the portfolio diet - on the right track?!

Anyone heard of the Portfolio diet? It seems to be recommended specifically to lower cholesterol. Its an almost vegan diet that focuses on soy, almonds and other nuts, soluble fibre, and plant sterol-enriched foods. I'm not too keen on some of those margarines that are "functional foods" due the the vast amount of dubious chemicals in them, but it seems quite sound otherwise. Maybe they're finally realising not only the benefits of plant foods, and the dangers of animal foods, but that a vegan diet isn't that "drastic" compared to side-effect ridden drugs, surgery, and an early death.

Here are some links:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/portfolio-beats-low-fat-diet-for-lowering-cholesterol-201108263248

http://www.heartuk.org.uk/images/uploads/healthylivingpdfs/HUK_factsheet_D01_portD.pdf

Yea, isn't that the higher nut soya & yoghurt diet (maybe some other stuff as well)...hmm, maybe I should go & look....(goes to Mr Google)....
Ahh, ok just had a look I wasn't too far off. I doubt you need to worry about about plant sterols. I know you eat a bunch of wholefoods so certainly get enough. It's a 'meat-reducer' diet, you replace meat with soya based foods as much as you can (or beans - man you got to love beans! That 'beans quote' was me, not what they recommend).

I also found http://www.amandaursell.com/html/portfolio_diet.html which gives you a basic day plan they follow.

Yep, people worry about 'how can I live without meat' when they are obese, diabetic & suffering from other metabolic syndrome issues, it's frightening. I bet most people here have had an obese person, who is as unhealthy as hell come over to them & say something like "Doesn't eating vegan make you sick" Sometimes you just want to hold up a mirror & say "No! That's what sick looks like!!!".

On the subject of nuts I found this article on a possible reason for the benefits of nuts http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/237624.php I've yet to dig up the study it relates to, but it looks interesting. Personally I eat nuts just about every day! Nuts are awesome

I think nuts are essential. Sadly around here it's almost impossible to find ones that aren't drenched in oil and salt.

No idea why they put oil on a nut. It's bizarre and just frickin evil.

I wouldn't follow this diet myself, but I think its definately a step up from the SAD diet.

Haha, yeh I have had sickly, obese people do that to me. I've had people think I've got some kind of eating disorder when I've only taken a tiny portions of junk food (like chips) and then eaten fruit or nuts or something.

With the plant sterols, I'd just prefer to give my patients a tablet rather than margarine that has artificial colours, hydrogenated fats etc.

Nuts are awesome, I think about how its all the nutrition needed to create a new plant, with less carbs than grains.

At least this diet is better than the other fad diets that are popular in my part of the world at the moment. Have you heard of the Bodytrim diet? The "detox" phase consists of 3 days of eating nothing but meat. I've had people come into my health food store telling me they're nauseous, constipated, headaches, fatigued etc. I tell them its dangerous and to stop right now! Due to demand my boss has decided to stock their products - all high whey protein, high chemical, processed garbage

Never heard of body trim - the 'detox phase' is really a great way to lose water weight. If you give up carbs you'll drop quite a few pound the first week, for someone with a weight issue it can seem amazing...unfortunately it's water weight, the fat level isn't affected so much. This sort of weight-loss is the type where you read "I lost 10 pounds in one week", it's rubbish, you go back to any sort of carb intake & the weight piles back on, you also risk getting 'blocked-up', you also lose all those useful phyto-nutrients. It's annoying, loads of methods allow you to lose weight, hell, I can lock you in a room & you'll lose weight! Cutting out a macro-nutrient group will tend to mean you take in less calories so obviously you can lose 'weight', but staying healthy in the longer term, that is less likely. You need a system in place that allows you to reach your goals with the minimum of deprivation, the 'body trim' sounds like a failure waiting to happen.

You're right, the portfolio diet certainly isn't the worst out there, that's for sure! It's a shame when places stock stuff just because they can sell it, not because it's actually helpful to people. I know people can get desperate when they get overweight (especially if a special event is looming), you end up on things like the velocity diet or some other quick fix that never solves the issue which is you need a lifestyle change NOT a diet!

I am glad you are able to talk to people as they come in to your shop & at least offer a voice of reason, maybe some people will take notice - if not at the time maybe when they've had a chance to think things through (once they get enough carbs back in them to think straight that is!).