Wedding and bikini seasons got us thinking about specific combination diets (Atkins, Zone, Cabbage Soup anyone?) we swore off forever because they make us cranky and give us headaches.
Then we came across a recent New England Journal of Medicine study (Feb. 26, 2009) that made us nix the fads for good. Researchers found that weight loss depends less on specific nutrient percentages and more so on total calories consumed and following the guidance of a dedicated weight loss counselor.
Basically, it’s more important to change your negative behavior patterns—like mindless eating, not sleeping enough or hurling all nutrient regard out the window just because we finish the whole thing.
Participants who lost weight did so without any fancy tricks. The conclusion being that maintaining a reasonable calorie deficit and depending on a support system, whether it be a friend, nutritionist, trainer, group or (cough!) favorite Web site is the “secret” we need to keep in mind when we are feeling weak and vulnerable and those panic attacks occur.
That being said, we will suggest paying closer attention to a vitamin, discovered in a research study this year at the University of Minnesota (also funded by the National Institute of Health), that may ward off abdominal pudge: Vitamin D.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Men and Women
19-50 200 IU (5 mcg)
51-69 400 IU (10 mcg)
15 minutes of sun exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies, but because that is not always an option, we recommend the following foods.
Food Sources
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is present in the yolk) (25 IU)
Milk, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup (98 IU)
Cod Liver Oil, 1 Tbs. (1,360 IU)
Salmon, cooked, 31/2 oz (360 IU)
Mackerel, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (345 IU)
Liver, beef, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (30 IU)
Margarine, fortified, 1 Tbs. (60 IU)
Cereal grain bars, fortified w/ 10% of DV*, 1 bar (50 IU)
Dry cereal, 3⁄4 cup vit D fortified w/10% of DV*, (40-50 IU)
* DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help you, the consumer, figure out if a food contains enough of a specific nutrient to meet your needs. The DV for vitamin D is 400 IU and it is based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.
