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Is Low-Carb Really Better to Keep Weight Off?
Photo: Vincent Ma on Flickr
Researchers at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in monitored 141 men and women who'd recently lost weight for year -- half were instructed to stick to a high-protein diet and the other half went on a high-carb diet. Both groups kept their fat intake below 30 percent of their total calories, and both were told to lower their saturated fat intake. The amount of weight regained over the year was the same for both groups, about four pounds, leading researchers to conclude that what matters in a weight maintenance program is overall calories, regardless of carbohydrate intake. They did notice one difference, though -- the average blood pressure went up in the high-carb group but not the high-protein group.
The moral of the story? It's not a sin to eat a plate of spaghetti every now and then as long as your diet is generally healthy. However, when it comes to carbs, try to stick to whole grains.
Paleo Diet - The Caveman Diet
Want to chow down like Pebbles or nosh like Bamm-Bamm? Then the Paleolithic diet, also known as the caveman diet or Paleo diet, might be for you. The Paleo diet is based on the diet of hunter-gatherers in the Stone Age. Dieters eat wild plants and animals that were consumed during the Paleolithic period, which ended 10,000 years ago.
Paleo diet proponents avoid grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, sugar and oil. Instead, they base their meals around meat, fish, vegetables, roots and nuts. Unlike the raw food diet, those following this diet can cook their foods. This high-protein diet was first popularized in the 1970s by gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin who claimed that human genetics have not changed much since the dawn of time, so it makes sense to eat what our ancestors ate to avoid modern diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
The American Dietetic Association classifies the paleo diet as a fad diet.
"The caveman diet may have some quick-fix weight-loss effects, but the diet leaves out healthful components of well-balanced eating such as heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering whole grains, breads and cereals, beans and legumes, and calcium-rich dairy products," says Marissa Lippert, R.D., a New York City nutritionist from Nourish Nutrition Counseling & Communications. "As our agricultural system evolved over thousands of years, so has our bodies' nutrition needs. If we exclude entire nutrient categories from our diet, our energy levels, cravings and general health can be impacted."
If you want to stay healthy and lose weight, the majority of health professionals agree that a reduced-calorie diet that a variety of foods is the healthiest approach.
How Many Carbs Per Day Do I Need?
How many carbs do you need per day? That can be a fairly complex question, but the US Department of Health & Human Services recommends that half of your daily calories come from carbohydrates. Therefore, if your daily calorie consumption is around 2,000 calories, then about 1,200 of those should come from carbs.
When considering how many carbs per day to eat, it's important to remember not all carbs are created equal. Nutritionists recommend getting healthy carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Unhealthy carbs that you should avoid include sugary soda and processed foods like cookies and potato chips.
Thanks to popular diet plans like the Atkins Diet, many believe that decreasing your carb intake will lead to weight loss. However, experts say this is a short-term solution. Ultimately, a healthy diet should be within your recommended daily intake of calories and include both carbs and protein.
More Diet and Fitness Questions Answered:
How Many Calories Do I Need?
How Do I Calculate My BMI?
How Many Calories Did I Burn?
How Much Protein Do I Need?
When considering how many carbs per day to eat, it's important to remember not all carbs are created equal. Nutritionists recommend getting healthy carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Unhealthy carbs that you should avoid include sugary soda and processed foods like cookies and potato chips.
Thanks to popular diet plans like the Atkins Diet, many believe that decreasing your carb intake will lead to weight loss. However, experts say this is a short-term solution. Ultimately, a healthy diet should be within your recommended daily intake of calories and include both carbs and protein.
More Diet and Fitness Questions Answered:
How Many Calories Do I Need?
How Do I Calculate My BMI?
How Many Calories Did I Burn?
How Much Protein Do I Need?
No carbs are best for a healthy prostate
Carbs are generally regarded as bad when you're trying to lose weight but ok the rest of the time. But new studies are showing that a diet free of or low in carbs may be best for putting the brakes on the spread of prostate cancer. In a study using mice, it was found that mice who had a high-fat, carb-free diet lived longer than those on a traditional western diet that is high in both fat and carbs.
However, it should be noted that high-fat diets have been said to lead to prostate cancer, even though these findings show that it might help speed up treatment. So, in the meantime, I think moderation is key -- don't cut out healthy carbs like whole grains, and don't load up on unhealthy fats either.
However, it should be noted that high-fat diets have been said to lead to prostate cancer, even though these findings show that it might help speed up treatment. So, in the meantime, I think moderation is key -- don't cut out healthy carbs like whole grains, and don't load up on unhealthy fats either.
