Diet Gospel

One of the hardest things about helping other people lose weight is all the useless information that is out there. The problem is, to some people if it's in a book it's gospel. Anyone who wants to sell a diet book can come up with a whiz bang, "this is the secret you have been waiting for" plan. The industry of writing diet books is totally unregulated. Especially if a doctor writes it or heaven forbid if two doctors together write it, it's gonna be a best seller.

The real truth is so simple and boring that it can't be right. I just got through reading about a woman who was following, for the second time, a diet book, that didn't work for her the first time. They would have you believe that if you follow this plan exactly then the pounds will melt off of you. If they don't, then gee you must not have done it right.

This particular diet book had you eating only meat and lettuce for a week so you could get your body trained to burn fat for fuel instead of carbs. (Of course you feel like crap and you don't even feel like eating.) The problem is that your muscle cells, the only ones that burn fuel for energy must convert everything to sugars in order to burn it for fuel. Carbs are the best fuel and to your body burning fat for fuel is like burning wet wood for a fire, very inefficiently.

That boring old "American Heart Association" is still the best, a diet high in complex carbs like fruit and veggies with lean protein and a minimum of saturated fat and simple sugars, can't be beat. Not only is it best for weight control but it's a very healthy diet, lots of health problems are believed to be related to diets high in fat and simple sugar.

The best, yes you heard it here first, way to lose weight and get healthy is to eat properly and exercise regularly. Sitting on the couch eating a Thick Burger with cheese and bacon may be what some diet books preach to wean you off the evil carbs but just because somebody wrote it don't make it true.

Thanks for reading.

Leaner Panda