In this video, Joe highlights some of the most popular diets present in today’s society. Joe discusses not only the diets themselves, but some of the myths and downsides of associated with them.
Zone Diet
– Balance of protein, carbohydrates, & fat in diet
– Two quality snacks a day
– Balance Protein: 30%
– Carbohydrates: 40%
– Moderate Fats: 30%
- Limit saturated fats
- Eat only quality fats
– Aims to control insulin
– Men consume about 100 gm protein/day
– Women consume 75 gm protein/day
– 1400 cal/day
– 1800 cal/day (active)
– Similar to a Mediterranean diet
– Overall, the concept behind the Zone Diet is sound, but not comprehensive enough
South Beach
– Insulin control
– Decrease carbohydrate that spike insulin
– The effect is positive – helps with insulin surges
– Three Phases
- Kick start
- Re introduction of carbohydrate
- Diet in life
– Increase protein & fats, decrease carbohydrate
– Overall, concept is not bad, but not comprehensive enough. Still need to consider portion control and overall lifestyle changes.
Ornish
– Cardiovascular diet
– Similar to being vegetarian
– Less than 10% of calories come from fat (not a great thing)
– About 70-75% of calories come from carbohydrates
– About 15-20% of the diet is protein
– No cholesterol
– No saturated and monosaturated fats
– Not a theory or diet I would recommend. Our bodies need good sources of fat (olive oils). Diet is not comprehensive enough for what the body needs.
Cabbage Soup Diet:
– High in fiber
– Focuses on calorie restriction
– Low in fat
– Good for a “jump start” to a diet, but not for long term
– Only applicable for a short period of time
– Not good for blood sugar stability
– This type of diet can make a person feel weak and even lightheaded
– The body needs adequate fats
– I do not support this type of diet.
Eat Right for your Blood Type:
– This diet focuses on eating certain food based upon your blood type
– Diet suggests that your blood type determines if you should eat more dairy, protein, etc.
– There is little research or literature to suggest its efficacy.
– They suggest you eat this way forever
– I would not recommend this diet. It is not practical at all and is too limiting.
Atkins:
– Basics of diet is high in protein and fat, and extremely low in carbohydrates
– Aims to decrease insulin response, which is good.
– The diet is actually effective for weight loss, it is just too extreme
– Would only recommend this for short term use
– Diet does not address or teach you the way you should eat long term
– Typically the weight is gained once off of the diet
– Diet can have negative effects on your health
- Increase in liver function tests
- Increase chance of osteoporosis
- Increase chance of gall bladder disease
- Pancreatitis
- Increase of kidney stone risk
– You may feel better at first because you are decreasing your carbohydrate intake, but most people will feel a “crash” at some point
– Would not recommend this diet, especially long term.
Mediterranean Diet:
– Diet is high in fiber, monosaturated fats (olive oil), omega 3’s, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds
– Diet is low in dairy and red meats
– Focuses on fresh, live, real foods
– Good diet approach
Overall, some of these diets, like Zone or South Beach can have some positive effects on weight loss, but they still miss the mark. Mediterranean is probably the closest and best approach. Remember that we need to control our portions and consume real, live foods. Our bodies need good fats and fiber, and some of these diets miss the mark on these accounts. Other than the Mediterranean Diet, none of the diets address food enemies. We should be staying away from foods filled with chemicals, saturated fats, and diets low in fiber, and refined sugars and carbohydrates.