There is an endless parade of diets plastered on the covers of magazines every month. These diets are almost always being promoted by a celebrity to make the diet seem legitimate. This use of Hollywood to legitimise diet trends makes readers less likely to do their own independent research on the diets. Neglecting to perform research on a diet or on changes to eating habits can lead to an adverse reaction, can have no change at all, or can even damage your health in unforeseeable ways.
While there are much safer programs like Nutrisystem for men, which is basically just a meal prep service, there are people that insist on trying crazy things. Instead of letting Nutrisystem prepare balanced meals, they still think there’s some magic to the weight loss formula. Let’s take a more scientific look at some of the popular Hollywood health trends and see why they aren’t just a waste of money but could damage your health.
No Nightshade Vegetables
The name nightshade harkens thoughts of poison and death, but in fact, nightshade is an entire family of plants called Solanaceae. A short list of them are edible, but the majority of nightshade plants are toxic to humans. Common nightshade vegetables include:
- white potatoes
- eggplants
- tomatoes
- peppers
- spices made from peppers
While this list is short and seems to be achievable, you might want to rethink taking up this diet. These vegetables are actually a powerhouse of nutrients and minerals for your body. Not to mention the amount of antioxidants they contain.
Detoxing with Tea
Detoxing your body is a diet trend that is sweeping through Hollywood right now. Cryotherapy, cupping therapy, and even fasting is being promoted as a magical way to remove toxins from your body. One detoxification trend is a tea that’s supposed to cleanse your system if you drink it multiple times a day. It turns out to be just an expensive, beautifully packaged laxative. Your body has a natural way to remove toxins from your body. It’s called a kidney. Luckily, you were given two kidneys. The best way to help your kidneys detox your body is to drink plenty of water, eat more organic foods, and exercise. Your body will handle the rest.
Juicing to Cleanse
The main goal of a system cleansing is to lose weight. You begin to believe that maybe you have built-up waste or toxins in your body that are slowing your metabolism and making you gain weight. So, you decide to start drinking nothing but juices to reduce your calories and force your digestive system to reset. You may even start to lose weight, but this weight loss is due to a loss of water weight. Once you resume your normal eating habits, the weight will return. Not only that, this type of diet can cause bowel dysfunction and dehydration.
Eating Color-specific Food
There are celebrities out there who will only eat foods of a certain color to lose weight. At first, I thought this meant certain colors of candy, but I was wrong. It turns out that vegetables actually come in pretty colors, too. While eating a vegetable-heavy diet is perfectly healthy and encouraged, there are vital nutrients to be found in all the colors of vegetables that the body needs to function properly. It is unwise to only think certain colors of vegetables can promote your weight loss while starving your body of other vital nutrients.
Eating Clay to Detox
I thought this was a joke, but it’s really a thing. Some celebrities will eat clay as part of a holistic lifestyle. There is no basis in science for the health benefits of eating clay. Not only will clay provide no nutritional value, but it could also contain high amounts of arsenic and lead. Last time I checked, arsenic and lead are more deadly than carbohydrates and fats.
All Alkaline, No Acid
Another food trend making its way through Hollywood is to eat a diet of high alkaline foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. This removes meat and dairy from the menu. While this sounds like a healthy road to take, removing animal-based foods can limit your nutrient intake. Vitamins such as B12 are found in animal-based foods. A deficiency in B12 can lead to accelerated brain aging, anemia, and fatigue.
Butter Coffee
Paleo and keto diets are promoting a high-energy way to start your morning with high energy and kick start your metabolism by putting butter and coconut oil in a cup of black coffee every morning. There is no scientific evidence to confirm this statement. Moreso, butter is heavy in saturated fat and cholesterol. It’s not worth clogging your arteries to lose a few pounds.
This is just a handful of Hollywood-endorsed diet trends that promise impressive weight loss and a full body cleanse. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is still the ancient recipe of eating less, exercising more, drinking plenty of water, and enjoying your life.
