Freedom from Fad Diets
There are always new "miracle" or "breakthrough" diets promising results that are too good to be true. But they may do more harm than good.
Atkins, Ornish, Sugar Busters, Zone, 3-Day Cleanse, Acai…While there may be one or two good points about each of the popular diets on the market, most don't produce consistent long-term results. People on the diets may experience an initial weight loss, but the effects often can't be sustained.
Most of the fad diets tend to run to the extremes, eliminating entire food groups, and/or containing excessive amounts of others. Not only are extremely restrictive diets very hard to stick with, they also tend to be lacking in many of the key nutrients that are necessary to counter disease. They may even pose a risk to your health.
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Some potential dangerous side effects that have been noted include headaches, mild dehydration, nausea, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, fatigue, high blood pressure, increased risk of osteoporosis.
So what "diet" does work, in a way that is still healthful and effective? Through the combination of eating the right foods, burning calories through exercise and supplementing the diet with the proper nutrients, it is possible to lose weight, keep it off and actually improve your health as a result.
1. The Mediterranean Diet is not a fad diet, but a way of eating that has been followed for centuries by people in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Its focus on whole foods – grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, low-fat dairy and olive oil – is not only very effective for weight loss, but has been declared the best diet for overall health as well. See The Ideal Diet for details.
2. Eating foods that increase your metabolism and block the uptake of fatty acids in to the cells further encourages weight loss. Such foods include oatmeal/oat fiber, peppers/salsa, green tea, fish, and protein (many of which are featured in the Mediterranean Diet). Increased body metabolism increases the rate at which the body burns fat while at rest.
3. Burning calories through exercise (or, while not at rest!) is also important. Exercise includes traditional strenuous activities such as running, biking, sports and aerobics, but also includes walking, dancing, housecleaning, yard work, and active play with children or grandchildren. Any activity that increases the heart rate and gets you moving will help burn additional calories. Among the National Weight Control Registry participants who have succeeded at long term weight loss, 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
4. Natural supplements that increase weight loss can enhance your diet and lifestyle changes. It is a great way to "jump start" your initial efforts, help with the common plateaus in weight loss, or to provide ongoing support in weight management. These plant based supplements include: extracts from green tea, cayenne and black pepper fruits, guarana seed, garcinia fruit, 5-HTP, the mineral chromium and the amino acid L-carnitine.
Adding soluble fibers such as inulin, glucomannan and a mix of fruit and root fibers can help curb your appetite and slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the body. (Our Weight Management Program contains all these ingredients in a two-product package that includes Weight Management Supportv and Solumet; or they can be purchased separately as part of our Monthly Specials.
You can succeed at weight loss, without sacrificing your health through fad diets or harmful diet drugs, and despite your genetics, cravings, or past efforts. Through lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity and a way of eating that promotes good health and weight loss, complemented by natural supplements that support those efforts, you can succeed at finding God's pathway to weight loss for you.
