We asked the experts to evaluate—and enhance—four popular diets

(© Reader’s Digest/Best Health. By Bonnie Schiedel. Originally published in Best Health, September 2008) 

Just take a look at the diet book section at your local bookstore. Crisp, colourful and new, they all seem to offer 300 pages of hope and help. And while you know some are clearly delusional—or outright scams—others get glowing reviews from health professionals. So, how do you choose? In addition to reviewing the latest research, we asked four nutrition experts to evaluate the newest editions of four popular diet books, which include new features like exercises, online-clinic information, new foods to enjoy or avoid and up-to-date weight loss studies. Here’s what they liked, what they didn’t, plus tips on easy ways to make the diets better and the scoop on the most current research. 

Title The South Beach Diet Supercharged by Arthur Agatston, a Miami-based cardiologist
Basic premise Low-fat dairy products, high-fibre carbohydrates, lean protein and good unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil and flaxseeds, help keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel and prevent overeating. 
What’s different This version updates the 2003 original book with a 10-week exercise program, stretching how-tos, new recipes and meal plans and an expanded food list. 
The pros
• “This is the way we’re supposed to eat!” says Melanie Rozwadowski, a Saskatoon registered dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Saskatchewan. “The science is well-founded and the book is practical, easy to read, and supports healthy lifestyle changes. I love that the first half of the book deals with exercise.”
• “There is a lot of up-to-date, evidence-based information about weight gain. For example, lack of sleep can be an issue.” 
The cons
• Agatston raises some possibly unfounded worries about the fibre, vitamin and mineral content of today’s produce, compared to the heirloom varieties of the past, says Rozwadowski. “I don’t want people to stop eating broccoli because they think it’s not worth it.” 
• The two-week Phase One of the program, intended for people with food cravings or who have more than 10 pounds to lose, may be too reTransitionalive for some—no alcohol, bread, cereal, rice or fruit. “If you’re feeling sluggish or getting headaches, make sure you’re including good protein and lots of fibre at every meal, and eat until you’re satisfied—people often think that a diet means cutting way back,” she says. “Go for a walk, get some fresh air and have a snack of a few nuts or a slice of cheese before cravings set in.” 
Latest findings
A small 2007 University of Maryland study had people complete four weeks each of the Atkins, South Beach and Ornish programs, interspersed with four weeks of their regular eating habits. (Ornish refers to a very low-fat vegetarian plan created in 1990 by Dr Dean Ornish, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.) The results: unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels went down by seven to 10 per cent for South Beach and Ornish and up seven per cent for Atkins. 

Healthy boosts
• “The book recommends you take daily 1000 to 2000 milligram (mg) supplements of fish oil [EPA and DHA] if you don’t eat fish twice a week,” says Rozwadowski. “That’s in the upper range. If you don’t have heart issues, a 300 to 1000 mg supplement is appropriate for most women. Check with your doctor.”
• Some foods on the South Beach “to avoid” list, like potatoes, watermelon and pineapple, can be added back into your meals once you’re at a healthy weight and have gotten into the habit of making good food choices. Top a baked potato with bean-rich chili, toss a few cubes of watermelon in a salad with feta and walnuts, or include a slice or two of pineapple in a pork stirfry.

Title The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene, an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer, based in Santa Barbara, Calif. and featured on Oprah
Basic premise The reason you’re carrying too much weight is complex, so a lifelong approach that focuses on a variety of healthy foods, exercise and emotions is necessary.
What’s different Not much. The new paperback edition is more of a companion to Greene’s website, rather than a revamp of the original plan published in 2006. 
The pros 
• “This is a common-sense diet book,” says Catherine Schwartz Mendez, a registered dietitian at the Thunder Bay DiTransitional Health Unit in Thunder Bay, Ontario. “It doesn’t cut out specific food groups and doesn’t require calorie counting or lots of measuring.”
• It gets into issues besides food. “Physical activity is so important, and the mental health side of weight is often neglected,” adds Schwartz Mendez.
The cons
• Recipes are very appealing and nutritious, but some require a fair amount of prep time. “It’s almost like you need your own personal assistant!” she says.
• You may be put off by the promotion of specific brands. Greene has partnered with a number of food companies to give different items a Best Life seal of approval. But brands such as Applegate Farms and Muir Glen may be tough to find, or not available at all, in Canada. 
Latest findings 
While there aren’t any specific studies on The Best Life Diet, a 2007 study published in Obesity did look at emotional eating, which Greene’s program addresses in some detail. The study, from Brown University, found that emotional eaters (for example, people who eat when they’re lonely, or as a reward) tend to have the most trouble both losing weight and keeping it off. 
Healthy boosts
• Make substitutions to make some recipes more doable, advises Schwartz Mendez. “For example, if you want to make ‘Shrimp and Edamame Rotini’ and don’t have edamame [soy beans], toss in black beans for protein and snow peas for green and crunch. Or, if you don’t have mussels, you can still make “Tuscan Cod and Mussels in a Light Vegetable Broth. Just add more cod.”
• To learn how to find the healthiest brand names, go to www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca, a virtual grocery store tour developed by the Canadian Diabetes Association and Dietitians of Canada to help people understand and compare food labels. 

Title The G.I. Diet Clinic by Rick Gallop, past president of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario 
Basic premise Your body processes different carbohydrates at different speeds. The glycemic index (GI), developed by Dr David Jenkins, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto, measures that speed. The G.I. Diet proposes that choosing low GI foods, such as whole grains, berries and lean meats like pork tenderloin that break down at a slow and steady rate, will keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout the day. 
What’s different The concepts from his original 2002 book remain the same, but in this edition Gallop has added on online component. Through his website, Gallop invited 40 clinically obese people to participate in an “e-clinic.” They got weekly coaching emails about the basics of the GI Diet. In return, they sent him real-life feedback, which is excerpted in the book, about the program and their progress. (The e-clinic is available at gidietclinic.com for $25.) 

The pros
• “The GI concept is recognized by health professionals,” says Genvičve O’Gleman, a registered dietitian in private practice in Laval, Quebec. “Not all carbs are equal. Pick whole foods like brown rice and whole wheat bread, rather than processed versions.” 
• The 13-week plan, the idea of setting mini-goals, and rewarding yourself with non-food treats like a movie or a massage make the plan more achievable. 
The cons
• Foods are divided into red (avoid), yellow (eat occasionally) and green (enjoy frequently) categories based on their GI, but we rarely eat meals that consist of single foods. 
• “Forbidding foods is not a good idea,” says O’Gleman. “You shouldn’t have to avoid eggs, 2 per cent milk, dried fruit, and watermelon all your life as the plan suggests. “And people are not going to give up sugar and caffeine forever either.” 
Latest findings
An 18-month study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007 showed that a low-glycemic load diet (not Gallop’s specifically) improved triglyceride and healthy HDL cholesterol concentrations. As well, researchers at the University of Sydney surveyed six randomized controlled studies and found that people on a low-GI diet significantly increased body fat loss and improved their lipid profiles when compared to other low-fat diets.
Healthy boosts
• Some of the foods on the G.I. Diet’s red list can be part of a healthy diet. For example, eggs are fine. Just choose low-fat ways of cooking, such as poaching or frying in a non-stick pan instead of with butter. Peanut butter on its own has a high GI rating, so enjoy it with whole grain bread or crackers. “Many ‘red’ foods can be eaten if they’re mixed with ‘green’ foods,” says O’Gleman. 
• Add variety so you don’t get bored and fall off the wagon: there’s a lot of repetition in the 13 weeks of menus.

Title The All-New Atkins Advantage by Stuart L. Trager, an orthopedic surgeon and chief of hand surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. (The original book was published in 1972 by Robert Atkins, a cardiologist who died in 2003.)
Basic premise A low-carbohydrate, high-animal protein diet, combined with monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats, boosts your metabolic rate and fills you up more, so you eat less. 
What’s different This version includes new chapters on staying motivated and an exercise program that includes instructions and diagrams for different stretches and moves, like calf lifts and bicep curls. 
The pros 
• “The motivation exercises, such as journaling, can help build a feeling that you can accomplish your goals,” says Joanne Hamilton, a registered dietitian and assistant professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

• Planning tips, such as calling ahead to a restaurant to inquire about choices or checking the menu online, also get a thumbs up. 
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The cons
• “There are contradictions: they [the book authors] say they believe in whole foods, but the program suggests supplements for fibre, as well as L-glutamine and chromium to regulate appetite, the latter of which are unproven,” says Hamilton. “Those supplements can be very expensive.”
• It’s a very boring diet, making it potentially difficult to stick with. “In some of the meal plans it seems like you eat eggs every day,” she notes.
Latest findings
A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition compared 29 overweight women who were either on a low-carb or higher-carb diet, which included a similar number of calories, for four weeks. They found that while the low-carb dieters lost more weight (8.3 pounds versus 5.7 pounds for the high-carb), they also had a 25 percent increase in a blood inflammation marker called C-reative protein (CRP) that’s associated with an increased risk of heart disease. The CRP levels in the higher-carb group decreased by 43 per cent. 
Healthy boosts
Hamilton is not a fan of low-carb diets like Atkins, and says they should only be used for the short-term (six months at most), because they are low in fibre and calcium. “Long-term studies point to fibre as a tool in cancer prevention and managing blood fats and heart disease. Calcium plays an important role in bone health,” she says. But if you’re going to do it, skip the overly reTransitionalive induction phase (phase one). “The brain needs 120 to 140 grams (g) of carbs daily to operate properly, and the induction phase has only 20 g of digestible or “net” carbs a day.” 
• Instead of bacon and eggs, eat a high-fibre cereal with skim milk and fruit for breakfast. Both will fill you up.

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