Answer: It's easy to spot a fad diet
Typically, a fad diet shares some, or all, of the following characteristics:
Promises a quick fix.
Promotes 'magic' foods or combinations of foods.
Implies that food can change body chemistry.
Excludes or severely restricts food groups or nutrients, such as carbohydrates.
Has rigid rules that focus on weight loss.
Makes claims based on a single study or testimonials only.
Sometimes you need a special diet
Of course, some medical conditions do require special eating plans. In these instances, any recommendations from your doctor should be followed.
Fad diets can cause health problems
Because they often cut out key foods, fad diets may cause the following symptoms:
Dehydration.
Weakness and fatigue.
Nausea and headaches.
Constipation.
Inadequate vitamin and mineral intake.
Fad diets that severely restrict food groups or nutrients may also mean that you miss out on the protective health effects that a balanced eating plan provides. We don't know whether fad diets are safe over the longer term, or whether they lead to an increased risk of various diseases.
The answer is a balanced eating plan
Don't worry. There is an eating plan that gets results. You can achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and you don't have to cut out any foods because you can eat everything – in moderation.
It's called a balanced eating plan and it's nothing new. Combined with moderate physical activity, it will change your life.
With a balanced eating plan, it's what you leave in that makes all the difference. For a balanced eating plan to be successful, you need to:
Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.
Include a variety of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
Include lean meat, fish, poultry or alternatives.
Include milk, yoghurts, cheeses or alternatives.
Drink plenty of water.
Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake.
Choose reduced fat varieties of foods where possible.
Choose foods low in salt.
Limit your alcohol intake, if you choose to drink.
Consume only moderate amounts of sugars, and food and drinks containing added sugars. In particular, limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
Meeting your body's needs
A stable body weight means that the amount of kilojoules from food matches the kilojoules used by your body. If your weight is increasing, this may mean that you are eating too much food, doing too little physical activity or both.
Different food components contain different levels of kilojoules:
Fat is the most concentrated – it contains 37kJ/g (kilojoules per gram).
Protein contains 17kJ/g.
Carbohydrates have 16kJ/g.
Alcohol has 29kJ/g.
Carbohydrates are your body's fuel
Carbohydrates provide the body with kilojoules, or fuel. Foods that contain the most carbohydrates include:
Fruit.
Vegetables, especially potatoes and corn.
Legumes, including dried beans, peas and lentils.
Grains.
Bread.
Breakfast cereal.
Rice, pasta and noodles.
Low-fat milk and yoghurt.
These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals and are generally low in fat. This makes them well suited to a healthy eating plan. Some are excellent sources of dietary fibre, including wholegrain varieties, legumes, fruit and vegetables.
Foods with lots of added sugar (like soft drinks and sweets) are another source of carbohydrates, but these contribute extra kilojoules with few vitamins and minerals.
Protein helps your body build new cells
Protein is an essential nutrient that you need throughout life. Your body needs it to make, maintain and renew all its tissue and cells. Protein can be found in animal and plant-based foods:
Animal protein – protein-containing foods from animals are meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Vegetable protein – protein-containing foods from plants include tofu, nuts, seeds, lentils, dried beans and peas, and soy milk.
Explanation: