Fad Diet Warning Signs: When to throw out the health caution flags and push on the nutrition breaks.
With the plethora of diet information available today it is hard to know which advice is actually worth following. Many make miracle claims or promising health benefits that are hard to resist. Some fad diets really just don’t work at all and some are even dangerous. Don’t fall for fad diets! To help you, I have come up with some fad diet warning signs to guide you in steering clear of the misinformation!
1. Too good to be true? It probably is. Eating citrus will cure cancer? You can lose 10 pounds per week on a juicing diet? While these headlines may garner attention, especially from those looking for that quick fix, the reality is many times these are not accurate. In saying that, everyone is different – your body, DNA, genes, lifestyle, environment, etc. are all unique to you. While drinking Okra water may have ‘reversed’ someone’s diabetes, it doesn’t mean it will happen to all (in many cases, very few). They may have been doing something else that also contributed to these “miracle” health benefits. So when it sounds too good to be true, throw out the caution flags and ask your doctor or a registered dietitian about it.
2. Overemphasizing certain foods (think cabbage soup diet) or eliminates food groups altogether (such as grains or dairy). When a diet restricts you to eating a certain food or eliminating whole food groups, it is usually lacking the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to fully function. Opting for a variety of foods in your diet is a better way to go, not to mention a lot more satisfying!
3. Never having to exercise and still get amazing results. Truth: Nutrition and exercise go hand-in-hand. You really can’t be at your A-game if you are only doing one or the other. Most diets, or eating patterns, that are effective for long-term weight loss and maintenance include recommendations for at least moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week.
4. The diet only lasts for 4 weeks (or 6 or 8 or 12…). Diet plans that warn you to stop following them after a period of time usually tell you one thing…it really isn’t that great for you. If it really is such an awesome diet you should be able to incorporate it into your life permanently for a lifetime of health and wellness.
5. It severely restricts calories. In many cases, diets that restrict you to taking in less than 1,200 calories per day usually aren’t providing you with enough nutrients or energy you need on a daily basis. Any diet that is severely calorie restricted, regardless of exactly what you are eating, will help you lose weight because, hello, you’re not eating anything! Once you start actually eating again you will most likely gain the weight back because you never really learned how to eat a healthy diet, just how to not eat.
6. It depends on special products, supplements or treatments. Again, how realistic is this? If you have to depend on special supplements to lose weight you are most likely not learning how to really listen to your body and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Rather, you are relying on the supplement to do the work for you. And, as in most cases, after going off the supplement or treatment plan the weight is regained – and sometimes even more than before.
7. Goes against what most trusted health professionals say. If you read a post on Facebook saying something completely different than what your doctor, dietitian or other healthcare provider recommends it is probably wise to stay away from it.
8. Relies on testimonials and anecdotes rather than scientific evidence. If there is one thing I learned from my dietetics education, it was to research and find credible sources for information. If you are visiting a website that is claiming something, check out the references. If all the claims are only backed up by testimonials or there are no studies done or any other scientific evidence or links pointing to trustworthy sources, I tend to push it to the side. Save your time and attention for something more dependable and backed by scientific evidence.
Next time you see a health or nutrition claim, check to see if it has any of the above fad diet warning signs. If there are none, you are most likely able to put your car in gear and proceed. As always though, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before embarking on any new diet or health regimen.
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