"Today I put myself in diet"

`Today I put myself on diet´ date: January 2012
By: Serafín Murillo, Dietitian-Nutritionist and Researcher at CIBERDEM (Barcelona Clinic Hospital)

Today they have told you that you have to lower weight.Loss, diet, put you on plan, follow a regime.The decision is already very thoughtful, matured.It should not be done if you are not too convinced of it.

Now it's time to choose how to do it.On the one hand we have the recommendations that we all know: it loses weight little by little, do not jump meals, make 5 or 6 meals a day and above all, drink a lot of water.On the other hand we find, very often, the attractive advertising of numerous systems, methods or diets to lose weight.It is impossible to know which of them is the last, the most effective or the fastest of all.It is something similar to a success list, every week a new one appears, of course, much better than the previous ones.

And how to know which one is best for you?You surely know many types of diets, but be careful because the majority has not been studied, or of course, their safety.

And how to know which one is best for you if you have diabetes?In this case, more prudence is needed before starting any feeding pattern.Especially that person with diabetes that already takes some kind of oral medication or insulin, since it is more sensitive to suffering decompensations of their metabolism when an unbalanced diet begins.

We turn to experts.From the American Diabetes Association it is currently recognized that for people with diabetes there are 3 models or food systems accepted to achieve weight losses:

System 1. Hypocaloric diet.

In this group the most traditional thinning diets are encompassed.Low fat feeding guidelines, especially animals, and somewhat richer in complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.This group includes some somewhat less indicated variants for people with diabetes such as VLCD or very low caloric content diets, usually less than 800 kcal per day.Sometimes, these are usually performed by milkshakes or food substitutes.Attention to these guidelines are only recommended under strict medical control and in patients who need to lose weight very quickly, for example before surgery, and always under intense medical supervision.

System 2. Low diet in carbohydrates.

In this group, those with higher protein content diets could be included and, therefore, lesser carbohydrates.Cereal amounts such as bread, rice or pasta are limited but fruits and vegetables are maintained.It seems that these types of feeding guidelines help lose weight in a somewhat higher way than traditional low -calorie diets.

Within this group are also the diets called hyperproteic or protein.The DR ATKINS diet, the Dukan method or others based on supplements or protein milkshakes are based on the fact that, by eliminating carbohydrates, the body must use the stored fat to obtain energy to obtain.But they have a "trap."In this process a series of substances are generated, the ketone bodies, which act directly on the sensation of appetite.It should be said that in addition to reducing appetite they also cause another series of effects such as headache, dizziness and even vomiting.But the most important thing is not always explained.The increase in ketone bodies also generates a biochemical decompensation in the body.This point is key because the person with diabetes has more tendency to increase the formation of these ketone bodies, which together with this type of diets could cause a serious health problem.

In short, low content diets inCarbohydrates can be an alternative to the traditional diet but always adjusting its content according to the characteristics of each person, especially depending on the usual physical activity, and under the supervision of their health team.

System 3. Mediterranean diet.

In principle well known throughout the world but little used correctly in practice.This food model is not only based on taking food from our region and adding olive oil, nuts and a little wine in meals.Importance should be given to the use of proximity foods, eliminating prefabricated food and choosing others less processed such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.In some studies, the application of this food model aimed at weight control has been more effective both in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and in weight loss than the traditional hypocaloric diet model.

There are many other types of diet.Surely too many and most have not demonstrated efficiency and their safety.In short, it seems advisable to flee from any of those called "miracle diets."You can recognize this type of miracle guidelines because they promise rapid weight losses in a short time, effortlessly and without causing any health alteration.They also include restrictions of one of the different food groups.

On the other hand, even if it is known by all, it seems highly recommended that you put yourself in the hands of a recognized professional before starting this weight loss process.It is easy to find who has followed a diet that a friend has given him, has found in a magazine or in a book.Would you trust your diabetes to a series of indications that appear in a book or magazine?Surely the answer is no.So, do not put your health at risk due to lower weight at any price.