Making Choices for Life
Key Principles for Weight Management
- Choose a healthy food plan that you can maintain.
- Choose a plan that reduces calorie intake.
- Remember that extreme diets cannot be maintained for long periods of time.
- Consult with My Weight Loss Clinic about which diet might be right for you and your goals.
There is not one “RIGHT” diet for everyone.
Low Fat Diet
DASH Diet
The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is a dietary pattern promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods; includes meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and beans; and is limited in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, red meat, and added fats. In addition to its effect on blood pressure, it is designed to be a well-balanced approach to eating for the general public. It is now recommended by the USDA as an ideal eating plan for all Americans.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain. The principal aspects of this diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products.
Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption, often for the treatment of obesity. Foods high in easily digestible carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, bread, pasta) are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fats and moderate protein (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and seeds) and other foods low in carbohydrates (e.g., most salad vegetables), although other vegetables and fruits (especially berries) are often allowed. The amount of carbohydrate not allowed varies with different low carbohydrate diets. The term “low-carbohydrate diet” is generally applied to diets that restrict carbohydrates to less than 20% of caloric intake, but can also refer to diets that simply restrict or limit carbohydrates.
