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Dieting: Why You Should Stop


First Posted: 01/25/2012 8:36 pm Updated: 01/26/2012 2:37 pm

Lisa Eisenstadt | The Daily Muse

It seems like there's a new fad diet or food "discovery" nearly every day that promises to help us lose weight and be healthier. But is eating right and maintaining a healthy weight so complicated that we must drown ourselves in new techniques and data, searching for the ever-elusive answer to our body issues?

Thankfully, no. Eating right is a practice, and there are some pretty straightforward ways to get and stay on track. But perhaps what's equally important is understanding why these "diets" don't work -- so you can ditch them once and for all. Here's why you should forget about the "promising" eating programs -- plus tips for how to live a healthy life, the right way.


1. There's No "One-Size-Fits-All" Approach
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Each person has unique nutritional requirements, so when experts say "eat whole wheat" or "dairy is good for you," it's a generalization - one person's food may be another's poison. It takes great personal attention to determine what type of lifestyle changes and diet regimen is best for you, and it'll be based on your age, activity level, genetic heritage, and personal preferences.

So instead of trying to fit into a cookie-cutter eating plan, remember to be true to yourself. Learn how to eat a well-balanced diet-and one that's based on your specific needs.


Diets might mean well by trying to get us to think about our health, but in the long run, they only delay learning good eating patterns. The real solution to maintaining a healthy weight -- for good -- is to lose the diet mindset and adopt wellness as a way of life.


Lisa is a holistic health counselor and founder of Routes to Wellness; she is certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Lisa teaches women about food and how to make healthy lifestyle choices to lose weight, prevent (and even reverse) chronic health conditions, and unlock a lifetime of inner balance. She is a self-taught vegetarian cook, practices yoga, and is passionate about physical movement, creativity, and self-care. Lisa has dedicated herself to sharing the value of holistic health with others and helping women uncover the tools they need to feel vibrant, confident, and strong.


This post originally appeared on The Daily Muse.


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Lisa Eisenstadt | The Daily Muse It seems like there's a new fad diet or food "discovery" nearly every day that promises to help us lose weight and be healthier. But is eating right and maintaining...
Lisa Eisenstadt | The Daily Muse It seems like there's a new fad diet or food "discovery" nearly every day that promises to help us lose weight and be healthier. But is eating right and maintaining...
Lisa Eisenstadt | The Daily Muse It seems like there's a new fad diet or food "discovery" nearly every day that promises to help us lose weight and be healthier. But is eating right and maintaining...
Lisa Eisenstadt | The Daily Muse It seems like there's a new fad diet or food "discovery" nearly every day that promises to help us lose weight and be healthier. But is eating right and maintaining...
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