Yahoo Lifestyle Lemon Detox named worst diet of 2013
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Put down the juicer, pack away the cayenne pepper and leave the maple syrup for your pancakes: the Lemon Detox diet is bad news
Obesity in Australia is a serious health issue but the only lasting result of fad weight loss programs is poor health, says the Dietitian's Association of Australia spokesperson and accredited practising dietitian Melanie McGrice. She said: “The problem with fad diets is that they’re all about restrictive eating patterns that you can’t stick to over the long haul and may even undermine your health.”
Over two-thirds (68%) of the hundreds of accredited practising dietitians surveyed voted the Lemon Detox diet the worst for the third year in a row.
Why the bad rap? On this diet, kilojoules are severely restricted, so the body goes into starvation mode, which plays havoc with your metabolism. "Most of the ‘weight’ lost is fluid, so the number on the scales will go back up once you start eating normal food and drinks again. This is one diet that is impossible to sustain in the long-term – and you wouldn’t want to be on it for any length of time as it does not provide the essential nutrients your body needs to function," said McGrice.
SkinnyMe tea and the Ashy Bines Bikini Body Challenge came in second and third on the list of 11 of the diets to avoid in 2014. SkinnyMe tea was shunned by more than half of the dietitians (55%) while the Ashy Bines Bikini Body Challenge attracted votes from 32% of nutrition experts.
“What you lose on these detox diets, like the Lemon Detox Diet and SkinnyMe tea, is usually fluid, healthy gut bacteria, electrolytes - all the things to keep your body healthy, rather than fat”, Ms McGrice says. “And you don’t need to go on a severe detox because your body has an inbuilt detox system – the lungs, liver, and kidneys working every minute of the day.”
“If you want to ‘detox’, nourish your body by cutting down on fatty, highly-processed foods, alcohol and caffeine, and eat a balanced diet – making sure you get plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and water”, says Ms McGrice.
DAA warns Australians to avoid fad diets - especially those which miss out on or "demonise" certain food groups. Avoiding entire food groups makes meeting your basic nutritional needs very challenging.
Ms McGrice says, “For long-term success, Aussies should choose realistic and achievable goals that they can do every day. For example, including an extra serve of vegetables at lunch and dinner or cutting back your alcohol.”
Healthy home cooking should be a focus in 2014 but keep it simple. "Healthy cooking doesn’t mean gourmet. Focus on fresh, seasonal produce and the quarter, quarter, half rule. One quarter of a plate of low GI carbohydrates, another quarter of lean protein and half a plate of vegetables in a rainbow of colours."
More tips for healthy home cooking:
· Plan. Plan your menu for the week, make a shopping list and stick to it. Encourage the family to get involved and remember that it’s harder to eat junk food if it’s not in the house. Extra tip - don’t shop on an empty stomach.
· Swap. Choose low-fat, salt-reduced, high-fibre versions of the foods you love. For example, swap full-fat yoghurt for a reduced-fat variety. Buy salt-reduced sauces, stocks, soups and tinned tomatoes. Choose whole grain varieties of breads and breakfast cereals.
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