At some point, almost everyone has considered going on a diet for some reason. For many, it is a few kilograms. For others, it is about ‘getting strong’ while exercising. Even if it’s a healthy decision to be mindful and aware of what you eat, there is a difference between cleaning meals and the extreme. As many experts will repeat, diets are not successful in the long run because many people return to their old habits, causing them to gain weight again or lose their gains.
In fact, one of the biggest problems with extreme and greedy diets is that they are not sustainable. It requires you to temporarily change and what you eat, but you do not necessarily have to learn anything about how to eat healthier for the long term, says Dr. Josh Ax, DNM, CNS, DC, author and founder of Ancient Nutrition. More importantly, many popular diets can harm your body, so it’s important to think twice before diving into one of these fads. Here’s what you need to know about these current fast diets, and for healthier weight loss tips, check out our list of 15 underrated weight loss tips that actually work.
You probably have at least one friend who is an avid supporter of keto diet. In this diet, you severely limit carbohydrates while increasing your intake of fat and protein. One of the reasons why this approach is so popular is the fact that you lose weight very quickly. Although this study does show that the keto diet may be an effective treatment for epilepsy, the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet in the general population are largely unknown, warns Serena Poon, a well-known chef and nutritionist.
Her biggest concern with keto is that it tends to force people to overdose on meat and overlook plant foods.
“Vegetables and fruits are important sources of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants that support the best health,” says Poon. ” A diet that does not exist in these foods can result in nutrient deficiencies and without disease protection. ‘
In addition, she adds that a diet high in red meat and saturated fats has been shown to increase inflammation, which is a precursor to most chronic diseases.
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‘I’m on a juice cleanse’ is a common expression in sitcoms, especially if a character is trying to lose a lot of weight in a short time.
In fact, this approach to eating is not sustainable, it can be uncomfortable and is not good news for your overall health. As Dr. Ax explains, detox juice cleansers (such as The Master Cleanse or the cabbage diet) are usually very limited and low in calories, which can be helpful for rapid weight loss.
“However, they can also interfere with your metabolic rate,” he says. “It’s obviously the last thing you want when you’re trying to improve your body composition.”
Why is this happening? If we do not provide enough energy through calories to our body, it must go to a metabolic state that many call ‘starvation’.
“As a result, you need fewer calories every day, just to maintain your weight, which makes weight loss and even long-term maintenance difficult,” he says. On top of that, you also lose muscle mass!
Here are 10 signs that are a juicy cleanser.
To put it bluntly, Keith Thomas-Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND calls this diet ridiculous. With this eating approach, you reduce acidic foods, which claim to lead to poor health. Instead, fill your meals with alkaline foods, which are said to help balance your body’s pH and are beneficial. But as Thomas-Ayoob says, there is little credible science to support it, and our body is well equipped to handle acid-alkaline balancing and its pH. And our diet has little effect on this function.
“This diet removes a lot of nutritious foods, including fish, whole grains and dairy products, all of which contain nutrients that are difficult to obtain in other food groups,” he says. “For example, it contains little omega-3 fats, because fatty fish (and almost all fish) are banned, just like nuts like walnuts, which also contain omega-3 fat.”
This is dangerous because omitting good sources of omega-3s is not ideal for promoting optimal heart health. Thomas-Ayoob also says that reducing dairy foods is an excellent way to limit your ability to get enough calcium, which is a source of concern because most people do not get enough calcium.
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The first things: Poon says a pure plant-based diet can support optimal health. However, going from a meat eater to a vegan person requires some essential shifts and the right food choices. As Poon says, she says that people will become ‘vegan’, but then supplement their diet with mostly meat substitutes, such as vegan and fast food.
“It’s still processed food, and while it may be better than a regular brand, it’s usually not health-promoting food,” she says. “Many packaged foods contain processed ingredients, such as refined grains, added sugars and oils that can lead to inflammation, which is a precursor to most diseases.”
If you choose to be plant-based, Poon focuses on eating a variety of wholesome plants and supplementing with vitamins and minerals that your diet may lack.
No, you do not eat reptiles in this diet. However, it will probably still creep up on you. As Dr. Ax explains, this approach involves one huge meal every single day – and nothing else. It is meant to cause rapid weight loss through prolonged fasting. There are different phases in the diet, the first of which contains only about 3,500 calories per week, which is much less than the average adult needs.
“It does not emphasize the importance of nutritional quality and that it is difficult to apply it if you are someone who would like to eat meals with others,” he says. “Fasting can also be difficult for some people, which can lead to problems such as brain fog, mood swings and sleep problems.”
Just as it sounds, the military diet is very regimental and repetitive. As dr. Ax explains, this approach usually involves repeatedly eating the same foods while sticking to a deficient calorie intake. It can only consume 800 to 1100 calories a few days a week.
“Meals included in this diet are somewhat unusual and not necessarily the most nutritious; they consist of foods including cottage cheese, eggs, salt biscuits and ice cream,” he says.
Supporters of this diet claim that you can lose up to ’10 pounds in less than a week. ‘
“But remember that just because the number on the scale can drop while doing such a diet does not mean that your body composition or health is actually improving,” he says. “A decrease in body fat can be accompanied by improvements in markers such as insulin sensitivity, but weight loss alone can mean losing weight from other areas you do not want, including muscle mass.”
If you do not eat enough, it affects your brain and your ability to focus, remember things and be creative.
“You are more likely to feel tired, sluggish and foggy if you are not fueled properly, and you may even find that you get sick more easily as the stress of dieting can claim your immune system,” he says. .
This is the case: the HCG diet involves the intake of the HCG hormone in an attempt to drop a pound. It is the hormone that is produced in the body during pregnancy and is usually given only on prescription for infertility.
Although most experts warn against the HCG diet, Poon says that some people still try it because of the promise of rapid weight loss. Not only is it dangerous to take HCG (unless your doctor prescribes it for you), but it is also problematic and harmful to limit calories so much.
In this diet, Poon explains that you only eat 500 calories a day. Yep, that’s right: 500!
“You can lose weight fast due to calorie restriction, but you can also experience symptoms such as fatigue, depression, blood clots, irregular heartbeat and vitamin deficiencies or electrolyte imbalance,” she says. “The risks definitely outweigh the benefits of this one. I would make this diet no matter what.”
Along with these diets, according to our experts, you want to read on our list of The Healthiest Diets of 2020.