When trends won’t R.I.P.
Look no further than a fashion magazine or a mall mannequin for proof that style is cyclical. (Welcome back, tattoo chokers and platform shoes!) Nutrition professionals hope the same isn’t true for some diets. “I want people to think about … foods as the patterns in which we eat them,” not in terms of “good” or “bad,” says Chris Mohr, a registered dietitian in Louisville, Kentucky. And while bad fashion can be an eyesore, diet trends can do much more harm by robbing you of important nutrients, provoking an unhealthy relationship with food and even causing you to eventually gain weight. These eight trends are cases in point:
1. Low-fat fanaticism
Rebecca Scritchfield admits it: She “totally fell for” the low-fat craze back in the 1980s and 1990s. Now she knows better. “Going low fat meant no more butter for your vegetables, never buying avocados and missing out on the flavor of protein-rich beef,” says Scritchfield, a registered dietitian in the District of Columbia and author of the upcoming book, “Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out and Never Say Diet Again.” In other words, you’re never satisfied, let alone nourished. Better to eat a balanced diet intuitively rather than by a rule book, Scritchfield says. “A healthy eating pattern means you have room for everything you truly love to taste.”
2. Low-carbohydrate love
If you’re tempted to trade your oatmeal for bacon and your chicken sandwich for Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Double Down — a media sensation that substituted chicken fillets for bread buns — prepare to watch New York City personal chef Amber Bailey cringe. “The idea of being able to eat as much fatty items as you want as long as it is low in carbohydrates is just something I do not believe in,” she says, since it eliminates key nutrients and likely boosts your saturated fat intake and risk of heart disease. “Eating foods as close to their natural form as possible is the best way for anyone to maintain a healthy diet.”
3. The caveman craze
Living like our ancient ancestors — who didn’t have access to processed foods — sounds like a good idea, until you learn that cavemen rarely lived past age 35, says Elizabeth Palmer Califano, a chef and food writer in San Francisco who hopes the paleo diet craze will fade or at least become more balanced. “Yes, we should strive to eat whole, organic foods in their natural state, and limit the processed crap in our diets,” she says, “but we don’t need to take anything to extremes and give our cavemen predecessors more dietary credit than they’re due.” Califano prefers the farm-to-table movement, which “benefits both cuisine and environment,” she says.
4. The Scarsdale Diet
Any eating plan that promotes diet soda, like this one, is on Monica Amsterdam’s dietary hit list, since some research suggests the drink may lead to weight gain, diabetes and even DNA damage. The Scarsdale Diet, whose popularity peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, is also low in protein and eliminates fats at breakfast, which only sets up followers for day-long fatigue, says Amsterdam, the director of nutrition at the Medical and Wellness Center of New Jersey. Rather than chowing down on processed foods like cold cuts, as the diet supports, “eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible,” like quinoa rather than quinoa pasta, she suggests.
5. The feeding tube diet
Look up “extreme diet” in the dictionary, and you may see this one listed. “Doctors would place a feeding tube down a client’s nose and infuse only protein, fat and water — no carbs,” remembers Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian with offices in Plano and Rockwall, Texas. “[They] were promised a fast weight loss in a short amount of time.” While that’s practically guaranteed on such a plan, it’s unsustainable and can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss and a weakened immune system, says Lemond, who’s happier to see plant-based eating gaining popularity. “Any well-rated eating plan focuses on what should be on your plate, rather than what you should keep off,” she says.
6. Detox devotion
Whether they’re preparing for a wedding or atoning for an indulgent vacation, Jessica Crandall has seen clients downing 1,000 calories a day in liquids alone, all in the name of “cleansing” and quick weight loss. “These efforts don’t meet the variety of nutrients their bodies need,” nor are juices typically low in sugar or high in satisfaction, says the registered dietitian in Denver. “For my clients with diabetes, it can be downright dangerous.” Eating complete fruits and vegetables — along with lean proteins, whole grains and nonfat dairy — is a far better way to detox. “A major function of all of your body’s organ systems is to manage waste,” she says.
7. The clay diet
Good news for anyone who values the taste of food: The clay diet, which involves drinking a glass of clay dissolved in water, is no good, says Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian nutritionist in the Los Angeles area. “The idea is that the clay helps detoxify and clean up our gut while keeping us feeling full,” she says. “The problem … is that the clay can be harmful, cause internal damage and in fact cause nutrient deficiencies.” Instead, cleanse (gag-free!) by eating a fiber-rich diet full of lean proteins, heart-healthy fats and whole grains, Sheth suggests. “We have wonderful organs in our body whose key job is get rid of toxins.”
8. The tapeworm diet
When did having parasites in your body become a good thing? In this diet, at least, swallowing a tapeworm is purported as such. “The goal [is] that it feeds off the food you eat, causing you to lose weight,” Sheth says. The catch: “The tapeworm may travel to other parts of your body and cause other health issues.” Again, it’s far safer to strive for a balanced diet that’s satisfying. Finding the right plan for you might mean meeting with a registered dietitian nutritionist, Sheth says. “When looking at food trends,” she adds, “recognize that if something is too good to be true, it often is.”
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8 Food Trends Nutrition Experts Pray Will Never Return originally appeared on usnews.com
