Low carb-vegetables are highly recommended if you're trying a diet plan like Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Glycemic Index, Sugar Busters! and others advocate low-carb fruits and vegetables to varying degrees.

But low-carb vegetables are not just for dieters. Nutritionists agree that fruits and vegetables are the cornerstones of a healthy diet -- supplying essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, while helping to protect our bodies against diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

Low-carb vegetables are especially appealing because they contain less sugar than other vegetables, which allows someone to eat larger amounts without gaining weight.

You probably already know that starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, corn and peas are higher in carbohydrates. Green, leafy vegetables like lettuces are the least starchy. However, the exact carb count in a vegetable depends on the serving size. Also, when counting carbs in vegetables, the fiber is not counted and can be subtracted from the total number of carbohydrates.

Those trying to follow a low-carb diet, which usually depend on low-carb vegetables, should check with their nutritionist or with the specific diet plan to see which vegetables they are allowed to eat. If the plan does not recommend specific produce choices, you might try low-carb vegetables from the list below. They're great ways to get your USDA -recommended five to nine servings of vegetables per day.

Leafy vegetables
Arugula
Bok choy
Broccoli raab
Collard greens
Kale
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Spinach

The Zone Diet, devised by Barry Sears, M.D., and introduced in 1995, gained popularity through celebrity dieters like Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Madonna.

Like other weight-loss plans, the Zone Diet encourages dieters to cut calories, especially those from carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. It encourages people looking to lose weight to eat lots of lean meats and other foods filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. To keep their blood-sugar levels stable and fend off hunger pangs, those on the plan eat five small meals a day.

Unlike some diets, the Zone Diet doesn't force people to buy certain foods, which can help cut down on the costs that sometimes accompany these plans. There are, however, a line of Zone Diet supplements. People who choose to eat them should be warned that they can be expensive.

Sounds perfect, right? Not so fast.

The diet discourages dairy consumption, which can keep those on the Zone Diet from getting several essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, Vitamin E and calcium. Another common complaint is that the low-carb plan leaves dieters too tired to exercise. Coffee and soda intake can get tricky on the plan, too, because caffeine, which causes insulin levels to spike, is considered a no-no.

Others have a hard time understanding the 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fat (40-30-30) ratio that Dr. Sears says will make your metabolism function best. These restrictions can be especially problematic when you're dining out. Dieters are also required to eat within one hour of waking and, roughly, every two to three hours after.

Additionally, Zone Diet creators claim -- despite a lack of evidence -- that those who follow the plan will decrease their risk of cancer, heart disease and other conditions while improving athletic performance.

If you have decided to lose weight, one of your best bets is a healthy, low-fat diet, paired with exercising several times a week. That's Fit has Diet and Weight Loss tips to help.

Read the full Zone Diet Review and Zone Diet Foods List from AOL Health.

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Overwhelmed by all of the "Follow Friday" recommendations on Twitter? Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit search the Twittersphere for the greatest diet and fitness Twitterers, and each week, we'll highlight the best-of their best tweets (no Twits here). Got any great advice for our Fit Follow Friday post? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!

Photo: Michelle May, M.D.

The trademarks of yo-yo dieting -- overeating, followed by deprivation in guilty repentance -- may seem like something a doctor would have the self-control and training to be above, but Michelle May, M.D., former yo-yo dieter and author of the new book "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat," explains that "health care professionals are people too," and that the restrictions of diets -- not the dieters -- are to blame for failed weight-loss plans.

The reason? In her book, she explains that the very basics of dieting -- the counting, planning and constant need to think and plan your eating based off of someone else's rules (often "before you're even out of bed!") is tiring. So much so, that any good aspect of the diet is essentially canceled out by the end result: "This constant effort and vigilance may wear you out and cause you to return to overeating to escape." Once Dr. May ditched diets, and adopted long-term successful strategies she describes below, the weight came off.

That's Fit: What do you think was most effective in helping you achieve a healthy weight?

Dr. Michelle May: I had to pay attention not just to what and how much I was eating, but why I was eating in the first place. I didn't have any deep, dark emotional issues, but I had certainly learned to comfort and entertain myself with food. Even when I was on a diet and following the rules about what to eat, I was still eating when I was bored, stressed or tired. When I felt too deprived of the foods I loved, I'd go off my diet. Nothing had fundamentally changed about my relationship with food so I just went back to overeating my favorites. This is what I called my eat-repent-repeat cycle.

I've since worked with thousands of people who are doing exactly the same thing, and the reason is that with yo-yo [dieting you don't] have any middle ground -- you are either on your diet or off. I kicked yo-yo dieting by changing the paradigm completely from a yo-yo to a pendulum. There is still the possibility of extremes but as you give overeating and dieting less of your energy, the pendulum settles into a smaller arc in the middle where you have the flexibility and the mindfulness to nourish your mind, body, heart and soul.

Photo: kurisurokku, Flickr

You've just finished a tough workout. You're hot and sweaty so you reach for ... celery? It's long been known that water-rich fruits and vegetables can contribute to your hydration needs. But recent research shows that beyond contributing to hydration, some fruits and vegetables may hydrate your body twice as effectively as a glass of water.

Water is cool, refreshing and calorie-free, but certain types of produce have a leg up on H2O. Why? Because they provide nutrients like mineral salts, amino acids and vitamins as well as hydration.

When exercising, your body can lose electrolytes through sweat. Replenishing lost electrolytes is the whole premise behind sports drinks. But certain fresh fruits and veggies can replenish your body, too -- without all the artificial colors and flavors.

When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of gimmicks out there. But That's Fit readers know this: Gimmicks never work, and sometimes they can leave you with more weight to lose than when you started. The other day, however, a friend told me about an idea that sounds gimmick-y, but is actually just a new way of looking at solid, time-tested advice.

It's called the 5 and 30 plan. The idea is easy -- eat a minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day and get 30 minutes of moderate exercise. Essentially, the plan reduces calories, increases fiber, improves nutrition and ensures daily physical activity. But at the same time, it sounds pretty simple.

It's not a diet, it's a way of life. And this week, I'm going to try it on for size.

Photo: Watermelon is a sweet summer treat. sxc.hu

Day 3: If you're trying to build a five-a-day habit (or even better, more!), summer is the time to do it. My fridge is overflowing with fresh tasty produce: Lettuce and green onions from the garden, fresh-picked strawberries from the farmers market, melon, every color of pepper, cucumbers -- you get the idea.

An easy place to start is incorporating just one fruit or veggie into every meal or snack. (If you're not a snacker, aim for two servings at every meal.) Today, I ate two small plums with my breakfast smoothie, a whole bunch of carrots and cucumbers with hummus for lunch, and I had a big bowl of fruit salad -- cantaloupe and watermelon -- with my grilled turkey sandwich (also topped with romaine and tomato) for dinner.

I don't like to spend a lot of time at a hot stove in the summer, so these simple meals worked perfectly for me.

Photo: sxc.hu

Day 7: For some reason, biking was my workout of choice this week, a switch for me since I'm usually a walker. But in just seven days, I can already see some small changes. My legs don't burn quite so much, and my usual route just doesn't seem long enough anymore. What this proves to me is what I already know (but it's still fun to see it in action): Consistency really is key.

The same goes for the fruits and vegetables, I think. Tonight, during a family trip to the ice cream store, I passed up the treat for some fresh blueberries I knew I had waiting for me at home. Eating fresh produce at every meal has helped keep me satisfied, making it easier to say no to sugary treats.

Photo: sxc.hu

Want to make the 5 and 30 challenge work for you? Here are some simple tips to get you started:

• If you're brand new to exercise, start small. Think 5 and 10 challenge instead, and work your way up.
• That 30-minute workout can be broken into two to three smaller workouts if time is short.
• Choose an exercise you love, so you look forward to it every day. But change it up now and then to challenge both your mind and your body.
• Visit your local farmers markets for the freshest fruits and vegetables. They'll taste better.
• Love to snack? Make a rule that between meals, only fruits and vegetables are allowed.
• Put a big bowl of fruit out in plain sight. We had the most magnificent plums this week, and putting them out in plain sight meant the whole family reached for those first, before something from the snack cupboard.
• On the other hand, if you're trying to lose weight, there shouldn't be anything in your snack cupboard. Keep your trigger foods at the store and out of reach.
• As always, get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water -- both will help keep hunger at bay.

Have you ever tried a challenge like this one? What kinds of tips and tricks can you share with our readers to make this healthy habit stick?

Got a Walking the Walk idea you'd like to see Bethany try for seven days? Share it with us in comments!

Photo: woodleywonderworks/Flickr

Walking around the farmer's market, you might see fresh produce that looks wonderful, yet you don't really know what to do with it. Seasonal cooking is convenient and economical ... what's more, most fruits and vegetables start to lose some of their nutrients, so the fresher they are, the more nutrient-dense they're likely to be. And fresh from the vine (or plant, or dirt, as the case may be) produce just simply tastes great.

Cooking Light has helpful information about selecting and preparing summer produce. Some highlights:

• Eggplant. Look for firm, heavy eggplants with smooth, shiny skin. Eggplant is delicious grilled and is also suitable for stuffing.
• Avocado. A great source of vitamins, minerals and monounsaturated fat, avocados are a great addition to your diet. They're delicious on their own or sliced on sandwiches or salads. Also check out the recipes for chilled avocado soup and chicken/avocado tacos.
• Yellow squash and zucchini. These versatile veggies are perfect additions to a shish-ke-bob. You can also try a yellow squash gratin or adding zucchini to pasta dishes. Cooking Light has many other suggestions as well.

For more ideas, read up on celeriac and be sure to read Bev's post about shopping smart at farmer's markets.

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If you're like the average American, you get only three servings of fruits and veggies per day. But you need nine. That might seem like a lot, but it's really not, say the food editors at Eating Well, because servings aren't as big as you think.

Salads are an easy way to get your goods -- just throw together two cups of spinach, a half-cup of bell peppers and a half-cup of green beans. Add some healthy dressing, and you'll satisfy half of your daily recommended servings. The video above shows the whole story.

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Whether the motivation is the economy or the environment, backyard gardens are popping up all over the country. Perhaps most famously, a garden was even planted at the White House. Regardless of the reasons for planting a garden, there are undeniable health perks to growing your own produce.

Produce that is freshly picked (or dug as the case may be) hasn't had time to lose any nutrients. What's more, the fresher the produce, the better it seems to taste. And, as you grow different varieties of produce and have them right on hand, you're more likely to find ways to prepare and enjoy them. And increasing your fruit and vegetable intake is a good thing.


You can never have too many fruits and vegetables, but there are other, less healthful, foods that can send you into a flurry of overeating.

Grilling is a summertime treat -- and a great way to get out of cooking in that hot kitchen. Before you pull out that package of hot dogs, though, consider that your grill is the perfect place to cook fruits and veggies, too. Getting in your five to nine servings a day has never tasted so good!

• Firm vegetables like corn, peppers, eggplant and onions can be cooked directly on the grill. Baste them in your favorite marinade for extra flavor, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Some veggies are perfect for steaming. Make a pocket out of tinfoil, put in carrots, zucchini and potatoes, then add seasoning and a small amount of water. Put the entire package on the grill and heat.
• Bite-sized veggies, like mushrooms, grill up great on a skewer or in a grill basket.
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with grilled fruit. Brush fruits like apples and peaches with a small amount of oil and sprinkle with cinnamon, or serve grilled bananas with a scoop of low-fat yogurt.

Serve up great nutrition this summer by putting fruits and veggies on your grill -- indoor or outdoor. Check out Maggie's post on creative grilling for more healthy and delicious ideas.

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Thank goodness it's not July, because watermelon is not on the low GI menu. In fact, at 80, its GI ranking is considered high. What a disappointment. Cantaloupe barely squeezes in at 75, but some of my other favorite fruits -- apples, pears and cherries -- fall into the "low" category, so I'll snack on those instead.

It's probably no surprise to anyone that most veggies are low on the glycemic index. Even carrots, with all their natural sugars, only rank a 16 when eaten raw, and sweet corn is a 47. I've got to stay away from pumpkin and parsnips, though, which, honestly, shouldn't be a problem.