Unsustainable Diets And How To Avoid Them |EverythingSustainable.com
If you have ever tried to lose weight or improve your health, you are well aware of the hundreds, if not thousands, of diets on the market. Sadly, most of these are considered “fad diets” and do not help people lose weight for good. These are unsustainable diets and can even cause adverse health effects. Further, some rely on unsustainable food sources and are bad for the environment. Take a look at the list of characteristics below to find out if your diet is unsustainable:
1. Cuts Out Major Food Groups
Eliminating entire food groups from your diet is incredibly limiting, make it difficult to maintain for very long. Unfortunately, eliminating major food groups is a common dieting tactic. A recent study found that 53% of young women avoid consuming certain types of foods to lose weight and improve their looks.
Nutritionists agree that the various food groups provide essential nutrients that need to be consumed to maintain a healthy body. Dairy, for example, is considered by many to be unhealthy. However, consuming at least some dairy is important because it contains calcium, essential to the health of your teeth and bones. Eliminating whole food groups from your diet denies your body of vital nutrients, making the practice unsustainable and unhealthy.
2. Sets Unrealistic Expectations
Some diets make unproven weight-loss claims and promote unhealthy methods of shedding pounds. While you may temporarily lose weight using these methods, they are not likely to help you keep the weight off for good. These diets don’t help you develop healthy habits like eating nutritionally balanced food and consuming enough vitamins and nutrients. These diets tend to focus on extreme methods instead of wellbeing and are therefore not sustainable.
3. Requires Processed Meat
With current food production trends driving climate change and pollution, environmental sustainability is a major concern. Meat in particular is considered by environmentalists to be an unsustainable food source. Most of the meat intended for human consumption comes from animals raised in factories. The Environmental Protection Agency found that factory-raised meat is a major contributor to environmental pollution. Therefore, reducing your meat intake can make your diet more environmentally friendly.
4. Only Allows One Type of Food
Some plans require dieters to go to extreme lengths to lose a few pounds. Some diets only allow you to consume a certain type of food, such as juice or soup, for a certain period of time. While you may temporarily lose weight, those pounds will likely return. Even worse, you are likely to experience headaches, loss of energy and irritability while you are on the diet.
5. Costs a Lot of Money
Some of the most unsustainable diets require followers to buy pricey supplements or equipment to be successful. Losing weight and staying healthy requires eating well-balanced, nutritionally sound food and staying active. Both of these requirements can be achieved without spending a fortune or purchasing gimmicky products.
