When it comes to getting that bikini-ready body for summer, sometimes we look to the stars for their body secrets. And by the stars, we don’t mean the heavens, although some of us wouldn’t refuse some divine intervention when it comes to shedding those extra kilos.
By Kate-Marie Thorpe
There’s nothing celestial however about the newest list out naming and shaming the worst celebrity diets of 2014. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has revealed its annual list of Top Celebrity Diets to Avoid in the New Year.
Topping the list are diet trends the paleo diet and the sugarfree diet, which the BDA herald as being “unbalanced, time consuming, socially isolating dieting.”
Closer to home, the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) support the list, saying there is “no science” behind these fad food trends.
The paleo diet (also known as Paleolithic or Caveman Diet) mimics the diet followed by our hunting and gathering predecessors. Cutting out all processed foods including dairy, the BDA strongly advises, “unless for medical reason, there is absolutely no need to cut any food group out of your diet”.
Embraced by the likes of Miley Cyrus and Matthew McConaughey, this prehistoric diet trend has gained momentum among the masses with countless recipes and apps available for how to eat the caveman way. Local celebrity chef and Paleo ambassador Pete Evans has also thrown his weight at the eating trend, launching an online web series entitled ‘The Paleo Way’.
Cutting down on sugar has been advised as an essential measure of any diet, but the extreme sugar free diet encourages even fruit and honey to be eliminated. How realistic is this according to the BDA? Almost impossible. Celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Eva Longoria, Tom Hanks and our very own Megan Gale openly enjoy a sans-sugar lifestyle.
Another bizarre diet trend that made the list was the VB6 Diet (Vegan Before 6pm) as followed by Beyoncé and Dita Von Teese. The Clay Cleanse Diet, which includes eating a spoon of clay each day to remove bodily toxins also made the cut, and was deemed unsafe by BDA due to potential arsenic and lead poisoning. Coming in first place is the insane trend advocated by Bear Grylls, Urine Therapy. Need we say more…
The issue with fad diets in our endless quest to lose weight fast has been pinpointed to wanting an easy, guaranteed solution. “You can eat a healthy balanced diet including all food groups and lose weight,” says Julie Gilbert, spokeswoman for DAA.
Whatever success looks like for you, the Dietitians Association of Australia reveals the secret to slimming down is to cut your portion sizes and get outside and workout. Looks like we’ll be ditching the diets and heading outdoors for some good old exercise this summer.
Image sourced from Zimbio
