Debunking America’s Diets

THE DIET DEBUNKER A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF AMERICA'S HOTTEST DIETS Many people are skeptical and approach new fad diets with caution, considering them as phony as snake oil or love potions. But are all of these fad diets completely false? Or are there actually some nutritional nuggets of wisdom underneath the flashy names and gimmicky rules? THE DUKAN DIET THE RULES PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Attack Cruise Consolidation Stabilization • Lean protein: fish. poultry. eggs. soy, nonfat dairy • 1.5 tbsps of oat bran daily • 1.5 liters of waters daily • Walk 20 minutes daily • Any non-starchy vegetables • Set amount of protein. every other day • All-you-can-eat lean protein 2 tbsps of oat bran daily • Walk 30-60 minutes daily Follow Phase 1 Rules weekly vegetables, whole grain bread, • 3 tbsps of oat bran daily cheese, fruit, and starch • Walk 20 minutes daily • Treat yourself twice per week • No escalators or elevators • Start commitment of eating pure protein 1 day per week • Walk 25 minutes daily • Take a multivitamin daily THE GOOD THE BAD • Not nutritionally balanced. lacks smart carbohydrates. • Not enough oat bran for healthy brain function. • No fruits or vegetables leaves your immune system vulnerable and doesn't teach you how to eat for life. • Shifts typical diet from starches to lean protein. • The creator or the diet understands the importance of food in celebration and allows social meals with less constraints twice a week. TAKEAWAY While the Dukan Diet can drive short-term weight loss, it is missing many necessary nutrients needed for the body. Additionally, rapid weight loss can lead to gallstones and muscle loss. THE WHEAT BELLY DIET THE RULES 0000000 • The creator believes that selective breeding has caused modern wheat to genetically change at an alarmingly fast rate. • Remove Wheat, Gluten, Grains. Sugars. Starchy Foods (Potatoes. beans, etc.) from our diets. • The creator blames wheat for the common occurrence of "central obesity (belly fat) in current times. THE GOOD THE BAD Сашьеs Obesity.? • Encourages carbs low on the glycemic index. • Encourages testing your body for gluten's effect. • Eliminates fast foods and processed fats • Plan includes weight loss theories that are unscientific (regarding current wheat) • Falsely claims that potatoes and beans increase risk of obesity and disease. This diet highlights that gluten is one of the most inflammatory substances consumed by humans, and many people will likely benefit from cutting it out. However, unduly restricting variety is not a healthy way to lose weight. If you think you may have gluten intolerance, schedule an appointment with your doctor. TAKEAWAY THE ALKALINE DIET THE RULES Acidic Alkaline • Eating certain foods is supposed to help to balance the pH level of your body and keep it at the proper level. • Encourages Alkaline-promoting food: fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, soy products, and some nuts, grains, and legumes. • Discourages acid-promoting foods: meat, fish., poultry. dairy, processed foods, white sugar. white flour, caffeine, and alcohol. THE GOOD THE BAD • Pseudoscience: your body's blood pH level remains constant at 7.35-7.45 no matter what you eat. • Could cause protein and calcium deficiencies. • People may find themselves very hungry • What's not to love about more fresh fruits and veggies even if the reason for doing so isn't scientific? • This diet will reduce risks of kidney stones. The premise of this diet is unsubstantiated; the diet has no impact on alkaline levels in your body. Great care must be taken to ensure minimum levels of protein and key minerals when one's diet is limited to only plant sources. TAKEAWAY THE BLOOD TYPE DIET THE RULES 0: Oldest Blood Type A: Agrarian Blood Type B: Nomadic Blood Type AB: Modern Blood Type • Digestive tract is sensitive. • Encourages: Seafood, tofu, dairy, produce • No: Chicken, beef, pork • Calming exercise (yoga, etc.) • Digestive tract retains eating • Digestive tract retains eating • Digestive tract retains eating habits of non-nomad farmers. habits of ancient times. habits of tolerant nomads. • Encourage: Lean meat, fish • No: grains, breads, legumes • Heavily exercise • Encourages: Low-fat dairy. • Encourages: Soy proteins. grains, and organic vegetables meat, produce Light exercise • No: Wheat, corn, lentils. • Moderate exercise THE GOOD THE BAD • Pseudoscience: The founder claims it is based on science, however his blood 'rules' have • The dietary recommendations are a rebranding of tried and true techniques. • Each recommendation is a good way of eating never been proven true in any other study. and exercising. TAKEAWAY Similar to the Alkaline Diet there is no scientific basis to support this eating approach. Randomly restricting variety in your diet can make getting necessary nutrients challenging. THE PALEO DIET THE RULES LOW-FAT ICE CREAM CEREAL POTATO If cavemen could not eat it. you should not eat it. We should return to our eating habits of the past. Highly processed, carb-focused diets lead to the majority of our modern health issues. No refined sugar. dairy. legumes, or grains THE GOOD THE BAD 39% • Carnivore friendly • Low Sodium - under 1,500mg daily • High in whole unprocessed foods • High Fat - 39% of intake • Extremely Low-Carb: 23% of diet (45-65% recommended) • Low Calcium: 700mg daily, (1,000-1,300mg recommended) Fat • Inconclusive regarding weight loss and disease prevention Low-fat dairy, legumes, and whole grains are important aspects of a well-balanced diet. Life expectancy for cavemen was pretty low, be careful to supplement to meet your nutritional needs if you take this prehistoric approach. TAKEAWAY # RETROFIT www.retrofitme.com Sources: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/dukan-diet-review?page%=2 http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401243/Wheat-Belly-Diet-Is-Wheat-Dangerous.html http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-review-the-caveman-paleo-diet?page=2 http://www.webmd.com/diet/eat-right-for-your-type http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/ http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/alkaline-diets-what-to-know?page=2 00000