Beyond the Fads: Healthy Alternatives to Quick Fix Diets
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD.
Low carb. No carb. No fat. High fat. Pills. Powders. Potions.
Does the thought of putting yourself through another diet make you want to throw your hands up like Charlie Brown and scream?
My wish for you is to never diet again. But if you are tempted to try the latest “lose-5-pounds-in-5-days” quick fix diet of the month, read on to learn the fad diet warning signs.
If the diet you are considering checks any of these boxes, you can feel confident that it’s a fad diet:
- Eliminates or strictly limits entire food groups
- Sounds too good to be true
- Drastically cuts calories
- Requires you to take special pills, powders, herbs, or injections
- Promises rapid weight loss
- Requires you to replace meals with special food bars or drinks
The Dangers of Quick Fix Diets
Although the thought of a quick fix can be appealing, you should be informed of the potentially serious and sometimes long-term side-effects.
- Constant thoughts about forbidden foods
- Risk of developing nutrient deficiencies
- Risk of developing an eating disorder
- Develop an unhealthy relationship with food
- Become disconnected with your body’s sense of hunger and fullness
- Muscle loss
- Decreased metabolism
- Sleep disturbances
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Hormonal imbalances
- Weight gain
What to Look for in a Diet
When I say diet, I don’t mean it in the traditional weight loss sense. I’m referring to the kinds of food a person habitually eats.
A healthy, commonsense diet is one that:
- You can safely follow for the rest of your life
- Doesn’t require you to eliminate entire macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, etc.)
- Makes room for a variety of food
- Doesn’t leave you feeling deprived
- Fills you with energy
- Focuses on health, not weight
- Fuels your body, mind, and spirit
The Key to Lifelong Health: Building Healthy Habits
The secret to enjoying good health is to build healthy habits. This may seem like an obvious statement, but do you realize just how powerful one healthy habit can be?
Good habits take on a life force of their own and are much more powerful than the bad ones. They’re contagious!
Take for instance the decision to become more physically active. You begin with a commitment to walk around the block every day after dinner. After the walk, you notice that you have a little more energy and feel pretty positive about yourself. Because you feel so good, you choose to eat an apple for your evening snack instead of the usual chocolate doughnut. Do you see how this works?
Good habits breed good habits. Your body feels better and your self-esteem gets a nice big boost, giving you the motivation to keep going. Before you know it, your bad habits fade away one by one like the latest fad diet.
The key to building an empire of good habits is to think small, that way your entire life won’t feel like it’s being turned upside down. Pick one of these baby step habits to start building today:
- Take a walk around the block after lunch or dinner each day.
- Drink a 16-ounce glass of water before each meal.
- Pack an apple with your lunch.
- Enjoy a banana as a snack.
- Have a leafy green salad with your dinner.
- Pack some carrots and cherry tomatoes with your lunch.
Key Takeaway
Change can be a scary thing, so make it less intimidating by focusing on one small habit change at a time. The results will amaze you! Decide on the one small habit you can begin building today and put it into action immediately. Because good things come to those who don’t wait.
