Taking up a post-Xmas celeb diet could be a waste of time
FADDY diets followed by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow have been branded useless by nutrition experts.
The British Dietetic Association issued its list of the five celebrity diets to avoid in 2017 – clean eating, diet pills, teatoxes, 6:1 and green juice – claiming ‘all you will lose is your cash’.
The BDA, which has more than 8,500 diet and nutrition experts as members, said: ‘While it is great to see a drive in the public being more health conscious, there are seemingly endless amounts of diets out there all professing to be the key to a better you, with many diets claiming to be healthy when in reality, they are anything but.
‘With the New Year around the corner, the influx of even more weight loss blogs and social media feeds, diet books, nutrition “experts” and celebrity-endorsed fitness DVDs on the market is inevitable.
‘All these options can make it overwhelming for people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle or lose weight. It is worth considering whether someone is simply profiting on your dreams and rather than shedding pounds, all you’re going to lose is your hard-earned cash.’ Sian Porter, a consultant dietitian and spokesperson for the BDA, said: ‘We are constantly on the search for that magic bullet approach to losing weight. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. An eating pattern should be the one you can stick to in the long term, not a quick fix.
‘Enjoy a rich variety of foods in appropriate portion sizes – moderation is key as well as being physically active. Don’t make it even harder for yourself by following a fad.’ The BDAs five to avoid: CLEAN EATING Fans: Miranda Kerr, Jessica Alba, the Hemsley sisters. Idea: Avoid all processed foods and eat foods in a raw or natural state. Extreme versions exclude gluten, grains and dairy. Verdict: While beneficial to reduce refined sugar and processed food, the idea of foods being ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ is concerning. In many cases, foods that are nutritionally beneficial are deemed unhealthy, with no basis in science. Unless you have a medically diagnosed intolerance or allergy to these foods, there is no need to eliminate them. Clean eating products are often as high in calories and more expensive. DIET PILLS Fans: Kim Kardashian, Towie’s Sam Faiers. Idea: Pills stop fat being absorbed by the body, suppress appetite or boost metabolism. Verdict: Diet pills should never be taken without consulting your GP, pharmacist or dietician. Even regulated weight loss medicines can have nasty side effects. Alarmingly, there has been a rise in diet pills for sale online – these are often unregulated and can contain substances that have proven to be fatal. TEA TOXES Fans: Nicki Minaj, Kylie Jenner. Idea: Teas detox body, improve skin, reduce bloating, aid weight loss. Verdict: Often contain extra caffeine, diuretics and the laxative senna – which is not safe to take for longer than a week without medical supervision. No scientific evidence. Risk of side effects such a diarrhoea, dehydration, gut damage. 6:1 DIET Fans: Coldplay singer Chris Martin. Idea: Eat normally for six days, then fast for one day a week. Verdict: Likely to lead to a lack of concentration, tiredness and low mood. Fasting could be dangerous – consult a medical professional to ensure it is done in a safe way. GREEN JUICE Fans: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Gwyneth Paltrow Idea: Juices or smoothies made of various fruits, vegetables and powders. Fans claim benefits ranging from detoxing to rejuvenation and weight loss. Verdict: The body is perfectly capable of detoxing itself. Adding a green juice to an unhealthy diet is never going to make up for poor choices. Keep your veg and fruit whole and limit juice/smoothies to 150ml per day.