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High Protein and Other Fad Diets

Updated April 11, 2013

The fad of following high protein diets seems to never fade. Not only are the weight loss results of these plans often temporary, but by following them you put your health at risk as well. Most of them are filled with fat, cholesterol, animal protein, microbes and environmental chemical contaminants, while being deficient in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential carbohydrates, and other phytonutrients. In the extreme forms (Atkins-type), they cause weight loss by causing you to become sick. The others work by the time-honored “starve-yourself-methods” (Zone-type), or by a combination of the two methods (South Beach Diet). For lifelong weight loss and good health, you should eat like thin people eat (rural Asians, Central Americans, Africans, etc.), i.e. a diet based on starches, vegetables and fruits.

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