Busting Four Important Diet Myths

From juice cleanses to keto diets to intermittent fasting, it seems like everyone you meet is trying out a new diet plan. The popularity of dieting is really no surprise considering that we are under constant pressure to look thinner and feel better but it seems like it is so hard to lose weight and so hard to stick to any diet. A lot of that difficulty might stem from some very important diet myths that far too many of us believe. We’ll break those myths down for you so that you can get back on track to feeling your best without resorting to dangerous fads.

• Myth 1: You shouldn’t cheat. Ever. It’s true that you should stick to your diet most of the time but you don’t need to be 100% faithful every day. Your metabolism adjusts to your diet and that means that it might slow down if you eat the same way every day. Having a cheat meal here and there can actually kick-start your metabolism and is also good for morale as long as you remember to just keep going with the diet the next day. Just don’t look at an off day as if it’s a failure or an excuse to give up.
• Myth 2: You should quit your guilty pleasures cold-turkey. This is similar to myth number one but it refers to the idea that people have that when they start a diet they need to immediately cut themselves off from the bad foods they love. The thought that you can never have sugar or chips again can actually make it much harder to stick to a diet. Forbidden foods become diet-crushing cravings. So allow yourself to sate your guilty pleaser on occasion in moderation. Have a piece of dark chocolate after a healthy meal or buy a small bag of chips and eat a handful here and there to keep yourself from giving up altogether.
• Myth 3: Diet food is bland. When we think of diets we often think of plain baked chicken breasts and steamed veggies. Yuck. Of course you don’t want to diet if that’s what a diet looks like. Luckily, diets can actually be full of delicious food. Use common sense and eat smaller portions, more protein, and fewer carbs but don’t sacrifice flavor. Learn to use your spice cabinet well and find recipes that are saucy and tasty while also being healthy. Good news for garlic lovers: you can have as much garlic as you want.
• Myth 4: You can’t eat out on a diet. One of the most exhausting parts of any diet is all of the food prep required. Cooking every night can be tiring and it makes it so tempting to grab fast food on the way home. The good news is that you can actually eat out on a diet if you use common sense. Moderation is key at a restaurant the same way it is at home so choose something with smaller portions or ask for a box when you get your food and immediately store half to eat as leftovers. Also choose items with more protein than carbs and go for healthy choices like asparagus instead of mashed potatoes on the side. You’ll find that your favorite restaurants actually make some truly yummy healthy food.

Keep in mind on any diet that you should always take care of your whole body. It is always a good idea to make sure you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need to keep yourself healthy. Try adding Traditional Tonic Nourishing Collagen to your morning diet routine to promote full-body health from your joints to your brain.