Original article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35819203/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Atkins New Book

The new Atkins diet book, an updated version of the popular high-fat eating plan, promises that kind of quick result. “The New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great” promotes a program called the “optimal protein diet” that certainly appeals to our cheeseburger cravings (minus the bun, of course). The revised diet book is already a best-seller, but is pumping up protein and cutting carbs really the best way to slim down safely and stay that way? Losing weight that fast could be harmful .

While this latest Atkins incarnation includes far more vegetables, it still shuns, especially in the beginning, healthful whole grains, fruits and legumes. Even when it does allow for some of the vilified carbohydrate-rich foods in later phases, the amount of total carbs suggested continues to fall very short of Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations, as well as the government’s current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In fact, a recent two-year study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that reduced-calorie diets led to weight loss in overweight adults regardless of which macronutrients — protein, fat, or carbohydrate — were emphasized.
And a just published follow-up study in the Annals of Internal Medicine noted that obese people who followed either a low-carbohydrate or a low-fat diet for one year maintained a modest weight loss — 5 pounds and 9.5 pounds, respectively — at three years. While those who followed a low-carb diet lost more weight initially, they tended to regain more weight by the end of three years.
“These results highlight the difficulty in sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet, as carbohydrate intake did not differ between the low-carbohydrate or low-fat dieters by three years,” according to Dr. Marion Vetter, R.D., one of the study authors. “For some people, low-fat diets may be easier to sustain over time.”
Despite efforts to blame carbs for our stubborn pudge, a study published in the November 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition detected no differences in weight-loss maintenance after one year between those who followed a high-protein diet and those who followed a high-carb diet after three months of weight loss.

Before you order that steak
That said, protein does appear to satiate more than carbs or other fats, triggering hormones and other chemicals to send “feel full” messages to the brain. Some research has shown that boosting protein in your diet increases fullness and reduces how many calories you consume.  Consuming dietary protein also increases thermogenesis, meaning more calories are used to digest, absorb, and metabolize protein than for either carbohydrate or fat. It also helps you hold on to lean muscle mass that often shrinks while dieting.

Consuming more protein (while reducing carbohydrate and/or fat intake) has also been shown in studies to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, blood lipids (including cholesterol), and other cardiovascular risk factors. A high-protein diet has also been shown to control blood pressure, especially when the protein comes from plant sources. In older people, adequate protein intake also protects against age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass.

But before you order your next big steak or turkey club sandwich, be mindful that not all proteins are created equal.

Animal sources such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt are considered sources of complete proteins since the proteins they contain are made of all the essential amino acids. These foods also boast vitamin B12, folate, biotin, and iron.

The downside is fatty meats (especially processed ones like hot dogs, salami and bacon), poultry (like fried and/or skinned varieties), and full-fat (and even reduced-fat) versions of dairy products deliver lots of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Too many of these foods (especially in large portions) can mean too many calories — and elevated blood cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.

Choose animal-derived proteins in their lowest fat form, such as sirloin, flank steak or round cuts; fish; and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. Keep portions small to maximize nutritional benefits while minimizing health risks.

Of the plant proteins such as nuts and seeds, grains, legumes — dried beans, peas, lentils and soybeans — vegetables, and to a lesser extent fruits, only soy is considered a complete protein. All others are incomplete proteins, which means they lack one or more essential amino acids. Plant proteins pack in fiber, folate, potassium, calcium and magnesium, but have little, if any, saturated fat and no cholesterol. Choose some of these foods each day to get enough essential amino acids, especially if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Watch portions since legumes, nuts, and seeds pack in lots of calories in relatively small amounts.

If you have kidney problems or any other disease or condition that warrants a lower protein diet, be sure to consult with a doctor and registered dietitian.

Although the protein and weight-loss connection appears promising, it’s not a secret weapon for getting skinny. No matter which diet claims to help you shed pounds quickly, it’s not advisable to lose more than one to two each week. Anything more than that and your metabolism may slow down and actually make your body a less efficient fat-burner. Shedding pounds too fast increases your risk of gallstones, nutritional deficiencies and other serious health problems.

Elisa Zied, R.D., is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. She is author of “Nutrition at your Fingertips” and co-author of “Feed Your Family Right!”

“Cleansing is basic for elimination of every kind of disease.” ~ Stanley Burroughs

“Since the days of Jesus Christ, who fasted for 40 days, men and women have abstained from food for many reasons; for health, for political ends and for spiritual enlightenment.” ~ Herman Schneider

According to Stanley Burroughs, an alternative health practitioner who wrote “The Master Cleanse” book, due to consuming huge quantities of unhealthy food, food waste is stored in our bodies—“Disease, old age, and death are the result of accumulated poisons and congestion throughout the entire body. These toxins become crystallized and hardened, settling around the joints, in the muscles, and throughout the billions of cells all over the body.”

Thus, our bodies naturally start cleansing in order to stop the poison damage. As a result, we experience discomfort and sickness, and many try to “fix” the problem with antibiotics or other drugs, which only suppress the natural process. Such discomfort often appears after holiday feasting as “even the very best of foods in excess can create problems.”

In 1940, Burroughs created the master cleanse diet, which had been proven to be a successful way to lose weight and cure a variety of diseases.

For the cleansing program, he chose lemons, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, laxative tea and sea salt. Each one of the ingredients has a specific purpose and is vital for the successful completion of the diet.

Lemons and limes are “the richest source of minerals and vitamins of any food or foods known to man,” he says.
Even though the lemon is an acid fruit, it becomes alkaline as it is digested and assimilated, and is in fact, the best aid toward proper alkaline balance.

Maple syrup is chosen due to its large variety of minerals and vitamins (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Copper, Chlorine and Silicon; Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C; and Nicotinic Acid and Pantothenic Acid) and cannot be substituted with any other sugary product such as honey for example. The maple syrup can be Grade A (fewer minerals), Grade B (more minerals and more maple taste), and Grade C (more minerals than Grade B). All of them can be used, but the syrup must be organic.

The laxative herb tea needs to be organic if possible, one that is mild to the stomach. Organic senna laxative tea is a good choice.

The cayenne pepper breaks up the mucus and adds more B and C vitamins.

The sea salt is used to wash out the entire digestive tract. Burroughs says enemas and colonics should not be used for this purpose because they are harmful for the system and won’t cleanse the colon as good as the sea salt water bathing. The regular iodized salt won’t work.

Here’s what Burroughs says about the lemons and maple syrup working together:

“The lemon is a loosening and cleansing agent with many important building factors. The ability of the elements in the lemon and the maple syrup working together creates these desired results. Its 49% potassium strengthens and energizes the heart, stimulates and builds the kidneys and adrenal glands.

*Its oxygen builds vitality.
*Its carbon acts as a motor stimulant.
*Its hydrogen activates the sensory nervous system.
*Its calcium strengthens and builds the lungs.
*Its phosphorus knits the bones, stimulates and builds the brain for clearer thinking.
*Its sodium encourages tissue building.
*Its magnesium acts as a blood alkalizer.
*Its iron builds the red corpuscles to rapidly correct the most common forms of anemia.
*Its chlorine cleanses the blood plasma.
*Its silicon aids the thyroid for deeper breathing.

It truly is a perfect combination for cleansing, eliminating, healing, and building.”

In addition, everyone with addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, coffee, cola drinks, etc. will lose the cravings and will “be free from slavery to these many habit-forming and devitalizing elements of modern living.”

“The chemical changes and the cleansing have a way of removing the craving and the many probably deficiencies. Thus, the desire for the unnatural types of stimulants and depressants disappears.”

So, here’s how it’s done:

2 tablespoons lemon or limejuice (about ½ lemon)
2 tablespoons organic maple syrup (not maple flavored sugar syrup)
1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
8 oz water

Combine the juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper in a 10 oz glass and fill with water. Stir and drink. Always use fresh, preferably organic, lemons or limes, and never canned or frozen ones. Six to twelve glasses of the lemonade per day are usually enough. However, if you get hungry, just drink another glass of the lemonade. You must not eat any food during the diet! Don’t use vitamin pills/supplements either. During the cleansing, some people will feel weakness, dizziness, vomiting (rarely), or pain in the joints of the body. It is the result of poisons circulating through the blood stream rather than a lack of food or vitamins, explains Burroughs. The lemonade contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the body to stay without food for up to 40 days. Yes, you can do the diet for up to 40 days as the minimum is 10.
If you feel weak, just take it easy and rest more, although most people feel perfectly fine and are able to even work out.

If you are overweight, use less maple syrup for the lemonade. For those who are underweight, add more syrup. You are allowed to drink as much water as you want in addition to the diet.
Drink laxative tea at night before you go to bed. If you have never drank laxative tea before, you will feel discomfort and pain in the stomach during the first two or three days because the tea will be cleansing huge amounts of stored food waste in your system. In a couple of days the stomach will get used to it and the pain will go away.

How to make the salt water wash:

In a full quart of warm water add two teaspoons of sea salt. Drink the whole quart first thing in the morning. The salt and water will then quickly wash the entire track in an hour, so it’s a good idea to stay home for an hour after you drink the salt water.
“The salt water has the same specific gravity as the blood, hence the kidneys cannot pick up the water and the blood cannot pick up the salt.” If the salt water wash doesn’t work the first time, try adding a little more salt and drinking more water. In short, the laxative tea at night loosens up the stored waste, and the salt water washes it out easily in the morning.

How to break the diet:

Breaking the diet is the most important part. It may have serious consequences if done improperly.

First and second day after the diet:

Drink several glasses of freshly squeezed oranges during the day. According to Burroughs, “The orange juice prepares the digestive system to properly digest and assimilate regular food.” Drink as much water as you need.

Third day:

Orange juice in the morning; raw fruit for lunch; fruit or raw vegetable salad at night, and that’s all. You are now ready to get back to regular eating.

After the successful completion of the cleansing, however, many people prefer to continue with a healthy diet. They also start eating less than what they were eating prior to the cleansing. You are to gain back some of the lost weight which is inevitable, but overall it’s up to you to keep the results for longer through choosing carefully what to eat.

Burroughs and The Nutrition Outside the Lemonade diet will follow.

The key factor in Zone Diet is the hormonal balance you achieve while eating each skillfully prepared meal. With a food plan comprising an accurate balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40%), fat (30%) and proteins (30%); you actually get to eat foods, which control your body’s insulin production. This means that no meal or snack is forbidden in the Zone Diet and yet you can lose weight or fat while Zone dieting.

For those emphasizing weight loss, or for the matter, for those who want to steer clear of cardiovascular sickness, diabetes and other chronic ailments, eating food that follow recommended recipes and staying in the Zone is a must.

Zone Dieting means following recipes with a low-carbohydrate diet plan, where proteins do not dominate the carbohydrates. This allows dieters to get more energy from carbohydrates rather from proteins or fats. The Zone Diet, unlike other diets, insists dieters to keep a close watch on the calorie consumption while eating: a meal not exceeding 500 calories and a snack not exceeding 100 calories is ideal for staying in the Zone.

Weight loss is not the only reason to be in the Zone. There are numerous additional benefits linked with the the Zone Diet, such as enhanced health, improved energy, improved mental clarity. The number of Americans with Type II diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. The Zone diet is perfect for someone with Type II diabetes. Being a high protein, low carbohydrate diet program the Zone Diet was implemented to reduce both hunger and compulsion to eat. Most Zone Diet meal procedures are customized to each individual, based on sex, activity level and proportion of body fat. Every meal or snack is calculated around the 40-30-30 ratio so that the body can give optimal performance.

The Zone Diet encourages foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts, leafy green vegetables, sufficient protein consumption, and eight glasses of water everyday. However, Zone Diet prefers mono-unsaturated fats for saturated fats, says a big no to both processed foods and meals that contain too much salt.

How Zone Diet makes weight loss possible: Consuming too many carbohydrates produces too much insulin, a hormone that tells the body to pile up nutrients. The overload of insulin prompts the body to convert those carbohydrates into fat and store them in your gut, thighs, buttocks or other areas. But protein which has the contradictory effect stirs up the hormone glucagon, which tells the body to let go carbohydrates that are stocked up in the liver. When those carbohydrates are freed, the brain tells the body that its energy supplies are fulfilled and you ought to stop eating. Consequently, limiting the type of carbohydrates you eat and balancing them with 3-4 ounces of low-fat protein at every meal will keep insulin and glucagon balanced, controlling your hunger with smaller number of calories. End result: You’ll experience fat loss and lose weight. This is how the Zone Diet functions.

The objective of this informational resource is to provide visitors with tips on Zone Dieting, weight loss and guide those who seek advice on eating the right food with proper facts and reviews. Please use the menu on the left to select links which will help you seek the appropriate information.

Official site: http://www.zonedietinfo.com

WHAT IS THE ATKINS APPROACH?

What It Is

If eating a bottomless bowl of cabbage soup, along with a few other low-calorie foods, for a solid week appeals to you, the Cabbage Soup Diet is sure to lead to quick weight loss. However, since the food choices are so limited and the calories so low, boredom and inadequate nutrition — are inevitable.

Versions of this very restrictive diet have been buzzing through fax machines and circulating around water coolers for years. A few books have documented different variations of this simple, anonymously written diet plan, which surprisingly has survived the test of time

The Cabbage Soup Diet plan is not in any way individualized. There are no recommendations about exercise, no behavioral tips, no advice on changing bad habits – just a strict list of what to eat each day of the week. And meals need to be eaten at home, because these foods won’t be found on most restaurant menus.

The Cabbage Soup Diet plan promises a 10-pound weight loss in one week, and dieters are restricted to one week at a time on the plan. If they want to lose more, they are advised to wait awhile before commencing another week on this super-low-calorie diet.

What You Can Eat

The 7-day Cabbage Soup Diet plan promises all you can eat — as long as you stick to the small list of allowed foods on alternate days, along with two daily bowls of fat-free cabbage soup. Other specific foods that must be eaten including fruit, vegetables, skim milk, and meat. Dieters are also advised to drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

Here’s a sample Cabbage Soup Diet plan:

Day 1: Cabbage soup and all the fruit you want except bananas. Drink unsweetened tea, black coffee, cranberry juice, or water.

Day 2: Cabbage soup, all the low-calorie vegetables you want (except beans, peas, or corn), and a baked potato with butter.

Day 3: Cabbage soup and a mixture of the above fruit and vegetables.

Day 4: Cabbage soup, up to eight bananas, and two glasses of skim milk.

Day 5: Cabbage soup, up to 20 ounces of beef, chicken or fish, up to six fresh tomatoes, and at least 6-8 glasses of water.

Day 6: Cabbage soup, up to 3 beef steaks, and unlimited vegetables.

Day 7: Cabbage soup, up to 2 cups of brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices, and unlimited vegetables.

The recipe for the cabbage soup varies slightly among different versions of the diet. But it basically includes cabbage and assorted low-calorie vegetables such as onions and tomatoes, and is flavored with onion soup mix, bouillon, and tomato juice.

Here’s a typical recipe:

1 package dry onion soup mix

2 bouillon cubes, either chicken or beef

1 celery stick (not the whole stalk), diced

1/2 head green cabbage, diced

3 carrots, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced

6 large green onions, or 1 large yellow, white or purple onion, diced

2 cans of tomatoes, diced or whole

Cooking spray

Salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, soy sauce to taste (or any other seasoning you like)

Spray a large pot with cooking spray and saute all vegetables except cabbage and tomatoes until tender. Add cabbage and about 12 cups of water. Toss in bouillon cubes, soup mix, and seasonings. Cook until soup reaches desired tenderness; add tomatoes.

Dieters beware; you may encounter some gastrointestinal discomfort from the highly sulfurous cabbage and other gassy vegetables.

How It Works

The Cabbage Soup Diet is essentially a modified fast, containing so few calories that dieters will lose weight rapidly during the weeklong regimen. There is nothing magical about cabbage or cabbage soup that fosters weight loss. It’s the low-calorie nature of the diet plan that does the trick.

The diet makes no scientific claims on how it works. While several versions exist, common to all is the premise that if you eat lots of cabbage soup when you’re hungry, it will keep you satisfied enough to sustain this very low-calorie diet for a week.

Dieters may very well lose the promised 10-15 pounds, but the problem is that most of the weight lost will be primarily from fluids, not fat, and will return once the dieter resumes eating normally.

Factor in the monotony of eating virtually the same foods every day for a week, and dieters may tend to eat even fewer than the already dangerously low (approximately 800-1,050) calories per day.

Experts agree that any diet under 1,200 calories per day is unsafe unless you’re under a doctor’s care. It’s almost impossible to get all the nutrients you need and satisfy hunger in so few calories. A bottomless bowl of cabbage soup, along with a restricted list of allowed foods, provides a mere skeleton of the nourishment your body needs each day.

What the Experts Say

There is little debate as to whether this is a sound diet plan. Indeed, it has all the components of a diet disaster.

“It is a monotonous, short-term fix, severely lacking in nutrients, which will result in a weight loss that is primarily water and not the essential fat loss that is so important to improving health,” says Connie Diekman, MEd, RD,president-elect of the American Dietetic Association.

Diekman worries that diets like the Cabbage Soup Diet perpetuate feelings of failure for most dieters.

“People who go on and off diets get so discouraged when they lose weight only to gain it back, and these feelings make so many people think that diets don’t work,” she says.

As a registered dietitian, she urges dieters to find another plan that is balanced, varied, and includes regular physical activity. The only positive aspect of the Cabbage Soup Diet plan is that it may get people to eat more vegetables, Diekman says.

Food for Thought

If you want to give this modified fast a try, check with your doctor first. Some people have reported feeling lightheaded while on the plan.

If you get the go-ahead, head to the grocery store, buy all the ingredients for the soup, stock up on fruit, vegetables, skim milk, fish, chicken, or meat (depending on which plan you follow) — and plan on staying home. Consuming mass quantities of cabbage soup may cause you to be too gassy to go out in public.

You will lose weight on the Cabbage Soup Diet, but you can plan on seeing those pounds return. This diet plan that is nothing more than a quick fix that does nothing to help change the behaviors that lead to weight gain.

The bottom line? Keep looking for a program that contains all the components of a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity, and is suitable for long-term weight loss.

Published January 2007.