Best and Worst Diet Foods

Reported July 10, 2008

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Billions of dollars are spent each year on foods targeted at dieters. From frozen entrees to everyday items, food labels proudly display their low-fat, low-carb, or sugar-free content. But the latest statistics show one in three Americans is still overweight. So just how effective can those diet foods be?

Low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar … Americans try everything to lose weight! When it comes to diet foods Ann Kulze, M.D., a nutrition and wellness expert in Charleston, S.C. says buyer beware. "There's never going to be one particular food that's marketed to help you lose weight that's going to do it, no question about it," Dr. Kulze told Ivanhoe.

Low-calorie frozen meals are a diet food star. They're great for portion control. But... "Avoid the great white hazards -- these refined carbs, white flour, white rice, white potatoes, sugar," Dr. Kulze said. And grab meals with at least 15 grams of protein.

A diet food loser: the liquid lunch. It's a short-term fix for some, but the effects don't last. "Liquid calories simply do not suppress the human appetite to the same degree of solid food calories," Dr. Kulze explained.

Low-carb diets need modification to make it on the winner's list. "Just because something is labeled low carb does not mean it's going to be low in calories or even healthy for you," she said. Instead of low carb, think right carb and include fruit, beans and whole grains.
 

Once popular, fat-free foods have lost steam. "The only fat-free food I recommend to anyone -- people that want to lose weight or people that are healthy weight -- is fat-free milk," Dr. Kulze said. Fat-free food is often loaded with sugar. She says a cookie with fat is better than one without, because fat slows the body's glucose response.

Another loser: sugar-free food. "It's probably a classic example of labeling schizophrenia at its finest," she said. The first ingredient in this sugar-free cookie is white flour. "White flour in the human body is handled exactly like if you sat there and ate sugar out of the bowl," Dr. Kulze explained. Even sugar-free soda is risky. One study shows your risk of being overweight rises more than 40 percent with every diet soda you drink.

Kulze says the quickest way to slim down is to choose whole, natural foods like whole grains, beans, veggies, fruits and lean meats. And make sure you get at least 15 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber in every meal. For a list of Dr. Kulze's diet tips and traps, visit http://www.Ivanhoe.com/nutrition.

For More Information, Contact:

Jayne Booth
Assistant to Ann Kulze, MD
(843) 329-1238