Is Banting the Best Weight Loss Diet For You?
Accepting simple “eat this” or “follow this diet to lose weight” advice should be investigated before being taken at face value as being the best weight loss diet.
This is because everyone has different biochemistry, endocrinology & physiology and it therefore follows that a diet that works for one might not work for someone else.
It would therefore be foolish to assume that what diet works best for one person will automatically work for another.
Tim Noakes, the Banting Diet & Weight Loss
Whilst writing about the Banting diet it would be remiss of me not to mention Professor Tim Noakes, as well as some of his health & diet history, as he has arguably brought the LCHF Banting diet debate to life in a huge way.
Furthermore, I think I would be safe in saying that Prof Tim Noakes, who is clearly very pro the Banting diet, would not be happy to simplify the diet debate into saying Banting is the best weight loss diet for everyone.
In fact he has gone to great lengths to emphasise that everyone is different and that the Banting, low-carb, carb-free, LCHF or the Paleo diets may not be suitable for everyone.
However, he has personally experienced enormous success, in terms of weight loss & health improvements (almost totally off his diabetes meds), with the LCHF Banting diet.
A worrying factor in the diet debate is that it would seem that many of the players may be influenced by financial gain as is often the case with issues where there is such a massive amount of money at stake.
It would also seem that you can exclude Prof Tim Noakes from this group financially of influenced players as he has repeatedly said, and demonstrated, that all money made from his publications on this matter go towards the Tim Noakes Foundation to research, inter alia, the optimal diet for individuals.
Notwithstanding his detractors & all the vitriol aimed at him, it is safe to say that Tim Noakes’ intentions of improving people’s eating habits are totally honorable.
In fact, the results he has personally experienced (in terms of his health & weight loss) by following a LCHF diet (low-carb, high fat), such as the Banting diet, is worth examining if you are overweight, unhealthy, pre-diabetic, suffering with diabetes or just want to slim down & improve your health.
So Is Banting the Best Diet For You?
Whilst we would all love to have a simple eating solution for a complex problem, it is likely that many aspects of the Banting Diet, or Paleo diet for that matter, are undoubtedly good for your health & weight.
For instance the following answers to the questions regarding certain foods & issues are supported by both the Banting & Paleo diets and could probably be adopted by anyone wanting to lose weight & improve their health…
- Is the intake of sugar bad for you? Yes
- Is the consumption of processed foods bad for your health? Yes
- Has the consumption of fat been unfairly demonised? Yes
- Can the consumption of “good” fats be good for your health & weight? Yes
- Should a more balanced approach to nutrition be adopted? Yes
- Should you cut all carbohydrates out of your diet & replace them with fats? I think not
However, for people who are obese or diabetic or suffering with some other health issue, a specific diet mapped out by a nutritionist or health practitioner would probably be more appropriate.
In fact, the above approach is always recommended for anyone whose health could be adversely affected by a change of diet.
For instance cutting out carbs totally from your diet may not be beneficial for everyone, however for diabetics (as Tim Noakes was but has effectively managed to reverse it through the low-carb Banting diet) it is vital that carbs are kept to a bare minimum.
In an interview conducted with Marika Sboros (Biznews Health editor), Noakes advocates a maximum of 60g of carbohydrate intake per day – ingesting more than that & you miss out on the huge benefits you could enjoy below that amount.
Regarding this, he goes on to say that “Orthodox dietitians don’t understand that. That’s why their advice on weight loss fails.”
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Didn’t Noakes Advocate Carbohydrate Consumption As Healthy?
Let’s not forget that Noakes was a huge supporter of carbohydrate consumption, especially for sports people, but later changed his mind on this.
For this he has taken a huge amount of criticism however, I would’ve thought that he should’ve rather had a great deal of praise instead for his change of mindset.
My reasoning is that scientists should be open to new ideas, science & information and should continually be questioning their current position of matters in light of new findings.
So if they change their minds in response to new scientific information they should be applauded and conversely those who stick rigidly to their positions in the face of knew knowledge should be called out.
Therefore, if new findings can benefit the health & quality of life of so many people, as is the case with the LCHF Banting styled diet, and it requires an evolution of thinking & mindset then the scientist broadcasting this, in the face of such aggressive opposition, should be hailed.
Tim Noakes is owed a huge debt of gratitude for challenging beliefs and selflessly helping so many people enjoy a healthier life just by improving their eating habits.
Where Does the Paleo Diet Fit In?
The Paleo diet, very similar to the Tim Noakes/Banting/LCHF diet in South Africa, is fast becoming one of the most popular diets of this century due its encouraging health & weight loss results.
All of these eating plans are based on low-carb, high fat, moderate protein, gluten free diets which have helped many people to lose vast amounts of weight, reverse diabetes & generally realise vast improvements in their health.
In fact, what they all agree on is that the intake of sugar, simple carbs, vegetables & processed foods are all bad for you, whilst the intake of fats has unfairly had a bad rap & should be included in a balanced healthy diet.
Conclusion
Whilst many people have taken heed of Tim Noakes’ advice & seen proof of how a LCHF Banting styled diet has helped him reverse diabetes & lose weight, not everyone may experience such spectacular results with this way of eating.
However, it is pretty safe to say that whether you’re a fan of Banting or Paleo or just a general LCHF diet a good rule of thumb to benefit your health & weight would be to eat a diet that…
- avoids processed foods, sugars & simple carbs
- includes lots of good fats
- focuses on eating real food found on the Paleo food list or the Tim Noakes green list of foods
If you are still unconvinced, the evidence that LCHF diets support weight loss & good health is overwhelming….
- This report that appeared in Harvard, School of Public Health claimed that “There is some evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet may help people lose weight more quickly than a low-fat diet & may help them maintain that weight loss.”
- An analysis published on May 24 2013 by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt in Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Weight loss studies found that a LCHF diet is Best For Long-Term Weight and Health Markers
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References
- Science Of Sport – Diet Wars: http://sportsscientists.com/2016/04/low-carbohydrate-diets-plea-balance-scientific-rigour-death-dogma/
- Biz News – Tim Noakes: http://www.biznews.com/health/2014/07/28/tim-noakes-makes-real-meal-critics-say-diet-dangerous/
To make it easier for you to stick to this healthy eating plan…
Download This Massive Collection Of Banting Styled LCHF Paleo Recipes & 8-Week Meal Plan here »