Magic diet for summer: what could be the health consequences?

with the advent of Heat And this Holiday, many people are looking for the perfect formula to look good and feel healthy. In this context, fad diets They gain popularity by promising quick and effective results. However, these “magical diet“There are no modern inventions. There are good ones (very few) and not so good ones (mostly).

Already in classical antiquity, the Greeks and Romans said that a healthy mind lasts healthy body And he believed that obesity was a sign of some kind of imbalance.

Furthermore, the ancestors also praised “ideal” body, However their paradigm was much healthier than ours. An example is the Venus de Milo, a statue representing one of the most revered goddesses. The Greeks called her Aphrodite and the Romans called her Venus; But for both cultures she was a goddess of fertility, beauty, and love.

Those women with generous stomachs and wide hips were the reflection of feminine beauty., The model for men was a muscular, trained body. Already in the modern world, in 1863 William Banting published what is considered “the first fad diet”. This English undertaker wrote about his experience with weight loss, which included eliminating carbohydrates. Sometime later, in 1921, Dr. Russell Morse Wilder of the Mayo Clinic coined the term ketogenic for this type of diet.

This diet was popularized by Dr. Atkins in 1998 and is now known as “the keto diet, Same dog with different collars. Its teachings indicate that if we do not consume carbohydrates, our body turns to fat as a source of energy – either from food or from the body itself. When fats are metabolized, they give rise to ketone bodies, an alternative fuel that replenishes missing glucose and works to reduce appetite. However, this is usually a diet that is difficult to maintain over time.

This is usually a It becomes difficult to retain food over time, Additionally, in the short term, restriction can cause loss of appetite, fatigue, poor mood, irritability, constipation, headaches, and mental confusion. While there is a risk in the long term Kidney stones and osteoporosis, increases uric acid levels in the blood (a risk factor for gout) and alters the microbiota due to fiber deficiency. Fortunately, this is usually not done for long periods of time. People get tired.

Food is made up of three primary nutrients or macronutrients.: Carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Of course, they also contain micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals, and water.

Seeing it There are only three macronutrients, there are some combinations that can be made and they have all already been made., The strategy involves increasing or decreasing carbohydrates, proteins and fats as if it were an equalizer on a music system; And the combinations can be in percentage: 30% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 30% fat. Other options are: 20 – 20 – 60, 60 – 20 – 20, 80 – 10 – 10, or 35 – 35 – 30. Whatever combination you can think of…they’ve already invented it!

Truth is this Every fad diet is recycled every 20 or 30 years With different “makeups”, as foods are added or subtracted, even those chosen at random. To clarify the conditions that favor the use of fad diets, it is necessary to pay attention to two closely related issues: beliefs and prejudices.

Beliefs represent a system of rules through which we make decisions every day almost without thinking, because they form a part of everything we think about ourselves, about others and about life in general. Let’s bring along. Some are essential, such as logic, based on reality, personal experience that matches the experience of many people; And its use makes our life easier. For example: Red color of traffic light indicates “Stop”.

But these guidelines can also be distorted and lead to bad decisions. In that case, the belief becomes a bias: a deviation in information processing that leads to distortion or illogical interpretation based on inadequate or unrelated data. For example: “The Earth is flat.”

They are attractive, promising. They may even be harmless. but they are not effective,

In most cases they are low in calories; Therefore the result is fleeting. Additionally, when certain foods or entire food groups are omitted There may be a deficiency of essential nutrients (Iron, Calcium, Zinc; Protein and Vitamins). In the long run, the body can suffer from various imbalances increasing the chances of suffering from:

, malnutrition hidden.

, shift In the endocrine and nervous systems.

– massive damage fleshy,

– Decrease in bone mass (increased risk of osteopenia).

, low blood pressure (low blood pressure).

– Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.

– insomnia.

– Dry skin, hair fall, brittle nails.

– Irritability, anxiety, depression.

– Distortion of body image.

-Disappointment.

– These do not improve health.

– Most weight loss is usually due to loss of fluids, not fat.

– They offer little variety, become boring and are soon abandoned.

– They do not promote new eating habits, so at different times you return to old habits and regain the lost weight.

The word “diet” comes from the Greek dieta, and means “a way of life.” What this means is that eating healthy should be a part of lifestyle. However, if you ask me if weight loss magic exists, I answer yes. Magic happens when you decide to change and implement a new way of eating and moving.

– Be personalized. Be designed according to the interests, economic possibilities, schedules and activities of each individual.

– Modify habits progressively. With exceptions, consider a reasonable weight loss of between 500 grams to one kilo per week.

– Maintain balanced intake of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals)

– Avoid food restrictions: control the frequency and size of portions.

*Dr. Alberto Cormilot is a renowned Argentine doctor, obesity expert, health educator, author and lecturer. He founded and directs the Nutrition and Health Clinic named Dieta Club, the Elco Foundation (Anonymous Fighters Against Obesity) and the Argentine Institute of Nutrition, from where he advises industries on the development of dietary and healthy products.