Diet trends: how about eating baby food every day or swallowing parasites to help you lose weight? Pretty gross and risky, right? But if you were desperate, would you consider it?
Here are some of the craziest and dangerous diets that people have decided to try.
The baby food diet
The concept. It’s provides babies with all the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy – so, why can’t it be used by anyone? The short answer: because you’re not a baby anymore! As you age, your body needs more of certain nutrients and fewer of others.
The limitations: You’re eating baby food throughout the day.This won’t give you the necessary amount of calories you need per day to function properly and your choice of food is VERY limited.
Does it work? Yes, you’ll lose some weight because of the small amount of calories you’re taking in, but the diet is actually meant for you to keep off the weight you’ve already lost. You’re also going to start losing muscle mass because your body is going to start breaking down muscle proteins for energy. Most importantly – you’re not getting the right amount of healthy nutrients you need for a strong immune system, bone structure and muscle-mass.
It’s also not cheap. It also takes a lot of effort and once you feel that you can’t do it anymore and switch back to your usual diet, the weight will come back.
The tapeworm diet
Yuck! If you’re going to swallow a parasite just so that you can lose weight, weight-loss may not be your biggest problem. If you are this desperate, please rather seek professional help.
The concept: You swallow tapeworm eggs. When they hatch, and the tapeworms make their home in your gut, they will eat some of the food that you get in, once they reach your intestines.
The limitations: Your body is not receiving any of the nutrients from the food and if that’s not enough, the worms are able to move to other parts of your body – they can even spread to your brain and cause seizures!
Does it work? Interestingly, Dr Michael Mosley tested the tapeworm diet on himself and found that he actually gained weight! “After ingesting the tapeworm, Mosley tracked his progress for about six weeks. He kept a food diary in which he noted any changes in his behaviour or physical appearance. Contrary to what some may believe about the tapeworm diet, Mosely said he found himself craving carbohydrates and sugars. He gained about 2 lbs (approximately 1kg) during the experiment.”
The alkaline diet
The concept. You need to eat specific foods that help keep your pH (acidity) level balanced. They say that certain foods make your body more acidic, and so you need to eat foods that make your body more alkaline.
The limitations: The foods that you are allowed to eat are very limited and meals will take a lot of preparation time. You’ll also not be getting enough of the macro-nutrients you need (high-quality protein).
Does it work? Expert opinions differ on how effective this diet is. You will be cutting out and eating certain food to promote weight loss. However, the idea that you will lose more weight based on your body’s alkalinity, does not have enough evidence.
The bottom line is that nothing beats focused training and a balanced diet – the more you put in, the more you will get out! Put down that tapeworm and blend up the ultimate smoothie!
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/alkaline-diets, http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/alkaline-diet-real-deal, http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/baby-food-diet, http://www.medicaldaily.com/does-tapeworm-diet-work-dr-michael-mosley-infects-himself-gains-weight-video-268387