One of the problems with the low-carb diet has been the widespread consumption of unhealthy fats like animal fat (saturated fat), hydrogenated oils and soybean oil, which is high in omega-6 fatty acids. I've written an entire book on the dangers of low-carb dieting called Low-Carb Diet Warning, where some of these nutritional issues are discussed in more detail. But the bottom line is simple: too many low-carb dieters are simply trading one category of disease-promoting foods (processed carbs and milled grains) for another (saturated fats, excessive animals proteins, hydrogenated oils, artificial chemical sweeteners). While they may drop some serious pounds, they're simultaneously threatening their long-term health.
The Hamptons Diet, as I presently understand it, is an improvement on the Atkins Diet because it reveals the healthy fats that people should be consuming. For years, the traditional Atkins Diet didn't distinguish between good fats and bad fats. Only recently has the Atkins Center clarified its position on the subject. But the Hamptons Diet makes healthy oils a foundation of its nutritional advice.
It also gets my vote by advising people to avoid processed foods, which are precisely the foods that promote chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease. Manufactured, brand-name foods are almost never healthy foods. The way to eat healthy is to purchase ingredients in bulk, like vegetables, fresh meats, quinoa, and fruits, then prepare them yourself. It doesn't take a long time to prepare those foods, either: I typically spend less than five minutes preparing each meal, and I eat five to six meals every day. With the right recipes, you don't need to be a chef to make healthy meals fast.
It will be interesting to get my hands on this new book, the Hamptons Diet, and see how it plays out in print. A lot of people will undoubtedly dismiss the diet as "too expensive" on account of the high price of healthy oils. But I've always said that healthy foods would be a bargain at twice the price because they keep you out of the doctor's office, out of the hospital, off prescription drugs and on your feet enjoying life. Heck, the price of a single day's stay in the hospital will buy you an entire year's supply of olive oil. One major surgical procedure is equal to a lifetime of healthy oils, cost-wise. So stop fretting about the cost of these healthy oils and just get your financial priorities straightened out: health first, cars and TVs second.
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