Whether you eat a low-fat diet or prefer low-carb doesn’t seem to matter. Instead a new government study says all that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with your plan. The report – in the New England Journal of Medicine – finds it comes down to the basic rule of calories in, calories out. Somehow I have a feeling the diet debate will still continue.

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And the winner is… a three-way tie between the low-fat, low-carb, and Mediterranean diets??? A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows all three have similar amounts of modest weight loss. But the debate rages on…

Researchers found after two years, dieters lost an average of 7.3 pounds on the low-fat plan, 10 pounds on the Mediterranean diet, and 12 pounds on a mostly vegetarian version of the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet.

But wait… it doesn’t stop there. In this article from Newsweek, Dr. Dean Ornish says the research has some serious flaws. He makes some pretty interesting points including that the study was partly funded by the Atkins Research Foundation.

The study also highlights how hard it is to lose weight and the fact that most diets do not work well. It really has to be about making permanent changes that will last a lifetime – small changes are the way to do it, in my opinion.

After covering all these diet debates for years, I don’t think they’re ever going to end. Trust me, we haven’t heard the last of this yet.

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

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Ingredients:
1 C mashed ripe bananas
1/3 C low-fat buttermilk
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C margarine
1 egg
2 C sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly oil two 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. Stir together mashed bananas and buttermilk; set aside.
3. Cream brown sugar and margarine together until light. Beat in egg. Add banana mixture; beat well.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add all at once to liquid ingredients. Stir until well blended.
5. Stir in nuts and turn into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan.
7. Remove from pan and complete cooling on a wire rack before slicing.

Makes: One loaf
Serving Size: 1/2-inch slice
Each serving provides: Calories: 133, Total fat: 5 g, Saturated fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg, Sodium: 138 mg.

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Healthy Recipes from Friends Forum

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