Diet fads and eating trends, do they work?

Sue_C

Every week there seems to be a new diet or food trend sponsored by celebrity chefs, food bloggers or friends and family. Some have come and gone over the years with mixed results. I've started a list of currently popular ones. Or, maybe you remember one from the past that seemed great at the time...



Paleo diet: Think cavepeople--hunting and gathering only, so say goodbye to mac 'n' cheese .
Gluten free: Just as it says, no gluten. 
Juicing: Make juice from fruits and veggies to get more vitamins and minerals into your daily diet.
Vegetarian: No meat but typically eggs, cheese and milk are ok (yay ice cream!)
Vegan: No animal products whatsoever.
Detox/cleanse diet: A meal plan aimed at ridding your body of toxins.
No-carb or low-carb: More protein, less carbs. Farewell bread .

What do you think of these? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Ross_Lampe

Fasting Mimicking Diet is shown to promote pancreas beta cell regeneration.

1. http://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2015/06/26/one-week-two-innovations-in-aging-and-health/

2. “A Periodic Diet that Mimics Fasting Promotes Multi-System Regeneration, Enhanced Cognitive Performance, and Healthspan” (2015) http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(15)00224-7

3. “A Diet Mimicking Fasting Promotes Regeneration and Reduces Autoimmunity and Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms” (2016) https://prolonfmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cell-press-may-2016.pdf

4. http://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2017/02/24/fasting-mimicking-diet-can-you-make-it-a-habit/

5. “Fasting-mimicking diet and markers/risk factors for aging, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease” (2017) http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/9/377/eaai8700

6. “Fasting-mimicking diet may reverse diabetes” (2017) https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-02-fasting-mimicking-diet-reverse-diabetes.html

7. "Fasting-mimicking diet promotes Ngn3-driven β-cell regeneration to reverse diabetes" (2017) http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(17)30130-7

8. https://thequantifiedbody.net/fast-mimicking-diet/

9. http://agingadvice.org/FMD-Recipes.html

AZStorageGuy

I'm gluten intolerant.  Not a bad diet once you get used to it.  It gives you a chance to create a new list of favorite foods.  A lot healthier than the Standard American Diet, that's for sure.

Chuck_Vion

Personally, I decided that I needed to make a lifestyle change to my diet - instead of going on a diet - in order to get to and maintain a healthy weight and have more energy.

I started by writing down everything I ate (I still do this), adding a glass of lemon water before every meal, cutting out fast food, paying attention to food labels (not calorie or point counting, but choosing lower fat and lower sodium alternatives, and paying attention to serving size - the food companies are very tricky on that front), eating smaller portions (a serving size of steak is about a deck of cards, not 16 ounces, lol) and waiting 20 minutes before having seconds to see if I really am still hungry, removing the unhealthy foods/snacks from my house in favor of more healthy ones like almonds, raw carrots, multi-grain chips, hummus, fresh fruit, etc.

Sodium is the item I most needed to reduce and by paying attention to that, healthier choices all around become more abundant. Did you know an Arby's turkey club sandwich on whole wheat bread has 2000 mg of sodium!! That is ridiculous. What I thought was a healthy choice, tuned out to be the opposite. In general, eating out should be taken with a grain of salt - pun intended. When I can, I prepare my own foods and stay away from anything canned. It's not always practical. So when I eat out, I choose a healthy option, knowing it isn't even that healthy, but I still feel good about making the best choice under the circumstances.

I still eat many of the things I like and have an indulgent meal every week or two - the key for me is moderation. Plus, increasing my vegetable and whole grain intake, reducing sodium/fatty foods and eating sensible portions has had a dramatic affect!

I've lost 16 lbs in 2 months without ANY real exercise other than walking my dog. I plan on getting back to regular exercise soon, and that with a healthier diet overall should help me hit my goal of losing another 20 lbs and keeping it off. 

I feel that the only way I can be successful is to change the way I think about food and make it a part of lifestyle. I'm not going on a diet to loose weight -- I am changing my diet in a healthy manner and as a result I am loosing weight and feeling better overall. There is a difference
  

StorageKodiak

I have been on a Keto diet for a month (think paleo without carbs and sugars) and I am already noticing a difference in the way I feel, Plus I have dropped 25 pounds already. Plenty of information exists online about the Keto diet and how it works. If you really have a lot of weight to lose I highly recommend this approach.

Freddy

Definitely look at it as a lifestyle rather than a diet. A diet by definition is about restrictions and for many of us it's the thought of 'being restricted' that causes us to go off the rails and binge. I was once well over three hundred lbs, after a heart attack and laying around feeling sorry for myself and eating for comfort. I had worked out on and off most of my life and knew how to build muscle and drop weight and I let that work against me by telling myself that I could lose it whenever I wanted. One day I saw a picture of myself and decided that it was time to get off my **** and stop feeling sorry for myself and hit the gym. Now keep in mind that you can hit the gym seven days a week and still be fat and out of shape. You must change your lifestyle. You can actually eat MORE, a lot more and still lose fat while gaining lean muscle!!! I worked out on Monday, Wed, and Friday. I found a routine that was right for me and it included a lot of free weights and lifting heavy with strict form. I also went from gorging myself on two or three meals a day to eating every two to three hours, healthy portions of proteins, veggies, and carbs, 'mostly slow burning healthy carbs but not entirely. Twice a day instead of a regular meal, I would have a protein shake with 2% milk. Within eight months I went from obese and 310 lbs to a slim and fit 230 lbs. (I am 6' 3"). I maintained that lifestyle for five years and gained about 20 lbs of muscle. I have been away from the gym for over a year and a half and have not been eating healthy and as a result I have gained twenty lbs of fat. TODAY I REBOOT! I weighed last night and I have gone from a muscular 250 to 270 lbs and my arms are smaller than they have been in years. I am back on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon. I suggest that anyone who struggles with weight and body issues check out an old book written by BILL PHILLIPS, called 'BODY FOR LIFE'. This book will tell you all you need to know about changing your MIND, your BODY and your LIFE. I could not recommend it MORE. BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE. PAY IT FORWARD! ~Freddy P.