The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Surprise! Here are the good, the bad and the ugly side of dieting.
Summary: Here are some points on the good, the bad and the ugly side of dieting. Hopefully these will give you insights and valuable important information about dieting.
Let's put science all up in this topic!
Many cleansing diets have come and gone, coming back over the course of many years, taking on new names, much like fashion.
Cleansing diets aim to "reset" the metabolism, digestion, and focus. By restricting your diet to specific type of food (or even restricting it by fasting), you cleanse or detoxify yourself of "toxins", whatever that may be.
As the saying goes, "you are what you eat." So what is the best place to start when to cleanse yourself? One of the best ways to clean your system is by removing digestive problems. The best way to do this is to see a physician who has years of medical training to back up his diagnosis.
Don't rely on stories of a friend who recently started following this new cleansing diet.
But do cleansing diets really work or do they more harm than good.
The good: fasting
Nothing beats good old fasting. Scientifically proven benefits of fasting include reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and slowing down of the aging process.
A University of California study from 2005 showed that eating fewer calories every other day slows down cell proliferation in several tissues. Restricting cell proliferation is key to the cancer problem, since cancer is basically the uncontrolled division of cells.
By feeding mice 5% fewer calories three times a week, scientists observed that there was a substantial reduction in cell proliferation.
How to fast properly: Try the I-only-have-500-pesos-until-Friday method. Works like a charm.
The bad: Master Cleanse
Master Cleanse is a diet that restricts the intake of liquids by an individual. It supposedly eliminates toxins. The Master Cleanse diet is lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and water, all mixed together. The diet lasts up to 40 days, or a minimum of 10 days.
What do you stand by following the Master Cleanse diet? Rapid weight loss. That's pretty much it. Of course, it also removes "toxins" because the diet restricts a person from drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and eating junk food.
What about side-effects? Going on this kind of diet will give a person fatigue, nausea, and long-term loss of muscle mass.
The ugly: Master Cleanse clones
David Kirsch 48-Hour Super Charged Cleanse. Martha's Vineyard Diet. Different names for more of the same.
These diets together with Master Cleanse restrict a person to a liquid die. Many celebrities like Beyonce, Anne Hathaway, and Liv Tyler have all gone on liquid diets.
People will lose 10 to 20 pounds. But pounds shed while on these diets are basically just water weight. It will all come back with vengeance.
(Thanks to: Paulo Vargas of hotjobs)
