Dieting - A Dangerous Fasting

Dieting is the practice of eating and drinking under regulated conditions and is nothing less than starvation. But not many people keep up with their starvation and soon return back to their normal eating habits. When this happens, the weight inevitably comes piling back on.

What actually happens is that while they lost both muscle and fat during the diet, what they put back was all fat. So it results in gain of lot of fat but the muscles reduce. Even if they return to their pre-diet eating habits, they still require 500 fewer calories a day due to the muscle loss. That’s one reason dieters are prone to regaining all of the lost weight.

When the body is given fewer calories the natural response of the body is to conserve fat. The only solution to the dilemma is to have an active and a healthy lifestyle. It is also important to exercise daily and eat a nutritious diet.

There is no perfect definition for a healthy diet but eating small 4 – 6 meals a day consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables can keep one healthy. Only foods containing too much sugar and oil do harm to our health so it's better to avoid them.

Than never ever skip your breakfast and always try to eat slowely and chew your food properly. One must not eat while doing another activity side by side like watching tv, reading book or working on computer etc.

It was during the 1980 and 1990 that dieting became a trend. The people who diet opt for low calories and instead eat food rich in carbohydrates. High fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables also help a lot. One should eat small meals so that one does not tempt towards junk food when hungry. It is the healthy intake of food that counts at the end of the day.

Fasting has been considered a very dangerous practice as it deprives the body of important nutrients. Very low calorie diets and low carbohydrate diets restrict the intake of carbohydrates and glucose, which is in turn compensated by proteins. This leads to insufficient protiens leading to muscle wasting. Glycogen stores also last for a couple of days during starvation. So as the brain cannot rely only on fat, it leads to muscle loss.

Being healthy is really about the weight that is right for you. So eat less but whatever you eat must be healthy. Good luck and remember to eat smartly because it’s been rightly said ‘you are what you eat.’