Healthy Food Diets
There are countless diet books and programs on the market that promise you weight-loss success. It takes time to sift through those with unrealistic restrictions and claims to find a program based on healthy foods and gradual weight loss. Remember, fad diets are full of empty promises.
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Features
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Diets focused on healthy foods do not eliminate a specific food group, do not focus on the intake of one or only a few specific foods and do not make unrealistic claims for rapid weight loss or treatment of disease. Healthy food diets provide balanced food choices from all the major food groups--grains, proteins, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Their focus is on long-term lifestyle change and gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
Types
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Despite the fact that diet programs and books are part of a major money-making industry, there are several that can be considered healthy food diets. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a program designed to improve health and reduce high blood pressure. The South Beach Diet Supercharged focuses on fresh foods and balanced eating for long-term weight loss. The Good Mood Diet is a program designed for improved health and weight loss, which considers mental well-being and how foods affect our mood.
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Function
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Healthy food diets are ideal for individuals seeking to lose weight, reduce the risk of disease and make long-term lifestyle changes. These diets are easier to stick to because they allow you to eat a variety of healthy foods as well as offer guidance on preparing flavorful meals. There is less restriction leading to deprivation, which is a major reason why people stop following dietary programs. Healthy food diets provide all the nutrients necessary for the body, keeping you nourished, healthy and satisfied.
Benefits
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These diets remove unrealistic expectations when it comes to weight loss. They emphasize the necessity of losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week as a method for obtaining long-term weight loss success. Many encourage keeping a food diary, which research has shown is a key to losing weight and keeping it off. These diets promote a balanced intake of carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle building and normal body function, and healthy fats for the transport of fat soluble vitamins and brain health.
Misconceptions
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The word "diet" is associated with giving up favorite foods and suffering through bland meals without flavor. While many healthy food diets, such as those examples listed, are in fact termed "diets," they serve as an example of a healthy way of eating, which can be incorporated into your daily routine permanently. Seek out those diets that allow foods from all the major food groups, provide recipe ideas, and give examples of meal plans. A healthy food diet will involve a way of eating that you can enjoy on a daily basis without feeling deprived.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Scott Liddell, www.morguefile.com
