Crash Diets Do More Harm Than Good
No matter how hard you try to avoid it, overeating seems inevitable. Your mother slaved over the turkey. Aunt Betty insists you try her casserole. Uncle Mike just mastered making his own bread pudding. By the time you have sampled a little of everyone’s dish, and reluctantly allowed grandma to heap on a second helping of her special dish, you feel like you could be rolled home! By the following day you are ready to swear off food altogether. It’s time to cleanse, purge, fast, and juice your way to better health. Right?
The Danger of Fad Diets and Quick Weight Fixes
We all overeat at some point. Whether it’s at lunch when we are eating to get back to work, or a holiday gathering, we have all felt that food hangover feeling. Usually this is followed by all kinds of promises to yourself and the universe to never do it again. If you only go through this during the holidays then you may not be too bad off. But if you find yourself in this situation more than just once or twice a year; it may be time to reassess your habits. Many people turn to fad diets, cleanses, and all sorts of quick fixes. There is a very real danger to your health if you are prone to this kind of yo-yo dieting. The danger of fad diets is that they do more harm than good. This type of guilt dieting can actually slow down your metabolism and put your body into starvation mode. Your body thinks it may be getting ready for a famine and will actually pack on weight! Many of the quick-fix diets momentarily make you feel like you are accomplishing something when you see that scale move. However, what you are really losing is water and maybe even muscle! In the long-run you could find yourself packing on more weight and feeling worse! Too many cleanses and purges can leave your body seriously depleted of essential fats and nutrients. This can put strain on your heart! You could find yourself feeling fatigued, foggy, unable to focus, and short-tempered!
What Can I Do To Get Back On Track?
Maybe your self-indulgence did not cause you to overeat but you’ve eaten some things that you normally wouldn’t and you feel the need to get back on track. There are things you can do to help rid yourself of the bloated feeling and get back to feeling normal again. First thing is to drink plenty of water. Water actually helps rid your body of extra water weight. It sounds odd but it’s true. You cells are not afraid to let go of that extra water when they know a clean regular supply is available. Water helps your liver and kidneys detox. If your digestive system seems off, water should be the first thing you turn to. While it may seem counterproductive, drink some peppermint tea. Peppermint tea is a diuretic and as long as you drink a 2:1 water to tea ratio you will push out extra weight! Continue your exercise routine. If you are feeling crummy it is okay to just walk. Walking is a great way to help your body eliminate waste. It stimulates your digestion and as you feel more comfortable you can easily adjust to get your heart pumping as well. Walking is a low impact activity so you won’t hurt your knees and joints. This is especially important if you are not used to exercise or you have back or joint pain. Of course last but not least is to return to your healthy organic diet. Returning to what you know is best for your body is the best way to rid those extra calories and toxins you may have accumulated over the holiday season. So go ahead and try Aunt Josephine’s pumpkin pie and your sister’s casserole. Just go for small portions and if you slip up, no worries! A little soul satisfying peppermint tea, some water, light exercise, and you will get back on track safely.
Applications & Resources for Safe Weight Loss
- Check out Livestrong for more information on the dangers of the quick fix
- Read more of what com has to say about binge eating
- For more pointers on healthy eating go to WebMd
- Go to MedicineNet for some an interesting room on weight cycling
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