Miracle diets and other myths about food

In the constant search for a better physique and health, many people are attracted to miracle diets, those that promise quick and easy results. However, these are proposals that present characteristics that are far from a healthy and effective long-term approach. In fact, these quick “solutions” to overweight or obesity are not only misleading, but can carry serious risks due to their lack of essential nutrients, essential for the proper functioning of the body.

• How to identify a miracle diet
• The 8 best-known miracle diets
• Associated risks: why does the rebound effect occur after doing a miracle diet?
• Associated risks: why are there metabolic alterations after a miracle diet?
• Associated risks: why are there psychological alterations after a miracle diet?
• Healthy alternatives to miracle diets

How to identify a miracle diet

Some unmistakable signs include:

• Promises of rapid weight loss: If the diet promises drastic weight loss in a short time, that's not it.
• Extreme restrictions: Diets that eliminate entire food groups or require extremely low caloric intake are often unbalanced and can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
• Lack of scientific evidence: A diet that is not supported by rigorous scientific studies or is based on personal testimonies must be questioned.
• High cost: some miracle diets require the purchase of supplements, processed products or expensive books, which may be a sign that they are more focused on financial gain than on improving people's health.

The 7 best-known miracle diets

1. Dissociated diet: it is based on the theory that foods do not make you fat by themselves, but rather depending on the combinations that are made between them. These diets establish strict guidelines for separating food groups with the supposed intention of reducing their energy value. However, this simplistic logic ignores the complexity of nutrition and can lead to nutritional imbalances.
2. Total fasting: This extreme approach can be highest risk, as it involves severe electrolyte and protein losses, weakening not only skeletal muscle, but also heart muscle. Although partial fasting (such as intermittent fasting) may be indicated in certain conditions, it should always be done under the supervision of a health professional.
3. Pineapple diet: consists of a strict diet of a few days, which is based on the consumption of pineapple, usually accompanied by some other protein or dairy food, and is advertised as a diet to lose 5 kilos in one week. But we cannot attribute the ability to lose weight to a single food; we will lose weight or not depending on the total number of calories we consume throughout the day (very low in this case) and the physical activity we develop.
4. Paleo diet or paleolithic diet: This is an eating plan based on foods that humans might have consumed during the Paleolithic era. It includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, foods that in the past people could find by hunting and gathering. This eating behavior has not demonstrated more long-term effectiveness than the conventional low-calorie diet and, on the contrary, some studies relate it to an increase in heart risk, high LDL cholesterol and kidney problems associated with the enormous consumption of proteins.
5. Detoxifying diet: promises to eliminate toxins from the body by restricting certain foods or exclusively eating juices and smoothies. They often result in insufficient nutrient intake and can cause fatigue, malaise and poor performance.
6. Celebrity diets: Often promoted by public figures, these diets are based on their personal experiences and may include extreme restrictions or very specific foods. However, what works for one person is not necessarily healthy or effective for another. Many of these diets lack scientific support and can lead to unsustainable and unhealthy practices.
7. Point diet: the point diet proposes maintaining a balanced diet without excluding foods. Assign each person a number of points to spend each day according to their physical characteristics, their activity and their objective. Each food eaten, depending on its nutrients and calories, consumes a certain amount of the available points and it is the person who must decide how to manage them. This limits the excess of certain unhealthy and high-calorie products, since they are the ones that have a high score. However, you can invite your followers to eat a less varied diet, eliminating from the list what they do not want (even if it is the healthiest) and ending up consuming the least advisable foods, even if they do so in less quantity than they would otherwise. if they didn't follow any diet.

Associated risks: why does the rebound effect occur after doing a miracle diet?

Miracle diets typically cause rapid weight loss, primarily through the loss of water and muscle mass instead of fat. That is why, when the usual diet is resumed due to not having learned to eat balanced during the process, the body quickly regains the lost weight or even more, which is why we call it the rebound effect.

Furthermore, the feeling of deprivation associated with such a restrictive dietary pattern means that, once the diet is finished, many people begin to eat anxiously, excessively and according to their cravings, which results in considerable weight gain.

Another reason is that very low-calorie diets and loss of muscle mass can slow down your metabolism. Thus, when you return to a normal diet, the body burns fewer calories than it did before and it is easy to gain fat and volume.

Associated risks: why does the rebound effect occur after doing a miracle diet?

The metabolic alterations that can occur when following a miracle diet are due to several factors that can end up creating a cycle that is difficult to break, where the person feels trapped in a pattern of almost constant weight loss and gain:

• Loss of muscle mass: Very restrictive diets often lead to loss of muscle mass and therefore a reduction in basal metabolism, that is, the number of calories the body consumes when at rest.
• Extreme calorie reduction: following a diet with a very low caloric intake can cause the body to go into "savings mode." It happens when the metabolism slows down to conserve the little energy it obtains, which means that the body burns fewer calories when performing the same functions.
• Hormonal changes: restrictive diets can alter the hormones that regulate metabolism. For example, leptin levels, which is involved in regulating appetite and metabolism.
• Dehydration and electrolyte loss: Some miracle diets cause rapid weight loss through dehydration, which can lead to electrolyte imbalances. This can be dangerous by affecting various metabolic functions and the overall performance of the body.

Associated risks: why does the rebound effect occur after doing a miracle diet?

The psychological alterations that may arise after following a miracle diet are common and can manifest themselves in various ways. The most common thing is that a toxic relationship with food ends up developing, based on compulsive eating at certain times and feelings of guilt and shame when certain foods are eaten.

Also, the obsession with counting calories or avoiding certain foods can interfere with quality of life and emotional well-being, by increasing stress and anxiety levels. And if the expected results are not achieved or if the lost weight is regained, this can negatively affect self-esteem and lead to a feeling of failure.

We must keep in mind that the influence of current beauty standards can intensify the search for quick solutions, which aggravates body dissatisfaction and psychological problems.

Healthy alternatives to miracle diets

If we really want and need to lose weight, there is no magic formula; it is crucial to have the will and support of a team of professionals: doctors, nutritionists and personal trainers who help us plan and supervise an adequate and safe diet. This approach should avoid shortcuts, seeking a progressive reduction in body fat while learning to eat well and preserving muscle mass as much as possible. Furthermore, it is essential to remember that this process requires significant personal effort to establish realistic and sustainable changes in lifestyle, exercise and diet.