EVER eaten rotten food? Followed the latest celebrity fad? Skipped breakfast to keep the calories down? Join thousands of Aussies who follow the common, yet dangerous, pieces of diet advice below. Let us put the record straight, and put this cruel game of Chinese whispers to rest. Check out our pick of the worst pieces of diet advice… ever!
1. "Avoid carbs"
Reducing your intake of energy-dense carbohydrates, such as large slices of bread, rice, pasta, cakes and biscuits, can help weight loss. However, eating too few carbohydrates can starve the muscles for long periods of time and reduce metabolic rate, so the body becomes less effective at burning energy. If you have been cutting back on the carbs for a while, it may be time to increase them a little, particularly during the day.
2. "Skip or skimp on breakfast"
Skipping breakfast means 'I do not feel hungry', but according to nutritionist Susie Burrell, hunger is a good thing - it means that your body is burning its food well. "When we ignore hunger we are much more likely to overeat later in the day even though we may be eating lightly in the morning." And apparently it's just as bad to skimp as it is to skip. According to a study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, those who consumed the carbohydrate and protein-rich 600 calorie breakfast were more successful at sticking to their diets than those who had the 300 calorie morning meal.
3. "Work out on an empty stomach to burn more fat"
A study conducted at the University of Leuven in Belgium found that cyclists who trained on an empty stomach burned a slightly higher amount of fat than those who ate beforehand. However, this study and another published in Medicine &Science in Sports &Exercise discovered that fasting subjects trained at a reduced intensity and for 30 minutes less than those who ate prior to working out. The bottom line is: you end up burning fewer kilojoules overall if you don't eat because you don't have the stamina to make it through your workout. Try something small before your workout, like a handful of nuts or spoonful of yoghurt or fruit.
4. "Give up fats or be fat"
According to Lisa Guy, a terrible piece of dietary advice is to avoid all fats for better heart health and to lose weight. The real skinny on fat is this: we all need a certain amount of fat in our diet for various body functions, including nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, and maintaining body cell integrity. However, gram for gram, fat packs in more kilojoules compared to carbohydrate, protein and alcohol, so eating too much fat can promote weight gain. But, not all fats are created equal. Some fats promote good health, while others increase the risk for heart disease. The key is to replace saturated or trans fats (biscuits, full-cream milk, pastries and cured meats, to name a few) with unsaturated fat (oily fish, flaxseeds, unsalted nuts and seeds, olives and avocado).
5. "Go gluten free"
One million Aussies now avoid gluten, but it's a medical necessity for only 25 per cent of them. Gluten is a protein composite found in foods made from wheat and some other grains including barley oats and rye. It's come under an unflattering spotlight in recent years with people saying they're 'gluten intolerant' because of ill effects they may feel after eating these grains. But according to Dr Sue Shepherd, eradicating an entire food group without proper medical advice is not healthy - they may be gluten-free but "they're probably still highly processed, high in sugar, high in GI and lacking in nutrition".
6. "Don't eat fruit"
A common feature of The Atkins diet, giving up fruit has become a common piece of dietary advice. However dietitians and exercise scientists fail to see the benefits of avoiding fruit, including Fitness guru Mark Moon: "I believe that one piece of fruit each day is more than OK to still get weight loss results, the nutritional value in the fruit far out ways the risk of that extra natural sugar. My advice for eating fruit is this though - always eat your fruit separately from other foods, as fruit digests much faster than other foods, and can cause bloating if mixed together."
7. "Try the Lemon Detox Diet"
Originally known as The Master Cleanse, consisting of a cocktail of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup, the 'Lemon Detox Diet' is considered one of the unhealthiest out there. Guy agrees: "By only drinking lemon water you will be lacking the essential nutrients the body needs to function properly, our brains need as fuel, and our liver needs to detox toxins safely and effectively. Any weight you may have lost on this diet will go straight back on as soon as you resume your normal diet."
8. "Save a poor diet with supplements"
Supplements should never replace a balanced diet. They can have a role but they can't fully compensate for a poor eating habit. If you are a healthy person who follows a well-balanced eating plan, you do not need any supplements. However, there are a certain groups of people who need supplements. These include pregnant and lactating women, some vegetarians, the elderly and people with a diagnosed deficiency i.e., anaemia and lactose intolerance. The best insurance policy is to eat a wide variety of foods and always discuss supplementation with your doctor.
9. "Spit out spuds"
Potatoes have become one of the guiltiest of carbohydrates and one of the most commonly avoided vegetables. And why is this? Potatoes copped a bad rap when it was found that they have a high GI, which means they are digested quite quickly. But consumed with meat, chicken or fish and vegetables, a potato without butter is fine. In fact, did you know that spuds contain less than 400 kilojoules, which is half the kilojoules of a cup of cooked rice.
10. "Follow XXX fad"
If it's a crazy diet fad, it's a crazy diet fad. For decades, we've heard everything from the 'household name' Cabbage Soup Diet to more recently a diet involving the eating of only rotten food (we know!) - neither of which sound particularly appealing. And perhaps that's the point that most nutrition experts would sum up if asked - if a diet sounds unmanageable, it's probably bad for you. Whether it's giving up a whole food group (carbs, meat, dairy); eating only one kind of food (the Soup Diet, the Apple diet) or following the latest juice cleanse or fast, no fad works for everyone, and no fad is sustainable forever. "Food is like a puzzle," Kate Di Prima, dietitian extraordinaire says simply. "Your body expects every piece of it to be in the box."
1. "Avoid carbs"
Reducing your intake of energy-dense carbohydrates, such as large slices of bread, rice, pasta, cakes and biscuits, can help weight loss. However, eating too few carbohydrates can starve the muscles for long periods of time and reduce metabolic rate, so the body becomes less effective at burning energy. If you have been cutting back on the carbs for a while, it may be time to increase them a little, particularly during the day.
2. "Skip or skimp on breakfast"
Skipping breakfast means 'I do not feel hungry', but according to nutritionist Susie Burrell, hunger is a good thing - it means that your body is burning its food well. "When we ignore hunger we are much more likely to overeat later in the day even though we may be eating lightly in the morning." And apparently it's just as bad to skimp as it is to skip. According to a study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, those who consumed the carbohydrate and protein-rich 600 calorie breakfast were more successful at sticking to their diets than those who had the 300 calorie morning meal.
3. "Work out on an empty stomach to burn more fat"
A study conducted at the University of Leuven in Belgium found that cyclists who trained on an empty stomach burned a slightly higher amount of fat than those who ate beforehand. However, this study and another published in Medicine &Science in Sports &Exercise discovered that fasting subjects trained at a reduced intensity and for 30 minutes less than those who ate prior to working out. The bottom line is: you end up burning fewer kilojoules overall if you don't eat because you don't have the stamina to make it through your workout. Try something small before your workout, like a handful of nuts or spoonful of yoghurt or fruit.
4. "Give up fats or be fat"
According to Lisa Guy, a terrible piece of dietary advice is to avoid all fats for better heart health and to lose weight. The real skinny on fat is this: we all need a certain amount of fat in our diet for various body functions, including nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, and maintaining body cell integrity. However, gram for gram, fat packs in more kilojoules compared to carbohydrate, protein and alcohol, so eating too much fat can promote weight gain. But, not all fats are created equal. Some fats promote good health, while others increase the risk for heart disease. The key is to replace saturated or trans fats (biscuits, full-cream milk, pastries and cured meats, to name a few) with unsaturated fat (oily fish, flaxseeds, unsalted nuts and seeds, olives and avocado).
5. "Go gluten free"
One million Aussies now avoid gluten, but it's a medical necessity for only 25 per cent of them. Gluten is a protein composite found in foods made from wheat and some other grains including barley oats and rye. It's come under an unflattering spotlight in recent years with people saying they're 'gluten intolerant' because of ill effects they may feel after eating these grains. But according to Dr Sue Shepherd, eradicating an entire food group without proper medical advice is not healthy - they may be gluten-free but "they're probably still highly processed, high in sugar, high in GI and lacking in nutrition".
6. "Don't eat fruit"
A common feature of The Atkins diet, giving up fruit has become a common piece of dietary advice. However dietitians and exercise scientists fail to see the benefits of avoiding fruit, including Fitness guru Mark Moon: "I believe that one piece of fruit each day is more than OK to still get weight loss results, the nutritional value in the fruit far out ways the risk of that extra natural sugar. My advice for eating fruit is this though - always eat your fruit separately from other foods, as fruit digests much faster than other foods, and can cause bloating if mixed together."
7. "Try the Lemon Detox Diet"
Originally known as The Master Cleanse, consisting of a cocktail of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup, the 'Lemon Detox Diet' is considered one of the unhealthiest out there. Guy agrees: "By only drinking lemon water you will be lacking the essential nutrients the body needs to function properly, our brains need as fuel, and our liver needs to detox toxins safely and effectively. Any weight you may have lost on this diet will go straight back on as soon as you resume your normal diet."
8. "Save a poor diet with supplements"
Supplements should never replace a balanced diet. They can have a role but they can't fully compensate for a poor eating habit. If you are a healthy person who follows a well-balanced eating plan, you do not need any supplements. However, there are a certain groups of people who need supplements. These include pregnant and lactating women, some vegetarians, the elderly and people with a diagnosed deficiency i.e., anaemia and lactose intolerance. The best insurance policy is to eat a wide variety of foods and always discuss supplementation with your doctor.
9. "Spit out spuds"
Potatoes have become one of the guiltiest of carbohydrates and one of the most commonly avoided vegetables. And why is this? Potatoes copped a bad rap when it was found that they have a high GI, which means they are digested quite quickly. But consumed with meat, chicken or fish and vegetables, a potato without butter is fine. In fact, did you know that spuds contain less than 400 kilojoules, which is half the kilojoules of a cup of cooked rice.
10. "Follow XXX fad"
If it's a crazy diet fad, it's a crazy diet fad. For decades, we've heard everything from the 'household name' Cabbage Soup Diet to more recently a diet involving the eating of only rotten food (we know!) - neither of which sound particularly appealing. And perhaps that's the point that most nutrition experts would sum up if asked - if a diet sounds unmanageable, it's probably bad for you. Whether it's giving up a whole food group (carbs, meat, dairy); eating only one kind of food (the Soup Diet, the Apple diet) or following the latest juice cleanse or fast, no fad works for everyone, and no fad is sustainable forever. "Food is like a puzzle," Kate Di Prima, dietitian extraordinaire says simply. "Your body expects every piece of it to be in the box."
