HOW FAD DIETS AFFECT OVERALL HEALTH?
With people gaining weight like there’s no tomorrow because of the availability of abundant sources of foods many of us resort to means that get us quick results rather than building long-term habits. These diets that give us quick results generally tend to backlash once we get off those diets and we end up putting on the weight we lost or more when we return to our regular eating habits.
These diets that give us these quick fixes are called fad diets. Fad diets catch people’s eyes because they’re marketed in such a way that they promote weight loss in a very short period of time, which is what people want.
What Is A Fad Diet?
A fad diet is one that disrupts your overall eating habits so that you can achieve short-term goals in a manner that’s not best for your health and wellness. Fad diets are based more on hype rather than science and are backed by sources like social media, marketing schemes etc. Fad diets generally involve depriving yourself of certain food sources that are needed for your body to function effectively.
This blog discusses the popular fad diets that are out there which have a common factor in them. AVOIDING CARBS.
No.1 – Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a 4 phase plan.
Phase 1: This is the induction phase. Keep under 20 grams of carbs per day for the first 2 weeks, sticking to high fats and high protein. This kick starts the weight loss process.
Phase 2: Slowly include low-carb vegetables and fruits into your diet after these 2 weeks. This is called the balancing phase.
Phase 3: When you’re very close to your goal weight, add some carbs to your diet until the weight loss slows down. This is fine tuning the diet.
Phase 4: Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as possible without regaining the weight and is called the maintenance phase.
These phases can be a bit confusing and need not be followed exactly. The diet focuses on maintaining a calorie deficit by reducing carbs significantly and that’s what starts the weight loss process.
No. 2: Keto Diet
You would have definitely heard someone saying they’re following a keto diet. The keto diet is basically a diet where you’re required to eat very less carbs, moderate protein and high fats to make sure that you stay satiated and lose weight at the same time.
This diet works by shifting your body is a state of ketosis for energy derived from the breakdown of fat in the body in the absence of carbohydrates as an energy source. This results in weight loss.
No.3 – Detox Diets
Detox diet is a term that has been thrown around in the health and fitness industry, more often than not. The idea of a detox diet is to consume foods that will cleanse your body of all the toxins that will therefore improve health and encourage weight loss.
This diet is filled with fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables and staying hydrated at all times. Our body has the ability to detoxify itself with the help of detoxifying organs like the liver, kidney and skin. Being on a detox diet will just maybe fasten the process.
No.4: Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is an ancient diet that limits numerous food groups like milk, legumes, grains and promotes the consumption of lean meats, fish fruit and vegetables.
However, it’s not recommended that we follow this kind of diet because our lifestyle is not quite similar to our prehistoric ancestors. Also, when saturated fats and protein are consumed more than the recommended levels, it can increase the risk of kidney and heart diseases.
All these diets are definitely effective when it comes to weight loss. If you’re looking for a short-term goal it would work perfectly. However, if you’re looking to lose weight and get healthier, these diets are not your best bet because they are completely unsustainable. In order to build a sustainable and healthy relationship with food, the right way to go about it would be to follow a balanced diet where you get all the nutrients that are needed for your body to function effectively and efficiently. The best diet is a diet that you can have for the rest of your life.
These diets that give us these quick fixes are called fad diets. Fad diets catch people’s eyes because they’re marketed in such a way that they promote weight loss in a very short period of time, which is what people want.
What Is A Fad Diet?
A fad diet is one that disrupts your overall eating habits so that you can achieve short-term goals in a manner that’s not best for your health and wellness. Fad diets are based more on hype rather than science and are backed by sources like social media, marketing schemes etc. Fad diets generally involve depriving yourself of certain food sources that are needed for your body to function effectively.
This blog discusses the popular fad diets that are out there which have a common factor in them. AVOIDING CARBS.
No.1 – Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet is a 4 phase plan.
Phase 1: This is the induction phase. Keep under 20 grams of carbs per day for the first 2 weeks, sticking to high fats and high protein. This kick starts the weight loss process.
Phase 2: Slowly include low-carb vegetables and fruits into your diet after these 2 weeks. This is called the balancing phase.
Phase 3: When you’re very close to your goal weight, add some carbs to your diet until the weight loss slows down. This is fine tuning the diet.
Phase 4: Here you can eat as many healthy carbs as possible without regaining the weight and is called the maintenance phase.
These phases can be a bit confusing and need not be followed exactly. The diet focuses on maintaining a calorie deficit by reducing carbs significantly and that’s what starts the weight loss process.
No. 2: Keto Diet
You would have definitely heard someone saying they’re following a keto diet. The keto diet is basically a diet where you’re required to eat very less carbs, moderate protein and high fats to make sure that you stay satiated and lose weight at the same time.
This diet works by shifting your body is a state of ketosis for energy derived from the breakdown of fat in the body in the absence of carbohydrates as an energy source. This results in weight loss.
No.3 – Detox Diets
Detox diet is a term that has been thrown around in the health and fitness industry, more often than not. The idea of a detox diet is to consume foods that will cleanse your body of all the toxins that will therefore improve health and encourage weight loss.
This diet is filled with fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables and staying hydrated at all times. Our body has the ability to detoxify itself with the help of detoxifying organs like the liver, kidney and skin. Being on a detox diet will just maybe fasten the process.
No.4: Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is an ancient diet that limits numerous food groups like milk, legumes, grains and promotes the consumption of lean meats, fish fruit and vegetables.
However, it’s not recommended that we follow this kind of diet because our lifestyle is not quite similar to our prehistoric ancestors. Also, when saturated fats and protein are consumed more than the recommended levels, it can increase the risk of kidney and heart diseases.
All these diets are definitely effective when it comes to weight loss. If you’re looking for a short-term goal it would work perfectly. However, if you’re looking to lose weight and get healthier, these diets are not your best bet because they are completely unsustainable. In order to build a sustainable and healthy relationship with food, the right way to go about it would be to follow a balanced diet where you get all the nutrients that are needed for your body to function effectively and efficiently. The best diet is a diet that you can have for the rest of your life.