Fad Findings: The Pros and Cons of Current Diet Trends

In recent years, hundreds of fad diets have arrived on the scene, promising excellent weight loss and wellness results. But how do you know which diet plan you can trust? Which ones truly have your wellbeing in mind, and which are only after your money? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of today’s diet trends.

Firstly, the Eat Clean diet promises to give you a lean body full of energy by eating plenty of calorie-burning foods. However, Priya Kathpal, Nutritionist with BCUBE Advanced Sports Nutrition, says, ‘One of the major negative of “The Clean Diet” is that if it’s not planned by an expert and followed under guidance one may end up having deficiencies, also availability of fresh fruits and veggies is not always possible and besides if one goes for organic foods it may turn out to be expensive.’

If you fancy something a little fruitier, the Smoothie Diet works by replacing one or two meals with a healthy homemade smoothie. Unfortunately, like the Clean diet, you can be at risk of an imbalance in nutrients without the help of a trained professional. Maybe not smoothies then, but how about the All Fruit diet? According to Kathpal, the fruit diet is, ‘low on calories, packed with fibre and loads of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Cleansing the body is one of the major advantages.’ However, she adds, ‘Fruit diets are known to be deficient in vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc and most B vitamins especially vitamin B12.’

You may not have heard of the Dukan diet, but Neelanajana Singh, with Heinz Nutri Life Clinic, explains, ‘The dieters find it easy to follow as there is no requirement of counting calories, or weighing of foods. One can eat as much as one wants at whatever time of the day provided one sticks to the prescribed foods which is mostly lean protein.’ Sounds good, but what about the negative side of the Dukan diet? Singh notes, ‘The Dukan diet is extremely low on carbohydrates especially in the first phase of the diet which is the “Attack phase”. The common complaints are constipation, bad breadth, tiredness and dryness of the mouth.’

 

Categories: Clean Diet, Dukan Diet, Smoothie Diet

Have we Become Obsessed with an Impossible “Clean” Diet?

You may have heard the term “clean diet,” but its definition can depend on who you ask. Some wellness experts suggest that a clean diet is based around wholesome, natural foods, whilst others don’t feel comfortable including dairy even though it fits those criteria. Even protein powder, which is usually full of chemicals, is sometimes considered a clean food, proving that this term is dubious and will never have a universally agreed definition.

The problem with restrictive diets such as this one is that they generate high levels of stress for a lot of people, which is the antithesis of the health and wellbeing that clean dieters promote. Your body’s hormonal and psychological response to these high levels of consistent stress can actually do more harm than good to your wellness, and so obsessing over adhering to a 100% natural, unprocessed, organic diet can really not be worth the bother in the long run.

You tend to find extreme comparisons with diet and nutrition, that those who champion clean eating tend to exploit. Some people just love a rule or two, and will only eat unprocessed, organic foods, and describe any moment of weakness as ‘cheating’. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, you have people who frankly don’t care what they put into their mouths. There is a range of people in the middle who find a healthy middle ground in their diet, but an obsessively ‘clean’ dieter will often try to rationalise their behaviour by comparing two extremes like they’re the only options available; “I see, I should forgo the broccoli and have a doughnut then?”

Obsessive clean eating can also encourage damaging behaviours, and even food disorders. Labelling foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ (or ‘clean’ and ‘cheating’) and having a guilt complex around food can ruin your relationship with it. Clean eaters can often schedule ‘cheat’ meals, leading to binges which they compensate for with excessive exercise. Clean eating can also play havoc with your social life, and emotional wellbeing. By cutting out entire food groups, and having a rigid set of rules around food, you might want to avoid any social situation that could interfere with these rules, and experience extreme anxiety when anything does happen to interfere. These don’t necessarily add up to an eating disorder but they can easily go that way.

Have we Become Obsessed with an Impossible “Clean” Diet?

Categories: Clean Diet, Damaging Behaviour, Obsession