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Things to Consider before You Choose a Diet
Before you opt for any fad diet, you need to ask yourself a few questions, which will help you to zero in on the right diet plan. Blindly following the latest fads in nutrition, just because they claim to help you lose weight will only harm your body. As you age, you need to choose your diet wisely. You need to manage your calorie intake while ensuring that you include vital nutrients in your diet. Ask yourself the following questions:
Is it safe?
A diet that urges you to take a lot of supplements, or requires strange food combinations or extremely high levels of protein, is not safe. Period. Dietary supplements sold over the counter are not as carefully regulated as medications are and have not been proven safe or effective and you should avoid them. High levels of protein in the body promote ketosis, a metabolic state similar to starvation, which can unnecessarily stress your kidneys and your liver. A diet deficient in carbohydrates can be harmful since carbohydrates are the most preferred sources of energy for your body.
Does the diet provide balanced nutrition?
A healthy diet should include all the important vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the right proportion.
Your diet should not completely eliminate whole food groups or severely limit food choices. Doing so is both unhealthy – and virtually impossible for anyone to adhere to for long periods of time. Deprivation simply doesn't work.
Does the diet have a credential source? Follow a diet written or developed by a qualified doctor (M.D. or D.O.) or, a registered dietitian. If the diet is promoted by a certain brand of supplements or a brand of meal replacement, there is a good chance that a sponsor's commercial interests are driving the diet.
Can you individualize the plan? You need to analyze the diet plan and check if you can individualize it. If the plan suggests the same amount of food for everyone, irrespective of the weight and individual needs, then you can say goodbye to it. Different people have different needs, and the diet plan should be able to accommodate those. Dieting comfortably should be your mantra.
Last, but not the least, is physical activity a part of the diet? A healthy diet plan should include a moderate amount of regular exercise. Merely cutting down on calories and losing weight without any kind of physical exercise is wishful thinking. Without physical activity, you may shed pounds by changing your diet, but you won't be building up a healthy amount of muscles and keeping your body fit.
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