Diets

3 foods to help prevent cancer

Scanning through my news feeds this morning I came across this article, "Expert: 40 percent of cancers can be prevented through diet". A powerful headline and well worth the read.

According to David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D., himself a cancer survivor,  cancer cells develop all the time in a healthy body and  we are all equipped with natural defenses that can counteract these rogue cells. The sad truth however according to Dr. Servan-Schreiber is that our dietary habits inhibit our natural defenses.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber in this article states that the 3 most powerful foods in helping the body counteract cancer cells are the spice turmeric, broccoli and green tea.

His book "Anticancer: A New Way of Life" has been on the bookshelves since September.

This year manage your weight in steps, lots of them.

Another new year and another set of commitments to make lifestyle changes. One of the most popular of those desired changes is to lose weight or get in shape. Obesity is poised to be our country's next major health crisis. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are currently overweight or obese, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The lifestyle changes usually associated with loosing weight or weight loss aren’t easy, as anyone who has tried it knows. This year try focusing on getting more steps in each day.  It's easier that swearing you are going to stop eating this or joining a gym and it works!

When you put the body in motion you burn calories, strengthen bones and muscles, increase your oxygen intake, feel better and loose weight.

You can start with simple changes like parking the car a farther from the entrance to a store and getting a few extra steps or start using the stairs instead of the elevator. Simple steps such as these can actually cause a person to lose weight over the course of a year, providing there is no increase in your caloric intake.

An inexpensive tool called a pedometer makes tracking these steps fun and lets you know exactly how you are progressing.

In recent years, pedometers have emerged as popular tools that are easy to use (clipped to a pocket or waistline) to count steps walked per day. The devices are affordable, selling for as little as $7 to $25. This could be key to your commitments to make lifestyle changes and increase physical activity.

Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine found that the use of a pedometer resulted in significant increases in physical activity and weight loss as well as improvements in blood pressure.  

"Much to my surprise, these little devices were shown to increase physical activity by just over 2,000 steps, or about 1 mile of walking per day," said, Dena Bravata, MD, MS, a senior research scientist in medicine. "This goes a long way toward helping people meet the national guidelines for daily physical activity."

Dr. Bravata's study, which is the first published review of literature on the effectiveness of pedometers, appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Just over 2,100 steps might not sound that much, but it equates to a 27 percent increase in physical activity—which is really astounding," said Bravata.

So this year make a difference, buy a pedometer, set goals to increase you total steps each week and enjoy the changes it will make in your lifestyle ans waistline this year.

Walk 2000 More Steps a Day and Never Gain Another Pound - About.com
Walking for fitness: How to trim your waistline, improve your health - Mayo Clinic
Pedometers help people count steps to get healthy - Stanford School of Medicine 

Major differences in the costs leading diet weight loss programs

As the rising costs of food and energy causes consumers to tighten their belts on spending, a new study indicates major differences in the costs of the nation’s leading diet weight loss programs. An independent cost analysis conducted by National Business Research Institute, Inc. (“NBRI”) studied the overall cost to consumers of seven of the leading programs: Alli, Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss Centers, NutriSystem, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers (Center and Online) and The Zone.

The research considered the overall costs for each program including registration fees, weekly/monthly fees, renewal fees, counseling fees, online fees, pre-packaged food costs, grocery store costs, and recommended supplement costs. The study also specifically reviewed food costs such as pre-packaged foods, supplements and grocery items such as produce, meat and dairy as recommended by each program.

The analysis found that the NutriSystem Advanced Women’s Program, using the commonly used auto-delivery option, had the lowest overall monthly program costs. According to the study, NutriSystem’s monthly costs for pre-packaged food were $293.72 and $198.40 for supplemental grocery store food items such as fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and grains for a total monthly cost of $492.12. NutriSystem does not charge any fees for membership, counseling, newsletters, e-classes or access to their community site.

The nationwide increase in grocery prices of produce, meats, dairy and grains has had a significant impact on overall monthly costs. Using the GroceryGuide.com website to search for specific food and product items as well as grocery or other coupons can bring dramatic savings to the consumer.

Simply go to GroceryGuide.com enter your zip code, select the store you shop at and search for specific food items and coupons. If you don't find what your looking for change to another store or product.

See how the weight loss diets rated: National Business Research Institute, Inc.

Mothers Diet May Influence Sex of Baby

For those considering pregnancy and want to influence whether they have a boy or a girl, there are new findings. New research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society suggest that you start with your diet, specifically the mothers. The report states that "Prior to pregnancy, breakfast cereal, but no other item, was strongly associated with infant sex," and that "Women producing male infants consumed more breakfast cereal than those with female infants."

To obtain the data scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Oxford in England followed 750 first-time pregnant women. The women were asked about their eating habits before and during pregnancy. They were split into three groups based on the sheer number of calories consumed and the healthfulness of their diets.

For the women who consumed more calories and received a wider range of nutrients, 56 percent had boys. This group was also the most likely to eat breakfast. Among the women with the lowest caloric intake, only 45 percent had boys.

The study is the first linking sex determination with diet in humans although it's been known that in some animals, more calories equals more males. So why have the boy-to-girl ratios has been slipping in the USA where food is plentiful? One theory is that mothers are on low-calorie diets or are skipping breakfast meals.

Read more:
Scientific American

Diets, the good news and the bad

With the nations growing concern for healthy living and weight gain it is hard to read a magazine or listen to the radio without hearing another factoid or story. Super-sized meal options, lack of exercise, stress, the cost of nutrient dense foods and more provide justification to the problem.

Unfortunately, people often find diets hard to sustain, in part because they tire of avoiding certain foods, loading up on others or feeling deprived and hungry. And their diet is often temporary, something to endure for a while before returning to the old habits. The result, lost pounds return once the diet stops.

When it comes to weight loss, there's no shortage of advice. Check any magazine rack or bookstore and you're bound to discover that latest and greatest cure for being overweight. We cling to the hope that science will save us with the discovery of some magic pill.

But until then here are some tips:

• Try eating water-dense foods like salad and fruit at the beginning of a big meal.

• Push your plate away before you feel full; this will give your stomach time to send signals to your brain that you've had enough and really don't have room for seconds.

The Mayo Clinic has an excellent article explaining the different diet options and lots of helpful information on what works well and what doesn't. And WebMD.com offers this article with solid advice to help those determined to change their health this year.

Read more:
Mayo Clinic
WebMD.com

Free online diet, exercise and behavioral program from iVillage.com

If you haven't settled into a diet program for your New Year's resolutions or if you just haven't gotten around to thinking about your New Year's resolutions here's a program worth taking a look at. This free, online, six-week challenge from the first and largest community of women online, focuses on small changes to jumpstart weight loss and improve participants' overall health in 2008.

"Losing weight consistently tops New Year's resolution lists, and this year will be no different. But with so many fads, gimmicks and new weight-loss programs out there, it's tough for dieters to know what will really work for them, and how to even take that first step," said Carla Wojnaroski, Editor-in-Chief, iVillage Total Health. "The Supercharge Change for Better Health Community Challenge will help dieters make the small changes that will have a big impact on their habits and ultimately their health."

Last year with advice from expert diet and fitness coaches, and daily support from Community members, iVillage helped participants lose a staggering 558,536 pounds combined. Here are two success stories:

    * Nancy Vienneau, 28, has lost 81.6 lbs. since January 2007. Nancy decided to participate in the challenge last year because she and her husband wanted to have a baby and avoid obesity-induced fertility issues. "A combination of fear of public failure, the encouragement and support of others, and my desperate desire to start a family have made this possible for me," she said. She hopes to continue to lose another 100 pounds to reach her ultimate goal.

    * Alicia Verburg, another previous iVillage community challenge participant, credits her weight loss to the help of the message boards. "I have lost 45 pounds in the past year and a half and the Ultimate Weight Solution message board on iVillage has played a large role in keeping me focused and giving me the support I've needed to lose the weight," she said.

This year's Supercharge Challenge encourages participants to make diet, exercise and behavioral changes that leading nutrition and fitness experts say have the biggest impact on weight loss and overall health by providing innovative, handpicked, "supercharged" solutions. Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS will share ways to supercharge eating, while celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins will keep participants on track with fitness routines that have big results. Once the challenge is over, participants will have developed new, healthy habits to help them keep off the extra pounds. Meanwhile, supermodel and body-image guru Emme will support each participant's inner transformation.

Additionally, iVillage Community support is, as always, a major component. Challenge mentors (members who have successfully lost weight through support from the iVillage community) will be available to answer questions, offer motivation and share how they achieved success. Daily assignments will encourage participants to reach out to their community, mentors and coaches for motivation, inspiration and advice.

Daily challenge emails will also share cutting-edge strategies to help participants feel fuller on fewer calories, superfoods that speed up weight loss, tips on how to boost calorie burn during a workout and avoiding diet "frenemies," and the best ways to dress for your body shape. The Healthy Living Program is the challenge's free personal weight-loss tool and offers flexible food and exercise plans that users can customize for their own weight-loss goals and needs, including shopping lists, healthy recipes, and illustrated exercise instruction.

Read more:

iVillage Supercharge Change for Better Health Community Challenge

Mediterranean diet may slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease

Consuming what's known as a Mediterranean diet, a diet one loaded with fruits, vegetables, grains and olive oil, may help Alzheimer's patients live longer. The more closely Alzheimer's patients adhered to the Mediterranean diet ideal, the longer their lives, Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas of Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and colleagues found.

"The magnitude of the effect was considerable," they write in the September 11 issue of Neurology. The observation comes after researchers tracked the dietary habits of people diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's. It follows an earlier study by the same team that suggests these diets may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's in the first place.

"This time, we found that Alzheimer's patients who were following the Mediterranean diet had longer survival as compared to those who were following the diet less," said study lead author Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an assistant professor in the department of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

Read more:

Forbes

Reuters Health

Neurology

Functional Foods - What are they?

More and more today we are seeing and hearing the term "Functional Foods" in the media. But what does it all mean and which foods fall under this heading?

"Functional Foods" are foods or dietary components that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. You can take greater control of your health through the food choices you make, knowing that some foods can provide specific health benefits. Examples can include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fortified or enhanced foods and beverages, and some dietary supplements. Biologically active components in functional foods may impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects. Functional attributes of many traditional foods are being discovered, while new food products are being developed with beneficial components.

Demand
Consumer interest in the relationship between diet and health has increased the demand for information about functional foods. Rapid advances in science and technology, increasing healthcare costs, changes in food laws affecting label and product claims, an aging population, and rising interest in attaining wellness through diet are among the factors fueling U.S. interest in functional foods. Credible scientific research indicates there are many clinically demonstrated and potential health benefits from food components. These benefits continue to expand the health claims now permitted to be identified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Scientific Criteria
Many academic, scientific, and regulatory organizations are considering ways to establish the scientific basis to support and further validate claims for functional components or the foods containing them. FDA regulates food products according to their intended use and the nature of claims made on the package. Five types of health-related statements or claims are allowed on food and dietary supplement labels:

1. Nutrient content claims indicate the presence of a specific nutrient at a certain level.

2. Structure and function claims describe the effect of dietary components on the normal structure or function of the body.

3. Dietary guidance claims describe the health benefits of broad categories of foods.

4. Qualified health claims convey a developing relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease, as reviewed by the FDA and supported by the weight of credible scientific evidence available.

5. Health claims confirm a relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease or health condition, as approved by FDA and supported by significant scientific agreement.

A large body of credible scientific research is needed to confirm the benefits of any particular food or component. For functional foods to deliver their potential public health benefits, consumers must have a clear understanding of and a strong confidence in the scientific criteria that are used to document health statements and claims. The scientific community continues to increase its understanding of the potential for functional foods and their role in health.

Nutrigenomics "Personalized Nutrition"
As scientific and technological advances develop in the field of health and nutrition, more and more focus has been directed toward the emerging field of nutrigenomics or "personalized nutrition." The science of nutrigenomics involves the application of the human genome to nutrition and personal health to provide individual dietary recommendations. By using an individual’s unique genetic makeup and nutritional requirements to tailor recommendations, consumers may one day have a greater ability to reduce their risk of disease.

Personalizing nutrition to an individual’s unique genetic makeup has the potential for positive health outcomes overall. Choosing an individualized approach, over a more traditional or general approach, to health and nutrition recommendations can provide consumers with the most appropriate and beneficial information for their specific nutritional needs. While personalized nutrition seems promising, research is still in the preliminary stages, and years may pass before accurate and effective recommendations can be made for individuals.

Functional foods are an important part of an overall healthful lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and physical activity. People should strive to consume a wide variety of foods, including the examples listed here. These examples are not "magic bullets." The best advice is to include a variety of foods, as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.gov, which would provide many potentially beneficial components.

Reprinted with permission from the International Food Information Council Foundation, Functional Foods Backgrounder (November 2006).

More and more today we are seeing and hearing the term "Functional Foods" in the media. But what does it all mean and which foods fall under this heading?

"Functional Foods" are foods or dietary components that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. You can take greater control of your health through the food choices you make, knowing that some foods can provide specific health benefits. Examples can include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fortified or enhanced foods and beverages, and some dietary supplements. Biologically active components in functional foods may impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects. Functional attributes of many traditional foods are being discovered, while new food products are being developed with beneficial components.

Demand
Consumer interest in the relationship between diet and health has increased the demand for information about functional foods. Rapid advances in science and technology, increasing healthcare costs, changes in food laws affecting label and product claims, an aging population, and rising interest in attaining wellness through diet are among the factors fueling U.S. interest in functional foods. Credible scientific research indicates there are many clinically demonstrated and potential health benefits from food components. These benefits continue to expand the health claims now permitted to be identified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Scientific Criteria
Many academic, scientific, and regulatory organizations are considering ways to establish the scientific basis to support and further validate claims for functional components or the foods containing them. FDA regulates food products according to their intended use and the nature of claims made on the package. Five types of health-related statements or claims are allowed on food and dietary supplement labels:

1. Nutrient content claims indicate the presence of a specific nutrient at a certain level.

2. Structure and function claims describe the effect of dietary components on the normal structure or function of the body.

3. Dietary guidance claims describe the health benefits of broad categories of foods.

4. Qualified health claims convey a developing relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease, as reviewed by the FDA and supported by the weight of credible scientific evidence available.

5. Health claims confirm a relationship between components in the diet and risk of disease or health condition, as approved by FDA and supported by significant scientific agreement.

A large body of credible scientific research is needed to confirm the benefits of any particular food or component. For functional foods to deliver their potential public health benefits, consumers must have a clear understanding of and a strong confidence in the scientific criteria that are used to document health statements and claims. The scientific community continues to increase its understanding of the potential for functional foods and their role in health.

Nutrigenomics "Personalized Nutrition"
As scientific and technological advances develop in the field of health and nutrition, more and more focus has been directed toward the emerging field of nutrigenomics or "personalized nutrition." The science of nutrigenomics involves the application of the human genome to nutrition and personal health to provide individual dietary recommendations. By using an individual’s unique genetic makeup and nutritional requirements to tailor recommendations, consumers may one day have a greater ability to reduce their risk of disease.

Personalizing nutrition to an individual’s unique genetic makeup has the potential for positive health outcomes overall. Choosing an individualized approach, over a more traditional or general approach, to health and nutrition recommendations can provide consumers with the most appropriate and beneficial information for their specific nutritional needs. While personalized nutrition seems promising, research is still in the preliminary stages, and years may pass before accurate and effective recommendations can be made for individuals.

Functional foods are an important part of an overall healthful lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and physical activity. People should strive to consume a wide variety of foods, including the examples listed here. These examples are not "magic bullets." The best advice is to include a variety of foods, as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.gov, which would provide many potentially beneficial components.

Reprinted with permission from the International Food Information Council Foundation, Functional Foods Backgrounder (November 2006).

Calories Count, But Consumers Don't

Calories Count, But Consumers Don't:
Food & Health Survey Highlights Six "Diet Disconnects"

More than half of Americans (56%) say they are trying to lose weight, and a majority of them say they are trying to improve the healthfulness of their diet and increase their level of physical activity. Yet, nine out of 10 Americans do not know how many calories they should consume in a day.

The conflicting findings on calories represent just one of six consumer "diet disconnects" found in the second annual Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. The survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted over three weeks in February and March of 2007.

This survey is an important snapshot highlighting the gap between Americans' desire to have a more healthful diet and the reality of converting this desire into day-to-day behavior. We call these gaps "diet disconnects,

said Susan Borra, IFIC Foundation president and registered dietitian.

The "diet disconnects" revealed in the annual look at consumer attitudes on food, nutrition, and health include everything from carbohydrates and dietary fats, to how consumers link nutrition and physical health, to what they consider the most important meal of the day.

Uncovering these disconnects,

said Borra,

is the first step to really helping consumers achieve an overall healthful lifestyle.

The six "diet disconnects" include:

1. Calories: Easier eaten than counted? Seventy percent of Americans who said they are trying to improve the healthfulness of their diet reported they are doing so in order to lose weight. But, only 11 percent of Americans know the number of calories they should consume each day. This is consistent with findings from one year ago.

2.`Diet & Exercise: Both at once? A clear majority of Americans (84%) reported being physically active, for health benefits, at least once a week. But, nearly half (44%) of Americans who report being physically active say they do not "balance diet and physical activity" to manage their weight.

3. Breakfast: Does it come too early in the day? Ninety percent of Americans agree that breakfast is an important meal to achieve a healthful diet. But, less than half of Americans (49%) report eating breakfast every day.

4. Fat Chance: Which are the good ones? Consumers' concern about the types and amounts of fats they include in their diet is up from a year ago (72% vs. 66%) and they are specifically trying to consume less trans fat. But, consumers are unclear about which fats are healthful. For example, Americans report trying to consume less polyunsaturated fats, one of the fats recommended for health benefits.

5. Carbs: Where do they fit in an overall nutrition plan? Consumers are getting the message that specific types of carbohydrates can improve the overall healthfulness of their diet. Specifically, more than 70% of consumers say they are trying to consume more carbohydrates like fiber and whole grains. But, more than 50% remain concerned with the amount of carbohydrates they consume, which is not surprising given the past attention to fad diets that promoted decreased consumption of carbohydrates.

6. "Functional Foods": Can you pass the additional benefits, please? Consumers agree that consuming specific foods and beverages can provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. These benefits include improving heart health (80%); improving digestive health (76%); and improving physical energy or stamina (76%). But, more than 50% of Americans say they currently do not consume foods or beverages that deliver these benefits.

In addition to these key areas of nutrition, the survey included questions regarding consumer attitudes on caffeine and health, hydration, and athletic performance; as well as low-calorie sweeteners and their role in weight management.

Since the science concerning food, nutrition, and health is continually evolving there is an ongoing need to provide clarity,

said Borra.

Our survey shows that there is an opportunity for all of us in the nutrition field to make diet information more understandable for consumers.

The IFIC Foundation plans to continue to monitor these trends and report the results of the Food and Health research every one to two years.

For a PDF copy of the entire survey visit: http://www.ific.org/research/foodandhealthsurvey.cfm.

Read more: International Food Information Council Foundation

Calories Count, But Consumers Don't:
Food & Health Survey Highlights Six "Diet Disconnects"

More than half of Americans (56%) say they are trying to lose weight, and a majority of them say they are trying to improve the healthfulness of their diet and increase their level of physical activity. Yet, nine out of 10 Americans do not know how many calories they should consume in a day.

The conflicting findings on calories represent just one of six consumer "diet disconnects" found in the second annual Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. The survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted over three weeks in February and March of 2007.

This survey is an important snapshot highlighting the gap between Americans' desire to have a more healthful diet and the reality of converting this desire into day-to-day behavior. We call these gaps "diet disconnects,

said Susan Borra, IFIC Foundation president and registered dietitian.

The "diet disconnects" revealed in the annual look at consumer attitudes on food, nutrition, and health include everything from carbohydrates and dietary fats, to how consumers link nutrition and physical health, to what they consider the most important meal of the day.

Uncovering these disconnects,

said Borra,

is the first step to really helping consumers achieve an overall healthful lifestyle.

The six "diet disconnects" include:

1. Calories: Easier eaten than counted? Seventy percent of Americans who said they are trying to improve the healthfulness of their diet reported they are doing so in order to lose weight. But, only 11 percent of Americans know the number of calories they should consume each day. This is consistent with findings from one year ago.

2.`Diet & Exercise: Both at once? A clear majority of Americans (84%) reported being physically active, for health benefits, at least once a week. But, nearly half (44%) of Americans who report being physically active say they do not "balance diet and physical activity" to manage their weight.

3. Breakfast: Does it come too early in the day? Ninety percent of Americans agree that breakfast is an important meal to achieve a healthful diet. But, less than half of Americans (49%) report eating breakfast every day.

4. Fat Chance: Which are the good ones? Consumers' concern about the types and amounts of fats they include in their diet is up from a year ago (72% vs. 66%) and they are specifically trying to consume less trans fat. But, consumers are unclear about which fats are healthful. For example, Americans report trying to consume less polyunsaturated fats, one of the fats recommended for health benefits.

5. Carbs: Where do they fit in an overall nutrition plan? Consumers are getting the message that specific types of carbohydrates can improve the overall healthfulness of their diet. Specifically, more than 70% of consumers say they are trying to consume more carbohydrates like fiber and whole grains. But, more than 50% remain concerned with the amount of carbohydrates they consume, which is not surprising given the past attention to fad diets that promoted decreased consumption of carbohydrates.

6. "Functional Foods": Can you pass the additional benefits, please? Consumers agree that consuming specific foods and beverages can provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. These benefits include improving heart health (80%); improving digestive health (76%); and improving physical energy or stamina (76%). But, more than 50% of Americans say they currently do not consume foods or beverages that deliver these benefits.

In addition to these key areas of nutrition, the survey included questions regarding consumer attitudes on caffeine and health, hydration, and athletic performance; as well as low-calorie sweeteners and their role in weight management.

Since the science concerning food, nutrition, and health is continually evolving there is an ongoing need to provide clarity,

said Borra.

Our survey shows that there is an opportunity for all of us in the nutrition field to make diet information more understandable for consumers.

The IFIC Foundation plans to continue to monitor these trends and report the results of the Food and Health research every one to two years.

For a PDF copy of the entire survey visit: http://www.ific.org/research/foodandhealthsurvey.cfm.

Read more: International Food Information Council Foundation

Shed the most pounds with the least carbs

It seems at times confussing, one month this is the plan to follow for weight loss and the next month another new one comes along. I guess that is where the term "Fad Diet" came along, whatever is popular at the moment with the masses must be the best.

Research is starting to distill a few options that really can help shed pounds without compromising your health. This article provides some insightful new findings for your consideration.

Which diet plan is best at promoting sustained weight loss remains a controversial issue. In the A TO Z (Atkins, Traditional, Ornish, Zone) Weight Loss Study, investigators randomized 311 women (age range, 25-50) to one of four diets: Atkins (very low carbohydrate); Zone (low carbohydrate); Traditional or LEARN (lifestyle, exercise, attitudes, relationships, nutrition ; low fat, high carbohydrate); and Ornish (very high carbohydrate).

Women on the Atkins diet lost more weight during 1 year than did women on other diets. Concerns that the relatively high fat levels in the Atkins diet might deleteriously affect lipid profiles were not substantiated by these results . . .

Read more: Journal Watch Women's Health

It seems at times confussing, one month this is the plan to follow for weight loss and the next month another new one comes along. I guess that is where the term "Fad Diet" came along, whatever is popular at the moment with the masses must be the best.

Research is starting to distill a few options that really can help shed pounds without compromising your health. This article provides some insightful new findings for your consideration.

Which diet plan is best at promoting sustained weight loss remains a controversial issue. In the A TO Z (Atkins, Traditional, Ornish, Zone) Weight Loss Study, investigators randomized 311 women (age range, 25-50) to one of four diets: Atkins (very low carbohydrate); Zone (low carbohydrate); Traditional or LEARN (lifestyle, exercise, attitudes, relationships, nutrition ; low fat, high carbohydrate); and Ornish (very high carbohydrate).

Women on the Atkins diet lost more weight during 1 year than did women on other diets. Concerns that the relatively high fat levels in the Atkins diet might deleteriously affect lipid profiles were not substantiated by these results . . .

Read more: Journal Watch Women's Health