The familiar mantra given to those who wish to lose weight is to eat healthily and exercise, but if weight loss is your goal, then this simply isn’t enough. You would have to be dangerously obese for simple food switches to make a serious impact on your overall weight, and exercise is important for improving your health. Done right, it can improve your body’s shape and strength, but it isn’t necessarily great for helping you lose those pounds.
Simply put, if you wish to lose weight, you need to look at your diet, but which diet is right for you? There are so many different factors from your own health, to your genetics, to what your overall goal is. Picking apart the diet trends that you see on the Internet can be a nightmare, so here is a basic rundown of what you need to know about the most popular ones out there right now:
The History of Diet Trends
Diet trends have been around for ages, though with the age of the Internet information can be passed along at much faster rates than before. This means all sorts of diet trends – those backed by scientific research and those which do not – are becoming mainstream. With the rise of misinformation, it is important now more than ever that you do your research on the diet. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Crash diets can absolutely help you lose a lot of weight, but they are not sustainable, and in the cases where you do maintain them the cost could be your health.
Diet Trends to Avoid
There have been a variety of diet trends that have come into the light. In the mid-century, for example, gelatin-based foods were all the rage. Nowadays you have things like a gluten-free diet or a paleo diet, or even an intermittent fasting diet. There are so many different diets out there, it can be hard to figure out which ones are good for you, and which ones will just cause damage. Some examples of diet trends you should absolutely avoid are the “military diet” or the Paleo diet. Both are fads that promise a lot and can be quite dangerous.
The military diet, for example, promises that you can lose up to 10 lbs. per week while still eating unhealthy foods such as hot dogs or ice cream. How this diet works is essentially by following a low-calorie diet, but without any consideration for nutrition or what vitamins your body needs to function. It is therefore impossible to maintain, meaning even if your first week is successful, you won’t likely keep that weight off for long.
Then you have the Paleo diet, which again can be quite dangerous due to its lack of nutrients and vitamins. Those on the paleo diet can experience negative side effects like lethargy, a decrease in thyroid function as the body goes into an unsustainable starvation mode, bad breath, and diarrhea. There are some benefits to this diet, of course, but those can be found with far less negative side effects by following the ketogenic diet, which focuses more on achieving the right ratio than specifically what you eat.
Diet Trends that Have Health Benefits
Diet trends that have been proven in multiple studies to have health benefits are those that emphasise strategies that manipulate your cell’s function.
The Ketogenic Diet
Of the diet plans that work, the ketogenic diet has by far some of the most compelling evidence to back it up. Though it is by no means a miracle diet, it can help people with a variety of ailments improve their symptoms. The ketogenic diet can be ideal to help your body fight off what ails you.
The Intermittent Fasting Diet
To succeed on a low-calorie diet, you will want to use a diet plan that provides you with hunger-busting foods and drinks. By choosing healthy diet shakes that take up to four hours to digest, you can reach the low-calorie diet intake goal in comfort, improving your chances of success on this diet. Like the ketogenic diet, doing this causes your cells to react in positive ways that have been linked to better health and longevity.
It is important to note that everyone is different. Your body might have specific, underlying differences that may mean that the keto diet isn’t right for you, even if your friend has had extreme success with it. For this reason, it is always wise to consult your doctor before going on any of these extreme diets and to monitor your progress. It’s okay if the diet isn’t right for you, trying is important and the health benefits can be numerous, but what is critical is that you find the option that is perfect for you.
Importance of Doctor Supervision
When doing these dramatic diets where your goal is to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, you will always want to consult your doctor. In fact, working with a doctor or nutritionist can help you find the right diet for your body. There are a variety of underlying factors that can impact your success with any specialty diet, and knowing what they are in advance can help you avoid serious side effects and start making the right decisions for you.
Remember to Increase Exercise Levels
No matter what diet you take on for your health and weight loss, you will always want to combine it with exercise. The goal of your exercise isn’t to increase the amount of weight you lose, but to improve your health and longevity. Finding a sustainable means of exercise is important, then, so get out there and see what you can do that you find fun and exhilarating. Being active doesn’t mean pushing yourself at the gym, it only means moving about and getting the exercise your body needs to be at its best. If this means taking a dance class or going for long walks after work, go for it.
Your health should be at the forefront of your dieting efforts because if it isn’t then your diet is not sustainable. Pick apart the unhealthy diet trends, work with your doctor, and find the right diet option and diet meal plan that works for your lifestyle.
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