5 Diet Fads That Belong In The Past
There are countless diets that claim to help people lose weight in little time. Some can give good results, while others do not make much of a difference. Diet fads come with the promise to drop weight fast with minimal effort, and if this sounds too good to be true, it’s because it normally is – not to mention dangerous in some cases. The number one reason people go on diets is to lose weight, and with obesity becoming an increasing problem in today’s world, it is no wonder people are looking for a quick fix. Being overweight can cause many health issues, from diseases and illnesses such as diabetes and arthritis to simply not being able to walk or move around easily without pain, discomfort, or tiredness. If you are or know somebody that struggles with this problem, there is always the option of applying for help in the form of a handicap parking permit, which will allow you a parking spot closer to the entrance of wherever you need to be. (You can even get a handicap parking permit via telemedicine these days!)
In addition to this kind of help available, there are also various diets that can give positive results – but just as many that may hinder your weight loss goals. Here, we’ve listed five diet fads you should probably forget about trying if you want to shed those extra pounds.
Raw Food Diet
Say goodbye to meats and dairy and hello to juices and smoothies. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is most definitely good for your health, but with the raw food diet, the different types of food you can consume can be quite limited. Raw foodies claim that cooking food destroys the nutrients – however, it can become an extreme form of veganism, not to mention that cooking certain foods can actually make it easier for our bodies to digest. The food preparation for a raw food diet can also be impractical and time-consuming, and unless you live in a hot tropical country, your discipline to consume only cold or room-temperature foods every day may dwindle.
Blood Type Diet
One of the more recent diet fads, the blood type diet works with the idea that nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all. This makes sense as we are all different and have different bodies, goals, and preferences, so it would be ideal that a diet is customized to the individual – in this case, to their blood type. According to the blood type diet, if you are blood type A, you should consume predominately vegetables and cut out meat, whereas a blood type O diet would resemble something like a paleo diet consisting of meat and little fruit and vegetables. This diet has been very popular, but in the world of nutrition where there is so much conflicting advice, the success in results is most likely down to the fact that the blood type diet is probably healthier than the individual’s original diet. There is not much scientific evidence to back up this diet and researchers say that an individual’s response to this diet has no link to their blood type, but rather is related to their ability to stick to a healthy balanced diet in the long term.
HCG Diet
The HCG diet is one of the more extreme diet fads. It involves injecting HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) into the body along with consuming a 500-calorie diet daily. HCG is a hormone that women produce when pregnant and daily injections can result in dramatic weight loss. It works by reducing appetite and preventing loss of muscle; however, critics have claimed that the weight does not stay off, and of course that the idea of injecting artificial hormones every day is not pleasant or healthy in the long run. Furthermore, this diet carries some odd rules – for instance, only one vegetable per meal is allowed and no oil, body lotion, or hygiene products are to be used. Some negative side effects also include fatigue, headaches, and irritability, which come as no surprise considering the major calorie deficit instructed by this diet.
Alkaline Diet
The alkaline diet is exactly what it says on the tin. It involves cutting out acidic foods such as meat, coffee, sugar, and processed foods. Most of us know that certain diseases such as cancer thrive in an acidic environment; however, this does not mean that we should be so strict as to cut out every single food that has a slightly more acidic pH. There are certain foods with low pH, such as tomatoes, lemons, grapes, and blueberries, which can provide great nutritional benefits. Moreover, our bodies can regulate the pH balance as long as we follow a healthy diet; it is not just down to what we eat but also our environment and mental wellbeing.
Master Cleanse Diet
The Master Cleanse diet – also known as the lemonade diet – is another example of one of the more extreme diet fads. It consists of drinking water mixed with lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup every day for at least 10 days. It is a type of fast and no solid food is allowed, thereby supposedly removing toxins from the body and therefore weight. Popularized by celebrities such as Beyoncé, it can be tempting to try this simple yet restrictive diet, but drinking this concoction will not satisfy the nutritional needs your body requires. In the short run you may see some weight drop off, but it is likely that once you stop the cleanse, the weight will come back on just as quickly.
The bottom line is that there are healthier options that will ensure the weight that is lost stays off. The majority of experts recommend cutting down on processed foods, eating a balanced diet with fruit and vegetables, and exercising daily. It is just down to you to have the motivation, discipline, and patience to stick with these habits.