Snap Fitness Blog

Every time we turn around there’s a new food that’s trending on social media, whether it’s a new superfood, a cleanse or a supplement, they’re everywhere! But for how much hype some of these fads get from friends or even celebrities, how do we know whether they’re healthy or not?

 

Here are a few of the most common fad foods and diets you may have seen around, and some of the facts you may not be as familiar with.

 

Juice Cleanses

You’ve seen them everywhere- people looking to press the restart button on their nutrition or simply detox their diet, juice cleanses last between a few days to a few weeks in which you consume only fruit or vegetable juices while abstaining from food. There’s been a variety of positives reported including quick weight loss and an increase in energy- but some of the “facts” of this diet may have been skewed- so what is fact, and what is fiction?

 

You’ll Lose Weight

Fact. When you eat a low-calorie diet of any kind you will drop water weight and possibly notice weight loss right away, however, this isn’t a diet that is effective for long-term weight loss. As soon as you go back to eating a regular diet, more than likely that weight will come back.

 

Your Metabolism Will Increase

Fiction. Once you stop eating enough food to meet your energy requirements, your metabolism slows down. Although cutting calories does lead to weight loss, if your calorie count is extremely low for an extended period of time you will notice the opposite effect- your body begins storing its fat stores because it doesn’t know when it will be receiving nourishment next.

 

Your Energy Will Increase

Fiction. Since your calorie intake is low, you may notice a feeling of weakness and low energy. Fruit cleanses are also high in sugar and eliminate protein, which causes your body to produce insulin faster causing your blood sugar to drop- causing dizziness or headaches, or even feelings of depression. You may notice small bursts of energy, but they’re fleeting.

 

Maple Syrup Diet

This one became famous after Beyonce claimed to have incredible success with it. The maple syrup diet, or more commonly known as the Master Cleanse, has been advertised to help you lose around ten pounds in a week. It consists of drinking a homemade concoction of maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper for ten days straight.

 

Your Metabolism Will Increase

Fact. The chemical in cayenne peppers speeds up your heart rate and boosts your metabolism in addition to helping you burn more calories.

 

You’ll Detox Your Body

Fiction. This diet doesn’t detox successfully detox the body in a healthy way. Detoxification works when nutrients combined with toxins are processed by the liver then excreted. However, this detox diet doesn’t provide the necessary nutrients for the liver to work properly, and within 48 hours detoxification stops.

 

Lack of Nutritional Value

Fact. This diet, ultimately, is dangerous. On this diet you consume roughly 600 calories a day meaning you will be bored, irritated, have trouble concentrating and get headaches. You receive a minimal amount of nutrition from the lemon juice, but there is no fiber or protein to keep you going. While the cayenne pepper has the ability to speed up your metabolism, eventually your body will go into starvation mode and slow your metabolism to conserve the few calories you have.

 

The Grapefruit Diet

This diet has been around for quite some time. It has several variations, but the typical diet lasts 21 days and involves eating grapefruit at every meal in addition to a few other food restrictions such as starches and sugar. It recommends drinking 10 glasses of water a day to reduce hunger and keep you hydrated. But what are the facts?

 

Grapefruit Burns Fat

Fiction. Grapefruit is high in water content, so it may help you feel fuller faster which can reduce your calorie intake. But grapefruit doesn’t have magical fat-burning powers.

 

Grapefruit is Part of a Healthy Weight Loss Plan

Fact. Long-term, adding grapefruit to your diet offers plenty of nutrition and can be a good substitute for unhealthy food. Adding it to your diet is definitely a plus.

 

You’ll Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Fiction. Like every other “lose weight quick” diet, maintaining the weight you lost after you start eating normally is not likely.

 

What have we learned? Any diet that suggests you’ll lose weight fast isn’t recommended. It’s likely that you’ll end up restricting yourself to a point that, once you go back to your regular diet, you’ll gain the weight right back. Your best bet is not to choose a diet, but to commit to living a healthier, more active lifestyle. Changing your life will change your look! 

 

Need a recipe to use up leftover hardboiled eggs? Try this delicious deviled egg sandwich recipe. 

 

INGREDIENTS
Leftover deviled eggs:

6 eggs, hard boiled & shelled

4 tablespoons mayonnaise with olive oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

White sandwich bread

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make deviled eggs: Cut eggs in half and separate yolks from whites. Place yolks in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Add mayo, white vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and paprika and stir until combined. Scoop equal amounts of yolk mixture and place in empty egg white halves.
2. To make the sandwich: Place extra deviled eggs in a bowl and smash until combined. Serve on gluten-free or whole wheat sandwich bread.