Diets That Definitely Don’t Work: Part 1
8:00 PM
Mary Hartley, the registered dietitian and
nutritionist for dietsinreview.com,
says a diet can help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run if you
choose a plan that's healthy, satisfying and reasonably simple to follow.
Read
on for the first three (of seven) diets that definitely don't fill that bill.
PALEO
The Premise
Eat like our hunter-gatherer
ancestors did by dining on vast amounts of red meat and avoiding anything
humans didn't consume before agriculture was invented.
The Reality
Paleo ranked dead last out of the 29 diets in U.S. News and
World Report's most recent best and worst diets survey. Its
nutrition experts took issue with every aspect of this diet, warning that it
was hard to follow, not effective for weight loss and a poor choice for heart
health.
For a Healthier Diet, Go Wild
A true paleo diet that
focuses on lean meats and lots of wild plants might be a healthy way to lose
weight, the experts said. But duplicating such a regiment in modern times is
next to impossible.
GLUTEN-FREE
The Premise
Giving up the gluten protein
found in wheat, barley and rye leads to weight loss.
The Reality
Avoiding gluten is absolutely
essential for those with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or gluten
intolerance. Going gluten-free for weight loss? Not so much.
"Gluten has nothing to
do with weight loss, so the diet simply doesn't work," said Hartley.
Many
people with celiac disease who follow a gluten-free eating plan for the first
time wind up gaining weight because their bodies are finally able to absorb
calories and nutrients properly. And filling up on gluten-free junk food is
definitely not a productive weight-loss strategy. Because gluten must be
replaced with something, gluten-free treats are usually pumped full of extra
fat, sugar and preservatives and tend to be higher in calories and unhealthier
than standard snacks.
BLOOD TYPE
The Premise
What you can eat depends upon
your blood type. For example, those with type O blood are encouraged to eat
lean proteins, poultry and fish, and discouraged from eating grains and
legumes.
The Reality
A new review of 20 studies
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found absolutely no
evidence to support the rationale for this type of eating plan.
Beyond
the science, Hartley dissed the diet for being overly complicated.
"If you need to get out
a list every time you sit down to a meal, this is not a diet you can sustain in
the long term," she said.
Related: “Gluten-Free
Eating”, “Spot a
Fad Diet”
Original article and pictures, “The
7 Worst Weight-Loss Diets” by Liz Neporent
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We
offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes
the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org
1 comments
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