And what did this author get wrong, nutritionally speaking? Check out the LA Times article here: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/26/news/la-heb-diet-20101126
In this article they reference a recent diet study whose results make good nutrition sense. I also wanted to further add support to the article with this video – I had the opportunity to sit down with Australia’s leading dietitian, Dr Joanna McMillan Price, who did her PhD work on this very topic. Here are her thoughts from our interview:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AshleyKoffApproved#p/a/u/0/V0rOCrwlr1Y
But what the article missed is that the more correct way to look at the nutrition value of glycemic effect of foods is to look at the glycemic load versus the glycemic index. The issue with the index is that it doesn’t take into account the portion control aspect of nutrition. Thus, you will see carrots as seemingly very high, as the article points out, but you would have to eat a lot more carrots than a typical portion to get that high effect. That said, if having carrot soup or carrot juice, because the carrots are processed they will have a higher glycemic effect.
So net net, if you don’t want to follow a list – and perhaps you even want to try a more plant-based diet for all the various health benefits – the best thing to do is to focus on eating the highest quality carbohydrates and eating them in their whole food form. What does this mean? Whole fruit versus dried or juiced – and if you are sugar-sensitive then go for the ones we eat the skin of as opposed to the ones we don’t (think apple versus pineapple) more often. When it comes to grains, eat the whole grain versus the puffed or flour-based product – skip the rice cakes and have a whole grain cracker for example or have a bowl of oats or quinoa versus a puffed cereal. In terms of protein sources, look to quinoa and legumes like lentils but also know that hemp seeds provide complete protein and many of your other nuts and seeds are rich in amino acids. And overall, practice nutrient balance which means aiming for a serving of each – carb + protein + healthy fat – at an eating occasion. You can see how to make the right selections using the AKA menu worksheet.
