Popularized Diets the end to the Question "What is the Best Diet?" from Fitness Elements Express!

Popularized Diet Fads the Evolutionary Discovery of Optimal Health

What is the Best Diet?

The dietary guidelines and principles that I have detailed along with my references in this final article represent the answer to the holy debated question “ What is the Best diet?” Over the years, there has been quite a war of opinions as to the diet that best promotes weight loss and health. On one end of the spectrum, although it has become quite popular to restrict carbohydrates of all sorts completely in favor of high- protein and high-fat foods, I simply do not believe that this sort of diet is health promoting and neither do my references. In fact, we believe that this type of diet has already been proven disastrous to long-term health as it carries with it severe consequences for cardiovascular and kidney function. On the other end of the spectrum is the so-called low-fat, high-complex—carbohydrate diet. This diet is also doomed to fail because it does not differentiate quality of carbohydrate and fails to provide the right type of oils to promote health. I believe as well as my references to this series of articles that any diet that severely restricts beneficial oils will ultimately fail.

After reviewing every popular diet in detail, as well as thousands of scientific articles on the role of diet in human health, what I we offer here is based upon the evolutionary understanding of what constitutes the optimal diet. I believe, as well as my references that it is only a matter of time before what we are recommending will become the accepted answer to the question “What is the Best diet?” and “What foods should we eat?”

In conclusion to all the confusion to the question “What is the Best diet?” I hope this clarifies some answers for you and ends some the wondering. Designing a healthy diet can be and should be fun, flavorful, and customized for ultimate energy and optimal health.

Have a healthy and happy day!


References: Michael Murray N.D., Joseph Pizzorno N.D., Lara Pizzorno M.A., L.M.T.

By, Natalie Pyles

Author, NSA Speaker, Licensed Nutritionist, Sports Nutritionist, Holistic Nutritionist, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Holistic Nursing and Nutrition Educator

6 Popular Diet Fads and the Scientific Discovery behind them Part 1 from Fitness Elements Express!

6 Popular Diet Fads and the Scientific Discovery behind them Part 1



The How to's on Designing your own Healthy Diet


Here is a quick look on some of the most popular Diets and what has been discovered with these various type diets. This will be a six part discussion and education for you on determining and forming your own personal view. While there are literally hundreds of fad diets that have been promoted over the years that we could discuss, we will limit the discussion to the following popular diets:

The Atkins diet
The Blood Type Diet
The Ornish diet
The Macrobiotic diet
The vegetarian diet
The Zone diet


Today we will start and discuss the Atkins diet and what the outcomes and conclusions were.

The Atkins Diet

Out of the six diets we will be discussing in this six part series the Atkins diet is perhaps the most famous weight loss diet of all time. It is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet developed by Robert Atkins, M.D. during the 1960s. In the early 1990s, Dr. Atkins brought his diet back into the nutrition spotlight with the publication of his best-selling book Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. It is estimated that more than 20 million people wolrdwide have tried the Atkins diet, which emphasizes the consumption of protein and fat. Individuals following the Atkins diet are permitted to eat unlimited amounts of all meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and most cheeses.

The Atkins diet is divided into four phases: Induction, Ongoing Weight Loss, Premaintenance, and Maintenance. During the Induction phase (the first fourteen days of the diet), carbohydrate intake is limited to no more than 20 grams per day. No fruit, bread, grains, starchy vegetables, or dairy products, except cheese, cream and butter, are allowed during this phase. During the Ongoing Weight Loss Phase, dieters experiment with various levels of carbohydrate consumption until they determine the most liberal level of carbohydrate intake that allows them to continue to lose weight. Dieters are then encouraged to maintain this level of carbohydrate intake until their weight loss goals are met. Then during the Premaintenence and Maintenance phases, dieters determine the level of carbohydrate consumption that allows them to maintain their weight. To prevent regaining the weight lost, dieters must stick to this level of carbohydrate consumption, perhaps for the rest of their lives.

Despite its enormous popularity, the Atkins program was not evaluated in a proper clinical trial until 2003. In this initial study, while people following the Atkins Diet did experience initial weight loss, though likely as a result of water loss rather than true fat loss, in the long run they gained it all back plus more. While the subjects on the Atkins diet had lost more weight than subjects on convetional diet in six months , the difference in 12 months was not significant. Adherence in both groups was poor. Other clinical studies have shown similiar results.

The findings from these clinical trials indicate that although adhering strictly to the Atkins diet in the first six months may initially lead to more weight loss upfront, but eating a more healthful diet , such as the one I will recommend at the end of this six part series will equal efficacy in the long run and considerably more health promoting. Until part two the Blood type Diet have a healthy and happy day!

References: Michael Murray N.D., Joseph Pizzorno N.D., and Lara Pizzorno M.A., L.M.T

By, Natalie Pyles

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist,Health, Fitness, and Holistic Nutrition and Nursing Educator

Consumers Beware! Social Harms Distortion of Perspective Nutrition Quackery at it's Best! Part 4

Secret Truths of Nutrition Quackery 108

Consumers Beware! Social Harms Distortion of Perspective Nutrition Quackery at it's Best! Part 4


This will be a four part series on Harm done by Quackery that will include: indirect harm by omission, psychological harm, economic harm, social harm, and direct harm by commission. This four part series will discuss how the harm caused by quackery fits into these categories.

Indirect Harm

Quackery can seriously harm or kill people by persuading them to abandon, delay, or fail to seek effective medical treatment for grave medical conditions (Barrett and Jarvis, ADA 2008). This is considered indirect harm by omission (Calif. Medical Association). While the number of people lured away from effective treatment into disability or death cannot be ascertained, it is apparently not large enough or obvious enough to provoke a public outcry (Barrett and Jarvis).

Direct Harm

Direct harm is considered harm by commission such as poisoning, maiming, malnutrition, or injury (Barrett and Jarvis). This category includes dangers posed by herbs, herb and drug interactions, contaminated and adulterated supplements, excess vitamins and minerals, and the macrobiotic diet. The L- trytophan tragedy will be discussed first since it is good example of the harm that can occur when dietary supplements are sold without proof of safety, efficacy, potency, or purity (Foster and Tyler).


Social Harm

Here is the final section of this four part series of Harm done by Quackery. Last but not least there is also harm to society. Consumers are taking greater responsibility for self-care due to an evolving health care system and are more vulnerable to nutrition misinformation, quackery, and fraud than ever before. Nutrition products have been found to be among the most commonly misused. This issue becomes even more critical as the population ages, since the majority of victims of health care fraud-up to 60 percent- are older people (ADA 2008).

Money wasted on quackery would be better spent on medical research. Instead, quacks use a great deal of this money to spread misinformation and weaken consumer protection laws.

Quackery is so subtle that few people even realize they are victims. Unfortunately, many people believe that an unscientific method has helped them. They usually have confused cause and effect with coincidence. Sometimes an unproven approach actually relieves emotionally related symptoms by reducing the person's tension level (Barrett and Jarvis).

Quackery can also ruin the lives that are thoroughly deluded that they devote themselves o promoting the methods and welfare of quackery. I'm not saying alternative medicine and supplements are all bad I personally believe there is a time and place for prevention of disease. However, you also need to do your homework when it comes to Health Care, Exercise, Nutrition and Scientific evidence of dangerous disease-producing bacteria. To end this series just be aware of the quacks that claim disease-producing bacteria destroys essential nutrients (which is untrue). Be your own judge and get good resources of science-based evidence and a trusted professional adviser. Best advice be your own advocate, get the facts, and the real truth.

Have a healthy and happy day!!

To yours in Health, Fitness, and serious Nutrition talk,

Natalie Pyles

References: Nutrition Dimension, Ellen Coleman, (Barrett and Herbert), (Foster and Tyler).

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist, Health, Fitness, and Holistic

Weight Loss Reality Check Revealed! Nutrition Quackery 104 from Fitness Elements Express!

Secret Truths of Nutrition Quackery 104

Weight Loss Reality Check Revealed!

Listen up my Health and Fitness Friends this is a question I get asked all the time and it confuses people all the time. An effective weight reduction program includes a nutritionally adequate, reduced energy intake as well as an increase in physical activity. The loss of body fat is proportional to the energy deficit-no specific distribution of dietary protein, carbohydrate, and fat has been shown to promote more rapid weight loss than other distributions. When energy expenditure exceeds energy intake, weight loss will occur regardless of the macro-nutrient composition of the diet (ACSM; Tufts Univ. Diet & Nutrition Letter).

Carbohydrates and insulin don't cause obesity and insulin is not a "monster" hormone. What matters for weight loss is not carbohydrate or insulin, but overall calories. Body weight depends on calorie balance- how many calories are consumed compared to how many are expended (FDA,2009; ACSM, 2008). Eating a high percentage calories from carbohydrate does not promote fat storage- a person must eat too many calories relative to energy needs (Tufts Univ. Diet and Nutrition Letter). For some people, a very high carbohydrate diet can raise insulin levels, and high insulin levels make people fat (Liebman. Majority of the time people have made their own bed of insulin problems by too much yo-yo dieting, and doing unhealthful quick fix type weight loss that has messed up their metabolism. The proper amount of exercise and right way of eating will get your metabolism working for you at all times.

There's nothing magical about these high protein, low carbohydrate regimens they're just low-calorie diets. People lose weight on these diets because of their caloric restriction - not because of what is supposedly happening to their insulin levels. For example, although Enter the Zone says "don't focus on calories, the zone diet provides only 800-1200 Kcal a day for the average person (Tufts Univ. Diet& Nutrition Letter).

Although, the books claim to make people thinner, they actually make long-term compliance difficult and take the fun out of eating. Eating should be playful, colorful, and pleasurable. Keep in mind most professional health groups recommend 55 to 60 percent of calories as carbohydrate, 10 to 15 percent as protein, and 30 percent or less as fat, but unfortunately we have become such an inactive culture which has led us into a complete imbalance. The health of the body as well as the mind, is literally built upon the principle of harmony! This is another topic for another day, but it does need to be addressed to make you understand why exercise and proper eating go hand in hand. Not one or the other but together in harmony with one another.

Weight loss eating plans should meet the criteria for a "healthy diet," as defined by the 2009 Dietary Guidelines for Americans...(USDA And DHHS) and the American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines (Krause,et al.)... The low carbohydrate diets fail because they are too high in total fat and saturated fat (except for the Sugar Busters and Zone diets) and don't supply the adequate dietary carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, and fiber for all your health benefits. Such diets are also contrary to the scientific evidence that consuming a diet rich in plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans helps to prevent many chronic diseases, including CHD and cancer.

In conclusion, make sure that your Nutrition recommendations come from and are supported by scientific research that is double-blind, placebo-controlled, and published in peer-reviewed journals. These diet books, however, abound with unproven claims based on case histories, testimonials, and unpublished studies. I hope this helps clarify some of your questions and concerns ny health and fitness friends. Have a Healthy and Happy day!!

References:Nutrition Dimension
American College of Sports Medicine
Position of the American Dietetic Association:Food and Nutrition misinformation.
Barrett S. Weight control, Jarvis, Herbert
Berg FM.
Bravata DM, Sanders L., Huang J
Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D.
Am J Clinical Nutrition

By, Natalie Pyles

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist,Health, Fitness, and Holistic Nutrition and Nursing Educator

Secret Truths of Nutrition Quackery 102 from Fitness Elements Express!

How to Avoid Being a Quacked

Remember the renowned anti-quackery advocate Stephan Barrett MD? Well here are 10 strategies that he recommends to consumers that you can use to avoid being quacked. Always remember that what sells is not the quality of the quacks product but the quacks ability to influence you. Promoters of quackery know how to appeal to every aspect of human vulnerability, so be aware! Here are some tips and rules to apply:

• Remember that quackery seldom looks outlandish.
• Ignore any practitioner who says that most diseases are caused by faulty nutrition or can be remedied by taking supplements.
• Be wary of anecdotes and testimonials.
• Be wary of pseudo medical jargon.
• Don't fall for paranoid accusations.
• Forget about "secret cures."
• Be wary of herbal remedies.
• Be skeptical of any product claimed to be effective against a wide range of unrelated diseases-particularly diseases that are serious.
• Ignore appeals to your vanity.
• Don't let desperation cloud your judgment.

Remember the saying if it "Quacks like a duck it probably is a duck!" Dr. Barrett directs this last plea to consumers who feel that their doctor isn't doing enough to help, or have been told that their condition is incurable and don't wish to accept this fate without a struggle. He recommends that they not stray from scientific health care in a desperate attempt to find a solution. Instead, Dr. Barrett encourages consumers to discuss their feelings with the doctor and consider a consultation with a recognized Nutrition or Dietetic Expert.

I agree with Dr. Barrett in my years of counseling many clients to a better way of a more healthful lifestyle and eating pattern people have definitely felt like they weren't getting enough help and guidance from their Doctor, adviser, or weight loss program. Food is very stressful to most people and we have to make choices and eat daily. It's not like we can cut it out cold turkey like alcohol, so it makes it very emotionally draining and confusing for most people. I can see why so many people fail and give up so easily. Just remember when you start to search out your next attempt to look for a weight loss, diet, or Lifestyle change solution make sure you seek wise counsel that is what I call "quack proof". If you plunge into something out of desperation you could end up with more physical, emotional, and psychological problems then before. So proceed with caution my health and fitness friends.

Have a healthy and happy day!!

References: Nutrition Dimension, Dr. Barrett MD, Ellen Coleman RD

By, Natalie Pyles

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist, Health, Fitness, and Holistic Nutrition and Nursing Educator