A high carb, low-fat diet emphasizes foods like vegetables, fruits and grains while reducing fat to below 30 percent of total daily calories. Very low-fat diets, according to Everydiet.org, are diets that restrict fats even more---to less than 19 percent of total calories. A study in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2009 compared four diet plans with various ratios of fat, carbohydrates and protein. The Harvard researchers discovered that the macronutrient ratio had little effect on the weight loss results---that simply following a diet with reduced calories was the key to weight loss. If you find a low-fat, high carb diet appeals to your lifestyle and tastes, it may be effective as long as you control calories and portions.
Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic diet plan is offered as a book--"The Mayo Clinic Plan," which eschews fad diets and emphasizes healthy foods like whole grains. The diet permits almost limitless amounts of vegetables and fruits with some lean proteins and heart-healthy fats. The focus is on consuming high volume, low calorie dense foods that fill you up with optimal nutrition and minimal saturated fats. The updated diet plan, published in 2010, also encourages healthy habits like turning off the television while eating a meal. The plan intends to help you achieve a healthy weight and reduce your risk of developing certain chronic diseases.
Ornish Diet
Dr. Dean Ornish's book "Eat More, Weigh Less" offers a vegetarian-style diet that is extremely low in fat. He discourages people from eating meat, poultry and fish. The primary protein sources come from low-fat sources such as non-fat dairy and egg whites. All oils, nuts, seeds and avocados are banned on the diet. He also discourages refined flours and carbohydrates. You may eat as much as you want of "permitted" foods---which leaves fruits, vegetables and whole grains. As a result, the diet is high in carbs and low in fat as the permitted items have very little natural fat content.
Pritikin Diet
The first version of the Pritikin diet was written by Nathan Pritikin, founder of the Pritikin Longevity Center in California, in the late 1970s. An updated version of the plan, written by Nathan's son Robert, was released in 2007 under the title "The New Pritikin Program." The program advocates taking in about 10 percent of daily calories in the form of fat. Instead of prescribing a specific diet plan, the new plan focuses on the "Pritikin Calorie Density Solution" which requires you to consider the total calorie content of a meal. Each meal should be strategically designed to include primarily low-fat, modest calorie foods like pasta, rice and vegetables with a small amount of fat. The diet de-emphasizes calorie counting and portion control, but promises if you minimize fat intake you will lose weight.
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