The Skinny on Diets

Can eating gluten-free help you lose weight? Is the Paleo diet a good idea? Plus—why Italians are thin.By Melissa Romero

Comments (0) | Published February 19, 2014

Changing how and what you eat is often the first step to losing weight, but for many people that’s no easy feat—especially when yet another fad diet pops up promising to help you shed pounds and feel healthier.

Experts say there’s one simple question to ask when deciding if a diet is right for you: “Could I eat like this for the rest of my life?” If you answer no, it isn’t likely to be a success.

We asked dietitians to rate some popular diets, from one that bans cooking to a diet that turns out to be best for heart health.

Paleo Diet

Also known as the caveman’s diet, Paleo emphasizes eating from the same food groups as Paleolithic hunter-gatherers did. Though it promotes grass-produced meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and nuts, it bars dairy, grains, beans, refined sugar, and processed foods.

Rating: C
Registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield says that while eliminating highly processed and sugary foods from your diet is always a good idea, this regimen loses points because it “cuts out entire food groups that offer good nutrition, especially beans.”

Raw-Food Diet

Raw-foodists refrain from eating food that has been cooked above 115 degrees Fahrenheit, processed, microwaved, genetically engineered, or exposed to pesticides. Raw animal products are allowed, but fruits and vegetables are the mainstays.

Rating: B minus
Dieters are bound to lose weight from eating raw food, but Fairfax dietitian Danielle Omar war

Read more    http://tinyurl.com/lbfuokj