It was another breezy summer afternoon when I opened up my laptop to find that a fan of my blog had sent me this tiny gem [1] from Wiki on Americans and weight loss:

Fad Diets: Do They Really Work?

“There is a substantial market for products which promise to make weight loss easier, quicker, cheaper, more reliable, or less painful. These include books, CDs, creams, lotions, pills, rings and earrings, body wraps, body belts and other materials, not to mention fitness centers, personal coaches, weight loss groups, and food products and supplements.”

It went on…

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Flipping through Dr. Sears’ book, I was alarmed to see that the book was full of ’success stories’ while not containing an ounce of independent research I could evaluate. WebMD’s latest article on the Zone Diet seconds my concern about the validation of this diet’s success.

The American Heart Association Does Not Recommend The Zone Diet.

If you toss all the pricey meal plan books and glossy guides aside, The Zone Diet offers a relatively simple diet plan for you to follow – eat a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and whole grains, but in a rather strict and unwieldy 40-30-30 ratio[1]. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to force my clients to work out their meal ratio to this absolute percentage. Nor did I agree with Sears’ evaluation of ‘brown rice’ as a bad carbohydrate source, and his recommendation that we eat ice cream as it was a ‘good fat’, as ice cream is an undisputed source of saturated fat.

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Acai berries...another fad diet that does not work!

An Internet search for acai berries is like browsing a list of spam emails. A majority of these so-called ‘balanced reviews’ that weigh the ‘pros and cons’ of acai berries are thinly veiled marketing ploys that involve getting you to give up your credit card details for a free trial of acai berry supplements which you’ll find extremely hard to cancel later. Against all of these expert opinions, you may think, what makes my diatribe any different? Well, I work as a nutrition counselor, advising people on wholesome food and fitness. That’s my 9 to 5. I’m also a loving mother of two kids, whom I try to teach to think logically about nutrition, and I’ve never advocated a single fad diet. I am also not trying to sell you anything, and this blog post will not lead to some place where you can purchase some dubious supplements like acai berry or any other product.

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The South Beach Diet is expensive to follow.

Despite how popular the South Beach Diet is, I would never recommend it to any of my clients who come in for nutrition consultations. In this article, I’ve compiled research on why the South Beach Diet is not a replacement for a healthy diet.

The South Beach Diet was developed by cardiologist Dr. Agatston in the 1980s as a strategy to help his patients reduce their risk of heart attack. The diet is based on the idea that good carbohydrates are those that score low on the glycemic index[2] and that the dieter could consequently ‘kill’ the hunger pangs that accompany high sugar intake. Though some of Dr. Agatston’s ideology is sound, like introducing oily fish and nuts, the extreme phases of the diet, i.e. lack of solid exercise and lack of evidence-based research make this diet a poor choice overall.

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Prevent cancer!

One in every eight deaths worldwide is due to cancer [1]. Most people know someone who has been affected: a friend, sibling, parent or distant relative. This post is all about the simple ways you can help prevent cancer from happening to you and your loved ones.

Genetic Markers

The first rule is to know your enemy. Having family members with a history of cancer put you at a higher risk. Investigate your family tree and list any and all genetic ailments you find, not just cancer, e.g. diabetes, hypertension, depression, high blood pressure, migraines, muscular dystrophy and congenital heart disease, which are also hereditary or at least influenced by genetics. Once you have this list, consult with your doctor about your personal risk. Some doctors may wish to sugarcoat it in order not to cause unnecessary worry; that’s fine, but you should ask him/her to be as realistic with you as possible.

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Studies have shown that the Grapefruit Diet is not only unhealthy but dangerous!

The Grapefruit Diet (a.k.a. the Hollywood Diet), introduced during the 1930s, is one of the oldest fad diets. It’s one of those fad diets (like all of them!) that are just too good to be true. Through a combination of fatty meat, grapefruits and grapefruit juice[2], the Grapefruit Diet allegedly burns fat at high rate. The diet also includes limiting grains, fruit and vegetables.  Sound risky? It is… Advocates of the diet claim that it’s a “10 day, 10 pounds off diet,” but studies have shown it’s not only unhealthy, it’s also dangerous[2]. Also, can you really picture yourself eating grapefruit all the time, every day of your life? It’s just not a realistic regiment for most people.

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The Atkins diet is a high protein diet that is harmful to the body.

As a nutritionist, it pains me to think that people keep subscribing to fad diets, which can greatly endanger your health and lead to the ballooning effect, i.e. when a person diets and then balloons back to his/her original weight weeks later. Plus, limiting your diet to only a few food groups can even harm your body. This has inspiredme to start a series to explain the real deal behind fad diets. Today, I’ll start with one of most popular fad diets: the Atkins diet.

The entire basis of  Atkins is that a low-carb diet allegedly puts humans into a state of fat-burning ketosis, which Dr. Atkins claimed could help people to burn 950 calories more per day. However, one of the world’s leading medical journals, “The Lancet” conducted a study which concluded that there was no such metabolic advantage[1], and that dieters were just eating fewer calories out of boredom [2].

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Beware of Refined,Enriched or Organic on the Labels

It’s impossible to walk through the supermarket without noticing the strange words attached to our food products. Instead of simple milk, flour and sugar, we see products proclaiming that they are ‘refined,’ ‘fortified,’ ‘organic’ and ‘enriched.’ To clear up the confusion, today we’re going to tackle the real meaning behind the word enriched. We need to hold manufacturers responsible for what additives they decide to ‘enrich’ our food with…for our eating pleasure of course.

The Reason Behind Enrichment

One reason manufacturers say their product is enriched is because it adds to the hype. It seems like you’re somehow getting added value. Although it may seem a good idea at first, the enrichment process refers to the adding back of nutrients and/or vitamins that were lost during processing. That means the enriched milk you’re buying for your kids is mostly powdered milk and water, with substances added to bulk it up that are definitely NOT milk. What you’re buying is definitely not a whole, healthy or premium item. The manufacturer has created a product that is cheaper to produce while convincing the average consumer that the product is somehow better than its natural counterparts.

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Trans fat has long been a hidden public menace, clogging up our arteries like bad wasteand increasing the incidence of coronary heart disease.

A lot of people think they’re trans fat free, and I hope they are. We’re all learning to buy brands that proclaim ‘no trans fats’ while roaming the shopping aisles. However, not everything the typical person eats boasts a ‘no trans fats’ label, as trans fats are too deeply ingrained into our public consumption cycles for us to simply assume they’re gone. It may surprise you to know that trans fats have been commercially available since the 1910s. That’s one hundred years of trans fats!

Trans Fats are Chemical Preservatives

The main reason why trans fat is used in almost all food products is that it prolongs the shelf life of processed food products. It is also known to enhance the flavor of food, and is a superior baking agent to lard, which was a big deal back in the early 1900s.

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The crisp, fragrant taste of fresh herbs is pure bliss. I grow my own basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, cilantro, and chives in my garden, and they’re easy to maintain.. If you don’t have the luxury to grow your own, or the green thumb for it,  then you are the perfect candidate to buy fresh herbs from the local grocery or farmer’s market and store them at home. Here’s a quick guide on the best way to store fresh herbs and how best to keep them alive:

Storing Long Stemmed Herbs Like Basil, Parsley & Cilantro

Store herbs in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Always go for herbs which have roots still attached to them. Long stemmed herbs such as basil, parsley and cilantro should be treated like a bouquet of flowers.Put them in a water-filled vase in a warm place, and de-leaf as much as you require[1]. Do NOT freeze these herbs because moisture will make their leaves wilt and blacken.  These varieties don’t do well inside the refrigerator.

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