Diet Myths
I was just reading an article on how a girl almost died because she was on strict diet and it made me realised that even with the dangers of dieting, people still went on with it as it is a sure-fire way to lose weight quickly. However, almost everyone is clamouring to try it out without thinking of its consequences. Here are some of the diets that you should avoid and why:
Low-Carb/High-Protein Diets
Carbohydrates such as pasta, bread and rice are an essential source of energy. Low-carb diets are popular because of the quick water-weight loss that starts at the beginning of the diet. However, it is actually fat loss that would quickly return as soon as dieting stops.
Eating proteins are dehydrating and it has been proven to be a terrible source of performance fuel as the body needs extra water and calories to break it down. Dietician Ursula Arens states that high protein content of these diets will make one lose appetite to eat. Too much food that is high in fat will result in high cholesterol level and higher chances of getting heart disease and stroke.
Crash Diets
This will reduce your calorie intake dramatically and thus a lower metabolism. You will lose your muscle instead of fats as your body will store the fats and burn up your muscles. Those who stayed for the long haul will experience osteoporosis, a condition whereby the bones become brittle and hair loss due to a loss of vitamins and minerals.
Single Food Diets/One or Two Food Group Diets
There has been no evidence or scientific discovery that shows eating a single food would burn fats such as cabbage soup or grapefruit. Furthermore, these diets must not continue longer than 7 days and cannot be started again in two weeks.
Some diets recommend cutting out one or two food group from meals such as dairy product or meat. By cutting them out, you would not get important nutrients and vitamins that your needs to function.
Detox Diets
These diets supposedly clean out the toxins in the body. However, there is no evidence that toxins build up in our bodies and they encourage people to have colonic irrigation or enemas to ‘clean out’ the colon.
The Right Way of Losing Weight
I think you heard the familiar line of “eat healthy and exercise” but not many diligently carry it out.
Here are 5 easy steps to start off:
- Eat more wholegrain food, for example, brown rice or wholemeal bread. They are a healthier choice and digest slower so you would feel full longer.
- Replace full cream with skimmed milk and trim the fats off meat and poultry.
- If you are not the type that goes to the gym, try walking instead of taking the bus or read our 10 simple secrets to losing weight.
- If you feel like snacking, try drinking warm tea. More often than not, we think we are hungry when we are actually thirsty.
- Have breakfast daily as it gives you ample of energy you need to start the day.
I do hope you would think twice before eyeing that new crash diet Christina Aguilera is doing because in life, there are no short cuts.
The best way to lose weight is to have a negative caloric intake – the number from calories from food that you consume must be lesser than the calories derived from physical activity. If you’d like to workout in a group, you may want to check the Multi Level Fitness Bootcamp Outdoor classes that my Chief Trainers are conducting at http://fitnessbootcamp.sg. For one-on-one personal training instructions, we’re here
Don’t forget to exercise and stay healthy! (:
Sharm, MSc
TeamFitnessGuru.com
