Nutrition Trends You Should Forget About In 2013

Every year, every month even, there’s a new diet out. The celebrity, nutritionist or trainer promoting it always seems to back up their enormous claims with reams of client Testimonials, along with scientific studies and transformation photos.

On the face of it, everything seems rosy. The science makes sense and the theories look sounds. So what’s wrong?

The trouble is, most of these eating regimes are fads. Sure, there will be those who can stick to them diligently for the rest of their days, adhere to every rule and principle, and live a healthy, lean lifestyle by following such diets. Unfortunately though, most simply can’t.

There’s a saying in the training industry that everything works, but only for a certain amount of time and this certainly holds true in the world of nutrition and dieting too. You could construct the most amazingly scientific diet, complete with a full supplement plan, an approved foods list and a whole host of research to back it up. It’ll probably work great for a while, before you find it just too inconvenient and give it up, taking you back to square one.

Likewise, you could follow something like the cabbage soup or maple syrup diet.

The pounds will positively fall off in the first few weeks. You might feel lousy, but the weight loss will make up for that. Give it another fortnight though and even if you’re sticking to it, you’ll have probably crashed your metabolism, your body will reduce its calorie output, go into storage mode and your losses will plateau.

Either way, psychologically or physiologically, something’s going to give.

The two nutrition trends to avoid in 2013 are the caveman diet and the gluten-free diet.

The Caveman Diet

Also known as a Paleolithic diet, the caveman way of eating is designed to copy what our ancient ancestors supposedly ate. Foods like meat, fish, eggs, berries, nuts, seeds and vegetables are all on the list, and you can consume them in almost unlimited quantities.

All grains, dairy products, legumes and anything manufactured however, is a no go.

As an overview, there are certainly benefits to the caveman diet. People generally do eat far too many carbs and processed foods, not enough protein and too little healthy fat. You can’t argue that a paleo diet will correct that.

The issue with paleo however is that it is so restrictive and stops you from eating several extremely healthy foods.

Beans and legumes contain tons of fiber, along with protein and antioxidants. Dairy is also packed with protein, calcium and vitamin D, and while grains may receive a negative press from time to time, those looking to bulk up and improve athletic performance need starchy carbs to fuel hard workouts.

Many caveman eaters also include supplements, coffee and even alcohol in the plans – things cavemen certainly wouldn’t have had!

Gluten-Free Diet

The gluten-free diet is perfect.

If you have celiac disease or suffer from gluten intolerance. Otherwise, there’s no need for you to be on it.

It appears almost trendy to be gluten or wheat intolerant nowadays, with people giving up wheat like they’re giving up cigarettes. By purely focusing on glute-free foods, you can still eat too many calories and will often look for ways to include unhealthy foods in your diet, simply because they’re gluten-free.

You could also be missing out on essential nutrients such as B-vitamins, and who really wants a life without bread, pasta and cereals unless it’s absolutely necessary?

What To Do In 2013

First off, don’t fall into the trap of following any trends.

If a celebrity endorses it, if you see it in a commercial or infomercial, or if it’s all over the media, run for the hills. Remember that companies and individuals will only promote a diet if there’s money to be made from it, and most seem to have forgotten that losing weight and eating healthily is actually fairly simple.

If you did nothing else but monitor your calorie intake, you’d almost certainly enter 2014 in better shape and feeling healthier than you did in 2013.

This is where the caveman diet and gluten-free eating both start to offer some benefits. While they may be slightly over the top, it probably would be an excellent idea for most people to reduce their consumption of processed grains and other foods high in gluten.

While they won’t directly lead to weight gain or prevent fat loss, it is very easy to over-consume these foods. Remember that carbs aren’t actually essential. They provide energy, so the amount you eat should correlate with how much energy you need?

Work a physical job such as construction or personal trainer and workout four or five times a week on top? You can get away with a fairly high carb intake and not see any ill effects.

Sit in an office all day, spend your spare time watching TV and rarely go to the gym? Then a lower carb intake is definitely your friend.

Both these diets also prioritize protein in the absence of carbohydrate. The Western world typically has a chronically low protein intake.Considering protein helps keep you feeling full, regulates hormone production and metabolic processes and aids with lean muscle gain, this isn’t good news.

Make a commitment to eat better and live a healthier lifestyle in 2013. Don’t see this as a new years resolution (though it’s too late for that now anyway, which is a good thing) rather a lifestyle change.

Start keeping a food diary and write down everything you eat. Track calories and food intake using an app or website and make better food choices whether you’re eating at home with the family or out at restaurants.

Above all, don’t fall prey to 2013’s phony nutrition trends.