Diet myths debunked
The dieting world is full of myths, hearsay
and soundbites. We all have heard them a thousand times,
but does that make them true? Is it really a good idea to
ban sugar completely from your diet? Is it really a good
idea not to touch fat and alcohol ever again? This seems
to me like an invitation to failure. Too few people can
swear off certain foods forever and stick to the oath. The
rest of us need a little treat now and then. And there’s
nothing wrong with getting a treat once in while, provided
that treats don’t happen every day.
The
basic idea of any diet is to eat food that contains fewer
calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight.
This way, the body is forced to use the accumulated fat
in order to make up for the energy it doesn’t get
from food. But a diet also has to be tasty and nutritionally
sound. Simply banning certain types of foods and ingredients
is not a solution because anybody following such a diet
will have to acknowledge sooner or later that he or she
wants those foods and ingredients badly and a relapse into
the old eating habits becomes inevitable.
People should also learn not to put their faith into meal
replacements, such as Mypoplex, Slimfast
or Eat-Smart. These combinations of low-fat
and high-protein substances cannot substitute a proper diet.
They should never be used for more than 4 four weeks in
a row. Calories are important to the body
and nobody can go on for long without them. Cutting
calories out of the long-term nutrition is a huge mistake
because the internal organs and muscles need them to function.
Using meal replacements for a week or two, as a shock treatment,
is fine. Relying on them for two months is asking for trouble.
And the same goes for single-food diets, such as the cabbage
soup diet, because they are based on the same idea.
Another widespread myth is the idea that the best approach
to weight loss is a low-carb, high-protein diet.
This is one of the myths that emerged from the Hollywood
slimming industry. Nearly all movie stars and singers are
on some such diet. However, this approach is not exactly
good for you because a diet low in carbohydrates and calories
forces the body to use existing carbs located in the liver
and the muscles. In time, this diet leads to weight loss
mainly from water stored in the body, instead of fat, and
also strains the internal organs.
And people should not be so afraid of potatoes, bread and
pasta, the leading sources of carbohydrates. Carbs
are actually good for you because they quell the
feeling of hunger without bringing in too many calories.
So you can safely eat moderate amounts of potatoes and bread
as long as you don’t use butter or sauces, which are
laden with fat. Naturally, you also have to pay attention
to how these foods are prepared. French fries are not a
low-fat food. Still, a high-carb, low-fat diet is
far better than banning potatoes and bread from
your daily meals and it’s also easier to stick to.
Drinking a certain quantity of water every day
is a good idea because it keeps the body hydrated
and fills the stomach. Water also keeps the intestines healthy
by facilitating the movements of undigested food to the
exit point. However, simply drinking water does
not trigger weight loss. There is only one way
to lose weight and that is to burn up the existing
fat and water cannot do that. Nor should a diet
be judged solely by how much weight is lost per week. Some
people claim that a diet can be considered effective if
the weekly loss of weight is above two pounds. Frankly,
two pounds per week is a lot of weight to lose and you can
be sure that not all of it is fat, but also the lean tissue
that makes up the muscles.
Another myth claims that fat is absolutely bad for you.
It’s not. Quite on the contrary, the body
needs some fat in order to get the important fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, E and K circulating through
the cardiovascular system. Moreover, fat also brings into
the body the essential fatty acids omega-3
and omega-6 that cannot be synthesized
in the body. The word “essential” means that
these fatty acids simply have to be present in your daily
food since they play an important role in your health. The
recommended dose of fat is 35 percent of your daily calories.
And last of all comes the idea that a diet or eating plan
is enough in itself and does not have to be coupled with
exercising. But exercising is the most effective way of
burning up the extra calories stored as fat. Simply sitting
at your desk all day long is not going to do the trick,
regardless of what diet you’re on. Remember that a
diet that has plenty of food (the right kind of food) and
plenty of exercise is far better than sitting on the sofa
and drinking cabbage soup every six hours. It works faster
and is less stressful to your body.
