Weight loss diets that work.If you've put on a few pounds this winter and you're thinking about dieting, here's some guidance from two important health authorities. The Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine, n.pr a nonprofit organization founded in 1985; promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, encourages effectiveness and ethics in research efforts, and advocates to broaden the access to health (PCRM PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine PCRM Program Control and Resources Management PCRM Predictive Customer Relationship Management PCRM Project Cost Resources Management ) has evaluated several popular diets and come out strongly in favor of low-fat, vegetarian diets and strongly against high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. PCRM's president Neal Barnard, M.D., "High-protein diets can harm the kidneys, weaken bones, increase cancer and heart disease risk, and create a number of other health problems." PCRM made its evaluation based on the following criteria critical to good nutrition and healthy weight loss: a minimum of 25 grams of fiber, five servings of fruits and vegetables, no more than 50 mg of cholesterol, no more than 30% of total calories from fat and no more than 10% from saturated fat saturated fat, any solid fat that is an ester of glycerol and a saturated fatty acid. The molecules of a saturated fat have only single bonds between carbon atoms; if double bonds are present in the fatty acid portion of the molecule, the fat is said to be . The USDA USDA, n.pr See United States Department of Agriculture. , in their scientific review of the most popular diets, mirrored PCRM's findings. They concluded that high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are nutritionally inadequate, low in vitamins E, A, thiamin thiamin or vitamin B1 Organic compound, part of the vitamin B complex, necessary in carbohydrate metabolism. It carries out these functions in its active form, as a component of the coenzyme thiamin pyrophosphate. , B6, folate folate /fo·late/ (fo´lat) 1. the anionic form of folic acid. 2. more generally, any of a group of substances containing a form of pteroic acid conjugated with l-glutamic acid and having a variety of substitutions. , calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, and dietary fiber dietary fiber n. Coarse, indigestible plant matter, consisting primarily of polysaccharides, that when eaten stimulates intestinal peristalsis. . If that's not enough to steer you away, those diets are also high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The key to weight loss is to create a negative energy balance; that is, consume fewer calories than you burn. While high protein diets may "work" by restricting calorie intake, they do so at a cost to general health and nutrition. The winners of the diet book wars according to PCRM are Eat More, Weigh Less by Dean Ornish, M.D.,and The McDougall Program for Weight Loss by John McDougall, M.D. Both promote low-fat, vegetarian diets, high in fiber and low in cholesterol. But without buying any diet books, you can steer yourself to a healthy program with The Mayo Clinic's Healthy Weight Pyramid, which simplifies the subject considerably. At the center of the Mayo Clinic's plan is daily physical activity. This is a plan you can live with. (For more information click on www.mayo.edu, www.pcrm.org, and www.usda.org) RELATED ARTICLE: MAYO CLINIC S HEALTHY WEIGHT PYRAMID What to Eat Each Day up to 75 calories of sweets 3 to 5 servings of olive oil, nuts, canola oil, or avocados 3 to 7 servings of beans, fish, lean meat, or low fat dairy 4 to 8 servings of whole grains or bread unlimited amounts of whole fruits (minimum 4) unlimited amounts of vegetables(minimum 4) |
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