Nutrition 101 series: Diets

Atkin's, South Beach, raw foods, cabbage soup, liquids, zone, macrobiotic - these are just some of the more well known diets around the world thanks to the world of celebrity. But just because someone famous swears by a diet does that mean you should follow suit?

My interpretation of the word "diet" is basically deprivation. To diet is to deprive your body of something. You may disagree with my interpretation but let me explain my reasoning.

People go on diets for different reasons: to lose weight, to cleanse their body of toxins, to get healthier, to look and feel better. And how is this achieved? By depriving their body of the things that cause them to go on a diet in the first place. For example, people who go on the Atkin's diet want to lose weight and this is achieved by depriving their body of carbs and overloading on protein and fats. This deprivation of carbs does achieve a fast initial weight loss but in the long term it is unsustainable and the weight always come back.

Example of an Atkin's breakfast

One of the world's most famous celebrity dieter is Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow. She is a strict follower of the macrobiotic diet. If you haven't heard of it, it basically consists of grains as the staple of the diet supplemented with vegetables and legumes. Below is a breakdown of the diet and some of the rules:

• Whole grains, especially brown rice: 50–60%
• Vegetables: 25–30%
• Beans and legumes: 5–10%
• Fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, miso soup: 5-20%
• Soup (made from the ingredients above): 1-2 cups/day
• Food MUST be chewed thoroughly before swallowing
• Avoid poultry, meat, eggs, sugar, alcohol, coffee, spices, salt, chocolate, milk, yoghurt, cheese

For the normal person this may seem like an overly strict diet but for stars like Gwyneth and Madonna this is not a diet but a lifestyle. This diet is too restrictive to sustain and there is a lack of important nutrients. It's no wonder Gwyneth is now experiencing the side effects of the macrobiotic diet. A devout follower for 11 years she recently discovered she was in the early stages of osteopenia (an illness that can lead to osteoporosis) and had extremely low levels of Vitamin D - and we're talking about someone who is still in their 30's.

Diets are a quick fix short term solution to a weight problem and ask anyone who has dieted before how long they were able to keep the weight off. To maintain long term weight loss you need to change your lifestyle and make improvements to your diet - but making sure you do not deprive yourself. Eat healthily but allow yourself to indulge occasionally. Combine this with physical activity and you are on your way to achieving healthy weight loss for the long term.

Remember slow and steady wins the (weight loss) race!

JW