Tag: weight loss

What is the Sirtfood Diet?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Will there ever be an end to silly new diet trends?

The Sirtfood Diet is the latest to cross my desk and, boy, is it a doozy.

The premise is that certain foods increase the activity of sir ruins in your body. Sirtuins are special proteins which allegedly have all sorts of beneficial effects, everything from fighting inflammation to preventing cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, all the way to reversing aging and extending lifespan.

The Sirtdiet protocol consists of lots of green smoothies and other meals made from “sirtfoods,” which include capers, celery, cocoa powder, green tea, kale,  parsley, onions, strawberries, turmeric, and walnuts.

Nothing wrong with those foods.  But there is a lot wrong with this diet.

First, the claims for this diet are not only unproven, they verge on the preposterous. Although sirtuins are an area of promising research, what we don’t know about them far exceeds what we do know about them.

Even if we did know more about how sirtiuns promote health and longevity, the idea that these foods will increase sirtuin activity is pure speculation.  These foods are rich in poloyphenols, compounds that might boost sirutin activity. Then again they might not. We’ll have to get back to you on that.

The other problem with this diet is that it is designed to produce extreme (and extremely fast) weight loss. As you’ve heard me say before, dieting is counter-productive. Extreme dieting is extremely counter-productive.

I bet a lot of these so called “sirtfoods” are already in your diet. Stay the course! And some of the “sirtfood” recipes I’ve seen look delicious. Feel free to add them to your repertoire. But the actual Sirtfood Diet protocol? I’d pass on that if I were you.

Does losing weight really lower your disease risk?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

James writes:

“Everyone refers to weight as being a risk factor for various diseases. But is it true that losing weight actually lowers one’s risk?  Or could some other factor be responsible for both disease risk and a higher weight?”

If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight absolutely does reduce your risk of various complications and diseases. Because when you lose weight, it’s not just the the number on the scale that changes.  Losing weight can reduce your blood pressure as well as your fasting blood sugar, for example, and that in turn lowers your risk for stroke and diabetes.

[bctt tweet=” When you lose weight, it’s not just the the number on the scale that changes. ” username=”nutritiondiva”]

And, by the way, losing even a small amount–as little as 5% of your current weight–can significantly reduce your risk of various conditions, even if you are still overweight. For this reason, you’d be better off losing a modest amount of weight and keeping it off than losing a large amount of weight and gaining it back!

(And if you’ve had enough of yo-yo dieting, you may be interested in a new project I’m working on.) But keep in mind that having a risk factor for a disease does not mean that you are certain to develop the disease.  If you are a smoker, you are much more likely to develop lung cancer than  a non-smoker. But some smokers don’t get lung cancer–and some non-smokers do.

Which Risk Factors Should We Focus On?

Some disease risk factors are things we can’t change–such as our age, race, gender, or genetic heritage. I’m at higher risk of developing osteoporosis than James is, simply because I’m female.

Other risk factors, such as our body weight, eating habits, exercise, and other lifestyle habits, are within our control. I can lower my risk of developing osteoporosis, for example, by not smoking and getting regular exercise.

No Guarantees So Enjoy the Ride!

Despite what some people will tell you,  there is no way to completely disease-proof your body. All we can do is focus on our modifiable risk factors and hope for the best. And because there are no guarantees, I think it’s important to strike a balance between lowering risk and maintaining quality of life. Or, as my friend Yoni Freedhoff likes to say, “Live the healthiest life you can enjoy living.”

Given up on losing weight?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The number of overweight and obese Americans has climbed steadily in recent decades, from 53% of adults in 1988 to 65% in 2014. At the same time, fewer overweight Americans are trying to lose weight--just 47%, down from 55% back in 1988.

The authors of the study, which was published in JAMA this month, wondered whether we've simply made our peace with being fat.

"As more people around us are getting heavier, we simply believe we are fine, and no need to do anything with it," lead author Liang Zhang told the AP News Service.

That may be part of it.

Continue Reading

How much would you pay to lose 5 pounds?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

supplementsBeth writes:

“A 2011 study published in The American Journal of Medicine showed that taking 1800mg of alpha lipoic acid a day increased weight loss in subjects on a restricted calorie diet compared to controls.  This seems promising, but the supplement is expensive. I am interested in your take on the research and whether or not the benefits justify the cost.”

 

In the study Beth cited, the subjects (all of whom were overweight) were cutting their caloric intake by about 600 calories a day and taking either a placebo or alpha-lipoic acid supplements.  Over the course of 20 weeks, those taking a placebo lost 0.94% of their body weight. So, someone who started the study at 200 pounds lost a little under 2 pounds.

Those who were taking 1800 mg of alpha lipoic acid lost 2.74% of their body weight. For a 200 person, that amounts to 5 1/2 pounds–an additional 3 1/2 pounds.  The researchers concluded that alpha-lipoic can enhance weight loss from calorie restriction.

My question is: Why did these subjects lose so little weight?? Continue reading “How much would you pay to lose 5 pounds?” >

How to Make the IIFYM Diet Work

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

dietIn a recent episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I talked about a new diet trend called IIFYM, or If It Fits Your Macros.  With the IIFYM diet, you aim to get a certain amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat every day but there are no other rules. You can get your carbohydrates from quinoa or Cap’n Crunch. You can get your protein from tofu or from hot dogs and your fat from olive oil or bacon grease. It’s totally up to you…as long as it fits your macros.

In my podcast, I gave the diet a rather lukewarm review. I mean, how could any reasonable nutritionist get on board with this idea? In practice, however, this diet may ultimately lead some people toward healthier choices, and not away from them as you might expect. Continue reading “How to Make the IIFYM Diet Work” >

Cutting calories can mess with your sleep

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Woman SleepingAs if losing weight weren’t already challenging enough, you might also find that you’re not sleeping as well. And we all know (both from research data as well as personal experience) that being under-rested can increase your appetite and reduce your will-power.  Perfect, meet storm.

A pair of randomized controlled studies suggests a possible solution: Continue reading “Cutting calories can mess with your sleep” >

How exercise DOES help with weight loss

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

mouseResearchers released results today of a study that helps explain why it’s so hard to lose weight by exercise alone. Turns out that when we increase our activity level, our bodies adjust our metabolism to compensate. Those “calories burned” estimates in our fitness trackers or on the treadmills at the gym? Wishful thinking, apparently.

How Exercise Sabotages Weight Loss

There are  other ways that exercise doesn’t help with weight loss.  Exercising can make you hungrier, leading you to eat extra calories. Even worse, exercising can lull you into a false sense of security: You figure you can get away with a second (or third) cookie, because of all the calories you’re burning at the gym. Continue reading “How exercise DOES help with weight loss” >

Book Review: Always Hungry by David Ludwig

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

always hungryIn general, I’m not a big fan of diet books. Even the best ones tend to be larded with hype and gimmickry. Basic nutrition principles are embellished into elaborate metabolic wizardry. Simple guidelines are obscured by unnecessarily complicated schedules, lists, programs, and templates.

Otherwise, how would you fill 300 pages? Because the basic tenets of any decent dietary philosophy can be communicated in a few paragraphs.  (Or as few as 7 words.)

 

But if you need a little more structure (and mythology) to get you motivated and keep you on track, the program outlined in David Ludwig’s new book Always Hungry is not a bad choice. Continue reading “Book Review: Always Hungry by David Ludwig” >