don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Low carbohydrate diets or high protein diets are in the news again. Are these diets compatible with a self-managing approach to lifestyle? Are they something you should consider? In short, are they real breakthroughs that will enable you to be healthier, lose weight and live happily ever after? OK, let's settle for "be healthier and lose weight." Will they do that or, are we dealing with dangerous fads or trendy diet schemes that will lead you to misery and failure and maybe an earlier date with an undertaker?

I favor the latter interpretation, and I'll tell you why I think so. However, as Dennis Miller suggests, I could be wrong about this. Or anything else, but I'll give it my best shot, based on what I understand about wellness principles.

For starters, it is my opinion that 99 percent of diets give the rest a bad name. In 14 Days to Wellness, I described what it means to dine for performance as well as health enhancement (which includes risk reduction). This topic of sound nutrition is NOT rocket science or, at least, eating well need not be. You are well advised to consume, most of the time, a balanced and varied diet and to avoid pigging out, thereby maintaining an equilibrium between energy in and energy out, on a daily basis.

Familiarize yourself with the Food Guide Pyramid, which will help you understand your nutrient needs. Choose from the Dietary Guideline's five food groups from the bottom up:

1. breads, cereals, and grains
2. vegetables
3. fruits
4. dairy products
5. high-protein foods

For subtle flavors, sparingly sprinkle (of course, "sprinkle" suggests sparing to start with but the emphasis is worth overemphasizing), when appropriate, a bit of garnish from a sixth group -- fats, oils, and sweets.

Many Americans reverse the food groups -- they consume primarily from the top down, ingesting the first item listed above (breads, cereals and grains) sparingly and loading up (that is, massive sprinkling) of fats, oils, and sweets. These are the folks who are easy marks for low carbo diet promoters!

Some wit said that "experience is something you don't get until just after you need it," and that seems to happen to dieters on low carbo diets. They soon learn better. Sure, advocates promise rapid weight reduction (losing more than one to two pounds per week) but it's due more to water loss than fat loss. This is not a wellness diet plan, in fact, no diet is a wellness plan. Please -- eat according to scientific guidelines and exercise vigorously daily.

The low carbo diet is high in protein and saturated fats and low in fiber, vitamins, minerals and common sense. Such a dining regimen puts a burden on the liver and kidneys and increases your risks of many diseases, including osteoporosis. The promoters overlook much if any mention of the need to support the diet with healthy lifestyles, particularly vigorous activity levels. Weight loss is temporary.

Basically, you have to be suspicious of the data used by these quick weight loss promoters -- they know, as I do, that 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. In fact, 94.38 percent of them will say anything to sell their diet books (!) and their claims are hard to substantiate. Finally, they are self promoters to a fault. I have a feeling that some would kill for a Nobel Peace Prize!

re are a few expressions that might help you focus on a healthy diet. As soon as you check this listing over and finish thinking healthy diet thoughts, I hope you will feel inspired to send me some comments about this article or a few more good expressions.

• If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
• lmost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met.
• OK, so what's the speed of dark?
• Consider the possibility that when everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
• While hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.
• Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
• Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.
• Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
• When I'm not in my right mind, my left mind gets pretty crowded.
• What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
• The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
• The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
• Always borrow money from pessimists-they don't expect it back.
• Half the people you know are below average.
• Oh, one more thing -- get more whole grains, fruits and veggies in your diet and be well, have fun and always look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of nutrition. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell