There’s a line between Fact and Fiction in health and fitness. On the one hand, the obsession with the food that goes into our mouths and the way we should (or shouldn’t) be moving our body has been around for hundreds of years. Open a history book and you’ll see that beauty standards came and went with every century. So it’s not too far a stretch to say that trends in diet aren’t anything new; if anything, they evolved with us. In Cooked, Michael Pollan does a great job explaining how cooking evolves with us through out the history and involves us in a web of social and ecological relationships. On the other hand, thanks to the internet and self-publishing, it’s so easy to manipulate anything these days and convince thousands of people of its authenticity. Factor in all of the blogs, social media sites, emails, and ads, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for spreading the greatest lies and hardest of truths.

You’d think we’d know better. That common sense would save us from falling victim to marketing, peer pressure, or the illusion of social media. But no one is perfect. And because of that, we are vulnerable to making serious mistakes. Some of which can be fatal.

The information we have today is endless. Want to learn more about veganism? Google away, and fall into a rabbit hole. Thinking about going low carb? There goes your evening. And morning. And afternoon. (You’re done when you think you know everything, right?) Then you’ve got the “experts”, the reviews, the debates, the videos, criticisms and praises- it’s all maddening after a while. Just when you think you’ve got the solution to your problems (or goals), suddenly, there’s always someone out there to prove it wrong.

After a while, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction. It doesn’t help that even qualified “experts” (doctors, dietitians, PhD’s, trainers) all have their own opinions. And it certainly doesn’t help if you can’t tell whether or not someone has a stake in the game (aka: MONEY, or ATTENTION).

What do we do?

To start, we need to let go of our biases and understand that taking the time to reflect and learn about something is what’s needed. I don’t expect anyone to dedicate hours upon hours digging into research or reading reviews, but if you’re going to make a MAJOR change to your lifestyle, then it deserves your consideration.

Take for example the Keto Diet. Originally, it was developed in the 1920’s for children with epilepsy. [1] Only recently has it been used for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and other neurological disorders. But a lot of people today only see it as a fad diet based on it’s current popularity. Dig deeper and you’ll find it’s scientific roots.

Then there are other trends that seem to go up and down in popularity:

The Ice Cream Diet, Grapefruit Diet, Five Bite Diet, Baby Food Diet, Alkaline Diet, Blood Type Diet, or Master Cleanse Diet. 

If you’ve been paying attention to the health and fitness scene for more than a decade, then there’s no doubt you’ve noticed these sort of things come and go. They maintain momentum for a year or two, then practically fade away.

There are exceptions with better standing though- the Mediterranean Diet, Vegan/Whole Foods Plant Based Diet, Paleo/Primal Diet, or even Intermittent Fasting (which technically isn’t a diet so much as it is a practice).

So what’s the difference between the two, and how can you learn to separate fact from fiction?

Let’s start with the comparisons. Take the Ice Cream Diet versus the Mediterranean Diet. One of them was based on a theory, and one was based on decades of critical research. Which of the two do you think sounds the most truth worthy?
That should be your first step: Listen to your gut. If something sounds pretty extreme or ridiculous right off the bat, be very cautious. (In the case of the ice cream diet, step back and ask yourself if eating ice cream every day is truly the healthiest thing, no matter how delicious ice cream may be. Somewhere inside there must be a little voice telling you that’s not good!) 

The next step is to do your research. I don’t mean diving down a rabbit hole for hours on end. But you should give a bit of your time to do a background check on the diet. Ask and answer these basic questions:

Who? (The creator- a doctor, PhD, scientist, nutritionist, dietitian, personal trainer, or internet blogger?)

What? (The diet itself- what is it specifically? Dairy free, grain free, whole foods, processed foods, etc.)

When? (Is it sustainable, or just a short stint? Hint: Aim for something you can maintain as a lifestyle. If it’s taking too much willpower and sacrifice on your end, you may want to reconsider.)

Why? (What’s the point of the diet? To shed weight, gain muscle,  improve brain health, lower inflamation, manage a health condition like IBS, autoimmune disease, diabetes, etc?)

How? (What’s involved here. Are you only allowed to eat within a time frame, or combine certain foods? Do you need to buy additional super foods, supplements, or materials in order to follow the diet?)

As you go through these questions with your diet of choice, you should start to gain better clarity about it. Maybe you’ll realize that eating a certain way isn’t for you if it involves too many rigid rules. Or maybe you need some restrictions to help you overcome addictions or intolerances. Not only that, maybe it will click that for all the glitz and glamour a particular diet may have, it seems a bit fishy that you have to buy extra things from its creator in order to follow it to a T.

Here’s one more thing to consider: the followers. Look at the testimonials and reviews for the diet. Of course, beware of sponsored or paid reviews. But pay close attention to how the person genuinely looks and praises the diet. If their before and after pictures are obviously fake (and we’ve all seen these types!), then keep your warning lights on. But if they’re writing about the diet making them better inside and out (aka, they feel AND look better), then that’s definitely a good sign. Amazon is a great place to start when it comes to finding reviews- people who  are very specific about their experiences will come off as genuine.

And look at the community. Does the diet appear cult-like among its followers? Are people obsessed with the food, and quick to judge anyone that makes a mistake? Or, are people constantly complaining about adhering to the diet, or are looking or talking about getting sick? Take Breatharianism: you’re essentially living off of air; no food. Nothing. A quick google search and you’ll see what happens to the people who practice it long-term. This is a downright dangerous practice to follow, and it ticks off all of the major signs you should be keeping an eye on.

Ultimately, you need to do a combination of comparing science versus fad, and learning as much as you can about the diet itself.

Is it based on an idea (like the Twinkie diet), or actual research?

The Paleo diet may have initially started as a theory based on how our ancestors may have eaten, but it has soon garnered a number of studies. [2] It’s founding fathers include Dr. Loren Cordain and Dr. Stanley Boyd Eaton, both of whom have dedicated years of academic research, review, and execution to their initial theories. [3]

The Master Cleanse (Lemonade) Diet however was developed in the 1940’s (and expanded in the 1970’s) by Stanley Burroughs, a man who wasn’t any sort of medical professional but instead an average person looking for alternative health practices. [4] Even worse, Burroughs was convicted of second-degree murder in 1984 for his so-called health practices in addition to practicing without a medical license. [5] This is all the more reason why you MUST be careful when it comes to following any type of diet- it could cost you your life. If a diet is also ignoring the health of the entire body- from your gut to your heart to your brain- and is focused on weight instead of your longevity, you should also be extremely careful. Many times, when it comes to appearance, extreme measures are called for. And with extremes comes risk.

And one way to know for sure whether or not a diet is safe for you? Ask your doctor! Especially if you have any underlying conditions and are taking prescription medications. I personally prefer talking to functional medicine professionals since they specialize in using food as medicine and tackling the root causes of chronic deceases.

At the end of the day, when it comes to crossing the road from your current way of eating towards the next, look both ways, and proceed with caution.

Sources:

[1] https://charliefoundation.org/diet-plans/

[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-studies-on-the-paleo-diet#section2

[3] https://thepaleodiet.com/dr-loren-cordain/

[4] Stanley Burroughs (1976). The Master Cleanser. Burroughs Books. pp. 16–22, 25. ISBN 0-9639262-0-9.

[5] https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11451895163359669280&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr