| |
| |
| The Non-Diet Diet
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution. A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone. Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high. In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being. Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for. Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. For more information regarding her Non-Diet Diet and other programs visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com .
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How My Health Was Restored Through Glyconutrition My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live in the Minnesota Northwoods with my husband, George, our German Shorthair, Bodhi, and our senior citizen cat, Cinnamon. Homeostasis and Complementary Therapies The word 'homeostasis' is made up of two Greek words: homeo; meaning the same or similar, and stasis; meaning stable, or standing in the same place. The body's systems participate in maintaining homeostasis, keeping the body's internal environment healthy despite external environmental change. How Can I Uncover Hidden Sugar And Prevent Carb Creep? Many low carb dieters fall victim to "carb creep," which is triggered carb binges, caused by creeping intakes of carbs. This is particularly a problem after finishing the stricter early phases of their plans. Protein, Carbs and Fat: Learn How to Diet with Macronutrients Weight loss plans are almost always trying to get you to get rid of some food that you love. However, the three macronutrients (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat) as well as the unofficial fourth, water, are all necessary for good health. Focus On Fiber: How Much Is Enough? Looking for an easy and natural way increase your vitality and improve your overall well-being? Try eating more fiber! The average American only gets about half the amount of fiber they need everyday for their body to function optimally. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), fiber helps lower cholesterol and is important for the health of our digestive system. Vitamin D - The Sunshine Vitamin! Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin like A and E. This vitamin is hard to obtain from food. The Most Effective Treatments for Acid Reflux Disease Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of the digestive system, often characterised by persistent burning or discomfort behind the breastbone. As the symptoms of GERD can mimic those of coronary disease, it is important that you visit your doctor, if you have chronic heartburn. Fructose Short-Circuits Glycolysis First some terminology.Fructose . Serious About Wanting To Improve Your Familys Healthy Eating Lifestyles? Dr. Christine Wood, M. Learn the Basics of a Successful Low Cholesterol Diet Understanding What a Low Cholesterol Diet isBasically, in order to lower your cholesterol, you will have to follow a diet that is? low in saturated fat and ? low in cholesterolThis is absolutely essential in helping you to lower your cholesterol. You must understand that although cholesterol lowering medications can be prescribed by your doctor, you will still need to follow a controlled diet specifically to help reduce your high blood cholesterol levels. Diet and Eczema Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may play a role in triggering eczema. It has only been in recent years that doctors and health professionals have become aware of the significance of diet on eczema. Lesser of Two Evils: Splenda or Equal? While packages of the artificial sweetener Splenda claim, "made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar," one competitor argues that this statement is nothing short of false advertising.In fact, this rival, Equal manufacturer Merisant Co. Help Prevent Premature Aging With Nutrition-Science Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates than new cells are generated. People age prematurely because inadequate nutrition resulting from poor diet stimulates cellular destruction and increases the potential for obesity, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases. The Isometric Diet and Balanced Health The concept isometric has been a part of the health care vocabulary for decades. The most common application of the term, until now, has been with respect to physical exercise. Hypertension -Twelve Simple Things You Can Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with a new disorder: pre-hypertension. Is your blood pressure low enough?Nearly 23% of people over the age of 18 have pre-hypertension (blood pressure over 120/80 and less than 140/90). Eating to Health? Think Again! So, what is new about this that you already don't know? Think again. It is not what-you-are-aware that is important, but are-you -alert, that is. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you can find, in certain amounts, in all oils that you can purchase in most the health food and regular grocery stores. These fatty acids are called essential because you cannot create them in your body and your cells use them every day. What about Potassium? Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document report 264 you'll life should be changed forever. You're going to discover that the biggest fallacy most people aren't aware of is that if we eat a balanced diet, (the four food groups), we get all the nutrients we need to stay healthy and live a long life. Beware of Eating Too Much Protein The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and there is no point in adding any more, unlike fat cells, there is no place in the body to store protein so the excess is eliminated or is seen as fat rather than muscle.So what you need to do is to consume just enough protein to allow your muscles to be healthy, perform work and grow. An Open Letter to Mankind In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body of research has been carried out into the role of the sugars that are an essential part of glycoproteins. These sugar-protein complexes are the building blocks of our immune system, and are the method by which cells "talk" to each other.
|
| © 2006 |
