Plenty of diets claim to help you drop pounds, but few are backed by sound scientific evidence -- and their long-term health effects are unknown.
Fortunately, there is an eating plan that not only helps you control your weight, but also helps you maintain optimal health whether or not you're overweight. This diet is supported by the findings of the Landmark Nurses' Health Study and other important research.
In addition to getting regular exercise, not skipping meals and staying adequately hydrated (drink about 64 ounces of fluids daily), follow these five principles...
Principle 1. Eat lots of green, leafy vegetables. Everyone knows that it's good to eat fruits and vegetables. Produce is low in calories and provides disease-fighting antioxidants as well as fiber, which helps relieve constipation and curb cholesterol levels. Antioxidant deficiencies have been linked to heart disease, cancer, eye disease and age-related memory loss.
The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals' Follow-up Study reviewed the dietary intakes of 100,000 healthy men and women over a 12- to 14-year period. Those who had five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables were more likely to stay healthy than those with lower intakes.
Important: Green, leafy vegetables, which are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, conferred the greatest benefit. (For "A-list" and "B-list" vegetables, see below.)
Wisest: Precook your vegetables. Boil until they are half done and rinse in cold water. Let cool and refrigerate in a reseal-able plastic bag. Precooking doubles a vegetable's refrigerator shelf life. When you're ready to eat the vegetables, sauté in olive oil and garlic.
Principle 2. "Good" fats don't have to be boring. Your intake of saturated fat (found primarily in whole-fat dairy products and red meat) should be limited to one serving a day for whole-fat dairy and three four-ounce servings a week for red meat. Trans fats (found in baked goods, packaged snacks, crackers, margarine and many fast foods) are best eliminated.
But that doesn't mean that you should deprive yourself of all fats. Olive oil and fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, are among the most well-known sources of healthful fat. Other options include cashews, almonds, peanut butter, avocados and soy products.
Helpful: Make an "omega-3" butter by mixing one-quarter cup of flaxseed oil with one-half cup of butter. This provides a better balance of fatty acids than butter alone. Refrigerate and use as you would butter, but only occasionally. Do not cook with omega-3 butter -- flaxseed oil can turn rancid when it's heated.
Principle 3. Don't get rid of all carbohydrates. Americans get half their daily calories, on average, from refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white potatoes and white rice... ready-to-eat cereals... and baked goods. Whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, millet and whole-wheat pasta, are better choices. They'll give you long-lasting energy and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Like vegetables, whole grains can be precooked, stored in the refrigerator (for up to five days in a tightly covered container) and reheated before serving.
Best: Buy "quick-cooking" (partially precooked and dried) brown rice in your grocery store. It cooks in about 10 minutes.
Principle 4. Try underused protein sources. Most people get significant amounts of protein from red meat and whole-fat dairy products. However, these foods are also rich sources of saturated fat and cholesterol.
While reducing your intake of red meat and whole-fat dairy, add more plant-based protein sources. Good choices: Beans, nuts and grains, which contain less saturated fat and more fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthful fat. Fish, chicken and turkey can supplement these foods.
Peanut butter is a healthful and often-overlooked protein source. In the Nurses' Health Study, women who ate peanut butter five or more times a week had a 21% lower risk of developing diabetes than those who rarely ate it.
Best: For lunch, try peanut butter (without partially hydrogenated oils) on whole-grain bread. Add low-sugar jam, if you like. Other healthful protein sources include cottage cheese (1% butterfat), kidney beans, eggs and hummus. Soy products, such as edamame, soy milk and tempeh, also are good protein sources. But soy has an estrogen-like effect, so high intakes may increase risk for some types of breast cancer. Limit your intake to three to four servings of soy-based products weekly.
Principle 5. Don't forget a multivitamin. The Nurses' Health Study shows that after 10 or more years, the colon cancer risk was cut by more than half for women who took a daily multivitamin.
Better way: Skip "mega dose" multivitamins. A multivitamin that provides the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of most nutrients is fine. Exception: Vitamin D. The RDA is 400 international units (IU) per day, but studies show that most people need at least 1,000 IU per day.
"A-List" Veggies
Eat all you want of these very healthful vegetables...
All dark green, leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale)
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Green beans
Mushrooms
Radishes
Salad greens
Snow peas
Tomatoes
Winter squash
Zucchini, summer and spaghetti squash
"B-List" Veggies
Eat no more than one to two servings (one-half cup each) daily of these vegetables, which are higher in carbohydrates and calories...
Jerusalem artichokes
Parsnips
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Water chestnuts
Source: Bottom Line/Health
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