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2004/02/21, 08:19 PM
Well, I wrote this up maybe to give some guidelines to the new folks on choosing a diet method. Hope this helps some. I tried to make it plain and rather simple, hope it makes some sense.:big_smile:
Ok, as we all should know by now, diets are so very important to what we do, I thought I may make the effort to put down a few diet facts and ideas.. There are 3 main dietary “schools” so to speak. Hundreds of variations, but they all come from the big 3. All 3 have their pros and cons, and all 3 have their time and place. The trick is distinguishing which is best for you at what time with your body type and avoid hype. All diet gurus will scream from the rooftop that their diets are best and give success stories, but they never promote the folks who have done them and they did not work for. So, we must first see through this marketing aspect..
The standard diet at this time is probably the high carb/low fat type diet that has been expoused by the media. But, more and more criticism for this diet is starting to surface. Why, because it does not work for everyone, and most of the rush of companies to put out low fat foods actually put out higher calorie foods with added sugars and ingredients to give it the taste that fats give to foods. Anyone remember SnackWell cookies! People mistakenly believed that fat was bad, and carbs were good, and anything low fat could be eaten, and eaten a lot of. So, in the feel good of eating the lower fat foods, many folks actually ate more thinking it is healthy, so the average person was consuming way too many calories. A maybe even bigger problem is that with the “no fat” diet, essential fatty acids intake becomes a problem, and this causes many health deficiencies that are another whole article.
Then, there is the problem of the high carb….it was never meant that any and all carbs are fair game. I think the thought was whole grains, fresh produce and fruit, not processed breads and other high GI foods…muffins, biscuits, etc.. It is quite possible to eat high carbs, the problem is the type of carbs. Folks think, ok, carbs, and think bread, pasta, high GI foods such as these are good carbs. If you don’t have a very fast metabolism, not very active, the speed of digestion with the low fiber intake makes for large problems with blood glucose being all over the map and insulin resistance becoming a huge factor. One of the main problems has to do with hunger and appetite. When insulin resistant, a high carb intake with very low fat intake tends to spike insulin which causes blood glucose to crash. This in turn will cause a hunger rebound, so this in turn makes a sensible dieting regimine almost impossible to stick to.
Now, bodybuilders and endurance athletes can most probably get by much better on this type diet, high carb, because they are burning a much larger amount of calories, but another thing to realize it really is a smaller amount than you think when realized that it is normally also divided between 6-8 meals per day.
Ok, then you have the for lack of better terms moderate carb/moderate fat diet, kind of the zone diet if you will. Such as the 30/40/30 range, basically a split of the macronutrients. I think these diets control blood glucose levels and therefore hunger much better due to less carbs, more fat and fiber, so this slows gastric emptying and decrases the glycemic load, thus a more full feeling for longer.
Another big plus with these diets is taste, with fats foods taste better, and this too makes it easier to stick to. Plus, you get a better allotment of essential fatty acids. This also means generally speaking of more stable energy levels. They also tend to limit problems with insulin resistance, thus lowering chances of blood sugar crashes, etc.
Ok, finally there is now what is the ultra low carb diet. In basic form, whether Atkins, TKD, CKD, or whatever name you choose to call it, it falls into the ketogenic class, teaching your body to burn fat for fuel. While this is concept we all love to hear, is it really practical? Is it really healthy? These approaches are appropriate under certain circumstances. But for most, I believe they are totally inappropriate. But, for folks who don’t do anything, I.e…your basic couch potato, this may be an appropriate diet. Their carbs requirements are much lower than for an active individual, so therefore can fit their needs. Folks with extreme insulin resistance amy do better in terms of energy levels when they reduce carb intake. It will also reduce unnecessary glucose and insulin levels and keep them under control.
So, which diet type is best suited for you? Generally speaking, a balanced diet of well placed nutrients is best. But also generally speaking, and I think this is of more consequence, is how you feel generally. Meaning, if you are functioning well, fairly lean, no major mood swings, good energy, then this is the optimum diet for you.
In essence, if you are a carb addict, with stubborn body fat, a low fat highcarb diet is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you have a high activity level,or even a medium level, then maybe a medium carb medium fat diet is best suited for you, with carb choices being of the medium to low GI sources for the most part.. Hope all this is not mumbo jumbo to anyone, and you get some ideas from it. Maybe some guidelines. But remember, there is no “secret diet”. You can't just pick some fad diet that is hot and say, ok, I will do this one. The best diet approach is the one that works for you and your energy levels and lifestyle.
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
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