A diet may work perfectly for one person, yet cause harmful side-effects in others

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that every diet on the market will make you look and feel amazing. But the truth is far from that. Not all diets leave behind that shiny, healthy glow. Sometimes, you can cause your body irreparable harm.

Quick Read:

  • If you’re on the low-carb bandwagon, you may notice dips in your energy levels and constipation. In the long run, you could be at risk of heart health issues. 
  • Smoothie diets or all-juice diets can lack fibre and micronutrients.
  • Many of us fall for detox diets, but these can lead to dehydration and nutrient deficiencies.

Diet trends come and go

If there’s one thing that will never go out of style, it’s trendy, viral diets. One day it’s all about no bread, the next week everyone’s excited about celery sticks and foods that start with the letter C. There are some who even swear by the baby food diet! Please don’t try that at home – unless you’re a baby.

Here are five so-called healthy diets that will do more harm than good. In the long run, slow and steady always does the trick over quick and unhealthy crash diets that simply lead to the weight coming back with a vengeance.

Meat-only/carnivore diet

As the name suggests, people on this diet eat meat only. Sometimes, they add cheese or eggs to the menu. Vegetables, fruit and grains are a no-go and you may hear amazing success stories of quick and easy weight loss from this diet. The problem is that a meat-heavy menu can lead to high cholesterol levels and an elevated risk of heart disease. Plus, meat has very little fibre, so you may struggle with digestion and have constipation issues.

Three meals a day

You may have heard this all your life – we must eat three meals a day. Truthfully, however, everyone’s nutritional needs are different. The more practical technique is to determine how much and when you need to eat to feel your best. How you eat those meals is what matters most when it comes to decreasing the risk of heart disease and other health problems that come along with being overweight.

Keto diet

While it’s still very popular, the Keto diet is not without its problems. This diet is all about cutting out carbohydrates completely. The problem is, with all the fatty foods that this diet calls for, you could be damaging your body and organs, such as your kidneys, in the long term.

Learning more about unhealthy diets

HcG diet

People on this diet report dropping substantial number of kilograms within a very short period, which makes sense as the calorie restriction is so extreme. The problem is that this diet is quite restrictive and it’s easy to succumb to headaches, fatigue, and muscle loss. Over time, your metabolism may slow down as well, which defeats the purpose of long-term weight management.

No-sugar diets

There are some wonderful benefits to cutting or at least, curbing your sugar intake. The problem is that people who adopt this diet tend to stop eating fruit and vegetables too, such as berries and sweet potatoes.  In these instances, you miss out on the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are naturally abundant in fruit and vegetables. Rather, focus on minimising foods that contain excessive sugar (biscuits, cakes, processed foods).

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