POPULAR DIETST BY CLAIRE GREEN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALLIED HEALTH NUTRITION & DIETETICS
For many of us losing weight and getting that body we have always promised ourselves sits high on the list of New Year’s resolutions. However with so many diet books, nutrition blogs and celebrity endorsements promising the miracle solution it can be hard to know how to start. Often these miracle diets are either very restrictive, cutting out whole food groups, or they encourage an unusual combination of foods for a short period of time. Whilst some people find that they lose weight quickly on these types of diets, people often get fed-up, revert back to old habits and put the weight back on.
The No Sugar Diet
The Paleo Diet
Encourages the exclusion of all types of sugar and often carbohydrates from your diet.
Encourages people to eat “whole foods”, which are thought to have been eaten in prehistoric times and to exclude all other foods such as dairy, grains, sugars, legumes, processed oils, salt and other food such as alcohol and coffee.
Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet and reading the labels are definitely a positive, however some versions of this diet promote cutting out all sugar from your diet which is almost impossible. This would include fruits, vegetables, dairy products and nuts which all provide us with a range of vital nutrients for health. Some versions of this diet also recommend using a substitute like palm sugar, maple syrup or honey, which are just another form of sugar! I recommended taking a whole diet approach rather than cutting out a single food or nutrient.
HERE ARE SOME USEFUL TIPS TO HELP YOU TELL FACTS FROM FICTION
The emphasis on fruit and vegetables, and high quality food choices rather than processed options is a positive feature, however the paleo diet fails to provide all the recommended nutrients and excludes foods and entire food groups. In fact, by cutting out dairy completely, you could be in danger of compromising your bone health without very careful substitution, because of a lack of calcium.
Healthy diets that will help you keep weight off
FAC N FICTIO OR
Single food diets Single food diets or food specific diets are based on the idea that some foods have magical fat burning or weight loss properties such as cabbage, grapefruit, and lemons. No foods or single food group can burn off fat. Single food diets are restrictive and difficult to maintain. They are often unbalanced and don’t provide the right balance of nutrients for health.
WHERE TO GO FOR FURTHER ADVICE Registered dietitians are able to provide individualised dietary advice. If you would find this helpful you can find a registered dietitian near you. Visit www.dietitians.org.nz Unhealthy diet trends
Encourages Encouragers plenty of fruit Recommend a range of Promote eating mainly regular meals, and vegetables for meals expensive supplements or one type of food like in the starting with and for snacks products cabbage soup diet breakfast Is realistic about weight Restricts or cuts out whole Promises rapid weight loss of Promotes a loss, aiming to lose food groups such as dairy more than one kilo per week variety of food between half and one kilo or wheat unless you have a Promises a magic bullet per week proven allergy Encourages lower fat foods to help you lose weight such as lean meats and low Encourages regular physical Promote a food with miracle without having to make any fat dairy food activity, ideally 30 minutes fat burning properties like changes to your lifestyle daily moderate activity grapefruit or lemons such as exercising COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH | 2