Well, it may be the way you eat, but it is not necessarily the way a lot of people eat. Many are so hung up on the low fat theory that they are frightened to touch it, but when they do, they invariably get it in with high-carb foods, like chips.
Most of the recipes they featured had some kind of fat - oils or butter.
The diet is also low in carbs compared to what another large group of people commonly eat - when they start their day with sugar in their tea/coffee, toast or cereal, followed by mid-morning snacks of cake or biscuits, sandwiches or rolls at lunch, mid-afternoon snacks, potatoes, chips, pasta or rice for dinner and snack all evening in front of the TV with other high-carb 'goodies'.
I just thought that it was interesting to see yet another proponent of a lower carb (and better carb options) and higher fat regime for health. Perhaps my description of low-carb, high-fat was a little extreme, but compared to the way a lot of people eat, I would say that it isn't that far off the track.
To quote Dr Stossier "There are no fads or gimmicks to this intelligent diet, just a commonsense approach to weight loss. 'There is no mystery to losing weight; cut down on carbohydrates - and the amount you eat overall - and increase your intake of unsaturated fatty acids,' says Dr Stossier.
'We are told, as a dietary rule, to always eat plenty of carbohydrates for energy,' he explains. 'But following a diet high in carbs can cause weight problems. Carbs are converted into sugars as they are digested - so if we eat a lot of carbs, the pancreas has to produce large amounts of the hormone insulin to balance blood sugar levels, metabolise them, and to use their energy.'
'Unfortunately, a biproduct of having a lot of insulin in the blood is that any excess energy from the carbs we have eaten is quickly stored away in our bodies as fat.'
As long as insulin levels remain high, we will also store the other components of food, such as protein or fat. This can have a massive influence on our weight.
Stossier doesn't like to break our diet down into percentages, but he believes that if we focus on fresh fruit and vegetables and good-quality proteins and fats, we really won't be hungry enough to fill ourselves with carbohydrates - and, in particular, the unhealthy types, such as those made with white flour and lots of sugar.
Cut down on carbs by taking much smaller portions, and choosing wholegrain varieties that fill you up.
EAT MORE FAT
Fats are also important to overall health and are an essential part of this diet. But fats are not all created equal.
As you would on any healthy diet, it's important to avoid the unhealthy saturated types - in particular hydrogenated fats or trans-fats (often found in processed foods and margarines).
In moderation, whole fresh milk, cream and butter are better, because they are natural. But it's best to avoid very fatty cuts of meat and processed meat products such as sausages.
But the fats you really need to eat are the omega oils 3, 6 and 9 - found in cold-pressed nut and seed oils such as olive, linseed, hemp and sunflower. Not only can these fats help to keep you healthy, but they improve your overall health and even help you to lose weight. Omega oils (Omega 3 in particular - found in hemp and linseed) have also been found to encourage fat-burning in our bodies.
The ideal is to have approximately two tablespoons of one of these oils every day - so use them as much as you would salt and pepper. Drizzle over food, or stir into your cooking.
Nuts and seeds - which contain omega fatty acids in natural form - are great as a snack (although Dr Stossier claims you won't feel the need to snack if you follow the diet carefully) or sprinkled over salads, fish, porridge and so on."
I would say that compared to many people's diets, two tablespoons of oil a day would constitute high-fat.
