Low Fat Diets
Low fat diets, the easiest thing to remember about low-fat diets is that you can follow one just by adhering to the famous food pyramid that appears on many grocery store labels. The food pyramid is the number of servings from each foods group that the United States Department of Agriculture recommends for a healthy diet. The tip of the pyramid is fat, which you are instructed to use sparingly. If you do that, you’re following one of many low fat diets.
Low-fat diets are what most physicians have encouraged their patients to follow for decades. However, proponents of high-protein diets like Atkns, the Zone and South Beach, say that low-fat diets, often high in carbohydrates, actually make you fatter and less healthy.
Both may be right, because most nutrition experts will say that not every carbohydrate is good for you and neither is every fat. Some health care professionals will now tell you to follow low fat diets but watch your sugar intake when eating the up to 11 servings of carbs that the food pyramid recommends each day.
Some of the most popular low-fat diets include Pritikin, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem and Fit for Life. All of the diets allow you to eat pasta, breads, grains, fresh vegetables and fruits. The focus is cutting out fatty foods like butter, fatty beef and cheese out of your diet, and eating more complex carbohydrates. Sugar is also out when you follow low-fat diets.
The anti-low fat diets crowd says that the evidence that it doesn’t work is the plethora of fat-free products on the market and the increase in fat people. Americans are fatter than ever, but studies have found they eat much larger portions than they need of just about every food. It may not be the fault of following low fat diets alone.
If you have never followed any of the high-fat diets, you’ll find it to be simple. Just eat 8-11 servings of carbohydrates a day, 3-6 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of dairy products and 2-3 servings of meat. Avoid fats, oils and sugar when trying low-fat diets.
By L.J Murray
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