Breaking Down Fad Diets
Start a diet. Lose weight. Quit. Gain weight. Start a new diet.
Does that sound familiar?
The diet industry is a toxic, billion-dollar industry profiting off of people jumping from diet to diet in attempts to lose weight and get “healthy” in order to fit into society’s body standards. People are eager to jump on the diet wagon for a quick fix, but research has shown that most people gain back more weight than they previously weighed before they started the diet.
It seems like there is a new diet to try every month, but remember that fad diets are not sustainable or meant for the long-term. This article will cover the research of intermittent fasting in-depth and break down other popular diets: the ketogenic diet, juice cleanses, and paleo diet.
Intermittent Fasting:
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating regimen that cycles between set periods of eating and fasting. During periods of fasting, this means eating nothing at all. Nada! This focuses less on what foods and how much you eat and more on the timing. There has been research indicating that intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss, improved metabolism, protection against disease and cancer, and improved energy and quality of life. But at what cost? Three common methods of intermittent fasting that we will cover are alternate day fasting, modified fasting, and time-restricted feeding.
Alternate Day Fasting:
Alternate day fasting switches between days when you are allowed to eat and drink and those that you are not. Animal studies found that this method reduced blood sugar levels just as much as caloric restriction [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17616757/]. In humans, studies were short-term (a couple of days to a couple of weeks) and showed a decrease in at least one glucoregulatory marker [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15640462/]. They also found that HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels improved, but LDL cholesterol increased significantly [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16051710/]. However, if you want to remain fully engaged and energized in life, do you really want to be depriving your body of food?
Modified Fasting:
Modified fasting allows for a small intake of food on fasting days. A common pattern is the 5:2 diet when you “fast” on 2 nonconsecutive days and eat normally on the other 5 days. Animal studies found decreased visceral fat, fat cell size reduction [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17607017/], and decreased cell proliferation [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18184721/], which is a cancer risk factor. In overweight and obese humans, studies ranged from 6 weeks to 8 months. Results showed weight loss, decreased fasting insulin, and decreased inflammatory markers but no changes in fasting blood sugar levels [https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/21/1/2, https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/90/5/1138/4598070, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1859864/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1859864/]. 15% of the participants experienced feeling cold, having low energy, irritability, and feeling depressed [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1859864/]. While more sustainable than alternate-day fasting, side effects are still observed, and your body is still not getting all of the food it needs to function properly.
Time-restricted Feeding:
Time-restricted feeding allows eating during certain periods of time of the day. People commonly have a start and end time for eating or have a certain amount of time they are allowed to eat. Animals showed weight loss, decreased cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and improved insulin sensitivity [https://europepmc.org/article/med/24739093]. One human study found that consuming one meal per day versus three showed benefits for cholesterol and a reduction in fat mass but also elevated fasting glucose levels, impairment of insulin sensitivity, and impaired morning glucose tolerance. When switching back to a 3 meals per day dietary regimen, the impaired glucose tolerance was reversed. It is important to keep in mind that in this study, each subject still ate enough calories each day for weight maintenance regardless of how many meals they ate and only lasted for two 8-week periods [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121099/].
Breaking down Intermittent Fasting:
These are short-term studies and do not take into account long-term effects. Yes, there does seem to be health benefits of intermittent fasting when you start out but is intermittent fasting sustainable?
When you fast, you’re ignoring your body’s natural hunger cues. It is normal to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. The day or time should not be deciding this for you.
After a fast, your body is running on low energy, making it dangerous to exercise or go about in daily life. This can lead to feeling fatigued, headaches, light-headed, and dizzy.
Since blood flow and digestion are at its highest when you are awake, it is usually best to eat throughout the day to break down food most efficiently instead of waiting until later in the day.
Intermittent fasting is like an eating disorder in disguise and can be triggering to partake in similar fasting behaviors.
Intermittent fasting can be dangerous for people with diabetes or low blood sugar.
Ketogenic Diet:
What is the Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic or keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet aimed to switch the body’s energy source from sugars to ketones.
Breaking down the Ketogenic Diet:
By limiting the number of carbohydrates in your diet, it is no surprise that nutrient deficiencies are common. Eating a variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits is key to obtaining all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.
The brain’s preferred form of fuel is sugar. Causing it to run on ketones leads to fatigue, confusion, and irritability.
Eating a high-fat diet causes you to intake more saturated fat than normal which has implications for cardiovascular health.
Juice Cleanse:
What is the juice cleanse?
The juice cleanse forbids any consumption of solid foods, so only juiced foods and water is allowed. This is commonly used to “cleanse” or “detox” the body.
Breaking down juice cleanses:
Chewing or mastication cues us into our hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin
Digestion is disrupted, causing diarrhea and dehydration
Our body already has a natural way of “detoxing” the body via the liver
Not good for lean muscle mass
Paleo Diet:
What is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet is a lifestyle diet, commonly known as the Whole30. It is aimed to “reset” the body and have people eat similarly to our neolithic ancestors, the hunters, and gatherers.
Breaking down the Paleo diet:
It cuts out whole food groups such as whole grains, legumes, and dairy, so it is highly restrictive
There is not a lot of long-term evidence showing continued weight loss
Final Thoughts:
Much of the research highlighting the benefits of these diets do not showcase trends over time. Understanding how diets will impact you in the long-term is just as important or even more so than the immediate impacts. Not only can diets be dangerous physically, but they can also be detrimental to mental and emotional health as well. Dieting can lead to disordered eating and/or eating disorders, so it is crucial to start a new dietary regimen with caution.
It’s also important to keep in mind certain food rituals are cultural or religious, such as fasting or cutting out certain foods for a period of time, but these normally last for short portions of time. Certain diets do have benefits for medical purposes as well such as the ketogenic diet for epilepsy, but typically, these people are monitored carefully for any detriments to health.
Food is meant to be social, cultural, and most of all, enjoyable. Work with a dietitian to find a sustainable dietary plan that fits your individual needs. Remember that your worth is not based on how much or what you eat. Life is meant to be so much more than living for the validation of others.