In our previous video, we discussed the concept of Trending Diets. Now, let’s delve into Fad Diets to help you assess whether you should abandon them in favor of adopting a new lifestyle.
Fad Diets vs. Trending Diets:
Fads are characterized by a short-lived surge in enthusiasm or preference, often regardless of their merits or qualities. Examples like hula-hoops, the Macarena, and the beehive hairstyle swiftly gained popularity as fads but faded shortly after emerging.
In contrast, trends involve ideas or things that gradually gain momentum, appealing to the masses and effectively addressing problems or fulfilling needs. Similarly, the initial resistance to social media, video streaming, ridesharing, and grocery store self-checkouts was met with pushback. However, these trends have steadily become the norm, addressing needs and simplifying aspects of daily life, with no imminent risk of disappearing.
Fad Diets: Similarly, fad diets experience a rapid ascent in popularity, but their decline is equally swift. While some may be rooted in healthy practices, many disappear due to unmet promises, heightened risks, or insufficient research evidence. It’s crucial to discern between short-lived fads and enduring trends, considering their impact on our lifestyle choices and well-being.
Detox Diets: assert the cleansing of the body from toxins, refreshing the digestive tract, and resetting metabolism. Weight loss on a detox diet may seem significant, primarily due to water loss. Some individuals experience increased energy during and after a detox, a result of eliminating processed foods and sugar while reducing calorie intake.
These diets exhibit considerable variety but commonly commence with a fasting period, succeeded by a strict regimen of raw fruits and vegetables, water, or juices. The initial fast duration can vary from two days to a week, followed by two to seven days of liquid or reduced-calorie intake. Popular cleanses encompass the colon cleanse, juice cleanse, and liver detox. It’s essential to approach detox diets with caution, considering both potential benefits and risks associated with prolonged adherence.
Colon Cleanse: The goal of a colon cleanse is to clear the digestive tract, achieved through increased water intake, colonic procedures, or the use of supplements or laxatives. However, this process may lead to discomfort, cramping, diarrhea, and electrolyte imbalances. In some cases, it could result in more severe bowel issues and heart problems. Health professionals typically advocate for an alternative approach, recommending increased fiber intake as a more beneficial and safer method for maintaining digestive health.
Juice Detox: entails a liquid diet lasting 2–21 days, incorporating fresh squeezed or prepackaged juices. This approach may result in nutritional deficits, particularly in protein and fats, leading to reported issues such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and muscle weakness. Health professionals commonly advise against exclusive juice cleanses and instead recommend integrating fruit and vegetable juices into a well-balanced diet to ensure adequate nutrient intake and avoid potential side effects.
Liver Detox: Involves consuming substantial quantities of specific herbal teas like ginger, chamomile, mint, and turmeric after a 2 to 4 days fasting period, aiming to cleanse the liver. However, it’s essential to note that the liver possesses a natural self-cleansing mechanism. Prolonged detoxification may result in calorie deficiency and deficiencies in essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, leading to health issues such as fainting, low blood sugar, brain fog, and weakness. It’s crucial to approach liver detox with caution, recognizing the balance required for optimal health.
Low- and No-Fat Diets:
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that no more than 30 percent of daily calories should be derived from fat. During the era of the low-fat food trend, many manufacturers decreased the fat content in various products, including yogurt, cheese, milk, cereals, salad dressing, nut butters, pastries, frozen desserts, and butter substitutes. To compensate for the reduced fat, they introduced fillers, sugars, and chemicals to enhance taste, texture, and consistency. Regrettably, these artificial additives may contribute to gastrointestinal distress, digestion issues, and skin problems.
While adhering to calorie guidelines, a very low-fat diet can initially lead to weight loss, but it may also lower plasma cholesterol levels. Moreover, certain populations, such as pregnant or lactating women, children, and the elderly, may encounter health issues.
It’s crucial to recognize the importance of dietary fat in hormone production and regulation. A low-fat diet has the potential to disrupt hormone balance, leading to health problems in both men and women.
Specific Fad Diets:
Cabbage Soup Diet: it is simple as it sounds, consume substantial amounts of cabbage soup, complemented by other vegetables, beef, chicken, and brown rice. Weight loss attributed to this diet primarily stems from reduced calorie intake. However, risks include elevated sodium intake from the broth and an overall lack of nutrition with potential micronutrient deficiencies.
Raw Food Diet:
Proponents of the raw food diet assert that cooking foods to certain temperatures depletes nutrients and destroys proteins and enzymes. This diet emphasizes pressed fruit and vegetable juices, raw or dehydrated fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, raw and sprouted grains and legumes, as well as fermented items like sauerkraut and kimchi. Dieters may also eat raw eggs, fish, and some types of meat.
While the raw diet is not marketed for weight loss but rather as a disease prevention plan, claims regarding improved enzyme activity and digestion remain unproven. Critics of the raw food diet express concerns about the risks associated with consuming raw and undercooked meat and animal products, which may carry pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, staphylococcus, and listeria. These pathogens can lead to severe and potentially fatal infections.
Baby Food Diet:
For individuals exclusively consuming baby food, the recommended intake is just 14 jars per day. However, while generally healthy, baby food lacks fiber and can be costly for sustaining an adult. Substituting one to two meals daily with baby food significantly reduces calorie intake, potentially resulting in weight loss.
For adults, prolonged consumption of baby food without chewing can lead to degeneration of teeth, mouth, and digestive tract functions. This degeneration may eventually result in a loss of overall bodily function and pose potential health problems.
Low-Energy Diet (LED) and Very Low-Energy Diet (VLED):
Physician-supervised, low- and very low-energy diets, ranging from 800 to 1,200 calories and fewer than 800 calories daily, respectively, are designed for effective weight management. Conducted in clinical settings, these diets lead to 10–15% body weight reductions, playing a vital role in weight loss, maintenance, and managing conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and cardiovascular disease.
Exercise is generally not recommended on these diets. Successful outcomes involve higher protein levels, lower glycemic index foods, maintaining consistent blood sugar levels, reducing insulin spikes, and curbing hunger. Despite initial weight loss, ongoing support is crucial to prevent common weight regain, attributed to downregulated hunger hormones and a tendency to exceed calorie recommendations. Incorporating reduced-calorie meal replacements during maintenance helps promote satiety and prevent overeating. In some clinical settings, dieters sustain weight loss with one to three daily meal replacements, achieving and maintaining ketosis based on diet composition.
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