Health advice from Dr. Tom Morris, Monarch Landing Medical Director

This month’s topic: A Healthy Diet without Dieting

The Atkins Diet. The Zone. The South Beach Diet. Sneeze and suddenly there is yet another diet promising to help you lose weight and keep it off. No wonder Americans are thoroughly confused as to what constitutes a "good" diet. In this edition of "Doctor on Call," I’ll examine the best diet strategies for older adults.

The sugar culprit
For older Americans, a good diet is generally not one which gets you slender and svelte, but one that keeps you healthy. That’s why, whatever your diet and exercise program, you should be keeping an eye on your sugar intake.

Sugar conveys particularly negative health consequences as we age. Older metabolisms tend to slow down in the production of the hormone known as insulin, which normally "soaks up" excess sugar. Most Americans know that insulin problems lead to diabetes, but they are also linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.

Unfortunately, sugar isn’t always easy to spot. Most people recognize honey and maple syrup as sugar, but not everyone realizes that fruit salads and pancakes are also "sugar saboteurs."

The bad carb myth
The phrase "bad carbs" became the rage with the Atkins Diet, which most people mistakenly believe labels all carbohydrates as unhealthy. That’s not true. Carbohydrates as a food group provide fuel for the body. Simple carbohydrates have become known as "bad carbs" because they break down very quickly, causing quick peaks and then drops in sugar levels. They are found in sugars (including fruit) and highly refined starches such as white flour products like pasta, white breads, white rice, and most cereals.

So I’ll just eat "good carbs"
On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are generally seen as "good" because they break down more slowly and generally provide a steadier, more reliable source of fuel for the body.