By Anna E. Dyer
1. Dieting No-Nos
Regardless of how much you want to lose weight and how fast you want that weight loss to occur, you should never put your health at risk by dieting. While some crash diets may help you to detoxify your body and lose weight in the process, others are extremely dangerous. It is best to avoid any diet which restricts your vitamin and mineral intake, for example diets which recommend only one or two types of foods. Diets that limit calories below 1,500 a day or that simply make you feel bad are not a good idea.
2. Drink Your Way to Weight Loss
Juice fasting may have a bad rap, but it is simply because many people do not know how to perform a fast correctly. The truth is that a juice fast can help to detoxify your system and help speed weight loss. To perform a juice fast, consume as much fresh pulp-free fruit and vegetable juice as necessary to satisfy hunger; however, do not fast longer than 7 days without doctor supervision, as your body will need to replenish its protein stores after 7 to 10 days. Don't abuse a juice fast either, limiting the diet to no more than 10 days in a 30-day period.
3. Super Soups and Salads
One of the best crash diets out there simply replaces your regular meals with hearty soups and salads. Healthy soups and salads prepared with a variety of fresh vegetables and whole grains and garnished with low-fat dressings ensure that you body gets all of the vitamins and minerals it needs while eliminating unhealthy fats and aiding in weight loss. Remember that vegetables are far lower in calories, so you may need to eat more than usual to feel satisfied; however, feel confident in your diet as everything you are ingesting is good for your body.
4. Taking Things One Meal at a Time
If you are looking to lose just a few extra pounds, replacing 1 meal a day with a weight loss supplement is a fantastic crash diet. There are a multitude of meal replacement powders and pre-made drinks which are full of vitamins and minerals, supporting your heath during your diet. Remember that for meal replacement to work, you must supplement your daily diet with 2 well rounded and healthy meals.
5. Just Say No to the Yo-Yo
Remember that a crash diet must be performed in a healthy manner to show long-term results. Avoid cutting back too much on calories for any period of time, as it can effect your metabolism and actually cause you to gain weight faster. Consider crash diets as a healthy aid to permanent weight loss, and supplement occasional dieting with a regularly healthy diet, exercise and a positive attitude.
Anna Dyer, BA, LMT, CN, has 10 years of experience as a natural healer and freelance writer. She has counseled hundreds of clients and published numerous written works on natural health and fitness. Dyer currently writes a feature article for a women's fitness magazine and is completing her first book.
Find more at Livestrong.com.
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