Jan 17th is Happy Rid the World of Fad Diets & Gimmicks Day!
Wait! What? There's a day for that? LOL
A fad diet is typically a restrictive way of eating that results in weight loss. These diets are sold as the best and fastest way to lose weight. However, I am not here to judge you... if you have lost weight on a faddish diet AND kept the weight off then YAY for you!! But typically these restrictive diets not only result in a calorie deficiency, but they can cause nutrient deficiency too as well as alter your metabolism. (and not in a positive way.)
There have been some crazy, gimmicky diets popularized over the years:
- THE BABY FOOD DIET: You can eat up to 16 jars of baby food a day with ONE regular meal. This does create a calorie deficit but let's be real.. how long can that last and how long can you actually stay on that diet?
- THE COOKIE DIET: You eat 6-9 special 90 calorie cookies per day. The cookies control your calorie intake to create a deficit which results in weight loss. But again, I ask, how long can you stay on this kind of diet? There are definitely nutrient deficiencies here, which can cause harm in the long run.
- THE CABBAGE SOUP: You eat as much as you want of a low calorie cabbage based soup, plus one or two other foods like fruit or leafy greens. The same old problem occurs, where I wonder how sustainable and how nutrient dense is this type of diet?
Now onto some better diet examples:
MEDITERRANEAN DIET
This diet was inspired by the eating habits of people living by the Mediterranean Sea. This diet is plant based including healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, beans, and nuts. The diet excludes foods like heavily processed foods, refined grains, alcohol, butter, and hydrogenated oils.
DASH DIET
The dash diet is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, low fat dairy, poultry, beans, and nuts. It limits foods that are high in saturated fats like fatty meats and full fat dairy. This diet focuses on low sodium while limiting alcohol and sugar.
FLEXITARIAN DIET
This diet is a semi-vegetarian. Focusing mostly on plants, you can eat meat occasionally. This diet has not only been shown to lose weight, but the person improves their energy and health over all.
So to recap, a diet is a temporary restrictive eating pattern that helps an individual meet a short term goal. Unfortunately, the weight loss usually isn't permanent and the participant is deprived of vital nutrients.
So don't fall for one of those unsustainable, gimmicky diets! Instead, focus on healthy foods and developing new eating habits that lead to balanced, lasting change.