Popular Fad Diets

It appears like there is a new fad diet every week. A lot of these incorporate elements of truth, but altogether they contain a great deal more good marketing than scientific fact.

There's the 3-day diet, which boasts about eating little more than fruits for three days, followed by vegetables or meat or grains the other days. There are lots of variations.

Although it's certainly true that eating fruit on a regular basis is an important factor for good health - most incorporate required carbohydrates, vitamins and fiber - eating almost exclusively fruit for three days leads to imbalance - in carbohydrates, fiber and additional otherwise healthy components. To an extent, the body will equalize and store what it needs for later, but there are limits.

Likewise, the 'low carb, high protein' diets, such as Atkins, urge drastic reductions in carbohydrates and eating significant quantities of food high in protein. Here again protein is critical to proper nutrition, but so are carbohydrates. Placing immoderate emphasis on the first over the second leads to fast, temporary weight loss, but at a high cost.

Carbohydrates are crucial for supplying energy for all biochemical processes; however, the body, when required, will utilize other sources, such as protein and fat. Too much emphasis on protein reduces the ability of the body to modulate and store the appropriate quantity of water, whereas carbohydrates facilitate that.

There are very pleasant sounding 'chocolate diets'. Just about everybody loves chocolate and, contrary to a few reports a couple of years ago, it is healthy - in moderate amounts. Chocolate has anti-oxidants and some other compounds that are beneficial to overall health. Also, since many will search for chocolate in varieties that contain high fat, high sugar quantities it's likely to get a few not-so-helpful elements along with the good. But, as with anything, too much of a good thing is just that - too much.

There are ultra-low fat diets on the market. This is another example of going to extremes. A certain amount of fat in the diet is a good for you and is needed to maintain overall health.

Whatever diet makes promises of immediate or rapid weight loss - or any other extreme claim - is nearly guaranteed to be more dangerous than helpful. The human body has evolved over millions of years and decades of dependable nutritional research still corroborates the common sense truth: balance is good, moderation is healthy.

Eat modest portions at daily intervals of protein (for amino acids), dairy products (for calcium, unless you are lactose intolerant), grains (for carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals ) and fruits and vegetables (for vitamins, carbohydrates and fiber). For the average individual, around 2000-2500 calories per day is suitable. This amount of calories is lower for women, on the average, and for those attempting fast weight loss.

A balanced diet, paired with regular and moderate exercise, will lead to good muscle tone, healthy body fat percentages, and good health. You'll discover you have more energy, feel better, have more self-confidence and look good.