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Can A Clean Diet Help Promote Weight Loss?

Can A Clean Diet Help Promote Weight Loss? | Andrew Weil, M.D.
1 min

Over the last several years, it has become clear that an unhealthy weight is cause for greater risk of a complicated infection among other chronic health concerns. If you want to minimize your future infection risk, lose weight and gain better health, consider a “clean diet” by avoiding artificial sweeteners and synthetic fat substitutes. Not only are these unhealthy, but they also don’t help you develop good eating habits. Finding fake versions of high-fat, high-sugar foods will most likely result in cravings that lead you away from the good stuff. Most importantly, the research shows they do not promote weight loss, and in fact, they are more likely to promote weight gain and inflammation which is another risk for most of the conditions, like Alzheimer’s disease you want to best prevent.

Instead of artificial sweeteners, small amounts of naturally derived options as a flavoring is a better choice when you want something sweet (think raw honey or pure maple syrup, which are both safe when used in moderation for flavor, and relatively low in calories, about 15 per teaspoon). For fats, small amounts of healthy fats such as extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil or grass fed butter are a much better choice for your health and your waistline than synthetic or processed (hydrogenated) fats.

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