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Mythbusters: the truth about trendy diets

by Bonnie Bayley | 19 Apr 2016

They claim to work wonders for weight loss and overall health, but do trendy diets really work? We take a closer look at three popular eating plans.

Carrying even a few extra kilos is frustrating. Putting on pants becomes an act of body contortion. It’s no wonder that diets have such appeal. Still, they should be approached with caution.

“Many cut out core food groups which provide important nutrients,” warns Kate Gudorf, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia. “As we get older, we actually have increased nutrient needs but decreased kilojoule needs, so it’s important that our diet is nutrient dense and includes the core food groups, so we can meet our nutritional needs.”

If you’re managing a chronic health condition or taking medications, think twice before starting a new diet and chat to a dietitian to ensure it supports your health needs. Here, we take a look at three popular diets, revealing the benefits – and downsides – so you can eat smarter.

The paleo diet

The lowdown: Avoid packaged and processed foods. Instead, focus on whole, unprocessed foods. This includes non-starchy vegetables and greens, seafood, meat and eggs, nuts, avocado, coconut products and fruit on occasion.

Grains, dairy, legumes and starchy vegetables should be avoided, as well as sugar, and for purists, alcohol and caffeine, too. Its health promises are ambitious – think optimum physical and emotional health, weight loss, disease treatment and prevention.

Benefits: “Paleo moves people away from processed food and encourages them to eat plenty of vegetables,” says Aloysa Hourigan, senior nutritionist for Nutrition Australia’s Queensland Division.

Pitfalls: Paleo eliminates dairy, legumes and grains – all nutritious food groups.

“The calcium in dairy is important for preventing osteoporosis and our calcium requirements increase as we get older,” says Emily Burgess, spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia. Wholegrains and legumes are rich in fibre, useful for reducing cholesterol and blood pressure and managing diabetes. Paleo’s emphasis on animal protein and coconut products is also a red flag for high saturated fat.

Expert verdict: “Paleo has some good messages, but I’d suggest people modify it to include wholegrains, legumes and dairy,” advises Hourigan.

The sugar-free diet

The lowdown: The best-known sugar shunning diet is I Quit Sugar, developed by health coach Sarah Wilson. It claims to break our ‘addiction’ to the sweet stuff, boost energy, improve sleep and help weight loss.

What’s involved? Avoiding obvious sugars (sweet treats, table sugar) as well as the sneaky kind found in yoghurt. Dried fruit and juice are eschewed, but three small pieces of fresh fruit per day are approved. Filling up on protein and fat (nuts, avocado, cheese and eggs) is okay, too.

Benefits: “Eating less refined and processed sugar is good, because we definitely consume too much in our society,” says Burgess.

Pitfalls: Some devotees become overly suspicious of fruit, limiting their intake or avoiding higher fructose fruit like bananas entirely. “Fruit provides vitamins, minerals and fibre which lowers cholesterol and helps digestion,” notes Gudorf. The focus on fat and protein-rich foods can lead to excessive intakes. Meanwhile, suggesting people swap regular sugar for lower-fructose varieties like rice malt syrup is problematic, as it has a very high glycemic index, which is not ideal for diabetics.

Expert verdict: “It eliminates a lot of processed foods... but it’s too fanatical in its demonisation of sugar,” says Gudorf.

The 5:2 diet

The lowdown: Also known as intermittent fasting, the 5:2 diet involves restricting your calorie intake to a quarter of your normal energy needs for two days a week. This works out at approximately 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men. For the other five days you can eat normally, without calorie counting. As for the purported benefits? Weight loss and improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin sensitivity.

Benefits: One of the less restrictive diets, 5:2 allows you to eat normally for most of the week and doesn’t eliminate any food groups, so you’re less likely to develop nutrient deficiencies. “There’s emerging evidence that intermittent fasting can be helpful for weight loss, with some people finding it more sustainable,” adds Hourigan.

Pitfalls: The flexibility of the diet leaves food choices open to interpretation, so people can potentially overeat on non-fasting days. “It is not recommended for people with diabetes and there are concerns for patients on warfarin, as it can potentially cause volatility in their INR values,” cautions Gudorf.

Expert verdict: “If people want to try 5:2, a modified version is eating slightly less or restricting treats a few days a week,” says Burgess. “I’d prefer older age groups avoid [fasting] because of any potential medications or health conditions.”

Weight loss: what really works

  • Eating a balanced, varied diet including all five food groups: vegetables and legumes, fruit, grain foods, dairy (or alternatives) and proteins like lean meat, fish, eggs and tofu.
  • Limiting treat foods like biscuits, pastries and crisps. Think of these as ‘sometimes’ foods to be eaten in small amounts.
  • Getting in touch with your appetite and listening to when you’re hungry and when you’ve had enough.
  • Being as physically active as possible, whether through joining an exercise class, doing outdoors activities or simply aiming to walk more every day.