One of the most frustrating things about dieting is when the results don’t remotely match the effort. Well, in many cases, it’s because your diet is terrible for you.
If you’re wondering what those diets are, here’s her list—ranked from bad to worse—and what you should do for better health instead.
Acid Alkaline Diet
For those who stand by the alkaline acid or alkaline ash diet, reaching a goal weight isn’t just about minimizing energy intake and increasing output, it’s also about maintaining the ideal pH balance. To keep the body from getting too “acidic,” which could lead to metabolic or respiratory acidosis: people should eliminate meat, sugar and processed food, and go for more “alkaline” foods such as fruits, vegetables, tofu, nuts, seeds, and legumes. The result is weight loss plus a decreased risk of arthritis and cancer.
Paleo
Based on the concept that we’re genetically mismatched with today’s diets, Paleo encourages people to eat like hunters and gatherers from 2.6 million years ago—choosing foods from animals, root vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds; and saying no to sugar and high fructose corn syrup, grains, legumes, dairy, some oils, trans fat, artificial sweeteners and processed food.
Whole 30
It’s never a good sign when a diet makes you tired and hangry. These are the symptoms you’ll probably notice with Whole 30—a flashy Instagram-worthy “challenge” that allegedly helps people lose up to 35 pounds in 30 days (water weight!), gain energy and improve sleep.
Rather than listing the foods to avoid, there’s only a limited amount of “good” foods—fruits, veggies, lean protein and potatoes (a recent addition). This is why Whole 30 is not sustainable by any means. It leaves dieters feeling deprived, igniting a severe binge-restrict cycle and serious effects such as slowed metabolism, hormonal imbalances, and many GI issues.
Read the full article at Forbes