Petr Kratochvil
- Fad diets are popular ways to lose weight, but they don’t all have science on their side.
- Yo-yo dieting can be dangerous, and set people up for long-term heart trouble.
- Nutritionists agree it’s best to stick with a diet plan that you can adhere to for life, instead of zig-zagging in and out of restrictive plans that set people up for failure.
Fad diets are nothing new. The first modern fad diet, which touted the benefits of going low-carb, was invented by funeral director William Banting in 1862. Since then, the world has seen its fair share of dieting trends, from eating cabbage soup for a week straight to consuming foods based on your blood type.
Despite the ridiculousness of these fads (and lack of research supporting many them), fad diets continue to play a role in how people eat and attempt to take control of their health, for better or worse.
Here are the fad diets that can be worst for your brain and body.
The Daniel Fast, or Shepherd diet, requires dieters to fast and pray in the pursuit of better health.
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Actor Chris Pratt has done the Daniel Fast, which requires eating only fruits, vegetables, and unleavened bread for 21 days, as well as praying every day.
The goal of the diet, according to its website, is to help dieters "focus on their health using Christ-centered teachings," but limiting food intake so severely could prevent a person from getting all of the nutrients they need. There is no science-backed evidence this diet works, either.
Whole30 dieters cut out sugar, alcohol, dairy, grains, beans and other banned foods for a month.
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Created in 2009 by then husband-and-wife pair Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the premise of the monthlong Whole30 regime is that if you put only "good" things in your body you’ll feel better, reduce inflammation, and transform your relationship with food. Whole30 dieters are restricted to eating only fruits, veggies, meat, seafood, eggs, and some fats including avocados, cashews, and olive and coconut oil.
It’s a tremendously popular plan on Instagram, where people post colorful photos of their veggie and fruit-filled #Whole30 plates.
But Whole30 isn’t really supported by science; nutrition experts say it takes more than 30 days for your body to perform a truly complete re-set if you want to reduce inflammation. Besides, fiber-rich foods, which the Whole30 diet strictly limits, can actually improve inflammation markers and help stave off all kinds of diseases.
For those who like to howl at the moon, the werewolf diet follows a fasting regimen tied to lunar cycles.
AP Photo/Sergei Grits
Madonna and Demi Moore are both reportedly fans of this loony lunar plan, which dictates when dieters should eat based on the sky above.
"The basic iteration calls for 24 hours of fasting during the full moon or new moon, when you’re permitted only water and freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice," according to US News and World Report.
But remember, just because the moon helps push around the Earth’s tides doesn’t mean it has any effect on your own body weight.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Hilary Brueck)