When people say they're on a diet they usually mean restricting calories. But the word diet comes from the Greek word diaita, which means “way of life”. The first definition in Webster's is “what a person or animal usually eats or drinks”. While there is minimal value or even harm to fad diets there is value in changing the way you eat and what you eat.

Dr. Robert Atkins devoted most of his career to research and education about the problems with excess carbohydrates, especially those with high glycemic index (usually sweet and quickly digested) that rapidly raise blood sugar especially when consumed alone (without fat or protein). Rapid increase of blood sugar causes release of large amounts of insulin. This causes two problems. First, insulin results in part of the carbohydrates being converted to fat and second, over time high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance. The Atkins diet was frequently but erroneously referred to as high protein but is most importantly low carbohydrate. When we eat a meal or snack of primarily protein/fat, (e.g., cheese, eggs, nuts, meat, chicken, fish), instead of releasing insulin we release a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon releases fatty acids from our fat stores as though to say we're not getting any/much carbos here so we need to burn more fat and/or convert some of the fat to carbos.

Good Diet vs. Bad Diet

Now with additional research we have an improvement on the Atkins diet - the South Beach diet. The South Beach diet emphasizes “good carbs” and “good fats”. Like the Atkins it starts out with more restrictions - not primarily in calories but in carbohydrate choices. The reason both diets start low in carbs is that we have to stimulate our bodies to metabolize fat. Carbohydrates are easier to burn and if they are always available to excess in our diet we don't fully develop the enzyme systems to burn fat. Once we achieve our goal weight then our selections can be expanded.

A good diet is high in nutritional quality and doesn't generate increased fat storage. A bad diet is either a short term fad crash program - doing more long term harm than good, or calorie restriction that actually increases our body weight set point in our brain. When in doubt, think about how our ancient ancestors ate for thousands of years - good carbs, unrefined natural grains, fruits and vegetables. They ate good fat, like wild meat that contained Omega 3 fatty acids. We eat fast foods, highly processed foods and fattened up meat high in the bad fats like Omega 6 fatty acid. Unless we live on a farm we should all use supplements to insure adequate quantities of basic vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acid. Remember, the original concept of diet is “way of life” and needs to be a balance of good carbs and good fats and adequate protein.

Weight and Fitness: "Let's Get Physical"

You might be thinking, “I recently read an article that said the number of deaths due to obesity has been exaggerated and that being over weight is not really as bad as we're being told.” The problem with that article is that it didn't distinguish between big gut and big butt. Abdominal fat (40”+ waistline for men and 35”+ waistline for women measured at the umbilicus) is a heart risk factor. But even more relevant in that study concluding obese people are no worse off than thin people - the thin people included those that were thin due to chronic illnesses like lung disease and cancer. Studies have proved it is better to be a little overweight and physically fit than thin and out of shape.

One study at the Aerobic Center/Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas concluded after extensive testing that people who were over weight but physically fit (i.e., worked out regularly and could walk a brisk 2 miles) were healthier.  Another study by physicians at Johns Hopkins Weight Center found that physically fit overweight individuals were less likely to have high blood pressure or diabetes than overweight individuals who were sedentary. Other studies have found obesity to be a risk factor independent of fitness level.

In general for most people to improve their fitness level they need to lose a significant amount of weight. One technique that I have found useful in disciplining myself to workout every day is keeping a record in my day timer. I convert everything to miles - based on effort level (reflected in estimated average pulse) and duration. For example, tennis singles counts as 4 miles/hour and tennis doubles 3 miles/hour. On days I don't exercise I put a “R” for rest, which to me means lazy - I hate “R”s. Since I'm competitive, I run in at least 2 races per year, and every day I feel like I'm either staying the same, getting better, or losing ground, which I gauge from my log. Knowing that I'll be competing in the future provides motivation and discipline for those times when I'm not in the mood.

For me, having a treadmill and other machines in front of a TV is better than driving to a health club.  I tape sporting events or other programs I’m interested in and watch them while I work out. It also helps that my wife and I can work out together - on different machines at different effort levels but still getting to talk and share. Committing to meet someone for any kind of workout helps to prevent last minute procrastination or excuse making.

To be continued…bright light, genetics, meds that help and meds that hurt. See Part Three