According to a study published in 2002 by the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," increasing the amount of calcium in your diet may result in weight loss mainly by reducing the amount of fat in your body and by preventing the loss of lean muscle. Combining a low-carb diet with higher amounts of calcium may help you lose weight.
South Beach Diet
Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston, the South Beach Diet relies heavily on restricting the intake of carbohydrates to help you lose weight. Agastson says that restricting carbs helps prevent insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. A March 2006 study published in "Diabetes Care" also found that calcium intake may also help prevent diabetes.
Phase One of the South Beach Diet is geared towards reducing cravings and stabilizing blood sugar. It incorporates lean protein, such as skinless chicken breasts, fish and lean meats with high calcium foods like spinach and low-fat dairy products. Phase Two of the Diet adds back some "good" carbs, mainly whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Phase Three is the maintenance stage and includes almost every kind of food and makes room for "occasional indulgences."
Increasing the amount of calcium-rich foods like sardines, spinach and low-fat dairy choices can increase calcium levels while on the South Beach Diet.
Atkins Diet
According to Atkins.com, carbs cause insulin levels to rise, which causes the body to stop burning fat. By reducing the amount of carbs you eat, you help keep insulin levels even, which helps the body burn fat rather than store it. When you increase your metabolism and eat more lean protein and vegetables rich in fiber, your body burns fat instead of carbs for energy.
The Atkins Diet is presented in four phases. In Phase One, Induction, you are allowed to eat most meats, some cheeses, some vegetables and some fats. In Phase Two, known as Ongoing Weight Loss, and Phase Three, called Pre-Maintenance, you can add in more carbs. Phase Four is called Lifetime Maintenance and allows you to add in more carbs including starchy vegetables and most fruit.
Because Atkins allows you to eat cheese and dairy products in every phase, you can increase the amount of calcium by consuming more of these foods in place of low-calcium choices.
SugarBusters
The SugarBusters diet was developed by doctors Samuel Andrews, Morrison Bethea and Luis Balart to encourage dieters to avoid refined sugar and processed grain products that lead to high levels of fat-promoting insulin. Their premise is that insulin causes your body to convert excess sugar and fat into body fat, so reducing the amount of sugar in the body will result in weight loss. The diet recommends eating high-fiber vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. The diet also warns against saturated fats and stresses portion size, so increasing high calcium dairy products like cheese may not be possible while on this diet. Increasing calcium-rich fish and vegetables like salmon, sardines, broccoli and spinach can help maximize weight loss.
References
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Calcium and Weight: Clinical Studies; Robert P. Heaney, MD, et al; 2002
- American Diabetes Association; "Diabetes Care"; Vitamin D and Calcium Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes in Women; 2006
- The South Beach Diet: How It Works
- The Atkins Diet: Program Overview
- Sugarbusters.com: Concept
- Algaecal.com: Calcium Rich Foods
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