The Great Weight Debate by Amy Newman Shapir

1. Which diet do you think would be successful for most people?

This is a tough question as I said at first there is no one-size-fits-all diet. That being said, the healthiest population in the world comes from the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean diet is less like a diet and more like a lifestyle. And I am not referring to the Sunday Italian pasta dinners of my youth in Brooklyn. Look at the foods from Greece, the Middle East, Morocco, Spain, and France as well. Meals are full of vegetables, fruit, olive oil, nuts and seeds for healthy fat, and small portions of chicken or fish, and whole grains. And it leads to great results that are maintainable because of the lifestyle changes.

The Flexitarian Diet is also a healthy diet that leads to weight loss. The best part is its lack of rules. The diet does not advocate extreme conversion to a plant-based diet unless a person is looking to be vegetarian or vegan. Instead, it encourages a plant-based diet without eliminating meat completely. Eating more vegetables and fruit leads to weight loss. All meals are comprised of vegetables, fruits, grains, bean, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Flexitarians also rely on tofu and other soy-based proteins along with beans and lentils to meet their protein needs. Followers are encouraged to avoid processed foods in favor of whole or minimally processed plant-based foods, typically lower in calories. Additionally, the Flexitarian diet limits added sugars and sweet snacks.

Whole30, while it is a restrictive diet, is short, limited to 30 days, and, therefore, less a risk of causing nutrition deficiencies previously mentioned. The plan may actually be beneficial as a “reset” or to identify food intolerances. It provides a way of understanding how the foods eliminated during the 30 days affect cravings, energy, and how you physically feel.

Whole30 makes it essential to purchase high quality fresh foods that are limited to meat, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. The goal of this is to help develop an awareness of how foods like sugar, grains, dairy, and alcohol affect weight. Whole30 followers focus on what they are eating and how they are preparing it. These habits are important ones to acquire for successful long-term weight control.

2. Is snacking healthy or unhealthy?

Snacking can be very healthy if done right. Snacking when meals are more than four hours apart is a good way to control hunger and avoid over eating at mealtime. In fact, one of the reasons, people eat too much at their evening meal is because of a misguided attempt to avoid all food until morning. Subconsciously anxious about going to bed hungry, they will over eat at dinner. An evening snack may be a good strategy for portion control at dinner, a time of day when we are unlikely to be highly active and in need of high calories.

Snacking is also an opportunity to eat foods we may not include at meals and nutrients we may need more of. Healthy snacks include fruit, nuts, and yogurt, If you’re not eating enough vegetables with meals, try snacking on raw carrots, peppers and cucumbers with hummus. If your protein intake needs a boost, try bean salad, parmesan crisps, turkey in lettuce wraps and tuna on crackers or cucumber rounds.

3. Should people go gluten-free to lose weight?

A gluten-free diet is a necessity for individuals with Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance. It is not a weight loss plan. In fact, when gluten is removed from a processed food product, the manufacturer tends to replace it with higher amounts of fat and sugar. This tends to make processed gluten-free foods higher in calories. The popularity of gluten-free dieting has caused an explosion in the gluten-free foods available, but ironically, the greatest growth in production of gluten-free foods has been in cookies, breads, other baked goods, and snack foods, unlikely to help you lose weight.

4. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

At 25 I was told I would be in a wheelchair by the time I was 40 due to degenerative disc disease and scoliosis. At 35 I had my first incident where I was so incapacitated with pain I could barely walk. At 45, I was told surgery was eventual and at 55, following the prognosis of imminent paraplegia or worse, quadriplegia, I had to find a surgical option. The procedures being done in the U.S. would have left me with limited mobility and I would unlikely be able to resume an active lifestyle, ever. In addition, none of the surgeons I consulted expected me to live without pain for the rest of my life. I found a surgeon in Germany who performed the procedure that would give me my best chance at returning to my lifestyle, arranged for a surgery on my cervical spine through emails, and flew to a clinic in the German countryside surrounded by bison farms and chicken coops. I met the surgeon the day before the surgery for the first time, he spoke little English and I spoke no German. I put my fate in the hands of complete strangers. I actually did not consider the courage it took at the time, but when I share my story, every time, I am told how brave I was.

5. What is your next project?

I plan to publish a revised edition of my first book, Lose It For The Last Time. It is a non-diet approach to healthy eating and losing weight. It has been seven years since it was first published, and though its’ methodology is still spot-on, I would like to update it to include up-to-date scientific findings and current technology available designed to assist in meeting health, nutrition and exercise goals.

6. In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?

Absolutely! Inspiration strikes in the unlikeliest of moments so I always have pad and pen nearby. I also travel without my laptop (too heavy) and have written whole chapters on legal pads while on vacation or at a conference.

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