This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Crash diets are unlikely to result in long-term weight loss. In fact, they can sometimes lead to longer-term weight gain.
The main problem is that this type of diet is too hard to maintain. You may also be missing out on essential nutrients as crash diets can be limited in the variety of food consumed. Your body will be low on energy, and may cause you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods. This can lead to eating those foods and more calories than you need, causing weight gain.
I am sure there are many of you who, like me, have tried all the diets from Cambridge to Atkins via Cabbage (very anti-social!) to Paleo. Now there is a Pegan diet…..a cross between vegan and Paleo! Yes I have been sucked into most. However now, at the very mature age of 60, having completed the Microbiome Purify Programme 2 months ago, lost 8lbs, kept it off over the challenging Christmas period, I can agree with these experts. Click HERE for the full review.
I have now thrown all diet books away and that is because I now understand that the way we eat i.e. the when and the combinations of foods are so much more important.
The Diet Fix by Dr. Zoë Harcombe
I recently read The Diet Fix by Dr. Zoë Harcombe. This book just blows the lid off calorie counting and shows how to live a normal life and keep your diet healthy. This book is based on hard science and presented by someone who has tried them all and found out what works. She explains why weight loss diets don’t work and how you can eat your way to better metabolic health. Dr. Harcombe explains the science in a way that we can understand and applies these theories to our every day food.
Dr. Harcombe shows how to lose the weight and keep it off which is more important. She separates the fact from fiction. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to make the best of their health whilst keeping their weight at an optimal level.
The Clean Plate by Gwyneth Paltrow
The next book that I am enjoying is the new one, THE CLEAN PLATE, by Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth has received a lot of abuse about her website Goop, however I read this book with an open-mind. To me Gwyneth radiates health and clean living. This new book comes with a host of expert input and support by Paltrow’s team of nutrition experts and doctors. The book offers specific eating focused on:
Adrenal Support (with Dr. Alejandro Junger)
Heart Health (with Dr. Steven Gundry)
Candida (with Dr. Amy Myers)
Heavy Metal Detox (with Dr. James Novak)
Fat Flush (with Dr. Taz Bhatia)
Veg-Friendly Ayurveda (with Dr. Aruna Viswanathan)
Beyond the appealing recipes, THE CLEAN PLATE has meal plans, detoxes and cleanses to address the reader’s specific needs and desired results. AS Gwyneth says, ‘healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive.”
I have tried a couple of the recipes – The Courgette and Lemon Soccata and the Peruvian Chicken Cauli rice Soup. Both recipes were easy to make and totally delicious. The soup recipe is perfect for a Monday supper after a Sunday roast chicken meal. You can use the leftover meat and also make some fresh stock from the carcass.
Sometimes it is nice to give your menu a refresh and this book gave me lots of delicious recipes that appealed to everyone in my family, not just those on a health kick!