Fitness Together Brecksville: Trainer Tuesdays: What are the Most Foolish Diet Fads You Have Seen?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

What are the Most Foolish Fad Diets You Have Seen?

Jenn Noggle: I don’t even know where to begin! I personally think any diet fad is foolish. The key to long term weight management and optimal wellness is to eat a balanced diet that includes all of the major food groups. That being said…any diet that eliminates a food group (no carb diets for example) is foolish. Sure you might lose weight at first, but not only will you likely gain it back and then some, you will also be missing key nutrients that are needed by your body to function properly. Equally as foolish is any diet promising “quick and easy” results. Unfortunately, losing weight is not quick or easy…not if you want to keep it off anyway. I also cringe when I see various pills or supplements advertised as fat burning, telling you that you do not need to change your diet or exercise. Do not be fooled by these bogus promises! Keep in mind also that the models and celebrities promoting many of these products or diets are being paid to do so and are likely doing other things to achieve their weight or fitness level that go unmentioned. To sum it up as simply as possible, in my opinion, any “diet” is foolish. The best method to looking and feeling your best is moving your body daily and eating small, frequent, balanced meals. There is no secret, no trick, no diet and no fad that compares to the good old-fashioned method of exercise, portion control, nutritious eating and moderation of processed foods or treats. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise!

Kelly Bailey: There are hundreds of fad diets out there, so it’s not hard to find these ridiculous plans that promise weight loss and better health. Some of the silliest “fads” that are popular lately are the cleanse diets, that usually last somewhere between three and 21 days. (I know I’m probably upsetting people by calling cleanses a fad....but sorry, they are!) It’s true that someone who eats terribly all the time is probably going to lose some weight and feel better after completing one of these cleanses. But keep in mind that we are amazing and complex organisms whose bodies already have natural mechanisms in place for detoxification. The reason, in my opinion, these are fads is because they are not diets that are sustainable long-term, and some of them are downright dangerous. Instead of trying fad diets, we all need to bite the bullet (or a piece of broccoli), and realize that to be truly healthy and reach our fitness goals, we need to properly fill our bodies with nutrient dense foods.

Steven Madden: There have been a lot of fad diets over the years. Ignoring some of the more obviously stupid diets, I want to focus on one of the more well known diets that I think is foolish, the very popular Gluten Free Diet. Now please don't misunderstand me. People who suffer from Celiac Disease should actually use a Gluten free diet, and not be be rude, I mean people who have actually gone to the doctor experiencing symptoms and have had the actual blood test need to diagnose the disease, not someone who has self-diagnosed the disease or simply thinks they have it because, well they just don't feel right.

Gluten is a sticky protein found in grains that has really only been a part of the human diet since the Neolithic age. As a result, the human digestive system has not fully adapted to braking it down into it's base amino acids. However, this is not an issue for people without Celiac disease. Gluten is in everything, since it is used as a thickening agent and the general weight loss experienced by people who have needlessly switched is generally due to the very restrictive diet. But as I said, it is all unnecessary.

According to Carol M. Shilson, executive director of the Center for Celiac Disease Research "There's no scientific evidence that it's better for you if you don't have celiac disease." And she's not alone. Mark DeMeo, M.D., is the director of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Adult Celiac Disease Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and he has concluded "there's nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that's going to help you lose weight." And in her book Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, Shelley Case, R.D has pointed out that many companies resort to using fats and sugars as food bonding agents when they eliminate gluten from their products which can lead to a micronutrient deficiency. Because of how tricky it is to maintain a gluten free diet, people with Celiac disease are always encouraged by their doctors to start seeing a registered dietitian, and not just start buying anything with a gluten free label on it.

I am all for increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables people consume, however switching to a needlessly restrictive diet is unnecessary to the point of being unhealthy. It is true that changing your diet will change how you feel, but simply using gluten as the excuse, or for that mater, any of the thousand other aspects that make up the human diet, as to why you are not healthy will never really solve the problem.

Taynee Pearson: There are many FAD diets around these days. FAD diets are designed to make you think that there is a quick solution to losing weight or get into shape but they aren't realistic. Most FAD diets are designed to make you have a very low caloric intake and basically starve yourself to lose weight. The special K diet that was advertised on the special k cereal boxes was a bad diet. Your body wouldn't have got the proper nutrients needed. Another crazy diet is Atkins diet, your body is not designed to only intake a high fat content and a high protein content which is required by this diet. Your body needs carbohydrates to function properly, they are the main source of energy in the body. The Atkins diet is known to place a lot of stress on your kidneys and causes other health problems.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Trainer Tuesdays: What are the Most Foolish Diet Fads You Have Seen?

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