‘Healthy’ Diets You Should NOT Consider – And Why
We’re look at what a healthy diet is and which ones you should not even consider…
Fad diets often do the rounds in the magazines, becoming popular for a couple of years, before disappearing and then returning ‘new, improved and promising to leave you as skinny as ever’. In the last few years, we’ve seen the return of the staple low-carb diets, but we’ve also been introduced to a bunch of weird and wonderful ways to lose weight, including the Whole30, paleo and the Werewolf diet…
When it comes to fad diets, we’re not saying don’t do it (well, we kind of are). But if you’re looking to feel and look healthier, the extreme diets and detoxes out there aren’t the path you should be taking. Instead, we’re all about easing yourself into something more balanced.
So, to help you distinguish the fads we’re got a list of all the supposedly ‘healthy’ diets you probably should be avoiding…
Acid Alkaline Diet
Advocates for the Alkaline diet believe that reaching your target weight isn’t a matter of reducing your calories and maximising your activity, it’s also about hitting the ideal pH balance. Those sticking to this diet as advised to avoid meat, sugar and processed foods as these are considered too acidic, leading to metabolic or respiratory acidosis. It promises to help you lose weight, as well as reducing the risk of arthritis.
Sound good? Not really. The positive effects are just linked to the fact that you’ll be eating plants and the fact that you have to eliminate a whole food group (carbs) is an awful thought with potentially harmful effects.
Paleo
If there’s one diet that you’ve heard of, it’ll be the paleo diet. It’s based on the concept that you should only consume foods that cavemen would have access to. That means sugars, grains, dairy and legumes are all out of the window, but fish, meat, fruit and veg remain.
The pricey and restrictive diet cuts off food groups, which is never a good start. Whilst the diet prioritises simple, healthy foods that were available to cavemen, the fact is, we are no longer cavemen – our lifestyles are much different to our ancestors and we certainly don’t need to hunt to survive any more. Secondly, because of the food limitations, most people are likely to fatigue, constipation and upset GI.
Whole 30
It’s never a good sign when a diet makes you tired, hungry and annoyed. These are almost definitely the symptoms you’ll experience with the so called Whole 30 – a ‘challenge’ that apparently assists in the weight loss of up to 35 pounds in 30 days.
There’s only a small amount of foods you can eat (fruit, veg, lean protein and potatoes), which is why the diet isn’t sustainable in the slightest. It’ll leave you feeling deprived and counting down the days until the diet is over so you can binge on everything and anything.
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Ketogenic Diet
Keto is basically your standard Atkins Diet with a bit more fat. Designed for epileptic patients, Keto has been endorsed by tonnes of A-listers and supposed to have loads of health benefits including brain function and fat loss.
The diet only allows 5-10% of calories to come from carbs in certain forms and it doesn’t emphasise foods that are typically ‘healthy’ – for example it allows you to have as much bacon and butter as you want.
The Juice Cleanse
We all know this one is a total fad, don’t we? The ‘detoxifying’ juice cleanse is one the most popular diets of the 21st century. But why is it the worst of them all? We’ll tell you.
Firstly, it’s likely that any weight to shed won’t last, you’ll feel tired, get headaches, struggle to concentrate and, of course, you’ll be starving. Just eat real food instead, please.
Werewolf Diet
The werewolf diet really is as silly as it sounds. Whilst Madonna and Demi Moore are patrons of this loony lunar meal plan, we really don’t think it’s anything to write home about. What you eat on the diet is basically dictated by the sky above. So, you fast for 24 hours during the full moon and the new moon. Okaaay, then.
The Baby Food Diet
“I’ve been on solids for about 40 years now.”
“Sorry, but the last time I had baby food, I believe I was 1,” the “Friends” star said.
The lack of calories in this diet means that people are exposed to eating disorders and nutrient deficiencies. It’s NOT a healthy diet.
So, What Healthy Diet Should I Follow?
In order to lose weight, you don’t really have to do anything special. You just need to eat a healthy diet and ensure that you’r hitting a calorie deficit – in other words, the food you’re putting into your body is lower than your output of energy.