Fad Diets from 2014... What's the Verdict?

With more access to diet and fitness trends via social media then ever before, it's easy to get a little caught up in the latest and greatest fitness and diet regimes... But are they all really that great?

Taking a look back through 2014's "Fad" diets (I'm sure many of us experimented with at least 2) and getting the final verdicts from various resources, such as nutritionists, dieticians and journalists; BBC's Michael Mosley, Health Direct Australia & Cassey White journalist for the ABC, this is what Core Central has concluded.

Going "Gluten Free"

Gluten Free diets were invented to support those with Coeliac Disease... some where along the line we have all jumped on the band wagon with the assumption that gluten is bad for us.

So what is Gluten?

• a mixture of two proteins present in cereal grains, especially wheat, which is responsible for the elastic texture of dough

Which doesn't sound as menacing as we are all lead to believe.. Gluten is not the devil.

In fact, most gluten free foods are laden with higher GI because of gluten-replacements and are hugely processed.

The Verdict: Go Gluten Free if you have been diagnosed by a medical practitioner. Gluten Free does not = Healthier. Any diet restricting a food group leaves you at risk of a nutrient deficiency. Not to mention reduces the ease and variety of foods you can consume.

The Detox Diet:

Usually 10-14 day cleansing program sold as a kit through health food stores, online or pharmacies. It promotes a very restricted diet of vegetables, fruit, and anti inflammatory foods. eliminating diary, meat, sugar and processed foods. Along with the food restrictions you take a series of tablets or teas to enhance liver cleansing and body detoxification.

The verdict: You cannot argue with healthy eating, or any action which promotes more fruit and veggie intake and less processed foods and sugar. This diet relies on you buying minerals, vitamins and supplement after supplement. It is making some one a lot of money..... Along with the fact that unless you have been diagnosed with an intolerance or allergy Australian dieticians do not recommend eliminating whole food groups such as diary.

5:2 Diet

Advocating intermittent fasting (approx. 500 calories a day) for 2 non-consecutive days a week and eating normally on the other 5 days.

The biggest problem with fasting is it teaches you to binge... it ignores the idea of healthy eating and choosing quality nutrient dense foods. With fasting side effects ranging from irritability, lack of energy and concentration, dehydration, dizziness and constipation, it should make you think twice about skipping breakfast tomorrow...

The Verdict: Reducing calorie content will help you loose weight but, in any extreme fashion such as fasting, it is unsustainable for most not to mention the risk of starving your body of essential minerals and nutrients.

The Palaeolithic Diet:

Consuming founds that were present in the stone age. Eating as we would have as hunters and gatherers. It features a high protein and low carbohydrate intake, with fibre from fruit and vegetables and illuminating whole grains.

The flaw... Evidence shows our ancestors ate a varied diet all around the world, with evidence of grains & legumes consumed at least 30,000 years ago.

The Verdict: Pros for this diet are that in reduces processed foods and salt intake and ups your intake of fruit and vegetables. But thats about where the good news stops. A high intake of red meat increases the risk of bowel cancer, (evidence from the World Cancer Research Fund with their highest rate "convincing") and greatly impacts our carbon footprint. Dieticians do not recommend the cutting of whole food groups, in this case dairy products, cereals & grains.

Meal Replacement Shakes:

A diet which swaps meals for a formulated shake to keep calorie intake to a minimum. Ideally Shakes have a balance of carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals, however, not all shakes are created equal. With shakes being sold from supermarket shelves to pharmacies you need to make sure the shake actually covers all your bodies nutritional requirements.

The Verdict: Severely reducing calorie intake will always result in weight loss, but a severely low calorie diet will also result in dizziness and lack of energy. Therefore the Shake replacement diet isn't considered sustainable over long term. It doesn't teach dieters portion control or advise them on nutritionally dense food choices (healthy eating). Yo-yo dieters are likely to gain the weight back once the diet is stopped.

The 80:10:10

A raw food diet with

80% carbohydrates

10% protein

10% fat

Made famous in Australia by blogger Loni Jane Anthony, and boy does she make it look good!! but... almost anything in excess can be bad for you, fruit included. Sugars in fruit taken in this quantity will have your blood sugar rising and dropping quickly (just like artificial sugar), leaving you constantly hungry. Fat and protein help to keep your appetite under control, but with the lack of either, muscle repair will be greatly reduce. If you are doing the right thing and exercising, recovery will be extremely difficult.

We also require good fats for healthy skin and hair, brain function, for your immune system, concentration, control our mental functional state and to fend off fatigue.

The Verdict: No one food group will give your body all the nutrients it needs. Although I personally love Loni Jane's food porn on her Instagram feed, I take it as a reminder to eat more fruit and veggies along side a balanced diet of protein, good fats and carbohydrates (from legumes, vegetables and whole grains).

Low and behold most fad diets are exactly that... a fad or trend. Making companies a lot of money. You will find Australian nutritionists and dietitians still recommend a balanced diet along with exercise to reduce weight in a sustainable manner.

Core Central's - Food for thought...

Change your focus to health, wellbeing. To what you are putting in your mouth rather than what you're leaving out.

Ask your self, "what nutritional benefit does this have for me? and "where did this come from? FACTORY or FARM?" Bring your habits to a healthy lifestyle rather than a quick fix.

Enrich your body with nutrient dense food and less processed foods. Think of the positive impact it will have on your life and on the world if we all reduced our red meat intake, if we all choose fresh over frozen, local over imported, and health over image.

Health and wellbeing is simply one conscious effort away for us all.