Bad Diets and Scare Tactics
Continued from Spotting the Bad Diets.
Steer clear of scare tactics. Dire warnings to stay away from particular types of foods, such as bread, fruits and other carbohydrate-rich items, sometimes act as scare tactics and could be misleading.
Cutting out a major source of calories helps you lose weight, but you also miss out on important nutrients your body needs. Generally, no single food causes weight gain or boosts long-lasting weight loss if it is eliminated.
Having said that, keep in mind that refined carbohydrates and overly-processed foods such as white flour, soda, and candies provide empty calories and have no nutritional value.
Be suspicious of miracle meals. Avoid programs that emphasize one food, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., a weight-control expert and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
“So many diets have come and gone over the years, such as the cabbage soup diet, the spinach diet [...],” Taub-Dix says.
“These foods aren’t miracle weight-loss foods. Eating them leads to weight loss because they are very low in calories. If you cut calories from your diet, you’ll lose weight.”
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