Beware Of The Wolf Who Wore Lululemon

Every time I open Instagram, I constantly see ads for the newest wellness trend or the latest product that guarantees results.  There’s no doubt that some diets, like the cabbage soup and grapefruit diet, are obviously troublesome and unhealthy any way you slice it. However, there are many fads that are much more insidious with their marketing techniques.  Some of the influencers I follow, who, like me, have no medical experience, try to sell products and push health programs by preaching their results as God’s gift to the wellness community.  Not only am I not a doctor, but I also have zero qualifications as a nutritionist, hence my unsuccessful yo-yo dieting over the years.  However, from personal experience and research, I have found that the following fads may be complete bullshit and even lead to serious health repercussions.  

Trigger warning: I discuss some diets that have been linked to eating disorders.  If you have suffered from disordered eating in the past, then I would tread with caution or skip this post entirely.  Also, I have zero incentive to speak for or against these following trends and diets.  I am sure they work for a lot of people, but I also believe it’s worth mentioning the potential risks they pose.  

Food Combining

I truly did not know anything about food combining until a couple of months ago. After researching this fad, some of the rules seem highly questionable to say the least.  One influencer in particular, with over 100,000 followers on Instagram, boasts about this unsustainable diet by claiming it transformed her life.  Many other influencers, again, not nutritionists, are following suit and creating programs/meals plans with similar ideology. 

The food combining diet is based on the (unproven) idea that combining certain foods help to aid digestion, while other combinations hinder digestion.  The reasoning behind this? According to Dr. William Howard Hay, the doctor behind this fad, different types of food digest at separate times which, in turn, could lead to an upset stomach if you consume two unrelated food categories together.  

Some of the contentious rules are:

-Only eat fruit on an empty stomach. The food combining diet argues that undigested fruit rots in your stomach and, as a result, feeds off the yeast, worsening your stomach acid.  The image of food rotting in my stomach is one I could have lived without.  If I have to live with this image, so do you.

-Do not combine protein with starches.  This means that my favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs, is a no-go on this regime.  This alone is going to make this diet a no from me.

-Don’t consume liquid with meals. This could prove to be difficult if you eat a meal with extra spice.

Fortunately, there is ZERO evidence that proves this diet actually works.  The stomach already has such an acidic PH level that it’s nearly impossible for bacteria to survive here, therefore, dismantling the “digestion” theory.   I personally don’t think it’s worth discussing this asinine diet any further, but if you’re interested, you can learn more about how it doesn’t work here. 

One of the many reasons this fad is problematic, especially for those who have experienced disordered eating, is the connection it has to “orthorexia nervosa”- an extreme form of clean eating.  With my new lifestyle, I have occasionally crept into an obsession with the food I consume and the urge to ensure it’s clean and healthy.  I have found myself fearful of eating certain foods on the chance it has a negative effect on me.   It is scary how easy it is to become influenced by the latest trends in order to achieve “optimal health”.  Orthorexia nervosa is a somewhat new type of eating disorder on the rise due to the dark side of the wellness world and the, at times, restrictive nature of healthy eating. 

MLMs (Multi-Level Marketing) a.k.a. Pyramid Schemes

There are countless weight-loss companies who sell supplements, meal-replacement shakes, and protein bars all promising the same damn thing- quick fixes and fast results.  If you see this advertising, RUN FAR AWAY.  MLMs, or multi-level marketing, are businesses that sell products not sold in stores, but through commission-based distributors who sell direct to consumers.  Can you believe this $40 billion industry is not as transparent as they appear?  

Some of the biggest MLMs, Amway, Herbalife and AdvoCare to name a few, have recently been bombarded with lawsuits for everything from operating illegally as pyramid schemes to making false claims of success. The shocking part about all this is that these companies are still in business selling their products to vulnerable consumers.  While I am sure there are some health benefits to these companies (I mean, there has to be, right?), be wary and do your research before being coerced into subscribing to these cults, I mean, programs.  Many of these products are filled with unnecessary additives and chemicals and don’t actually work as advertised.  Tread very lightly next time your high school friend reaches out to you with a “great opportunity”.  

Let’s end on a controversial note, shall we? 

Remember that diet that restricted my intake to 1,200 calories per day?  Well, it was the very popular and “expert-backed” food program, Weight Watchers.  I am aware that Weight Watchers has helped millions of people lose weight and keep it off.  However, I think it’s important to detail my personal experience in relation to this widely-recognized diet, with celebrity endorsements as influential as Oprah.  While Weight Watchers taught me about portion control, it was to the detriment of my mental health.

For those who don’t know, Weight Watchers works on a points system.  Each food is a certain amount of points (some are zero like fruits and vegetables), and you are allotted a certain number of “points” each day.  While I dropped close to 20 pounds in about 4 months (they recommend 2 lbs per week give or take), I gained it all back within a year both times I tried it.  Not only was I was nervous to go out to eat in fear that I would go over my daily allotted points, but it also triggered my OCD big time. I was measuring everything from the teaspoons of oil in my salad to the ounces of low-fat mayonnaise for my tuna salad.  It was exhausting and I would often go to bed hungry and unsatisfied.  At the time, I found a great sense of achievement with the amount of weight I lost, but at what cost? 

Another hidden trend I noticed with Weight Watchers is their discrimination against ALL types of fat, even the healthy ones.  For instance, when I was on the program, I was allotted 29 points each day.  ***Note: this was around a year ago so it might have changed a little since then.  While lean chicken and hard boiled eggs were 2 points per item, 1 tablespoon of olive oil was 4 points and a whole avocado was a whopping 11 points.  While a low-fat diet might work for some, I have discussed how a healthy high-fat diet has been transformative to my overall physical and mental health.  Again, I know this diet has been life-changing for many, but with my personal experience, I’m skeptical if it’s as “healthy” as advertised.