If you don't know, a fad diet is a type of eating pattern that doesn't have substantial scientific evidence to support its claims. Typically, fad diets claim to hold the super juicy hidden secret to weight loss. The harsh reality? Fad diets are largely unreliable and don't deliver on their bold promises. The even harsher reality? Many of them promote unhealthy and unsafe practices.
The common denominator I've noticed among various fad diets is that they focus on exclusion. In extreme cases, consumers are encouraged to exclude entire food groups. So, while you may be cutting out things like refined sugar and saturated fat, you're also cutting out the important stuff like vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber.
The other issue I have with the exclusion mindset is that it doesn't focus on what's truly important in everyone's diet: balance. Filling our plates with foods from all different food groups is the only way we can ensure we're consuming the right balance of nutrients our bodies need.
There are so many fad diets all around us. To make matters more complicated, with every new fad diet comes a whole assortment of confusing information. As a nutrition professional, my advice to you is to ask yourself these questions...
"Does this diet promote healthy eating practices?"
"Does this diet claim something that sounds too good to be true?"
"Is this diet being promoted by reliable sources, such as doctors, governing bodies, or registered dietitians?"
Asking those questions before starting any type of diet will help point out any red flags and give you more guidance for how to move forward. If you're struggling to find balance in your diet, I would love to help! Click here to learn more.