#Fitness | 12 MIN READ

Ditch fad diets, switch to healthy eating habits

A good diet and regular exercise are needed to keep the body and mind fit and for one to lead a healthy and happy life. But extreme dieting and over-exercising are what this generation seems to be obsessed with

Size zero, an hourglass figure, six-pack abs, a sculpted and clean-shaven body – this is what social media propagates and we are undeniably sold to it. We wish to look like our favourite celebrities and so start blindly following fad diets, extreme exercise regimes and even surgery options that seem to have worked for them.

A physically attractive person appeals to us at first sight. But imagine this situation. You see a good-looking person and decide to make an introduction. However, this person is rather grumpy and does not respond nicely. The beauty and attraction fade away in an instant. The thought here is not to downplay physical beauty but to imply that it is important to feel good to look good. Because when you feel good, you exude your inner beauty and confidence and radiate a positive aura that naturally attracts others to you.

This ‘feel good’ factor does not refer to the temporary happiness we get from doing the things we love, like shopping, partying, drinking alcohol, eating junk food, etc. It is about being physically and mentally healthy to lead your life with confidence, energy and optimism. Fad diets are diet plans designed with the primary purpose of losing weight. They severely restrict food groups like carbohydrates, involve strict rules that are difficult to follow and often advise food that is difficult to swallow. They promise a quick fix if you follow them diligently but neither a sustainable approach to life nor sound health.

Good food and regular exercise trigger the ‘happy hormones’ in our brains. Imagine this – you come to the breakfast table and have your favourite breakfast waiting for you as opposed to the daily protein shake you down before heading to work. Now, you may like your protein shake. Still, if it is replaced with that favourite breakfast meal you have loved since childhood –scrambled eggs and toast, aloo parantha, or steaming hot idli-sambhar with filter coffee, it is sure to elevate your mood and energy. So, introducing variety to your meals is a good idea to keep the love for food going. And the good news is that everything is healthy when consumed in proportion.

Fad diets, more often than not, kill the joy associated with eating. We do manage to lose weight with them but start feeling miserable, moody and stressed. And stress does more harm to our weight loss plan than an occasional pizza or ice-cream would. Stress harms overall health, but we are emphasizing how it hampers the body’s weight loss mechanism because that is what people who follow fad diets are obsessed about. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body when you are under stress. The body perceives stress as a threat to survival and hence gets into an energy-saving mode. It starts storing fat and slows down the metabolism to help save energy. This is like if you were stuck in a blizzard with limited food and water supply. You would try to survive by making minimum use of these essentials with no idea of how many days you might stay stuck.

Diet-induced hunger affects energy levels and also mental and emotional stability. The obvious consequence is what we commonly hear nowadays - ‘I am having a bad day.’ There is that constant feeling of physical exhaustion and mental fatigue, but since work needs to be done, you try to kick the mind and body into action with caffeine. And then try to make up for your harshness by giving in to the temptations of alcohol, sweet cravings, or oily junk food. It’s like hitting a child and then pampering them to make up for your action - wrong both ways. Your mind and body need love, care and respect, just like the child does in our example. Your mind and body are your lifetime mates and you need to maintain a healthy relationship with them to lead a happy and successful life. Hence, it is crucial to steer away from short-term strategies and quick fixes like fad diets and develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

Fad diets vs. healthy eating habits can be best understood with the classic story of the hare and the tortoise race. When you dash for the results with fad diets, you are bound to tire yourself out and take a break. And that break will bring all the lost weight back and, most of the time, even more than what you had managed to lose. Opt for the steady course like the tortoise. Develop healthy eating habits – eat fresh homemade food, include veggies, fruits and sprouts in your diet, have portion-controlled balanced meals, avoid oily, spicy and junk food, and treat yourself to that not-so-healthy favourite food once in a while.

“The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.” – Tibetan proverb