There is nothing wrong in searching for ways to lose weight. The only problem is that there are tons of information out there, and some of them could be very misleading. They offer diet techniques that don’t always work.
Mainstream diets are usually the most popular. It seems like they are universally accepted to be correct. However, even the most popular diet techniques are not necessarily the best. There are instances in which the kind of information you receive does that exact opposite of what you expect to see. This harms your goals of losing weight and staying fit.
Demonizing foods
When you follow mainstream diets, you might be fed with information that is totally inaccurate. For instance, eggs are always deemed bad for people who are losing weight. Due to the high cholesterol content of egg that could lead to heart disease, it is always taken out of the list of healthy foods.
The truth is that eggs contain good cholesterol and this does not necessarily raise the cholesterol level in the blood. Therefore, you won’t increase the chances of suffering from heart disease just because you include eggs in your diet.
Another example is discouraging people from eating protein-rich foods. Mainstream diets suggest that a high protein diet could lead to osteoporosis and kidney disease. In a way, this is true because calcium is excreted from the bones on a short term, but does the opposite in the long run.
According to studies, protein actually helps improve the bone and lower the risk of bone fracture. Diabetes and high blood pressure may also be reduced if you keep a steady amount of protein in your diet.
Recommending “healthy” foods when they’re not
If you are to ask people following mainstream diets, they will most likely tell you that eating grains is really good for your health. In a way, it helps if you are trying to lose weight because it is low in cholesterol in fat.
Unfortunately, it is pretty low in every other nutrient. They are not as nutritious as other vegetables. They also contain phytic acid, binding essential minerals instead of allowing them to be absorbed by the body.
Wheat is one of the most popular grains and is a source of various health issues. Wheat also contains high amounts of gluten, which could lead to problems such as bloating, tiredness, and anxiety. Even brain diseases were attributed to high gluten consumption.
Another lie that is being spread by mainstream media is the idea that low-fat foods are good for you. To begin with, these foods don’t taste good at all. It is like eating a cardboard. They might also be low in fat but really high in sugar due to the added artificial sweeteners.
Several studies have shown that diseases like obesity, diabetes and depression are attributed to the consumption of these low-fat products. Even healthy fat is replaced by something that has less value if you go for a low-fat diet.
Recommending wrong techniques
One of the most popular diet techniques is eating small amounts of food to be taken throughout the day. According to some people, this helps in keeping the metabolism high.
The truth is that although it helps raise the metabolism level since digestion takes place, the total amount of food consumed will tell the energy used and not the total number of meals. Several studies have already revealed that this notion is nothing but a lie.
The truth is that those who eat 6 small meals a day generally feel less satisfied than those who eat just 3 complete meals. They also tend to eat healthier dishes. In essence, this strategy will only reverse everything that you have worked hard for in terms of staying fit.
Intermittent fasting is also one of the most popular mainstream diet techniques available. This is where you are allowed to eat whatever you can on certain days of the week, but on the other days you are not allowed to eat at all. You only have a few hours of window where you can eat something when you are fasting.
The problem with this technique is that it leads to hunger. You starve for more and you might just end up cheating no your diet. This is not healthy in any way.
Why we fall for mainstream diets
There are several reasons why it is easy to fall for these diet techniques. To begin with, there are floods of positive reviews and testimonials online about how effective these techniques really are.
If you have seen how other people have changed because of these diet techniques, it is easier for you to follow what they do. The problem is that you are not getting the clear picture of how the diet technique works and why it could be unhealthy for you.
Another reason is that when you check for information online, you are presented with images of people who have supposedly benefitted from the diet technique. The problem is that there is really no way to prove that they have improved because of the technique used.
There are also instances where you are given statistics and researches that didn’t really exist. Since you don’t have time to verify the claims, you will just accept them as the truth.
A consistent and attainable diet technique helps
If you really want to stay healthy, you need to find a diet technique that is more realistic. It is something that you can consistently follow. You shouldn’t be blinded by the empty promises of mainstream diets.
Take your time to research more about techniques that are not really that popular, but have been proven to be effective. You should also look at what your body will get out of the diet technique in terms of nutrients and not just on how you will ultimately lose weight.
You might be surprised that there are techniques out there that are way more effective in both helping you stay fit and letting you get all the necessary nutrients. The cabbage soup diet is one of them.
It is where you are advised to eat a large amount of cabbage soup for 7 days. During this time, you may also eat any other food like fruits, vegetable, meat and brown rice, but only according to a schedule set.
A few days at a time
For the cabbage soup diet to be effective, you need to stay on this diet for only a few days at a time. Since it is low in carbs and some complex vitamins, you are not advised to really follow the technique for a really long time.
Nevertheless, it is a perfect solution if you want long-term weight loss. You are also not losing key nutrients and you can follow this technique steadily over a longer period of time.
