This time of year, lots of people have weight loss on their minds and they’re looking for the next best diet to try. But the thing is, not all eating plans are healthy or do everything they claim to do. If your goal is to shed a few pounds, dietitians advise avoiding diets with these red flags and products with these marketing buzzwords.
- Red flag #1: You’re always hungry on the eating plan - Registered dietitian Amanda Frankeny says, “Hunger shouldn’t be a problem on any diet.” It should include a wide range of food and enough calories and nutrients to keep you satisfied.
- Red flag #2: Your new eating plan isn’t flexible - If your diet doesn’t take your personal needs, lifestyle and preferences into account, you’re probably not going to stick with it. Registered dietitian Marissa Meshulam explains, “There’s no one-size-fits all to food or nutrition.” These experts say the best diet for lasting weight loss is one that allows for sustainable and incremental changes.
- Red flag #3: Plans that cut out entire food groups - We’re looking at you keto. Kim Rose Francis, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator explains that carbs have been considered the “bad guy” for a long time, but “the truth is any claim that lists foods as ‘bad’ is a major red flag.”
These dietitians also caution us to watch out for products with these buzzwords:
- Proprietary supplement blends - If a label doesn’t tell you exactly what’s in it, be careful because supplements aren’t well regulated in the U.S.
- Low-calorie products - “Calories are energy,” explains Meshulam. “Food is meant to be energy. Do you want low energy food?”
- Unregulated terms - We’re talking about words like “superfood,” “miracle,” “immune-boosting,” or “cure” that aren’t scientific, don’t necessarily mean anything that can be measured in a lab and are used to appeal to your emotions, according to Frankeny.
- Detox - Tinctures, teas, supplements and diets won’t help detox your body, but your organs do ir naturally every day.
Source: Huff Post
Photo: Getty Images