Use A-B-C strategy to avoid unhealthy weight-loss plans

To determine the appropriateness of various weight-loss plans, apply the ABC rule, says Leigh Ann Kowalsky, clinical instructor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Allied Health Sciences schools. Consumers should consider:

Adequacy – Does the meal offer enough nutrients for one’s daily needs?
Balance – Is there an appropriate distribution of carbohydrates, protein or fats?
Calorie control – does the meal plan allow for a minimum caloric total of at   least 1200 calories for women and 1500 for men?

“If one or more answers result in a negative response, then bewares, you might be doing more harm than good,” Ms. Kowalsky said.

Macadamia nut oil is heart health – but at what cost?

Will there soon be a run ton macadamia nut oil at area groceries? Another lo-carbohydrate diet book that hit bookstores in May touts macadamia nut oil as a “powerful secret ingredient” that will help people loose weight and keep it off.

According to Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Allied Health sciences school, macadamia nut oil is a “heart-healthy choice” because it is high in monounsaturated fatty acids.

But it’s also definitely costlier than other equally healthy alternatives. “There are all sorts of nut oils out there, such as macadamia, cashew and even walnut,” Ms. Sandon said. “But is the average person going to be able to find them, as well as afford them? Olive oil offers about the same features and is much more available and less expensive.”