These “fad diets” are promoted everywhere! Not only do people lose money, but they also get to live miserable lives in trying adhere to a diet that promises health and physical well-being in the first place. How ironic.
As I see it, there are basically two extreme categories of fad diets: One that hates fats, and one that hates carbs. Either of two, the person getting into the diet program gets miserable.
Fats are not “all-evil”. In reality, they are needed for normal cellular function and repair. The point is (the other points you’ll learn later), taking them all out of the diet plan not just makes the food less palatable, but takes out some of the body’s functions as well. Results are, you get poor concentration, slow reaction, and hormonal problems just to name a few. So, a no fat diet is really a “no-no”. Twenty to thirty percent of your total calorie intake should come from fats. And we are not talking of just any kind of fats either. There are type of fats that you should avoid or minimize the intake of, like saturated fats or “trans-fatty acids” found on reheated cooking oil (which increases the risk of heart disease).
Carbs are also not the culprit. In fact carbs are the best source of energy for the body. They are easier to assimilate, store, and retrieve for use by the body. Low or “No” carb diets starve your body (from much needed energy), and force the body to get energy from more thermodynamically expensive sources. Endpoint is, you feel weak and light-headed, not just from energy starvation, but also from the effects of “ketosis” (the unbalanced release of by-products from unnatural fat utilization).
Now, for the BOTTOMLINE: If you would examine these diets closely, the underlying principle is obvious: These diets do nothing but REDUCE your caloric intake! Plain and simple! You remove all the fat from your diet and you reduce the total calories you take in, the same way you reduce your calories by removing the carbs from your diet! BUT THERE IS A HEALTHIER WAY OF DOING THIS! You don’t have to go to the extremes of these fad diets! As I have written in my previous articles, it is the TOTAL CALORIES that count. The food composition, or the percentage of fats, carbs, and proteins is only secondary in your goal to lose weight. So, don’t get miserable following your fad diet! Break free and still stay healthy!
Dek Santos is a practicing physician in Manila who concentrates on methods of losing weight the natural and healthy way. Learn more about his ideas by visiting: http://www.healthydietweightloss.com
Stay Safe, Stay Slim, Lose Weight Naturally!
