Fad Diets--What's the big deal?

So, if you know me, you know I have a pet peeve with fad diets. You know the ones I'm talking about--South Beach, Atkins, even Slim Fast or the Special K Challenge. Now, you may be saying
"What's so wrong with those diets? They work, don't they? And YOU aren't on one, so why do YOU care?" Well, friends in Blog land, let me TELL you why!

I may not be on a diet, or need to be on a diet (though I perpetally THINK I need to be...we need not get into that here), but I am a stickler for good nutrition. And good nutriton means balanced meals. And balanced meals include all your food groups and all your major food components: Fats, Proteins, and Carbs. YES my friends, you need FAT in your diet! You know what happens if you don't have SOME fats? Your skin gets dry/nasty, your hair gets dull/dry/falls out, and it can even slow down your thinking and function, because fats is what protects your nerves and other essential organs from damage! Now I'm not saying go eat McDonalds every day, but you do need some GOOD fats, such as olive oil, some nuts (almonds, walnuts), canola/soybean/sunflower/peanut oil, etc. Stay away from saturated fats/hydrogenated oils/trans fats. My other thing is I have considered many of these diets to lose a "few quick pounds" before a big event, so I have researched many of them in detail. What I found was horrifying (especially about Slim Fast and Special K!). Read on, if you dare.

Many of these "fad diets" exclude one of these groups, usually the carbs. "CARBS ARE BAD!" they scream. "Protein is what you need to stay full!" This is a true statement, protein WILL keep you fuller, longer. But so will fat, and so will fiber! Also--you NEED carbs. Carbs are where your energy comes from. Protein helps to rebuild muscle and recover from exercise, carbs give you the energy to DO all that. Ever see someone on Atkins or South Beach (in phase I anyway)? They are CRANKY and TIRED! Why? These diets eliminate CARBS! (and south beath does most fruits and veggies too!) Some carbs are better than others. Whole grains, AKA complex carbs, such as 100% whole wheat bread, oatmeal (I like multigrain quaker oats), brown rice=GOOD carbs. Simple carbs, such as white bread, white rice, etc.=BAD CARBS.
(There is a debate about potatoes, but generally speaking they are okay. Sweet potatoes are better, but a baked potato isn't going to kill you. Neither will occasionally eating simple carbs. But if you are going to avoid carbs, those are the ones to try to stay away from!) **more on good carbs/bad carbs in another post***

Now you may say "Okay genius, so I see why carb-restricting diets aren't great. What's wrong with Slim Fast or the Special K diet?" Good question. These diets SEEM to work well, and promise rapid weight loss in short amounts of time---but they are packed with SUGAR! If you follow the Slim Fast diet, you can consume up to 78 grams of SUGAR just in THEIR products alone! Same for Special K bars and shakes (their cereal is okay).

My main issue with these diets? They aren't sustainable. As soon as you start eating normal food again, you gain back the weight. This is why people are frequently on a weight roller coaster and always "dieting!" The BEST diet is eating a healthy, balanced meals--preferably small meals 5-6 times a day. If you need help, Weight Watchers is a great, proven way to success--they teach you how to eat right for YOU, not follow some fad or restrict what you eat.

However, your best bet is a balanced diet made up mostly of whole foods. Whole foods are, as one wise man once told me, anything that grows from the ground, flies in the air, swims in the sea, grows on trees...You get the point. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and legumes, lean meats, low-fat diary, some nuts and seeds (but be careful, as many nuts and seeds are high in fat!) are whole foods. Non-whole foods are processed foods. Most of the recipes here try to incorporate mostly whole foods!

And of course, you need to reward yourself and spluge once in awhile. An occasional dish of ice cream, piece of cake, or your other favorite indulgence will NOT kill you if you save it as just that--a treat! Research has shown that staying away from ALL sweets (if you crave them) actually leads to more people binging on sweets when given the opportunity, in contrast to dieters who allow themselves the occasional sweet. Remember: 1 pound of fat=3500 extra calories above and beyond what your body needs/you burn through exercise. So having an occasional treat will NOT make you fat! (This was a difficult one for me to learn, I'm thankful to the nutritionist who explained this to me point-blank!)

Eat well and be well, my loves!