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Fitness & Wellness

The Pros And Cons Of Restrictive Diets

Special diets are all restrictive diets in one way or another, even if it’s a healthy diet. If you’re suffering from a food allergy, you have to go on a restrictive diet that eliminates that type of food. However, most people think of super low calorie or low carbohydrate diets when they hear the term restrictive. There are pros and cons for both those types of diets and diets like paleo, raw food and vegan.

Let’s start by looking at extremely low calorie diets.

Low calorie diets have been around forever it seems. It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound, so by reducing caloric intake by 3500 less than you need, you’ll lose weight. There’s no definition of exactly what is eaten, just how many calories to eat. That liberal definition means you might eat five or six glazed donuts for 1200 calories per day, which is low calorie, but not healthy. A very low calorie diet restricts calorie intake to below 800 calories a day. While it’s good in the short term for the clinically or morbidly obese in the short term, it’s not sustainable over the long term. It’s not meant for pregnant or breastfeeding women and difficult to stick with.

Low carb or KETO diets look great at first.

When you first see the menu of a KETO diet, if you’re a bacon or meat lover you’ll be thrilled. How could you not be? Low carb diets involve eating less than 26% of your caloric intake from carbs. Normally, the amount advised is approximately 50%. One of the benefits of this type of restrictive diet is that it bans sugary foods and many highly processed foods made with grain, like pastry. However, there are drawbacks. It also limits many fruits and vegetables that are healthy and provide nutrients your body needs. It also can help blood sugar control if you’re diabetic. Changing to this type of diet can make you feel sick with headaches, diarrhea and exhaustion, sometimes called the “keto flu.” It also increases risk of cardio-vascular disease and fatty liver disease.

Paleo, raw food and vegan diets are also restrictive.

Paleo diets are based on what cavemen ate, before farming developed. It restricts milk products and milk, grain and grain products. The raw food diet involves eating food that’s never been cooked. The vegan diet doesn’t allow any animal product. There’s a lot of problems creating a well-balanced diet on all three, so it takes work and dedication. On the raw food diet, getting adequate protein is most difficult, since beans and legumes—a source of vegan protein—can only be sprouted and no animal products are allowed.

  • The raw food diet risk the potential of food-borne pathogens. It’s associated with low intake of vitamins and minerals, particularly B12, zinc, iron, vitamin D and calcium.
  • No matter what type of restrictive diet you choose, they all have two similar problems. They’re hard to stick with and normally end quickly. They also may cost more money to maintain than the average diet.
  • Restrictive diets limit you too much and create an unhealthy relationship with food. When you do break the diet and eat something not allowed, it often ends the diet and you regain the weight you lost.
  • We provide healthy diets plans with meals, recipes and shopping lists in one location. These diets can be continued for the rest of your life, since they’re based on healthy eating habits. You’ll learn to eat healthier while you’re losing weight.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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