The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!

By: Kirsten Hawkins

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies
the current recommendations from our most respected medical
institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional
researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the
high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such
institutions as the American Heart Association, the American
Diabetes Association and the United States Department of
Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy. Instead,
they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality
protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the
enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight
loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement
between them seeming to be the need to lose weight. The
problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The
most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate -
until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and
look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie
calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and
what I found was a revelation. In the most practical sense,
they're all talking about the same diet. Oh, there are minor
variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the
advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been
stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the
Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American
Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's
Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest
portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate
vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots,
summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high
calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where
the controversy seems to arise. Almost without exception,
proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance
have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults
should derive the greater portion of their diets from
carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without
exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest
avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks
high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice. On the other
hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb
diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in
saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong
suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only
until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of
vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2
1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half
cups of vegetable? In the end, the bottom line of every weight
loss program advertised is the same:

* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are
derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits. * Eat fewer
calories than you expend. * Exercise moderately every day. *
Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose
weight--and keep it off!

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville,
TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/ for more great
nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and
comments on popular diets.