How Dieting Can Make You Unhealthy

Dieting to lose weight is simply not the way to go if you want to maintain your health and it is especially not the way to go if you are trying to recover from an illness.  You can do yourself more harm than good if you put yourself on any kind of calorie restricted food regimen.

First off the very nature of being on a diet is that you are deprived of the calories and nutrition that you would normally be taking in if you were not overweight.  This means that you are running your brain and body on less fuel than usual.  The result is that you can expect your physique to be a little less efficient because you simply are “running on empty.”

When your body is “running on empty” there are a number of consequences. First of all you may feel quite tired and like you can’t get through the day. This is especially true if you also quit fattening caffeinated drinks like coke and coffee as well. Many people also feel foggy and dull and like they can’t focus. This is because their brain may not be getting the sugar that it is used to in order to function.  The result of being deprived caffeine and sugar is withdrawal. Many people become moody and cranky. This side effect of dieting can become so bad that some have to leave work or feel that they cannot get out of bed in the morning.

Yet another consequence of the food deprivation associated with dieting is a lowered immune system. You may simply be more vulnerable to catching a virus because your body does not have the energy it needs to fight problems off. If you are already sick then dieting is not a good idea. Although some diets are cleansing they should only be used for the short term and under a doctor’s strict supervision. Diets that restrict what kind of foods you eat are also not a good idea if you are recovering from an illness as the vitamins and minerals that you will need to heal are found across a broad spectrum of foods.

Ironically dieting can also cause weight gain simply because food deprivation gives your body the message that there is a food shortage. Your brain tells your body to pile on the fat and save it in reserves so that you can live on it despite the lack of food resources.