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StumbleUpon7 Tests for the Perfect Diet
How do you find a healthy way of eating you can live with long-term? Experts suggest an inventory of physical and psychological factors, based on the following easy self-exams:The Glycemic Index
If you tend toward abdominal fat, crave starches and sugars, and have a fasting blood- sugar count of more than 100 (measured in a routine blood test), says Callaway, you may be insulin resistant. You'll probably respond best to a low-carb diet, because cutting back on simple carbohydrates -- especially sugars and starches -- can often help stabilize blood-sugar and insulin levels.
The Exercise Equation
Active people, says David Schlundt, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University who specializes in weight disorders, might consider a low-fat diet that includes complex carbs. "You need glycogen for athletic performance, and it's harder work for your body to take in a lot of protein and convert it to glucose," he advises.
One thing all researchers agree on, however, is that everyone who wants to lose weight should get some exercise. "In our studies," adds Schlundt, "people who exercised as well as dieted lost more fat and less muscle." The one similarity among dieters catalogued in the Weight Loss Registry, says James Hill, is that they all combined dieting with regular exercise.
The Meal Monitor
Do you hate breakfast? Avoid lunch? Skipping meals or undereating slows your metabolism and blurs the chemical signals for hunger and fullness. "You can stabilize your neuropeptide Y levels, the 'hunger' chemical, by eating at least a third of your calories at breakfast and another third at lunch," says Callaway. Complex carbs are good, especially early in the day. They rev up the metabolism, replenish the body's need for glycogen and they digest slowly, which keeps you feeling full longer.
The Broccoli Barometer
What foods do you love and hate? You can't disregard this factor or you'll never be able to live with your diet. Vegetarians, for instance, will have a hard time following Atkins because of its reliance on meat. You'll do better with a calorie-controlled, low-fat diet that allows for fruits, vegetables and complex carbs. On the other hand, if you'd rather give up pasta than steak, pick a low-carb option.
The All-or-Nothing Question
Some people do best depriving themselves of foods they crave, so they aren't tempted, which may be why some bread and cereal lovers are converts to a low-carb plan.
The Stress Test
If you feel hungry often and like to snack, or if you tend to use food for comfort, consider a low-energy-density plan like the one endorsed by the Mayo Clinic. Although suitable for anyone, this diet is particularly good for people who are emotional eaters, explains Donald Hensrud, MD, a weight-management specialist at Mayo. "People eat until they're satisfied or full," he points out, and you can eat more in terms of volume on this plan. The Clinic has come up with its own Healthy Weight Pyramid, emphasizing fruits, vegetables and whole grains. An emotional eater, says Schlundt, will also do better reaching for low-energy-dense snacks like fresh fruit, a treat that might be off-limits for a low-carb dieter.
The Convenience Quiz
The Mayo Clinic is also studying a Slim-Fast-based diet to see if busy people will do better on a simple, ready-made plan. If you want a no-brainer diet, a meal-replacement regimen or a system like Jenny Craig's could be right for you.
Remember that gender makes a difference too. "Men tend to have an easier time losing weight because they usually have more lean muscle mass, which means they burn more calories," says Hensrud. This can be frustrating, Schlundt points out, if a couple diet together, and he loses weight faster. Another truth, Hensrud adds, is that women who are dieting seem to enjoy group support like a Weight Watchers program, while men may prefer being tough and doing it on their own.
Will this new research lead to the end of dieting as we know it? It might loosen the stranglehold of the mega-diets like Atkins and South Beach. In any case, the Weight Loss Registry points out that although people lose weight by all different methods, they tend to keep it off in remarkably similar ways. Overwhelmingly, Hill says, successful dieters follow four rules in their maintenance phase:
- Eat breakfast.
- Eat a calorie-aware, moderately low-fat diet that includes complex carbs.
- Get plenty of exercise at moderate intensity. Walk!
- Self-monitor through frequent weigh-ins and a food and exercise diary.
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