Fad Diets

There are many people out there looking for fad diets to help them lose weight quickly. Most of the fad diets aren't a healthy way to lose weight. People need to known that they didn't put on the weight in one day or one month, so it will take more than that time to lose it. Several fad diets have risen and fallen from grace over the years due to the side effects they have. People still go for these quick weight loss diets without considering the fad diets pros and cons.

A word of caution, if you are contemplating going on a fad diet for weight loss, these diet are not balanced diet programs and may cause you harm. If you still feel like trying them out you shouldn't continue one for more than a week or two. The body needs carbohydrates, proteins and even fats to stay healthy, and most of these diets exclude one or two of these. Now, let's understand what are fad diets and know all about their benefits and dangers. Keep reading.

Popular Fad Diets

Most of the top fad diets ignore the most important rationale of healthy eating, that is balanced diet. If we starve the body of essential nutrients, we risk getting deficiencies. Many people have experienced that the effects of these diets are temporary, yet they fall for them every time a new diet program hits the market. Here is a list of some of the popular fad diets:

Acai Berry Diet
The acai berry diet gained popularity after it featured on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. The acai berry is from a palm plant found in the Amazon. There is no particular diet plan, you just consume the acai berry with any other diet plan that you are following. Acai berry is known to have a detoxifying effect on our body, it also has antioxidants which boost the immune system. Here's an acai berry diet plan that you can refer to.

Atkins Diet
One of the oldest diet plan is the Atkins diet program, which concentrates on a low carbohydrate intake. It is based on the principle that the body's metabolism shifts to burning stored body fats, if there is restricted carb intake. The diet has nine levels and each week you can add a food group to your diet, as specified by the diet plan. Here's an atkins diet plan for you.

South Beach Diet
The south beach diet was introduced by a pair of cardiologist and a dietitian, it was originally designed to preclude cardiovascular problems. It is considered to be one of the best fad diets that work and has gained popularity ever since its introduction to the weight loss diet plan market. The diet centers around eliminating sugars and processed carbohydrates in level one. In the last level the dieters are given the freedom to eat anything as long as they abide by certain eating principles.

Other Fad Diets
There are many other fad diets that will help you lose weight; some of them are even endorsed by celebrities. It is however advisable to consult a physician before you start any diet regimen, here are some of the other top fad diets you could consider:

• Zone Diet
• Cabbage Soup Diet
• Low Carb Diet
• Lemonade Diet
• Tuna Diet
• Special K Diet
• hCG Diet
• Raw Food Diet
• Low Fat Diet
• Macrobiotic Diet

Dangers of Fad Diets

After going through this fad diet list, you must have realized that most fad diets concentrate on propagating the use of one type of food group, for example a diet plan may recommend eating only protein while restricting the carb intake. This can cause deficiencies in the body which can lead to weakening of the immune system.

Some of the dangers of fad diets are low blood pressure, weakness and fatigue since most diet plans advocate exclusion of carbohydrates and fats from the dieters nutrition. Diets that advise high intake of fluids, like the juice diet can lead to diarrhea in dieters.

Fad diets exclude one or more of the five food groups, thereby starving the body of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Many low carb diets also advise their users to stop exercising, this advise alone can be detrimental to one's health.

Losing weight with fad diets is not healthy, if you think you have a weight problem. Have a program that helps you reduce the weight with exercises and by eating healthy. Even if you experience weight loss with fad diets, remember that it's not good for your health, as drastic weight loss can cause severe long term health problems.