People who want to lose weight often turn to high-protein diets, despite the fact that many of these diets allow large amounts of unhealthy fat. Too much saturated fat increases the chances for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. High-protein, low-carb diets also can lack beneficial fiber. Insufficient dietary fiber is linked to short-term issues like constipation and long-term health concerns like colon cancer. However, there is a healthy way to shift calories from carbs to proteins and fats, say the findings of a Johns Hopkins University study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Heart Disease Prevention
The diet created by Johns Hopkins University researchers is the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial to Prevent Heart Disease, or OmniHeart. The diet can lower blood pressure, reduce coronary heart disease risk and improve lipid profiles, which detail a person’s total cholesterol, “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.
Add Protein and Good Fats
The diet shifts 10 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates to proteins or monounsaturated fats. The goal of the diet is to improve on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet advocated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2005 dietary guidelines. Healthful carbohydrates make up 58 percent of calories in the DASH diet, which is proven to lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol.
Add Plant-Based Protein
About half the added protein needs to be from plant sources. These include vegetable-based meat substitutes, beans, nuts and seeds. The diet is not a vegetarian eating plan, however, so people still are encouraged to eat lean poultry, fish and eggs.
Monounsaturated Fats
Fats must be monounsaturated. This type of fat comes from nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, dark chocolate and oils. Canola oil, olive oil and margarine made from these oils are most commonly found in the U.S. diet. Other oils include safflower, flaxseed, sesame, walnut, peanut and sunflower.
Healthy Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate choices need to remain healthful. Most carbohydrate calories need to come from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
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