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Fad Diets And What They Mean For Your Body

Fad Diets And What They Mean For Your Body

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Atkins, South Beach, and Zone diets are all household names, so they’ve surpassed the “fad diet” mark. But others are still trying to prove themselves. With celebrity endorsements and convincing infomercials (beware of Photoshop in those before-and-after segments), these fad diets will try to convince you that they are the miracle just waiting to give you your ideal body. If you decide to try one out, consider what it means for your body.

Miracle fruit or expensive scam? ThinkStockPhotos
Miracle fruit or expensive scam?
ThinkStockPhotos

Acai Berry Diet
Acai berries are all the rage for their supposed miracle qualities: tons of antioxidants, improving digestion, cleansing and detoxing the body, supporting heart health, enhancing vision, and more. Honestly, I wouldn’t even be surprised if someone claimed it can also cause virgin birth. But the trick of the acai berry diet is that you need to take supplements on top of a different weight loss plan, so it’s difficult to measure the effect of the berries themselves. Also, it’s pronounced ah-sigh-ee, for all those who were still struggling.

Veggie lovers rejoice! ThinkStockPhotos
Veggie lovers rejoice!
ThinkStockPhotos

Alkaline Diet
What you eat and drink affects your body’s acidity or alkalinity, so eating primarily alkaline foods (mostly vegetables) can prevent acidity from forming. Though it means a lot of salads with some fresh-squeezed lemons thrown in for balance, it can prevent bloating and brighten your skin, as well as increase your energy. Just remember, it also means no alcohol, so bear that in mind if that’s a fad diet deal breaker.

A breakfast of champions TopNews.in
A breakfast of champions
TopNews.in

Pil-Sook Diet
“Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a commoner and dinner like a pauper.” Basically, it’s the age-old trick of getting your calories in earlier in the day – no food or liquids after 7 p.m., and also throw in a mandatory half hour of jump roping each day. It actually has been proven that a high-protein breakfast can help curb your hunger for the rest of the day, but for those who work until 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., it could be difficult to get all your calories in before then.

It might mean a trip to the blood bank to figure out your type, but at least you'll know! Health.HowStuffWorks.com
It might mean a trip to the blood bank to figure out your type, but at least you’ll know!
Health.HowStuffWorks.com

Blood Type Diet
This one tries to dictate your meals based on your blood type, claiming it will help you achieve overall health along with weight loss. The man behind it, Dr. D’Adamo, says you should be eating foods your body was designed to eat, whether that means low-carb (Type O), lots of fish and veggies (Type A), protein-heavy (Type B), or some combo of them all (not surprisingly, Type AB).

What, you're saying you DON'T want to eat that for 7 straight days? TheGloss.com
What, you’re saying you DON’T want to eat that for 7 straight days?
TheGloss.com

Cabbage Soup Diet
The seven-day cabbage soup plan is a drop-weight-fast scheme that is fairly dangerous for your body. Though the cabbage family does have some nutrients and has been linked to cancer prevention, it does not provide nearly enough nutrition for your body to function optimally. It’s also high in sodium and will give you killer gas, so be prepared to lose some friends if you try this one.

Just look how fit they were back then! Blogs.SundayMercury.net
Just look how fit they were back then!
Blogs.SundayMercury.net

Paleo Diet
Paleo has become all the rage and represents a return to simpler times. Paleo followers eat the food of hunters and gatherers during the Stone Age, such as lamb, bison, and other lean game, as well as vegetables and fruit. While it seems like a good idea to nix processed food and modern wheat products that are often packed with sugar, the protein-heavy diet can also raise your cholesterol to dangerous levels, so keep an eye on that. You can find a guide here to the dos and don’ts of Paleo here at Positive Health Wellness.

It's like an amuse bouche, for the taste-challenged HeinzVinegar.com
It’s like an amuse bouche, for the taste-challenged
HeinzVinegar.com

Apple Cider Vinegar Diet
Mmm, who doesn’t love a good glass of apple cider vinegar? Maybe it’s an acquired taste, because to follow this diet, you need to consume one-to-three teaspoons of the stuff before every meal. Though some have claimed it aids digestion or that the pectin can reduce cholesterol, there’s no proof that it actually causes weight loss. Maybe the reason it can work for some is a shot of apple cider vinegar will put you off your meal, cutting calories significantly.

See how much they enjoy it too? TheAlphaParent.com
See how much they enjoy it too?
TheAlphaParent.com

Baby Food Diet
It’s just like taking candy from a baby – or their actual meals. Some celebrities are rumored to follow this plan, such as her highness Lady Gaga, replacing two meals a day with the pureed, bland version in a jar. Since most of the vegetable ones are completely unpalatable, you’ll end up consuming way too much fruit, overloading your body with sugar. Don’t recommend.

Beware of false positives on your next pregnancy test, though HCGDietDropsForLess.com
Beware of false positives on your next pregnancy test, though
HCGDietDropsForLess.com

HCG Diet
Yes, HCG. That’s the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, or the hormone that tells women they’re pregnant when they pee on a stick. It was more popular in the 1960s and 70s, when doctors were paid to write their patients prescriptions for HCG pills to help them lose weight, but there’s no evidence that it’s effective. This diet mandates 500 calories a day of mostly lean proteins. That will be what probably sheds the pounds, not the HCG.

No, just...no Squidoo.com
No, just…no
Squidoo.com

Tapeworm Diet
Please, please, PLEASE don’t do this.