Discover A Healthy Weight Loss Diet

I'm going to disappoint you right away. If you're looking for another article on "what (and how) to eat to lose weight and stay healthy," skip all this and see the link at the bottom. Instead, I'm going to give you some guidelines. They'll help you see WHY what I recommend really is a healthy weight loss diet.

"Isn't losing weight always healthy?" you might ask.

Sadly, no. Starving is a quick way to shed pounds, one used by too many too often. In extreme cases, that becomes a case of anorexia. With that method you lose essential proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Insufficient protein intake can cause fluid imbalance, which can lead to anything from fainting to kidney damage. It also means you won't be obtaining the needed amino acid sources to repair muscles. The body also needs proteins to synthesize certain enzymes that aid the immune system.

Fats, the right kind, are vital for creating myelin, the substance that forms a sheath around nerve cells. So, lack of it can interfere with proper nerve impulse generation. They're also essential for healthy skin. They serve as a carrier for fat soluble vitamins, among other functions.

Lack of proper vitamins and minerals can cause a variety of health problems. In extreme cases, scurvy can result from lack of Vitamin C. (That used to be common on long sea voyages, the reason they carried oranges.) Iron is at the center of the hemoglobin molecule, a component of our red blood cells.

The bottom line is this: losing weight is not the overriding goal. Reducing body fat and maintaining health is. A healthy weight loss diet is the way to do that.

Again, you'll find the specifics at the link listed below. But what are the general outlines of a healthy weight loss diet? Since we've already described what can go wrong when you lack certain nutrients the answer is straightforward. Get the right amount (and kind) of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Lean protein sources — skinless chicken breast and lean beef, for example — are terrific. They keep fat down to appropriate levels but supply you with many of the amino acids you need.

Fatty acids — Omega-3 and Omega-6 — are another terrific component of a healthy weight loss diet. Salmon, halibut, and tuna are terrific sources. So are walnuts and flaxseed. Here, supplements can help for those who have trouble getting them from food.

The traditional list of vitamins required in a healthy weight loss diet has held up well in the face of advancing nutrition science.

Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption. Vitamin C is needed to make collagen, a component of skin. Vitamin A's important role in vision has long been well known.

The B complex of vitamins has such a wide range of useful functions it would take an article just to list them. (Cell growth, energy production, immune system strength, digestion, protein formation, electrolyte balance... to name just a few.)

So, what ARE the specifics of a healthy weight loss diet? Click on the link in the resource box below and learn all the details...