Finding a new, healthier diet that works

by James Simpson
Daily Journal
Tuesday, September 4, 2003

Let me begin this column with a disclaimer: I am not a government-licensed physician or nutritionist, and you should consult your doctor before changing your regular diet.

Also, because everyone's physiology is different, you may not experience the same results I did.

Any healthy diet must meet at least four conditions. And by diet, I mean the food you regularly consume, not "a reduction in calories coinciding with a strict menu."

A diet must be filling, tasty, provide energy, and be easy to maintain. Most advertised diets fail because they are lacking at least one of those components.

People are obsessed with their looks, and frequently focus on their weight rather than their health. The fact is, you can be 50 lbs. overweight and still be healthier than someone who is right on target for their age and height.

Weight really has more to do with self esteem than health. Some folks live a very long time even though they are overweight, while others who appear to be in peak physical condition die early.

Weight does have potential negative consequences over time, but other factors related to diet are just as important, if not more so. If your cholesterol and blood pressure are high, you are at much greater risk for a heart attack.

Many people swear by the Adkins low-carbohydrate diet, and it has undoubtedly helped folks lose weight, but at what cost?

I confess that I have tried it a couple of times myself, but found that it caused me significant intestinal problems throughout the two week "induction" period. Only later did I discover that it places a significant strain on one's kidneys, especially if you are a Type II diabetic as I am.

Last October, my cholesterol was 230. I decided that it was long past time for me to start taking better care of myself.

So, I hit the Internet and kept coming across references to the diet eaten by people who live around the Mediterranean Sea. At my next checkup, I asked my doctor if she was familiar with it. Not only was she familiar with it, she highly encouraged me to try it out.

When I read more about it, I discovered an amazing story related to a study that was performed to determine if the diet held the same potential for Americans.

It seems a trial, known as the Lyon Diet Heart Study, was performed on 605 subjects (with similar coronary risk factors) who had survived a heart attack. One set of patients was placed on the Mediterranean diet, and the control group was asked to just "follow a prudent diet."

The study was abruptly stopped when it was determined that too many patients were dying on the "prudent" diet, and continuing the study (which had already demonstrated the superiority of the Mediterranean diet) would have been inhumane.

The Mediterranean diet is fairly simple to follow. The highlights of the diet are:

Eat mostly fish, with occasional turkey or chicken.

Use olive oil or canola oil for recipes that call for oil, especially if you are going to fry anything.

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, whole-grain breads, nuts, and legumes.

And for those of legal age, have a glass or two of red wine with dinner.

There are several excellent books on this diet, which is simple, filling, and delicious... and it provides all the energy necessary to get through the day.

Since October of last year, I have not had any red meat or pork and have completely cut out caffeine of any kind. One word of caution: Reduce your caffeine consumption slowly over a week or two. I quit cold turkey, and thought that I was struck by a sudden brain tumor, as my headaches were so excruciating.

Since then, I have had two cholesterol tests that came back at 125 and 126 respectively. I significantly lowered my cholesterol without any of the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins.

I now pay significantly more attention to food labels these days. For instance, when shopping for French fries, I select McCain's, which are cooked in canola oil, and I reach for the Frookwich cookies instead of the Oreos, which are high in hydrogenated oil.

I still go out to eat, but I now patronize restaurants that serve grilled fish, or I at lease make sure they fry food in monounsaturated oils, such as canola or olive oil. Unfortunately, the only restaurant that I have found (so far) that uses canola is Pizzeria UNO.

I have also started shopping at Trader Joe's where even the potato chips are made with olive or canola oil.

I found that you can still eat foods that are delicious and nutritious, you just have to be a bit more selective.

James Simpson lives in Lake Ridge, but can be found in cyperspace at www.jamessimpson.org. His column appears the first week of every month.