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Fad Diets: Busted and Zoned Out!
By: Nancy T. Smith, MS, RD, CDE
I have BIG news for everyone that has been avoiding carrots!! Carrots will not make you fat! The authors of Sugar Busters would have you avoid carrots simply because of the high score carrots received in the Glycemic Index.
Carrots are low in calories and high in vitamin A, making them a perfect
food to include when trying to control weight.
Fortunately, Sugar Busters "is not another high fat, low carbohydrate
fad diet." It does encourage the use of whole grains, fruits, vegetables,
lean meat and monounsaturated fat sources like olive oil, canola oil
and nuts. Unfortunately for individuals with diabetes or impaired glucose
tolerance (prediabetes) they don't consider the total carbohydrate content
of meals. The total carbohydrate content of meals is what affects blood
sugar the most. That is why people with diabetes are encouraged to limit
fruit juice and spread their carbohydrate foods through the day. Many
people with diabetes can tell you that combining cereal and orange juice
at the same meal, as Sugar Busters recommends, will result in high blood
sugar.
Because it forbids refined grain products like white bread, white rice, regular pasta and refined breakfast cereals, following Sugar Buster's should result in a reduced carbohydrate intake at some meals. Even when consuming whole grains, the carbohydrate content of the meal and portion sizes need to be considered for people with diabetes.
ZONED OUT?
In The Zone, Barry Sears says "The best time to eat is when you are not hungry." How out of touch with our bodies is that? One reason people gain excess weight is because they learn to overcome the body's signals regarding hunger and fullness.
Like Sugar Busters, The Zone encourages lean meat, fruits, vegetables and monounsaturated fats. The only favorable grain recommended is oatmeal. He recommends using other grains in very small portions. To stay in The Zone, you have to eat a diet with 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat. To accomplish this, the individual calculates their protein requirements based on weight, gender and activity. Once you determine how many protein "blocks" you need at each meal, you plan to eat equal number of protein, carbohydrate and fat "blocks" at each meal to get to the magic 40/30/30 formula. Sound complicated? You're right - it is. And the carbohydrate and fat blocks are very small.
A suggested lunch example for a man is 1/2 of a Canadian Bacon, lettuce tomato sandwich, 1 oz. lowfat cheese, and 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/3 cup canned peaches. No wonder he doesn't want you to wait until you are hungry. He states that calories don’t matter, but that on his plan you may cut your calorie intake in half. That should certainly result in weight loss. However, if weight is lost very quickly, we tend to lose a lot of water and the weight tends to be regained quickly.
Nancy Smith is a registered, licensed dietitian and a certified diabetes
educator. She works with the Tallahassee Memorial Diabetes Center specializing
in the education and management of diabetes and cholesterol problems.
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