News on healthy diets and the benefits of drinking water

My health coach, Dr. Al Sears, recommends more protein and fewer carbs. For me, for example, he recommends at least 180 grams of protein and keeping my carbohydrates to about 50 percent of my daily calories (which would equate to less than the government's guidelines).

Because carbs are the body's main fuel source, Dr. Sears says that the amount you need depends on how many calories you burn. He tells me he's seen athletes consume 5,000 calories a day and maintain 5 percent body fat because they burn off so many calories with their training.

The essential difference between the government's recommendations and Dr. Sears' is that he places more confidence in our prototypical norms than on current theories of nutrition.

"We are well-adapted to live on foods routinely available in our native environment," Dr. Sears explains. "When we examine this diet, we find it to be higher in protein and fat and lower in carbs than our current modern diet.

"For instance, we Americans get about 35 percent of our calories from fat, while surviving native hunter-gatherers average closer to 40 percent of their calories from fat. They also eat relatively more protein, at about 30 percent of calories versus our 16 percent.

"The thing we changed the most in the modern world? We dramatically increased our carbohydrate consumption from 31 percent to 49 percent of total intake. The sad fact is that following our government's recommendation would worsen this most important deviation from our native diet. My theory is that this would further fuel the largest epidemic in human history - the current epidemic of obesity."

Bottom line: To keep your weight down and your body healthy, eat "good" fats and lean protein, and decrease the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.

(reproduced with permission from Early to Rise) www.earlytorise.com

If your goal is to lose weight and become lean, one of the things you have to do is drink enough water. Not only does adequate hydration boost your metabolism and speed up elimination, it's likely to help you consume fewer calories too.

In a study presented in the journal Obesity Research , scientists at the University of North Carolina found that men and women who drank more than 1.5 liters of water per day consumed roughly 200 calories less than "low-water drinkers." Considering that a moderate 20-minute aerobic workout burns about that number of calories, you can clearly see the impact increasing your water intake can have on your weight-loss program.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that men drink roughly 3.0 liters (12 cups) and women 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of water per day. Here's how to do it:

1. Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.

2. Drink a glass of water before, during, and after exercise.

3. Whenever you're tempted to reach for juice, soda, or another high-sugar beverage, have a glass of water instead.