4 Unhealthy Diet Trends You Should Avoid
Registered Dietician
| 3 min read
To most, the word diet means lose weight, but it also means that there is a beginning and an end, right? If a diet ends, does that mean you are living healthier? As I always say, I would much rather that you make slow and steady, healthy changes that you can keep forever. I think a diet can be a good way to kickstart your healthier lifestyle goals, but be very careful about this.
That being said, in my opinion, here are four diets that you should never try:
1. HcG diet
The HcG diet involves injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HcG), otherwise known as the pregnancy hormone. These injections combine with a very low-calorie diet of only 500-800 calories per day that is not healthy for anyone. They also sell supplemental shakes that they recommend for this diet.
I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I never recommend less than 1,200 calories per day, due to the need for proper nutrition for the body. And scientifically, we do not even know if it is safe for the body to inject this type of hormone when we do not make it ourselves. Not to mention the fact that the injections are expensive. Long story short, don’t do it.
2. Cabbage Soup Diet
You must be wary of any diet that has you eating only one thing, such as the Lemonade Diet. Even though cabbage is good for you and the cabbage soup recipe they recommend has a lot of vegetables, having only one thing to eat everyday is not a good idea ever because it is boring and won’t last long. The Cabbage Soup Diet is not recommended by the American Heart Association or any other dietitian or health organization. They also recommend that you do this for only seven days, so it ends up being more like a cleanse for extreme weight loss, rather than a meal plan. .
If you want to accomplish long-term weight-loss goals, exercise, watch your portions and eat regularly. Include lots of fruits and vegetables and choose lean proteins and whole grains with plenty of water daily.
3. Ear Stapling Diet
Yes, you read that right. This idea began with acupuncturists, stating that mid-ear cartilage controls the stomach and therefore appetite. With acupuncture you do not leave the needle in the ear, but with stapling you do. It is a thin, surgical staple left in the tragus portion of the ear (in the middle cartilage curve of the ear) for a few months. There is no real evidence that this works to help with weight loss goals and moreover, there is risk for infection. So please don’t do it.
4. Breatharian Diet
The Breatharian Diet, or Breatharianism, is the belief that one can survive on air and sun alone. Those who practice this believe that they do not need food or even water. I think that pretty much sums up why you should not follow this unhealthy fasting program as a diet or lifestyle. I know that some people fast for religious purposes and I am not trying to say you shouldn’t do that for your religious beliefs on occasion. However, to avoid food and water daily is dangerous and not healthy for your body.
When participating in any extreme weight-loss diet, you may lose weight from it, but in the end, most people regain the weight and then some. Be smart about your weight-loss goals. Do it in a manner that will benefit your body and keep you healthy long term.
What are some crazy diets you have heard about in the past? Have you ever tried any?
Photo Credit: sassyradish
