According to a new study, only low-fat diets will help with long-term mood improvement.

“This study looked at one factor, and prior studies haven’t focused on psychological factors,” says Dr. Ewald Horvath, interim chairman of psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “This is a great study focusing on something very important.”

The key difference between low-fat diets and low-carb diets is the long-term effect on mood. Studies have previously found short-term improvements in the mood of people who chose a wide variety of different diets. This new study reaffirmed the evidence of improvements over the first eight weeks of dieting on various plans. But it’s after the initial two months that low-carb dieters tended to return to their depressed moods.

“The exact mechanism for the observed effects on mood still remains largely unknown,” says study author Grant D. Brinkworth, a research scientist with the food and nutritional sciences division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide, Australia.

But, it is known that carbs can increase serotonin concentrations in the brain, whereas added fat and protein can reduce it. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved with controlling mood, anger, and aggression.

(via: Yahoo News)

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Low-Fat Diets Improve Your Mood

A research team led by Dr. A. T. Merchant, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of South Carolina, used a 2004-2005 cross-sectional survey of 4,451 Canadians aged 18 years and older. The results indicate higher carbs are associated with normal weights.

People consuming 290 to 310 g/day carbohydrates (47% to 64% of calories from carbs) were least likely to be overweight or obese compared to those in the lowest intake category.

Those that consumed the highest level of carbohydrates tended to be younger and female, with lower intakes of calories and fats and higher intakes of fiber. Compared to the lowest carb intake category (179 g/day), weight and obesity risk was lower by 37% for those consuming 234 g/day and by 42% for those consuming 269/day.

Lead scientist Dr. A. T. Merchant says that the main drawback of any extreme diet, be it one based on high or low carbohydrate intake, is that is it difficult to adhere to over the long term.

As a nutrition expert, I’d have to agree with that sentiment — and I know I’m not alone. Just this week Biggest Loser star and blogger at this very website, Mike Morelli, gave his thoughts on extreme dieting where calories are slashed to next to nothing.

I have supervised overweight clients on following modified low-carb eating plans to initiate weight loss (about 45% of calories), but rarely do I cut carbs lower than that. Usually there is a more serious medical nutrition therapy reason like a Ketogenic diet for seizures.

Low-carb diets are seriously lacking in complex carbohydrates that are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, which aid in digestion and help people get and stay full. It has been well documented that diets low in whole grain, fiber, fruit and vegetables, and high in calories, are associated with an increased risk of overweight or obesity and poor overall health, and these findings point out some of the limitations to eliminating carbs, especially those with potential health benefits.

There’s also an increased risk for developing gout, a painful joint condition that results from a buildup of uric acid in the blood. The nutrition treatment is limiting protein to 2-3 ounces once or twice a day and taking in vegetables and fruits, various complex carbs, and things like cherry juice that help remove the uric acid.

Going back to the study, it is not surprising that the researchers found those who had the lowest overweight and obesity risk were more physically active than those in both the lowest and highest carbohydrate intake categories. And retailers have a role to play, too.

Bottom line: modified low carb is OK in my book (45-50% of calories) if you are still restricting calories, meeting fiber needs and not eliminating whole fruits (but should limit to 2-3 fruits a day for all healthy people). Get out there and move! Check out the articles covering exercise here at DietsInReview.com.

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People Who Maintain Healthy Weights Don’t Eat Low Carbs

You may have thought it was all about meat. And bacon. And butter.
Fear not. Low-carb (and lower-carb) lifestyles are as healthy as the attitudes of those following them, and for many results in weight loss and feelings of better health, lack of brain fog and other nagging symptoms.

Here are five reasons to consider checking out a low-carb diet plan:

1. Gives the OK on fat. It doesn’t take much fat to fill and satisfy the human body. Because fat has satiety value, fat stays in the system longer for greater satisfaction. Finding small, healthy ways to slip this brain pleaser into a daily regimen is a best bet.
Try: Nuts, olives, canola oil, cheese, Italian dressing, etc.

2. Eat your veggies (5-6 servings a day). The food pyramid states that a diet consisting of five servings of vegetables per day is optimal. Why stop there? Chockfull of phytonutrients and fiber, loading up your plate with vegetables is extremely healthy.
Try: Zucchini, jicama, spaghetti squash, grape tomatoes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, eggplant, snap peas and countless other low glycemic veggies.

3. Variety in Plans. From South Beach (lower-fat, moderate carb) to Atkins, (higher-fat, low-carb), and from Low Glycemic Load to Weight Watchers Core, there is something for everyone. Because no one size fits all, it is important to learn about the various plans and evaluate which best works for your health and lifestyle.
Try: My personal favorite, Dr. Thompson’s Low Glycemic Load Diet.

4. Less hunger. Reduce carbohydrates by any substantial amount, and up your fat and protein and more often than not, there is less hunger. The reason for this lies in the increased fiber and fat consumption in the plan which leads to greater blood sugar stability and more satiety.
Try: Full-fat yogurts and cheeses which offset lactose with fat. Choose vegetables over juices, as the fiber found in its natural state helps stave off hunger.

5. Save Money on Processed Foods. Shop the outer sections of the grocery store. Processed foods are convenient, but they’re also expensive and don’t have the staying power or health benefits in the body found with a whole foods plan.
Try: Bring kids and partners shopping and teach them a lifetime of positive food choices for health, longevity as well as having your own support system.

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Five Reasons to Consider a Low-Carb Diet

In contrast, the consumption of low-glycemic index foods results in lower, but more sustained, increases in blood glucose and lower insulin demands on pancreatic beta-cells. However, this does not necessarily mean that a low-index food is healthier than a high-index food.

How the Glycemic Index was Developed

To determine the glycemic index of a food:

• Volunteers were/are given a test food that provides 50 grams of carbohydrate one day and a control food (white bread or pure glucose) that provides the same amount of carbohydrate on a different day.
• Blood samples are taken prior to eating and at regular intervals after eating over the next several hours.
• The changes in blood sugar/glycemic response is calculated and multiplied by 100 to give a percentage.
• For example, a baked potato has a glycemic index of 76 relative to glucose and 108 relative to white bread. Meaning the blood glucose response to the carbs in a baked potato is 76 percent of the blood glucose response to the same amount of carbs in pure glucose and 108 percent of the blood glucose response to the same amount of carbs in white bread.
• In contrast, cooked brown rice has a glycemic index of 55 relative to glucose and 79 relative to white bread.

(Confusing, I know, but I wanted you to see a little behind how these values are found and therefore how the food is ranked.)

Although this glycemic index does provide us with a benefit of potentially helping lowering an individual’s blood sugar levels, it is very complicated because many factors affect the glycemic value of a specific food (i.e. how it’s prepared, what’s eaten with it, and some foods are unable to establish a glycemic value). For these reasons, the American Diabetes Association has concluded there isn’t enough evidence to recommend the general use of a low glycemic index diet for people with diabetes and there is much controversy as using it as a tool for losing weight.

If you’re interested in learning more about this meal-planning tool, talk to a registered dietitian. She/he can help you make changes in your diet.) The best advice I can give when dealing with carbohydrates, is try to consume mostly whole-grain, whole-wheat options, choose healthy fruits and veggies, and try to eat carbs and protein together to help with blood sugar maintenance.

Learn more in “What Everyone Needs to Know About Carbs.”

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Understanding the Glycemic Index

Benefits of Carbohydrates

• When you eat a carbohydrate, your body breaks it down into a simpler form known as glucose.
• Glucose (for immediate energy) and its storage form glycogen (reserve energy) provide about half of all the energy muscles and other body tissues use (the brain depends 100% on glucose for its energy). The other half of the body’s energy comes from mostly fat.  We now know that carbohydrates aren’t all good or all bad. Some promote health while others, when eaten often and in large quantities, increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Sources of Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, cherry pie, milk, fruit, starchy veggies, and legumes.
• They also come in a variety of forms, most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.
• Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories:

1. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose).
2. Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren’t so great.

Common Misconception of Carbohydrates

• Many people mistakenly think of carbs as “fattening” and avoid them when trying to lose weight. Such a strategy may be helpful if the carbohydrates are simple sugars (soda, candy, etc.), but it is counterproductive if the carbs are complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, etc.).

Click to see a brief list of foods on the Glycemic Index.

The Glycemic Response and the Glycemic Index

• Glycemic response, which is how quickly glucose is absorbed after a person eats, indicates how high the blood glucose rises, and how quickly it returns to normal. The Glycemic Index aims to classify carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar compared to pure glucose.
• Slow absorption is desirable, a modest rise in blood glucose, and a smooth return to normal (low glycemic response).
• Fast absorption is less desirable, a surge in blood glucose, and an overreaction that plunges glucose below normal (high glycemic response).
• Different foods have different effects on blood glucose.
• Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Low glycemic foods, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar.

Which Carbs Should You Eat?

• Choose whole grains and whole-wheat options
  
• Start your day off with whole grains. Hot cereal fan? Try old-fashioned or steel-cut oats.  Like cold cereals more? Look for one that lists whole wheat, whole oats, or other whole grain first on the ingredient list.
• Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks.
• Try brown rice or even “newer” grains like bulgur, wheat berries, millet, or hulled barley with your dinner.
  
• Pick up some whole wheat pasta. If the whole grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.
• Eat beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or another whole grain is the first ingredient listed.

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What Everyone Needs to Know About Carbs

Muscle tissue and fat tissue are two different types of tissue and you need to burn the fat tissue before you can see that six pack. Doing crunches alone will never get the results that you are looking for. You would have to perform millions of crunches to get the results that proper diet and cardio can achieve.

I have put together a few exercise tips that may help you achieve your desired goal:

1. Watch your carbohydrate and fat intake

2. Eat a high protein, low-fat and low-carb diet

3. Do thirty minutes to an hour of cardio each day for at least five days a week

4. Do the following ab workout as well (two sets of 20 to 30 repetitions each):

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The Truth About Abs

A few years ago, Madonna was introduced to the pint-sized trainer and former dancer, Tracy Anderson, through her best friend Gwyneth Paltrow. Anderson helped Gwyneth get in the best shape of her life following the birth of her second child, Moses, and now this ballerina-turned-trainer is a fixed presence within Madonna’s entourage of stylists, artists, chefs and dancers on her Sticky & Sweet Tour.

Anderson keeps her tiny body and many others in fabulous shape through her own signature method that revolves around variety. From cardio to strength-training, Anderson pushes her A-list clients, like Madonna, to the max by having them perform hundreds of repetitions of weight-based exercises that work muscles at different angles so that the muscle (and you) never becomes bored.

She was inspired to take her body into her own control when as a dancer, she was consistently told that yes, she could dance, but no she didn’t have the body for it. At five feet tall and very muscular, Anderson was not born with the lithe body that ballerinas have. Rather than giving up, she spent years researching how the body’s muscles function, move and grow. Out of this came her own specific method of exercise in which she created thousands of moves that isolate certain muscles and result in the dancer’s body that she also dreamed of having.

The good news is that Anderson has just launched 3 new DVDs that share some of the magic behind her intense workout programs that shaped her own body and Madonna’s: A mat workout, a dance workout and a post-pregnancy workout. In order to get a killer body, be prepared to workout hard for 30 minutes a day, six days a week.

And if you really want to go full-force, follow Anderson’s low-cal, low-carb and low-fat diet for a few weeks. Expect to eat no more than 3 small meals a day and a snack. A sample day includes, one cup of Kashi cereal for breakfast with low-fat soy or rice milk, 3 oz of chicken breast and 1 cup of raw veggies for lunch, mixed berries for a snack, and 3-5 ounces of grilled sea bass with a 1/2 cup of steamed spinach for dinner.

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Meet Tracy Anderson, Madonna’s Fitness Guru