The Diet Delusion
You’ve lost count of all the fad diets you’ve tried over the years. Celebrity endorsed, fast-fixes, transformations – it can all look very attractive. For a little nostalgia and a little myth busting, this week we are sharing some of the legends that most of us have dabbled in (and then given up!).
The Cabbage Soup Diet
- What it is: A 7-day low-calorie plan centered around unlimited cabbage soup, supplemented by a specific list of foods each day.
- Why it doesn’t work: It’s extremely low in calories, protein, and fat. Most weight loss is water and muscle mass. Rebound weight gain is common once normal eating resumes.
The Master Cleanse (Lemon Detox)
- What it is: A liquid-only diet of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water, often done for 10+ days.
- Why it doesn’t work: It lacks protein, fat, fiber, and essential micronutrients. Muscle loss and electrolyte imbalances are common. No current evidence supports its claimed detoxifying effects.
The Atkins Diet
- What it is: A low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet in phases. Early stages restrict carbs to induce ketosis.
- Why it doesn’t work: Very low-carb approaches often cause short-term weight loss due to water loss and reduced glycogen, but are unsustainable socially and physiologically for many.
The Grapefruit Diet
- What it is: Involves eating grapefruit with every meal to trigger fat-burning enzymes. Meals are low-calorie and repetitive.
- Why it doesn’t work: There is no robust evidence for the “fat-burning” claim. It’s another extremely low-calorie diet dressed up with a gimmick.
The Blood Type Diet
- What it is: Claims certain foods are better or worse for you based on your blood type (A, B, AB, O).
- Why it doesn’t work: Scientific reviews show no physiological basis for dietary needs by blood type. Improvements people report are usually from eating fewer processed foods.
The Alkaline Diet
- What it is: Based on the idea that foods can alter your body’s pH, promoting disease prevention by making your system more alkaline.
- Why it doesn’t work: The body tightly regulates pH, especially in blood. Food has negligible impact on systemic pH.
The Carnivore Diet
- What it is: A zero-carb diet that includes only animal products – meat, eggs, and some animal fats.
- Why it doesn’t work: It excludes fiber, phytonutrients, and plant diversity critical for gut health and long-term disease prevention. Most benefits stem from elimination effects, not superiority.
Diet The Raw Food Diet
- What it is: Advocates for eating only raw, unprocessed, and uncooked plant foods.
- Why it doesn’t work: Can lead to nutrient deficiencies (e.g., B12, iron, calcium) and poor bioavailability of some nutrients. Socially isolating and hard to sustain.
Quick fixes might look tempting, but they rarely deliver lasting results. Most fad diets fail because they’re too restrictive, unsustainable, and often based on myths rather than science. The real key? Find strategies that feel good, fit your life, and support your health for the long haul. When your approach is enjoyable and realistic, you’re far more likely to stick with it and see results that last.
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Don’t let summer be the time you fall off the rails. Rock it and then hit fall already running.
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