As we went through some essentials yesterday, we all know my opinion of faddy diets, but what really happens to your body and what is the “cost” to your body? Please consult with a respected doctor if you doubt any of this!
Most “diets” are low in calories so WHAT do they say that they are going to do for you?
These faddy diets encourage you to eat a diet entirely based on calories, and if you eat fewer calories than you use, you will somehow use fat as energy and that’s how you lose weight. Your body is a bit more clever than that according to scientists, and doesn’t just respond to counting calories. How many of you out there have been on kind of a starvation mode and still couldn’t lose weight, it does happen to many after a few weeks of eating like this you tell me!
The nasty effects of eating this way!
You avoid the essential fats that we talk about a lot on here that are vital for great health. Faddy diets encourage you to avoid these foods as they are somehow “fattening”! How wrong can you get! This advice should be banned!
You measure food just as a calorie, and therefore healthy food doesn’t really matter. Poor food choices which are harmful to your health in the long term count the same as far more healthy choices, very poor education again by the faddy diet “experts”.
When you keep denying yourself food, your rate of calorie burning (metabolism) slows down, and that’s what makes your diet eventually crash and burn. And when you return to eating your normal food, your body is still in starvation mode so will not only put your weight back on, but will more on more than when you first started, a nightmare scenario!
What about the very high protein diet?
This diet that severely limits your carbs always encourages you to eat all fat and all protein for a while. Then, a little carbs come in later. Let me say that weight loss can be very big in the first couple of weeks of this programme, which encourages people to stay in the all protein all fat stage!
The nasty side effects and negatives!
If you stay on this diet for the long term, you will be avoiding fibre, which leads to constipation and increased the risk of colon cancer.
If you don’t take in your fruit and veg, the risk of cancer, heart disease and arthritis goes up significantly.
When you take in all fats, and in particular saturated fats, you can develop cholesterol problems and heart disease.
Limiting carbs also discourages you eating your five a day of fruit and veg, always a bad idea!
An eating for life plan that discourages starvation methods, going without food for long periods, and counting calories works every time. You don’t cut out whole food groups and you have a healthy balance of foods in your life. Common sense actually works, so don’t be fooled by the charlatans ripping you off with the latest faddy diets that are all around us each day!
The benefits!!
You will be developing great health because you have balanced nutrition.
Eating little and often every 3-4 hours keeps your metabolism revved and stops you from going hungry, and stops willpower becoming the all important factor!
Eating enough fruit and veg makes sure you are in great health, fibre and energy to live the life you want to.
This is a simple plan for life that works, there is no deadline and it doesn’t encourage you to avoid your treats completely, a bit of what you fancy is good for you now and again and keeps you sane!
Eating healthy and essential fats is actually GOOD for you, fish, nuts etc work for you every time if you let them!
I keep giving you choices every day, mine are actually based on science. The rest you hear are often “heresay” or “made up” to take your money and sound different or just plain dangerous.
Let’s have a great day and make the most of your body this week!
