What Is a Healthy Diet Plan?

Let's face it, there are a ton of unhealthy--even dangerous--diet plans out there. Many people get caught up in a good commercial and neglect to do their research before buying into it. You may have been a victim of a manipulative marketing campaign yourself.

I hear about a lot of diets. I research a lot of diets. I write a lot of diet reviews, and I tend to be pretty tough on weight loss plans. I know that there are plenty of people out there that need to lose weight for health reasons, but I believe that it's not worth practicing unhealthy behaviors to do it. If the goal is health, the journey there should be healthy. Besides, there is a mountain of evidence demonstrating that crash diets don't work, and are bad for both your mental and physical health.

So what does a healthy diet consist of? I look for several criteria before giving any diet plan a thumbs-up.

• Is it balanced? Does the diet include the necessary food groups, and emphasize consuming them all in moderation? Is activity encouraged?


• Is it sustainable? Can the plan be followed safely for an extended period of time? Will dieters "burn out" on this program?


• Is it practical? Can the average person, with a full life, easily implement the program in his or her daily life? Is the cost reasonable?


• Is it effective? Does it actually result in long-term weight loss, or is there a weight gain rebound?

There are other considerations, of course. Each diet plan brings up its own concerns and questions. But the checklist above is a good place to start in considering whether or not to embark upon a weight loss plan.

Look for specific diet reviews, coming soon. If there's a particular diet you're wondering about, please put in a request in the comments below!