When it comes to wanting to lose weight, it can be a difficult task to sift through all the bogus marketing ploys and Fad Diets. Every year a new weight loss wonder Diet gains popularity. It can be easy to fall for the “quick and easy” fad diets, but there can also be a number of harmful side effects attached to them. When some people will do anything to lose a few pounds, it is important to understand the nutritional effects some fad diets may have on your body. Here are several popular fad diets to watch out for.

The Raw Food Diet

This was a popular diet that really took root in Southern California within the past decade. It consists of eating raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. By eliminating processed foods, meat, dairy, sugar, and grains, believers of the Raw Food Diet believe they will achieve greater health benefits, including weight loss. The Raw Food Diet usually includes juicing, smoothies, dehydrating, and sprouting. However, medical professionals believe the Raw Food Diet can actually be harmful by failing to provide key nutrients to your body. Creating a deficit of calories by consuming mostly fruit and vegetables, but also diminishing protein, vitamin, and mineral intake can actually cause damage to your body and metabolism.

The Alkaline Diet

Unlike the ketogenic diet, where the main focus is on protein and fats, the Alkaline Diet cuts out dairy, meat, sweets, alcohol, caffeine, and artificial and processed foods. It’s believed that cutting these foods will affect the pH balance of the body, creating a more alkaline body composition and less acidic one. It has been said that this diet greatly improved overall health and can possibly fight cancer. Many doctors believe that the kinds of food you consume don’t directly affect your body’s pH level. Cutting out all foods besides fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables can be a strict diet to follow and will be difficult to maintain long-term. For more information on the ketogenic diet lifestyle, please visit BioKeto.

The Blood Type Diet

The Blood Type Diet is a fad diet recommended by several authors. It’s based on the idea that each person should follow a different diet based on their blood type. They figure that each blood type needs different nutrients to provide optimal health. Doctors, dietitians, and nutritionists believe that there is no scientific research to back this claim.

The Werewolf or Lunar Diet

This diet may seem far-fetched, but there are actually people buying into it. It involves fasting during new and full moons, only drinking juice or water. It is believed that the gravitational pull of the moon affects the water in your body. The gravitational pull of the moon is the greatest during new and full moons, meaning you will lose the most water, and with it, toxins. It is pure speculation and no studies have been done to support it.

The Master Cleanse Diet

This one may be one of the most popular fad diets in recent times. It is widely available in juice cleanses and in detox teas. A concoction of maple syrup, lemon juice, water, and cayenne pepper, is all the nutrition you provide for your body for days. As each ingredient can be considered a diuretic, the Master Cleanse diet essentially flushed excess water from your system. This can lead to a substantial weight loss quickly but it is not sustainable and can actually be dangerous.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for decades, making it seem less like a fad diet and more like just a really bad idea that won’t go away. The Cabbage Soup diet allows you to eat a soup largely made up of broth and cabbage with a few more vegetables thrown in. You are able to eat the soup whenever you wish throughout the day. Every day for seven days you are allowed to add different food items for meals. It generally does stimulate weight loss, but it isn’t a long-term or sustainable option.

The Cookie Diet

The Cookie Diet is essentially a fad diet where you consume 4-6 specially formulated cookies every day in addition to a healthy dinner. Each cookie is packed with amino acids and other nutrients. As each cookie is less than 100 calories, this puts your daily caloric intake into a deficit, resulting in weight loss. A full meal at dinner provided additional nutrients that the body craves, but still isn’t a healthy option for long-term use. Additionally, eating only six 100 calorie cookies a day would be a hard plan to follow for anyone.

With all of these diets, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Fad diets come and go but their inability to provide sustainable weight loss seems to be the common trend. As always, a proper diet and exercise program is the best way to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle.

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