GetFit.com.au

THE most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycaemic index (GI) foods, especially for women, Australian researchers have found.

The world's first 12-week trial of its kind compared the relative effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk of low GI and high-protein diets.
The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.

Foods with a low GI include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, wholegrain and sour dough breads and Basmati or Doongara rice.

Foods with a high GI include potatoes and white bread.

The study by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and Joanna McMillan-Price, of the University of Sydney Human Nutrition Unit, showed that there was no one diet to fit all solutions, although both high protein and low GI diets would help people shed fat.

However, the trial did show that a diet containing low GI carbohydrate significantly reduced the risk of heart disease.

The study enrolled 129 overweight or obese young adults, aged 18-40, and randomly assigned them to one of four reduced calorie, reduced fat diets over a 12-week period.

Two of the diets were high-carbohydrate diets and the other two were high in protein.

One of each category had a high GI and the other had a low GI.

In the two high-carbohydrate diets, lowering the glycaemic index doubled fat loss, and the effect was strongest in women.

The high-protein, high GI diet was equally effective for fat loss as the high carbohydrate, low GI diet.

But both diets had diverse effects on LDL, or bad cholesterol, with the high protein, high-GI group showing increased levels of bad cholesterol, while there were significant reductions in those on the high carbohydrate, low-GI diet.

However, those on the high-protein, low GI diet did not experience the same rise in total LDL cholesterol suggesting the importance of low GI foods alongside a high meat intake.

"Our findings suggest that dietary glycaemic load, and not just overall energy intake influences weight loss and postprandial glycaemia or blood sugar levels after eating," Ms McMillan-Price said.

"We found that moderate reductions in glycaemic load appear to increase the rate of body fat loss, particularly in women.

"Diets based on low-glycaemic index, whole grain products, tend to be better for the heart, maximising cardiovascular risk reduction - particularly if protein intake is high."

The study is published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Posted by Dean at 06:27 AM | Permalink

With excess weight a greater problem than ever, the question of whether changing eating habits or exercise is more likely to produce weight loss is vital.

A new study confirms the overall research findings that dietary change, specifically eating less fat, produces more weight loss than changes in exercise. But it also shows that changes in one kind of behavior may help promote changes in the other, especially among women.

Many studies have compared weight loss resulting from changing diet versus increasing activity. Most often, weight loss during programs focused on dietary change produced two to three times greater weight loss than programs focused on exercise.

However, it’s long-term results that matter for our health. One analysis of many such studies showed that by one year after the end of these programs, there was no significant difference in the weight status of participants. This raises the question of whether people can maintain changes in exercise more easily than changes in eating habits. The answer, of course, almost surely depends on individual preferences as well as how unpleasant or enjoyable the attempted diet or exercise program was.

Cutting calories doesn't have to mean dieting
We become overweight when we consume more calories in food and drink than we burn up. To lose weight, we need to shift that balance and burn up more than we consume. We can accomplish that by consuming fewer calories, burning more, or both. Cutting calories doesn’t necessarily have to mean going on a “diet.” It can just mean avoiding or limiting one or more foods high in calories from fat (such as high-fat meat, cheese, or snack foods, or too much added fat), lots of sugar (like sweets or sweetened drinks), or alcohol. Cutting calories can also be accomplished by reducing our portion sizes, or by eating smaller portions of those high-calorie foods and filling up on larger portions of low-calorie vegetables and fruits.

Objective analysis shows that cuts in calorie consumption add up faster than increases in exercise. Studies show that a combination of smaller portions and changes in what we eat can easily add up to reduce calorie consumption by 500 daily, whereas burning an extra 500 calories daily can be a daunting target.

Exercise plus lower calories for women
In this new study conducted at the University of Minnesota, moderate or substantial drops in dietary fat were linked to weight loss in overweight and obese men and women, regardless of how much they changed physical activity. On average, these successful program participants decreased the number of high-fat foods they ate by five to ten servings a week. In women, even substantial increases in exercise were not enough to produce weight loss if they did not decrease fat consumption. Men, however, were able to lose weight through increased exercise alone. This might be because the men were able to burn more calories in exercise than women, or might reflect either some metabolic difference or a problem in the study’s ability to detect changes accurately

For men, the effects of exercise and dietary fat seemed to have independent effects on the amount of weight lost. For women, although exercise alone was not a successful weight loss strategy, at each level of dietary fat reduction those who increased exercise − moderately or substantially − lost more weight than those who changed activity less.

Whether exercise changes metabolism to allow more successful weight loss, or whether its stress-reduction benefits allow more consistent progress in changing eating habits, this and other studies show that both increasing exercise and decreasing calorie consumption clearly seems the best weight-loss choice for everyone

© 2006 MSNBC Interactive

Posted by Dean at 10:28 AM | Permalink

Okay, I know what you're thinking ‑- people who get up in the morning to hit the gym, run, bike or do any other kind of exercise are obviously fitness-obsessed weirdos. They must be superhuman, ultramotivated, type-A personalities who don't understand the importance of a good night's sleep ‑- or of hitting the snooze button.

Or maybe they just know something you don't. People who exercise in the morning often have more energy during the day. They also have time after work to run errands, enjoy their families or just chill in front of Desperate Housewives. Maybe they also

know that the energy rush they get after exercising comes from endorphins, and working out too late ‑- getting those endorphins jumping close to your bedtime ‑- can disturb your sleep.

Resolving to get going in the morning is the first step. But what's next? How do these people get out of bed, get their gear on and get going at the crack of dawn? It's not easy, but even you can get motivated in the morning.

One foot on the floor is the hardest part. While you're lying there, with the morning news blasting from your clock radio and your hand hovering above the snooze button, try to remember that the first step is the biggest. The easiest thing in the world is to hit that snooze button and stick your head back into the pillow, but if you can get one foot on the floor, the hardest part's over.

It gets easier. Just like riding a bike or learning to love vegetables, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Over time, your body will start to wake up more naturally at an hour only Katie Couric should be familiar with. After you've put that foot on the floor, slipped on your sneakers and pressed your contacts into your bloodshot eyes a few times, it will start to feel almost normal.

You'll never regret it. While you may regret catching that extra hour of sleep, you'll never beat yourself up during the day for going to the gym. Zipping into work with a smile on your face, wide awake and ready to face the day, you'll pat yourself on the back and enjoy your sense of accomplishment

www.ivillage.com

Posted by Dean at 01:45 PM | Permalink

Losing a couple of kilograms and keeping it off has far greater health benefits than any single preventative drug on the market, researchers have found.

A study by science agency the CSIRO has revealed that even a small sustained weight loss can be more effective than pharmacological approaches to disease prevention.

Leading nutritionist Manny Noakes investigated the benefits of three to four kilograms of weight loss, sustained for four years.

"There is compelling evidence showing sensible weight loss that incorporates healthy eating as well as a small amount of resistance training has significant benefits in reducing disease morbidity," Professor Noakes said.

"In essence it would take many pills to achieve what a four-kilogram weight loss can achieve."

She said losing excess weight could improve cholesterol levels and delay the development of arterial deposits which lead to stroke and heart attack.

It lowers blood pressure, which reduces stress on the kidneys, and lowers glucose and insulin response, which prevents diabetes and stress on the pancreas.

"It can also reduce DNA damage, which leads to degenerative diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease," she said.

There was also emerging evidence that eating less but still eating a nutritious diet could delay the ageing process and prolong life, she said.

Presenting her findings to the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Incorporated Convention in Adelaide tomorrow, the nutritionist will also tackle the contentious issue of weight loss in older people.

Some studies have proven that weight loss can be detrimental to the health of the elderly, but Professor Noakes said this was only true if the person shed their kilos without meaning to.

"Unintentional weight loss might be the result of existing health problems ... and can mask beneficial changes in cardiovascular risk and other diseases,"

Sensible, intentional weight loss, on the other hand, can be extremely beneficial, she said.

AAP

Posted by Dean at 01:36 PM | Permalink