Diet fads come and go, but dieters mostly fail to reach their long-term weight and health goals with any fad diet. They all claim that if you eat this and you don’t eat that, the pounds will fall off. It rarely works that way.
In a review recently published in Science magazine, scientists from diverse backgrounds and research focuses addressed whether a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet (or vice versa) was the better option for maintaining good health and came up a few general findings applicable for many.
While they differed on what defined the perfect diet for obesity treatment and chronic disease prevention, the scientists agreed that a healthy diet should focus on nutrient quality. They said good health and lower chronic disease risk can be achieved on diets with a broad range of carbohydrate-to-fat ratios.
The researchers identified several aspects to a healthy diet:
> Reduced carbohydrate consumption is best achieved by substituting grains, starchy vegetables, and sugars with non-hydrogenated plant oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, and other high-fat plant foods.
> Add healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado oil, walnut oil are best, while reducing or eliminating canola and soy oils.
> Unprocessed carbohydrates like non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, and whole or minimally processed grains are better than processed carbohydrates.
> Trans fats, which are found in baked goods and fried food, should be eliminated from any diet.
> Well-formulated low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets do not require high intakes of protein or animal products.
> Biological factors could impact how certain individuals respond to different kinds of diets, so the perfect diet isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.
> Regarding keto diets, researchers were conflicted about whether they provide metabolic benefits beyond those of moderate carbohydrate restriction.
So when it comes to any diet, the recommendation is: Eat your veggies in the largest quantity and fruits that are in season, keeping processed foods to a minimum (or cut them altogether), and minimize the sugar. Certain foods are known to increase inflammation and possibly brain fog.
For more information and to learn what diet may be best for your particular health situation, call 480-325-6977. Dr. Keith Lavender, at Foresight Chiropractic, the Valley’s premier Health and Wellness Center, is a Board Certified Atlas Orthogonal upper cervical specialist, Certified Wellness and Advanced Muscle Integration Technique practitioner, Addictionalogist, and Nutrigenomic specialist, successfully helping patients rebuild and optimize their health and performance for over 19 years. Call to schedule your free consultation and find out how you can restore and optimize your health!
