is impractical to follow in the real world, with such a strict ratio for each and
every meal. Worst of all, the Zone diet endorses processed products with added
sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and soy protein isolate. All are toxic to your
body.
- The South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet was designed by a Miami cardiologist, Dr. Arthur
Agatston. He initially developed this diet for his patients with heart disease;
however, many patients showed another benefit: weight loss. The diet
emphasizes the dangers of sugar and the low-fat diet dogma we’ve all bought
into. It’s moderate in fat and lower in carbohydrates. On the South Beach Diet,
you avoid the saturated fats found in butter and animal products, such as bacon.
You consume lean meats, such as veal and Canadian bacon, and low-fat dairy
products. Vegetable oils and liquid margarine are acceptable fats.
THE ADVANTAGES: The diet emphasizes the dangers of refined carbs, which
leads to weight loss.
THE DISADVANTAGES: Processed meats have been strongly linked to colon
and prostate cancer. There is no difference between bacon and Canadian bacon.
Both are processed, and both contain nitrites. The South Beach Diet has the
wrong positions on many fats. The diet denounces saturated fats, such as butter,
which are good for sex hormones, and advocates liquid margarine as a healthy
substitute. The book denounces trans fats, yet includes recipes that use margarine
and vegetable shortening. The diet endorses processed food and frozen entrées
with added chemicals, soybean oil, nitrites, soy protein isolate, and partially
hydrogenated fats. All damage your thyroid and leptin, and they can also clog
your arteries and give you cancer.
- Weight Watchers
This very popular program is a low-fat diet that relies on calorie restriction by
counting points. About 50 percent of your calories will come from
carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 20 percent from fat. On Weight
Watchers, you eat as you please: pizza, pasta, and even orange juice as long as it
counts toward your total daily points. Technically, no food is forbidden. The
program includes motivational and educational meetings in groups and online.