The Skinny on 4 Fad Diets

Posted by Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
on Mon, Oct 01, 2007, 10:01 pm PDT

Here are the premises -- then the actual pros and cons -- of four famous fad diets.

1) The Fad: Juice Fasts and Master Cleanses!


The Premise: These diets put your body through "detox" ... supposedly eliminating toxins and providing a rest for your vital organs.

The Pros: Provides you with a temporary feeling of empowerment, because you believe you're cleansing your body. Saves you some cash too, because you're not eating anything!

The Cons: For one thing, your body doesn't need any help ridding itself of toxins -- your kidneys, liver, and bladder already do the job nicely. And rather than trim you down quickly, "juice fasts" and "the master cleanse" may actually cause you to overeat: The beverages are high in refined sugar, which starts the digestive process and can create peaks and valleys in your blood sugar levels, leaving you hungry (not to mention irritable, lethargic, and headachy). These plans are also void of protein, a macronutrient that's critical during weight loss (protein helps maintain lean muscle mass, blood sugar levels, and metabolism). If you do decide on a liquid diet, make sure your beverages include about 50% of your weight in protein grams.



2) The Fad: The No-White-Food Diet!

The Premise: White food is the enemy and is completely removed from the diet. That means NO white bread, bagels, crackers, pasta, rice, white potatoes, or dairy.

The Pros: Forces you to eat colorful fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber ... which is fantastico! This diet also helps cut out a lot of "empty calories" we take in via refined starch ... and encourages whole grains over refined starch (for example, brown rice over white rice, whole wheat pasta over white pasta, whole grain bread over white bagels).

The Cons: Whole grains typically have the same amount of calories as their white counterparts ... they're just healthier. So if you don't moderate the whole grains, you won't lose weight. What's more, some folks take this "no white food" mandate literally and avoid white food and beverages that are nutrient-dense, like skim milk, yogurt, onions, cauliflower, and tofu.




3) The Fad: Dinner for Breakfast!

The Premise: By making breakfast your biggest meal of the day (complete with lean meat, rice, and vegetables), and dinner your smallest (yogurt with berries and a cup of tea), you burn calories more efficiently.

The Pros: If you make smart food choices, you'll have the right amount of calories and nutrients for good health. You'll also be fueled throughout the day and learn to stop overeating at night.

The Cons: Most people are less hungry in the morning and ravenous at dinnertime. Thus, this eating style can backfire if you find yourself hungry in the evening and wind up eating a large dinner (giving you calorie overload from both your large breakfast AND your large dinner!). It's also a socially awkward food plan, since friends will want to meet for dinner ... NOT for breakfast.



4) The Fad: One Container of Food per Day!

The Premise: In the morning, you fill up ONE container with your total food for the day. When your allotted food is gone, you're done eating.

The Pros: Forces you to plan ahead and prepare meals. Eliminates hidden calories contained in take-out and restaurant food, and completely gets rid of mindless munching.

The Cons: Forces you to be 100% regimented, which can be a problem. What if your day changes? And what if your friends want to go out for lunch or dinner (will you whip out the container in a restaurant?!). Certainly not realistic for the long haul.