News: Study finds best diet for weight loss

Anyone who’s tried to lose weight knows there are dozens of different diets that all offer the same thing: weight loss that lasts.

But which one of them works best?

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association answers exactly that.

Researchers examined the effects of three different diets (a low-fat diet, a low’glycemic index diet, and a very low-carbohydrate diet) on energy expenditure and hormone levels after a weight loss.

Although they found that a very low-carbohydrate diet had the most beneficial effects on energy expenditure, they also noted that it’s restrictive regimen could have a negative hormonal impact.

‘The results of our study challenge the notion that a calorie is a calorie from a metabolic perspective,’ the study’s authors wrote.

In other words, calories aren’t the only important factor in weight loss’it’s what those calories are made of that counts.

So what’s the best option?

The low-glycemic diet, which involves eating a diet of whole grains such as barley, millet and quinoa, fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans is what the researchers recommend.

Based on their research, they conclude that ‘a strategy to reduce glycemic load rather than dietary fat may be advantageous for weight-loss maintenance and cardiovascular disease prevention.’

Luckily, this type of diet also happens to be delicious.

It’s essentially a Mediterranean-style diet, which is what people in the world’s Blue Zones (the areas of the world where people live the longest) eat.

Get started with dishes like Quinoa Pilaf, Spiced Couscous Tomatoes, Roast Vegetable and Bean Stew, as well as these healthy meal ideas from the Blue Zones and healthy Mediterranean platters.

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor

Related
‘ 14 ways to reduce the glycemic impact of your meal
‘ 4 reasons to eat low GI foods
‘ 5 easy ways to choose low GI foods