If you have been anywhere near social media, television or magazines recently, you have seen new diets advertised and old diets reinvented. It becomes confusing and frustrating to say the least. And downright dangerous at worst. As a dietitian, I am often asked about the best diet to follow. Honestly, there is no one right diet for everyone. I see people every day who need to modify their diet for one reason or another because just “eating healthy” does not meet their needs. A diet must be individualized to the person based on their physiology, goals, preferences, lifestyle, age and food availability. People all over the world enjoy a variety of healthy diets even though the foods they eat may be very different.
The key to a healthy diet is to include a variety of foods in moderation that provide all the nutrients you need while limiting or avoiding unnecessary ingredients.
Moderation, variety and balance are the keys to any healthy diet or lifestyle. Here are my 5 questions to ask about any diet to see if it is worth following.
- Does the diet exclude one or more major food groups?
- Could you follow this diet long-term? 30 days, 30 weeks or 30 years?
- Can you follow the diet when eating away from home or traveling?
- Does the diet require you to take multiple supplements or drink shakes or other meal replacements? – This one is a big red flag that says “nutrient-deficient diet”
- How expensive is the plan? Is it sustainable long-term?
Diets for Weight Loss
Any diet can cause weight loss if it restricts calories. Not every diet promotes health though. A diet should not be extremely low calorie or lack nutrients in order to cause weight loss. This defeats the purpose. Weight loss should be for health reasons. You should not have to sacrifice your health to lose weight. Often, I find that people need only to modify their diet or limit portions of what they already eat in order to control weight. You do not have to sacrifice everything you love in order to be healthy and lose weight. Being mindful of food choices goes a long way in promoting and sustaining weight loss. This also helps improve health by restricting calories while maintaining adequate nutrient intake. Calorie restriction (whether through eating less, eating lower calorie foods, weight loss surgery or following a diet program) has many health benefits in addition to weight loss. So when you think about losing weight for health, look for these 3 things in your diet.
- Are foods readily available and affordable for me to include in my daily diet?
- Can I include foods from every food group?
- Do I like the foods or recipes included in this diet enough to stick with it long term?
If you can say yes to all of those, you have found a diet that is sustainable and may give you good results now and in years to come. Stay away from the crazy, celebrity-endorsed, fake-science diets out there. You can achieve good health with a diet that you like and that is suited to you. Enjoy food (in moderation) for good health!
