The truth about fad diets and how important it is for healthy nutrition to become  part of lifestyle, not a quick fix.

Lose weight the right way

We all want a way to lose weight weight fast. And right now there is no shortage of supposed solutions. These days it is hard to open a magazine without reading about the next miracle cure. But you’ve got to ask yourself , if these diets are so effective, why are there so many new ones? Shouldn’t one do the trick?

They are known as ”fad diets”. They may provide short term results but are difficult to sustain and ultimately they deprive you of the essential nutrients only balanced eating can offer.

So how do you spot a fad diet?  Typically a fad diet shares some or all of the the following characteristics:

Promises a quick fix

Promotes ”magic” foods or combinations of foods

Implies that food can change body chemistry

Excludes or severely restricts food groups or nutrients, such as carbohydrates

Has rigid rules that focus on weight loss

Makes claims based on a single study or testimonials only

Why are fad diets a problem?

By cutting out key foods, fad diets have been known to cause the following symptoms:

Dehydration

Weakness and fatigue

Nausea and headaches

Constipation

Inadequate vitamin and mineral intake

Fad diets that severely restrict food groups or nutrients may also be omitting the protective health effects that a balanced eating plan provides. It is not known whether fad diets are safe over the long term and whether they lead to an increased risk of various diseases.

So what’s the answer?

There is an eating plan that gets results. It will allow you to achieve a healthy body weight and maintain it over time. It will boost your vitality and improve your sense of self -worth. Best of of all you don’t have to cut out any foods, because you can est everything, in moderation. It’s called a balanced eating plan, and it’s really nothing new. But combined with moderate physical activity it will change your life that fad diets only dream of. You might have heard it all before but let’s refresh your memory. With balance diet, it’s what you leave in that makes all the difference.

For a balanced eating plan to be successful you need to:

Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits

Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain

Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives

Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives

Note: Reduced fat varieties should be chosen, where possible.

Drink plenty of water and take care to:

Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake

Choose foods low in salt

Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars

 

A healthy lifestyle – easier than you think

Changing your eating and physical activity habits can be difficult to begin with. But once you’ve got the ball rolling, it’s easy to sustain. Here are a few tips to help ease the transition

For best results, combine an active lifestyle with healthy eating

Make small, achievable, life0long changes to your lifestyle and eating habits

Fill up on nutritious foods

Keep portions moderate in size

Eat until you have had enough – not until you are full

Do your best to avoid eating when you are not hungry

Recognise that on some days you might be hungrier than on other days

Eat slowly and enjoy your food

Eat regular meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner

Reduce the amount of ”extra” or ”sometimes” foods you eat. Examples of ”sometimes” foods include biscuits, cakes, desserts, pastries, soft drinks, high fat snack items such as crisps, pies, pasties, sausage rolls and other takeaways, lollies and chocolate.