Some of the most popular diet plans trending today offer a variety of solutions. Each solution has something to offer. Each plan has great information, recipes, coupons and advice online. All of them work, for some people. Not all of them work for all people. The following is a breakdown of the positive and negatives for each plan.
The Paleo Diet – This is not only a great way to manage your weight. The paleo is a sustainable diet one should consider adopting as a lifelong change. The most notable concern we have about this diet plan is that grains, even good grains are prohibited. Unless you have a medical reason to restrict grains, a limited use of healthy grains such as sprouted grains is great in small quantities.
Gluten-free – We recommend this diet for our patients who have celiac disease or other symptoms of gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Some theories suggest that gluten-free diets may also aid in the treatment of disorders ranging from autism and multiple sclerosis to attention deficit disorder (ADD). The major downfall of this diet is that many gluten-free substitutes typically have a higher Glycemic Index (GI) than their wheat-based counterparts. These substitutes are often lower in fiber, folic acid and other important nutrients. We suggest people minimize all simple starches from their diet. Once the “sugar load” is reduced for one month you should test your body using a true whole grain bread. Most people are able to tolerate small quantities of gluten in whole grain or sprouted grain bread. The improvement most people note in going gluten free is usually due to the reduced consumption of starches overall.
The Mediterranean Diet – Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. With a focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy oils, nuts and even red wine, this diet appeals to both medical professionals and people who love food. The key to this diet is moderation though, it is not specifically designed for weight loss and the correct portions and balance may be difficult to grasp.
Commercial Diets – The main theme of this diet is moderation and controlled portions also known as “balanced weight loss”. Reducing the number of calories in a balanced fashion results in the body losing weight by burning both fat and valuable muscle. The advantage of these diets is the structure and group counseling provided by the program. This is not a good choice if you have little time to calculate your calories each day, attend weigh-ins and meetings.
Fasting Cleanse – It seems that everybody is getting on the body cleanse bandwagon. There are several was to do a cleanse. Some programs minimize your calorie intake to force your body into removing stored toxins and fat. Other cleanses involve combining some vegetables and protein while changing your body’s acid-base balance (pH) by using supplements. A large portion of people are able to lose a quick 10 pounds on these programs and often feel a boost of energy once they are done. The downside of doing an unsupervised cleanse is the potential for side effects. Your body stores most of its toxins in fat. Toxins are stored either because you are exposed to more toxins than you can handle or your body is too weak to break down toxins safely. Your body therefore stores toxins in the fat cells to protect the other tissues from these substances. Forcing the body to detoxify can often overstress a weakened system by releasing a large number of toxins at one time. If not monitored properly these cleanses can have an opposite effect on individuals and make them feel worse. The rule of thumb with cleanses is to never detoxify the liver without a properly functioning digestive system.
Ideal Protein – We have chosen the Ideal Protein Method as our protocol of choice because it is as medically sound program used successfully in over 2 million patients worldwide with consistent results. Our professionals at Active Health provide one-on-one coaching and monitoring to promote weight loss, even when other diets have failed. The goal of the Ideal Protein diet is to stabilize blood sugar and promote weight loss by providing your body with an optimal amount of protein. By providing the body with just the right amount of protein our patients are able to lose weight while protecting their muscle mass. This diet may not be appropriate for some who suffer from certain medical conditions. Only licensed medical professionals and licensed clinics can make this diet available.
The South Beach Diet– This diet is also very popular and simple to follow. It is similar to the paleo diet in that you restrict your intake of simple carbs and sugar. However, the restrictive nature of the diet, particularly in Phase I can be difficult to maintain. Based on “good carbs” versus “bad carbs” the South Beach diet is more medically sound than the Atkins Diet.
A thorough medical exam and medical supervision is recommended before starting any of these diets.
While there are no magic formulas, we can help guide you through a comprehensive plan to help you achieve and maintain the results you’ve been looking for. Attend our free weight loss workshop to learn about our program and discuss your options with Dr. Panopoulos, Dr. Stasinos and our Ideal Protein Coach, Marikay Obrien.
Get started today!
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