Can Herbs Aid Weight Loss? Live Leaner and Longer
(Page 3 of 9)
January/February 2007
By Linda B. White, M.D.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) compared four diets: Atkins (low carbohydrate), Zone (balanced protein, carbs and fats), Weight Watchers (caloric restriction) and Ornish (lowfat). At the end of the year, dieters in all groups lost an average of 6 pounds. Individual success was determined not by the type of diet, but adherence to the particular regime.
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Choose your carbohydrates wisely. “All carbohydrates provide four calories per gram,” McConnell says. “Regardless of whether your calories come from Gummy Bears or beans, you’ll lose weight if you take in less than you expend.” The difference is, the beans are more nutritious and high in fiber, which slows passage through the digestive tract and keeps you feeling full.
Good carbs come from whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And there is evidence that a plant-based diet does improve weight loss. In a 2005 study published in the American Medical Journal, 64 overweight, postmenopausal women embarked on a lowfat, vegan diet. Their results? The women lost an average of nearly 13 pounds in 14 weeks—without being advised to limit calories.
Fear not good fats. Fats help you feel satisfied and full. “Bad” fats are solid at room temperature: saturated fat (found mostly in meats and dairy) and “trans,” or hydrogenated, fats (found in many processed foods). “Good” fats are liquid at room temperature and include monounsaturated (olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (most other vegetable oils and fish oils). Read labels. Be leery of products advertised as lowfat; they’re often loaded with refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
Eat slowly and with attention. If you munch while working, watching TV or driving, you may not even notice you ate all those tortilla chips until your hand hits the bottom of the bag. The brain lags 20 minutes behind the stomach in registering fullness. So savor every bite—pause and appreciate smells, textures and flavors. “Pay attention to those internal signals,” McConnell says, “and stop when you’re full.”
Don’t skip meals. If you do, you’ll be so famished the next time you sit at the dinner table you’ll bolt your food and have trouble pushing away. As McConnell puts it, “Healthy choices and portion control become extremely hard to practice when you’re starving.” Mars advises eating a good breakfast and making lunch your main meal. “We need more fuel in the daytime. In the evening, we usually eat dinner, then watch TV or read. Most of us just aren’t active at night.”
Plan ahead. On Sunday, McConnell plans her meals and shops for groceries for the entire week. “Healthy eating is more likely if it’s convenient,” she says. “Having good food on hand keeps you from snacking on junk food.” McConnell keeps prepackaged yogurt shakes and fruit on hand for rushed mornings. To get through her busy day, she packs lunch and snackable vegetables, such as baby carrots, sugar snap peas and grape tomatoes.
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