Why Diet Foods Aren't Always Good For You

The diet industry is making billions of dollars a year from people just like you who are dying to take off the extra weight they've acquired over the years. Unfortunately, a lot of the claims you find are just hype designed to sell a product. It really doesn't matter to them if you lose weight or not. As a matter of fact, they are placing bets that even if you lose weight you won't keep it off. Their bet pays off again and again as you stay frustrated and spend even more money, while their paychecks grow exponentially every year. And sadly, diet food is following the same tune, making big bucks off of your hopes and dreams.

Take a trip to any grocery store and you'll be overwhelmed by the amount of diet food you find. There are fat and sugar free versions of every food imaginable, from donuts to yogurt. Even ice cream is available in a low carbohydrate version. Then there are the meal replacement shakes and bars, promising quick weight loss if you follow their diet for only a couple of weeks. While this used to be limited to certain brands like Weight Watchers and Slim-Fast, now major food brands like Breyers and Kellogg's are making their own special weight loss foods. The Special K Diet came from a popular cereal that originally wasn't a diet food at all.

The trouble with these foods is not what the label says, but what it doesn't say. In order to make up for the lack of certain ingredients, other ingredients become problematic. For example, a sugar free version of your favorite cookie probably has up to double the amount of salt or fat than the original. Fat free food usually includes much more salt. Another issue is that people tend to overeat on these foods, believing they are safe because they are healthy. If you overeat on a low fat food, you will end up with just as much fat as if you bought the original. Others buy things they wouldn't normally eat because of the special labeling, adding unneeded calories to their diet.

With any weight loss program, appetite control is the key to success. It is important to get moderate exercise and reduce your calories. If hunger is especially tricky, try using a natural appetite suppressant such as hoodia to help curb cravings. The goal is not to starve yourself, but in order to see results you must create a deficit between the amount of calories your body takes in and burns each day. A hoodia shot can help you achieve this while taking your mind off of food, allowing you to focus on what's in front of you instead of feeling hungry all the time.

Susan Patterson has been studying alternative medicine and health for over 10 years. She loves to write to help others, especially in the area of quick weight loss, which can be accomplished safely. She has found several herbal remedies to be effective in her journey to better health without the side effects that medications cause. She is particularly passionate about hoodia for weight loss.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Patterson
Susan Patterson have been studying alternative medicine, health and fitness for over 10 years.

Even Mild Infections Hasten Decline With Alzheimer's (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- For people with Alzheimer's disease, even a minor infection can double the rate of memory loss, British researchers report.
Program Curbs Teen Substance Abuse, Delinquency (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) Substance abuse and delinquent behavior among teens was significantly reduced in communities that tried a university-designed prevention program, a new study found.
Severe, Lasting Depression Tied to Heart Patient Deaths (HealthDay)
HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Certain depressed patients who suffer from heart disease have nearly double the risk of dying over a seven-year period compared with other depressed patients, researchers say.
Colon Cancer Screenings Still Too Low: Study (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Despite highly publicized education campaigns and widespread agreement about the importance of colorectal cancer screening, only 61 percent of Americans who should be screened do so, new research finds.
Health Tip: Is Your Child's Backpack Too Heavy? (HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Backpacks, if stuffed too full, can be so heavy that they can cause back pain and injury.
Health Tip: Help Prevent Pinkeye (HealthDay)
HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Conjunctivitis, commonly called pinkeye, is a highly contagious infection.
Colleges Move to Limit Swine Flu's Spread (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Erica Goldfine, a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., returned to school this semester to find a new item in her college handbook, right after academic policies on cheating: emergency preparedness procedures for the H1N1 swine flu.
Virus May Drive Some Prostate Cancers (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A new study tightens the suspected link between a virus and prostate cancer, and raises the possibility that infection with the virus could be an indicator of aggressive tumors that require swift treatment.
Health Highlights: Sept. 8, 2009 (HealthDay)
HealthDay - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Gum Disease May Increase Head and Neck Cancer Risk (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Taking good care of your teeth may help cut your risk of developing head or neck cancer, suggests a new study that links a gum disease to such tumors.


Here are some more healthy tips for kids articles...