RED FLAGS

Before you buy into any miracle diet, keep an eye out for these warning signs.

1. It excludes many foods or a whole food group.

‘A diet that leaves you with very limited choices is a big warning sign,’ says Nathalie.

2. The diet claims to be the ‘silver bullet’ for an illness.

‘The cause of illness is multifactorial and isn’t caused by a sole nutrient or food group, so it doesn’t make sense to eliminate a single nutrient/food to help cure yourself,’ says Abby.

3. It goes against conventional science.

‘Fad diets usually disapprove of conventional science and claim to know something that all nutrition scientists have missed or “are trying to hide from you”,’ says Abby.

4. It has a product tied to it.

‘Long-term healthy eating requires food. Be wary of product-pushing plans,’ says Nathalie.