Why are DIET TRENDS generally STUPID?

Let’s be honest - we all tried or at least heard about different diet trends. Obviously, we usually get information about them from the Internet which is not always a reliable source of knowledge. That’s crazy how easily people believe in everything they read in there. It’s not only about us falling for these ridiculous diet trends but the danger it puts us in.

“Not eating for 16h can boost your metabolism by 60%”

“Do you really eat more than 3 meals a day? That’s too much!”

“No wonder why you’re bloated - you eat carbs!”

“It’s better to eat one unhealthy meal than 3 healthy ones - it’s about the amount of calories you consume.”

It’s so repeatable. People fall for some trends that occur on the Internet and now everyone talks about it. But who are these people? Who creates these diet trends? Unfortunately, it’s usually people who have no idea about how human body works. And still we prefer to try diets inspired by Internet creators instead of going to a specialist.

Why are diets so common on the Internet? Well, we obviously compare ourselves to people we see on social media and often want to achieve their looks. What we don’t see is that us and people we compare ourselves to are completely different. Our eating habits, metabolism, genetics, amount of movement, training opportunities are so diverse. But we still want to be the same. Creators on social media usually post content about achieving their looks so that they get lots of views. It doesn’t mean they have bad intentions but it obviously influences us.

It’s just like we wanted to make a freshwater fish and saltwater fish exchange environments. Yes, they are both fish but they aren’t used to live in each other’s environments.

We just can’t change some matters and people need to understand that.

Now I want to have a closer look on two popular diet trends.

1. “Carbs are your ENEMY”. Alright, so where do we get long-lasting energy from? How many meals do we have to remove from our everyday lives so that they won’t contain any carbs? No bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes, no oats, no beans. We cannot be so scared of these products. Even though they can make us gain weight faster than if we ate the same amount of for eg. protein products, THEY ARE NOT OUR ENEMY. They are a filling source of energy that is crucial for achieving healthy eating habits.

2. “Eating little amounts of junk food is better solution than eating lots of healthy foods”. Absolutely not. Junk food does not contain enough crucial nutrients for you to function properly. It’s mostly fat and sugar. It’s supposed to give you lots of energy in a short period of time. Eating unhealthy food once a day can not only cause lacks of important vitamins but also ruin your metabolism (irregular eating is one of the main reasons for this). On the other hand eating regular nutritious meals can not only keep you in a good physical condition but also provide mental well-being. It’s always a better option.

We need to remember that keeping our bodies full of healthy fats, proteins and carbs is the most important thing. Following some ridiculous diet trends that occur on the Internet won’t keep us healthy.

To make things even more specific, people that suffer from particular diseases (eg. diabetes, anorexia, obesity) and have a certain diet recommended by a specialist should stick to it at all costs.

Stay aware of toxic content and stay healthy!

Zosia