I was recently informed about a book by Yoni Freedhoff called "The Diet Fix: Why Diets Fail and How to Make Yours Work." I didn't read the book, but it seems that it includes some refreshing ideas that you people can exploit:
1) Most diets fail, because they involve an element of suffering, and as such are not really realistic. It's possible to lose weight, while enjoying a bit of chocolate (Freedhoff actually prescribes chocolate to patients with lots of craving). It's not either eat it or don't eat it - the key is consistency, with a little bit of effort at a time.
2) The book seems to focus on tricks about good habit forming (e.g., how to avoid habits that lead to weight gain, how to avoid turning craving into binges), instead of the "follow-this-diet" approach.
3) In a radio interview to CBC the Current, Freedhoff talked about Canada's Food Guide being actually harmful because:
- It makes no distinction between fruit juice and fruit. The former is a sugary drink, the latter is not. It doesn't make sense to me why would we pay more to get less healthy. Freedhoff mentioned that Australia's Food Guide does make that distinction clear.
- It recommends minimum intake of foods of different categories. Freedhoff claims that this can lead to an overconsumption of calorie (that's not to say weight control is only about consuming less calorie and exercise more, but calorie does play a role)
- It does not explicitly mention the elimination of trans fat.
- Food industry professionals were consulted in the preparation of the Food Guide. Some of them sat in the Advisory Board. Freedhoff made an emphasis that Canada's Food Guide is not a "social service" - It's a way to promote the economic stability of food industry.
He then claimed that instead of following Northamerican food guides, we should look at Brazil's food guide, which encourages cooking from fresh produces, avoiding food industry and processed food. Ironic isn't it.
4) Another emphasis is on fostering a healthy food environment that creates good habits. Surrounds yourself with treats and the craving might just keep going.
5) Not sure about this. He might have talked about using protein intermittently to control craving. Some people forego of all "forbidden" food, only to find themselves eating non-stop afterwards.
6) Our culture promotes weight loss and condemns weight gain. Freedhoff explained that everyone is different and that neither bathroom scale or body mass index can accurate represent one's condition of health. He also talked about everyone having their own ideal personal weight, which is not necessarily the one promoted by our media or doctors.
I hope it's helpful. Here's a link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17737058-the-diet-fix
