality of food is everything. Not all carbs are created equal.
I agree the best diet is the diet you will stick to, but for many it's not that simple.
Processed food today is created to make us crave more...send us searching for more food shortly after we eat.
Processed food makes portion control impossible for me. One bite of a twinkie turns into eating the entire box for me. :eek:For whatever reason, it turns off the signal in my brain that I am full and starts me on an eating frenzy. Moderation and will power doesn't work for me when I'm eating foods with gluten.

Reading the book 'Wheat Belly" has forever changed the way I view carbs and processed food. How we fuel our body has a bigger impact on our health. I don't think our focus should be all about scale weight. Anyone can achieve a number on the scale. I met a nurse who ate Jenny Craig for months and lost all her weight, but her health declined and her cholesterol was through the roof. What good is skinny if your arteries are clogging?

Here is podcast with Dr. William Davis (cardiologist) who wrote the book "Wheat Belly". He explains in detail how today's engineered wheat contributes to the obesity and health crisis of nations. His research is convincing.

The Paleo Solution – Episode 95


I found this to be so very interesting. Thanks for posting this.

Janie
 
I agree that nutrition is all about moderation. However, each person reacts to foods differently. I know that I have an addiction to carbs. My body reacts negatively to them, so it is best for me to reduce them as much as possible. I have been battling weight issues since I was a child and since deleting wheat I have felt so much less bloated. I also have to exercise every day for results-no exceptions.

No one "diet" or solution can work for everyone.
 
I guess it depends on your goals. If you're looking to achieve scale weight...then calories in/out are all you need to worry about. A 1200 Twinkie diet would work, but I would argue that you will not look good naked.:eek::eek:
If you want to look like Cathe:), quality of food is everything. Not all carbs are created equal.

I wasn't trying to advocate a twinkie diet...that would be crazy! All I meant to say is that maybe it's ok to have that cookie now and then if you have the willpower to not over indulge in them. I completely agree that being healthy is more than just a number on a scale.

Btw, I am like you are with twinkies with cheesecake. I try to avoid it and usually only eat it once or twice a year. One bite and I know I can't stop until an entire piece is consumed!
 
All I meant to say is that maybe it's ok to have that cookie now and then if you have the willpower to not over indulge in them.

It's called all things in moderation and it's definitely ok! :)

I eat a small dessert and have some wine every night after dinner. I have a few hard liquor drinks every weekend. I go out to eat here and there. I eat some processed foods and guess what? I have very visible muscles including my abs, my body fat hovers around 20% at 40 years old and I am NOT naturally lean. I have to work for it and just so y'all know.... I LOOK GOOD NAKED! :cool::D

Just sayin'!;)
 
It's called all things in moderation and it's definitely ok! :)

I eat a small dessert and have some wine every night after dinner. I have a few hard liquor drinks every weekend. I go out to eat here and there. I eat some processed foods and guess what? I have very visible muscles including my abs, my body fat hovers around 20% at 40 years old and I am NOT naturally lean. I have to work for it and just so y'all know.... I LOOK GOOD NAKED! :cool::D

Just sayin'!;)

Wendy,

You are my kind of chick! Wanna fly away to Paris? I'm sure dessert & wine would be on our menu ;)
 
It's called all things in moderation and it's definitely ok! :)

I eat a small dessert and have some wine every night after dinner. I have a few hard liquor drinks every weekend. I go out to eat here and there. I eat some processed foods and guess what? I have very visible muscles including my abs, my body fat hovers around 20% at 40 years old and I am NOT naturally lean. I have to work for it and just so y'all know.... I LOOK GOOD NAKED! :cool::D

Just sayin'!;)

You're lucky Fit Mommy!
Come talk to me when you reach menopausal years. It's a whole new ballgame. :( Body is less forgiving of processed food and junk carbs; wine turns to pure sugar in the blood stream. There are not many women who can drink wine daily and maintain lean body mass. You are damn lucky!:D My comment about not looking good naked was in reference to eating nothing but Twinkies all day.

I would like to add ....eating healthy unprocessed food is not a punishment. There are absolutely wonderful unprocessed food choices that I look forward to everyday. I don't know why so many people feel you can't indulge in what life has to offer unless it's package and manufactured by a food processing plant? Why is that?
Nature offers us many glorious foods that fuel our body the way it was intended to be fueled. Let's see a twinkie beat the taste of a ripe, juicy nectarine!!! It can't!!!!

My goals has shifted a bit too. I no longer focus on how skinny I am. Being healthy and skinny are not the same thing. There are a lot of unhealthy skinny people. I used to smoke to stay thin and eat one hostess cupcake a day with one meal a day to stay thin. That was far from healthy.
I focus on what the food is doing to my internal organs. Eating one hostess cupcake a day is not heart healthy, raises my cholesterol, promotes inflammation, and spikes my blood sugar in a very unhealthy manner.

So food is more than pleasure for me. It's all about how I can fuel & care for my one an only body so I'm not living off a medicine cabinet full of drugs to keep my cholesterol in check, my heart pumping, my liver functioning, and my blood sugar under control.
 
Last edited:
You're lucky Fit Mommy!
Come talk to me when you reach menopausal years. It's a whole new ballgame. :( Body is less forgiving of processed food and junk carbs; wine turns to pure sugar in the blood stream. There are not many women who can drink wine daily and maintain lean body mass. You are damn lucky!:D My comment about not looking good naked was in reference to eating nothing but Twinkies all day.

I would like to add ....eating healthy unprocessed food is not a punishment. There are absolutely wonderful unprocessed food choices that I look forward to everyday. I don't know why so many people feel you can't indulge in what life has to offer unless it's package and manufactured by a food processing plant? Why is that?
Nature offers us many glorious foods that fuel our body the way it was intended to be fueled. Let's see a twinkie beat the taste of a ripe, juicy nectarine!!! It can't!!!!

My goals has shifted a bit too. I no longer focus on how skinny I am. Being healthy and skinny are not the same thing. There are a lot of unhealthy skinny people. I used to smoke to stay thin and eat one hostess cupcake a day with one meal a day to stay thin. That was far from healthy.
I focus on what the food is doing to my internal organs. Eating one hostess cupcake a day is not heart healthy, raises my cholesterol, promotes inflammation, and spikes my blood sugar in a very unhealthy manner.

So food is more than pleasure for me. It's all about how I can fuel & care for my one an only body so I'm not living off a medicine cabinet full of drugs to keep my cholesterol in check, my heart pumping, my liver functioning, and my blood sugar under control.

Ofcourse there may come a day when my "cheats" will catch up with me but for now I am good! :D Don't get me wrong, I eat healthy MOST of the time. I eat tons of fruits (several every day), veggies (lots of salads) and lean proteins, etc but to eat an orange as my dessert after dinner? No way. Not happenin'!...EVER! :p I'd rather give up dessert completely then do that!:eek: LOL
 
Ofcourse there may come a day when my "cheats" will catch up with me but for now I am good! :D Don't get me wrong, I eat healthy MOST of the time. I eat tons of fruits (several every day), veggies (lots of salads) and lean proteins, etc but to eat an orange as my dessert after dinner? No way. Not happenin'!...EVER! :p I'd rather give up dessert completely then do that!:eek: LOL


LOL! You're too funny!:D
I love fruit! :D I love the rich colors in my basket after I've been through the produce section of Whole Food Mart.

And there are a TON of grain-free sinfully healthy paleo treats. Of course, Paleo recommends one dessert a week, not a day.:D
Sweet potato brownies-
Sweet Potato Brownies | PaleOMG - Paleo Recipe

When you reach the point when daily desserts end up wrapped around your mid- section, remember this tip.....
Reach for one square of healthy rich chocolate and melt it over a bowl of sliced strawberries. ;)
 
Ofcourse there may come a day when my "cheats" will catch up with me but for now I am good! :D Don't get me wrong, I eat healthy MOST of the time. I eat tons of fruits (several every day), veggies (lots of salads) and lean proteins, etc but to eat an orange as my dessert after dinner? No way. Not happenin'!...EVER! :p I'd rather give up dessert completely then do that!:eek: LOL

I absolutely feel the same way. Although I do love my "cheats" here and there, my diet is very clean and healthy 80% of the time. There is not one fruit or veggie that I don't like (except for beets :confused:). My meals consist of half my place just veggies, a small amount of protein, small amount of carbs and my fats from olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil (even sometimes butter :p). I eat mindfully, carefully and savor each and every bite. That's why moderation and portion control works for me. I can indulge without over-indulging. Being brought up in an Italian household, food is love. Do I eat pasta? Sure do. Everyday? No. But when I do, I measure the portion which is the diameter of 1 dime (yes, I do this). Just to have the food I love, I would rather eat small quantities than nothing.

Fit44
Your recipes make me :p. I was looking at the Paleo Taco's and OMG, they looked so very tasty. That woman making them was in very good shape :D. I would not even miss the carbs in it :).

**BTW, I submitted a recipe recently, Banana-Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cookies. Check them out! Healthy & tasty!**
 
Last edited:
Fit44
Your recipes make me :p. I was looking at the Paleo Taco's and OMG, they looked so very tasty. That woman making them was in very good shape :D. I would not even miss the carbs in it :).

**BTW, I submitted a recipe recently, Banana-Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cookies. Check them out! Healthy & tasty!**

Would you believe the woman in the video has a teenage son?
Here she is working out with her entire family. Amazing body....she was very ill prior to switching to the Paleo lifestyle.
Father's Day Workout! - YouTube

I love how her kids are totally into the lifestyle. It's very inspiring.

I love her cookbook because it's basic everyday food. I don't like complicated cooking....or cooking period.:p:D




I'll check out the recipe, it sounds wonderful!:cool:
 
Fit44, I clicked on the link for the sweet potato Brownies and started foaming at the mouth! ;) They sound awesome! Love the dark chocolate square melted over strawberries idea too btw. One day I poured a tbspn of chocolate syrup over sliced strawberries but I guess that's not the same thing huh? :p LOL

Mini-Natty, I could've written your post! There was a time that my diet was cleaner then it is now and I ended up gaining weight/body fat because I was eating too much! I think I was over-compensating for all the unclean stuff I loved but had completely cut out of my diet (with the exception of the occasional out of control binge :eek:). When I finally relaxed a bit and allowed controlled amounts of the "bad" stuff back into my diet, my weight and body fat started dropping and the binging stopped... :) Some people do better not eating certain foods at all. I definitely do better allowing it in my diet in a controlled manner just as you do. Different strokes for different folks as they say!;)
 
I loved that video. I was happy when the middle boy took off his flipflops doing the burpees. I really loved the workout gear was height, weight and sized appropriately for the youngest guy. Very inspiring. oooooohhhhh the woman's body was very Cathelike.
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top