Beginner's Fitness Programs

Although many people believe that a high-fat/protein diet is better than a low-fat/high-carb diet, the debates are still going on. One recent argument presented for the low-fat diet is the psychological benefit of the diet. In one article appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, after one year of dieting, both the high-fat diet group and the low-fat diet group lost about the same amount of weight, but only the latter group kept a positive mood. For example, their own body image was consistently positive for the low-fat diet group, but after an initial gain in their self image, the high-fat diet group lost their positive image of themselves.

The researchers don’t know exactly what causes this, but one possible reason is that a high-fat/protein diet may hinder the serotonin levels in the brain.

This doesn’t mean you should jump back to a pasta diet to lose weight. If you do a low-fat, high-carb diet, you also need to watch the glycemic index of your food. It is well-known that low glycemic index foods are more effective for losing weight and for maintaining good cardiovascular health. You can eat more carbs, but you should also eat more fruits, vegetables, and other non-processed carbs (brown rice, and other grains). Again, it seems a balanced diet is a good choice.

Source: JAMA/Archives: Archives of Internal Medicine (Nov. 2009)

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