{"id":495,"date":"2013-07-12T22:11:26","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T22:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"\/articles\/?p=495"},"modified":"2025-07-08T17:52:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T17:52:15","slug":"health-trend-report-the-skinny-on-fad-diets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/analysis\/health-trend-report-the-skinny-on-fad-diets\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Trend Report: The Skinny On Fad Diets"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Forest Fires To Fad Diets:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Only you can prevent Forest Fires<\/em>, said the famed Smokey the Bear<\/a> starting in 1944.\u00a0 It was a campaign with great intentions:\u00a0 prevent forest fires from ever starting and destroying beautiful forest.\u00a0 Although the campaign had nothing but good intentions, the message of preventing forest fires was criticized years later by wildfire experts for actually causing damage to forest ecosystems.\u00a0 In many cases, fire can be healthy and necessary for forests<\/a> to regenerate.<\/p>\n

The view of the National Forest Service has changed dramatically in their approach to containing and preventing forest fires as the research in fire science continues to expand.\u00a0 In its brief history, the National Forest Service<\/a> has gone from a stance of complete prevention and repression of forest fires to one of appreciation and contained burning of natural fires; a total 180.\u00a0 There is still a lot we don\u2019t know about fire ecology, but the methods and strategies for fighting these fires are constantly changing.<\/p>\n

What does a forest fire have to do with health trends<\/a>?\u00a0 More than you\u2019d think.\u00a0 We know a lot about the human body, yet there is still a lot we have to learn.\u00a0 Trends and ideas have come and gone but we continue to evolve in the way we think about the food we consume.\u00a0 The same way the National Forest Service is evolving in their fight against forest fires, humans are evolving in their fight against obesity<\/a> and diet related illness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Keeping Up:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Celebrities, authors, and experts have always claimed to have the newest solution to the age old problem of losing unwanted weight.\u00a0 Usually these diets are sprinkled with inviting adjectives like easy<\/a>, simple<\/a>, fun<\/a>, painless<\/a>, and statements about how little you will actually have to work: 15 minutes a day, 5 minutes a day, no work at all!\u00a0 With so many diets and so many new and newer strategies, it can be almost impossible to keep track.<\/p>\n

#1.\u00a0 Gluten Free Diet <\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Textbook:<\/strong>\u00a0 Diet excluding foods that contain the protein complex known as gluten.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Rise to Fame:<\/strong>\u00a0 Popularity of a gluten free lifestyle<\/a> came to be mainly due to the increase in the previously undiagnosed celiac disease<\/a>.\u00a0 In one study, the prevalence of celiac disease is estimated to be about four times as common as it was in the 1950\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Pro:<\/strong>\u00a0 The benefits of going gluten free for non-diagnosed celiacs are negligible while the deficiencies linked to the diet can be harmful.\u00a0 Clearly, if diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten free options are the only consideration when shopping or dining.\u00a0 Gluten can make someone with celiac disease experience headache, fatigue and nausea<\/a> as well as some unwanted digestive problems.\u00a0 Avoiding gluten to avoid this pain is a good thing.<\/p>\n

Con:<\/strong>\u00a0 If not diagnosed with celiac disease, there are not a ton of health benefits to hang on a gluten free diet.\u00a0 Obviously in moderation, bread, pasta, and even beer can be okay.\u00a0 As a diet, going gluten free is found to be unnecessary<\/a> and difficult as gluten is in practically everything that tastes good. While the number of gluten free options is increasing, many gluten free advocates might forego a meal if unable to obtain their go-to gluten free dish.\u00a0 Others might miss the nutrients such as iron and fiber found in traditional breads which also contain gluten.<\/p>\n

Alternative:<\/strong> If you\u2019re feeling like jumping on the gluten bandwagon to lose weight, there will not be much variation by merely making the change except maybe an increase in the grocery bill.\u00a0 Instead of going gluten free, try only eating slow burning carbohydrates<\/a>.\u00a0 These are the carbohydrates found in oatmeal (whole grains) beans, and vegetables.<\/p>\n

#2: Paleo Diet:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Rise to Fame:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tracked on a line graph, this diet\u2019s growth is closely related to the fast-paced extreme exercise movement known as CrossFit<\/a>.\u00a0 Although the germination of the Paleolithic diet<\/a> can be traced back to 1975, this diet takes a retro approach to eating.\u00a0 Designed to copy the dinner plate of a hunter gatherer<\/a>, this diet consists of foods that can be hunted and fished.<\/p>\n

Do:<\/strong>\u00a0 Quality meat free of preservatives<\/a>.\u00a0 Eggs, fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs and spices are also included in the mix.\u00a0 Contradictory to the common clich\u00e9, paleo enthusiasts begin with the beginning in mind.\u00a0 Where does the food come from?\u00a0 How did it get from origin to plate?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t:<\/strong>\u00a0 Processed, high carbohydrates, dairy products, salt, processed oils.\u00a0 Pretty much anything that wouldn\u2019t have been hunted or gathered.<\/p>\n

Evolution:<\/strong>\u00a0 Commonly referred to as the cave-man diet<\/a>, critics of this diet claim that it\u2019s almost impossible to tell what the portion sizes or quantities pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers ate<\/a> and at what frequencies.\u00a0 Although the notion of eating like a cave-man sounds awesome, the energy levels required of a caveman are far from the white collar, 25 steps a day society we\u2019ve come to know and love.<\/p>\n

#3: Juicing:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Rise to Fame:\u00a0 <\/strong>Cue the infomercial<\/a>!\u00a0 Juicing extracts the juice from vegetables and fruit.\u00a0 Take a garden, put it in liquid form and drink it down!\u00a0 It\u2019s that simple.\u00a0 The rise in popularity is often credited to fad diets and a belief in juicing as a form of alternative medicine.\u00a0 Food is medicine<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Pro:<\/strong>\u00a0 If you hate fruits and vegetables, this is as good a way as any to force yourself to eat them.<\/p>\n

Con:<\/strong>\u00a0 Don\u2019t use juicing as your only source of fruits and vegetables.\u00a0 The skin and pulp are left behind when using a juicer and in many cases, those are the most nutrient filled parts!\u00a0 Certainly a diet based solely on vegetable and fruit juice<\/a> would leave your body deprived of many essentials like fats and fibers, but it is a healthy alternative to other juices and drinks high in sugar and preservatives.<\/p>\n

#4.\u00a0 Eat Clean Diet:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Rise to Fame:\u00a0 <\/strong>What\u2019s not to like?\u00a0 Eating clean sounds plenty healthy and a lot of it is.\u00a0 Eating clean revolves around eating whole foods that are produced in a sustainable way.\u00a0 Organic products are popular and most of your diet can be found at stores like the Good Food Store and Whole Foods.<\/p>\n

Do:<\/strong>\u00a0 Produce, beans, whole grains, grass-fed meat, wild or sustainable farmed fish and any sustainable meat.\u00a0 Like a database system or fueling a high performance vehicle, if you put good in, you\u2019ll get good (energy and state of mind) out.\u00a0 Unlike the Paleo diet, clean eaters can enjoy grains and small amounts of dairy.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t:<\/strong>\u00a0 If you put bad in, you\u2019ll get bad (fatigue and laziness) out.\u00a0 This diet excludes alcohol, fast food, preservatives, and severely limits dairy. This is a way to keep toxins permanently out of your body.<\/p>\n

Alternatives:<\/strong>\u00a0 While there is a formula to eating clean and the diet\u2019s rules and regulations can really vary depending on whom you ask, the concept is simple and, well\u2026clean.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to carry around a checklist counting points, you don\u2019t have to give up everything under the sun, and it doesn\u2019t cost a whole lot of money to sustain.\u00a0 If you\u2019re looking to jump into the clean diet but want to dip your toes in first, try your local farmer\u2019s market<\/a>.\u00a0 Visit your farmers market or join a CSA!\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

#5.\u00a0 Four Hour Body<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Rise to Fame:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tim Ferriss<\/a> went from a four hour work week to a four hour body<\/a>.\u00a0 Using life-hacks and bold claims such as losing 20 pounds of fat in 30 days (without exercise).\u00a0 Author Ferriss uses himself as a guinea pig testing countless hypothesis and in some cases debunking the truths that have always been held.<\/p>\n

Do:<\/strong> Cheat on your diet once a week in the best way possible: whatever the heck you want!\u00a0 Eat the same meals over and over again with little to no variation.\u00a0 Legumes<\/a>, Vegetables, chicken, beef, fish, and egg whites.\u00a0 Differences from Four Hour Body compared to clean and Paleo diet is that four hour body has strict rules about frequency of meals and highly limits variation from one meal to the next.\u00a0 Four Hour Body, in a very Four Hour Work Week kind of way, is more focused on lifestyle<\/a> as well.\u00a0 For example, a mind has only so many decision points in a day.\u00a0 If you eat the same thing everyday, that gives you a decision point to use somewhere else!\u00a0 If you save time on food preparation (eating the same thing all the time) it gives you time to do other things you love and not spending it in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t:<\/strong>\u00a0 white bread, white rice, potatoes, and other white carbs.\u00a0 Avoid fruit and dairy. And don\u2019t forget to cheat once a week!<\/p>\n

Results:<\/strong>\u00a0 While the diet is still up for debate, the simplicity can be deceiving.\u00a0 There are specific grocery lists, lean cooking methods, and expensive ingredients. \u00a0Like any diet with the removal of carbohydrates<\/a>, energy levels become a concern.\u00a0 Overall a fun read, and the four hour movement is catching wind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What does a forest fire have to do with health trends? More than you\u2019d think. We know a lot about the human body, yet there is still a lot we have to learn. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":666,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495\/revisions\/666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online-health-insurance.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}