The term “healthy diet” is abused pretty much by everyone. From eating only vegetarian to going completely vegan, to eating only fruits, to eating only protein, to what not. It’s a circus. There have been so many diets advocated by health gurus all over the years that you don’t really know where to start.
These diets mainly cater to one group of individuals: those who’re planning to lose weight. There are some who’re trying to gain weight too, but they’re in the minority. The main reason behind this is our sedentary lifestyle.
Take Dabur’s new honey diet for instance. It recommends you to start your day with a glass of water and honey. Does that really make sense? It’s almost the same as drinking sweetened water.
Honey, as you may or not know, is full of carbohydrates. While carbs aren’t that bad for your health as they’re assumed to be, we do gorge on them more than what we’re supposed to. Sugary drinks, potato chips, ice creams, chocolates, and the likes. All these snacks contain an overload of carbohydrates.
Plus, our Indian diet is chock full of carbs. Take your pick: Idli, Vada, Dosa, Rice, etc. All these are nothing but carbs. So, while your main diet already consists of an overload of carbs, does it make sense to include another unnecessary ingredient like honey? I don’t think so, but Dabur thinks otherwise.
If you’re planning to lose weight, only one main rule matters: the number of calories you consume and expend every day. If you’re eating a surplus of calories, you’ll never lose weight unless you fall extremely sick (and who wants that?). The only way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit.
A proper balanced diet combined with weight training (and some cardio) is the perfect combination to lose weight. I’ve done this before, and it yielded great results. Although, I must admit, I’ve got back to being overweight after my final year in engineering (when I stopped taking care of my health).
Whether you choose to go with honey, or not, it’s a personal choice. In fact, there are many other alternatives to honey too. Maple syrup, coconut nectar (or coconut milk), date paste, stevia, and much more.
These fad diet foods keep cycling amongst the masses every few months. What’s popular now may be derided later. And what’s unpopular now may be hailed as the greatest food since the dawn of time a few years down the line.
But what always remains true is the “calories in vs calories out.” That never changes. If you keep that in mind, you’ll never have to crack your head changing your diets every now and then.
