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.