As promised in my last blog, I will review a variety of popular diets. Many of you have asked about the “blood type” diet, which is an eating plan for general health based on whether you are A, B, AB or O from the book Eat Right 4 Your Type. The author reports, for example, that B people are the only ones who can thrive on dairy products. He also says that those who followed this eating plan for one month or more had significant improvement in a variety of health conditions including weight loss. I tried it many years ago and quite frankly experienced no weight loss, nor any other benefits. But, that’s not to say it would not work for you.
Two very popular diets are the Atkins and South Beach diets. On the Atkins Diet, you eat large amounts of fat and protein like bacon and eggs scrambled in butter, which is off limits on other diets – but you must severely limit your intake of carbs. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the health dangers of eating so much saturated fat and limiting so many nutrients found in carbohydrates! The South Beach diet is pretty much the same but disallows saturated fats.
These two diets could work for those whose blood type is O, the protein eating type. However, if you are an A, whose diet emphasis is on vegetables and no red meat, this may not cut it. B types could do well with Atkins if they mainly stick to dairy. AB is defined as an intermediate between types A and B so they have wider choices and might do well on the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean Diet is touted for its health benefits because Mediterranean people have much fewer health issues than do Americans. This diet basically consists of eating the way the locals do: fish 3 times a week and red meat sparingly, but consuming more grains than most of us are used to, as well as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts (a no-no on most diets), and olive oil. No saturated fats are allowed.
Yet if you follow the Eat Fat Lose Fat diet book, the author wants you to eat animal protein, saturated fat and dairy not only to lose weight, but more importantly to stay healthy. The twist here is to get much of your saturated fat from coconut oil. The author claims her diet plan is “the healthy alternative to trans fats” and what she says makes lots of sense. But how are we to know which “expert” makes the most sense or for that matter, is right? I suggest using your best judgment and seeing what works – or devising your own plan, which takes your lifestyle and food preferences into consideration.
As for myself, I’ve found that eliminating refined sugars and processed grains is the best option for me. My ultimate success came when I reached my desired weight goal and never went back to my old eating habits. I found that one of the secrets to long-term success lies in having eaten well for so long that cravings become a thing of the past. Achieving lasting results will be the subject for my next blog. I’d love to hear about your experiences with diets you have tried. |
|
Add a Comment
|
Post Office
Bingo
Prayer
Feng Shui
Love
Market
Angel
Money Saver
Gift Shoppe
