Question

Is there any way to combine all the good things from the new low-carb diets and come out with something that's really healthy?

Answer

The Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Low-Fat Diet - there are confusing reports about all of them. But Dr Dean Ornish, the US diet guru, recently answered your sort of question in an article in Time Magazine. Here are the main points he made:
 

1. Avoid trans-fatty acids
2. Eat omega-3 fatty acids often - salmon, mackerel, halibut
3. Eat fewer 'bad carbs' such as sugar and white flour - they're absorbed very quickly, yielding blood sugar spikes and no fiber
4. Eat more 'good carbs' such as fruits, veggies (peas, beans) and unrefined grains (like brown rice)
5. Count you calories - this usually means eat less food! - choosing quality over quantity
6. Eat less red meat
7. Exercise more - not really part of a diet, but equally important
 

Look in our Nutrition Health Center for plenty of practical advice on what to eat and what to avoid; see the link below.

Related Links
HealthandAge Nutrition Center