Amidst all the wellness preaching and Cosmo lists of ’10 superfoods foods you MUST eat for #health’, are a group of three women with their beady eyes on every piece of diet-related ‘information’ that is imparted to the online masses.
Introducing: Fight The Fads.
Harriet, Elisabeth and Caroline have been studying dietetics at the prestigious King’s College London for the past couple of years in their quest to become Registered Dietitians. At the tender ages of 26, 25 and 22, this threesome are already over the onslaught of non-information clogging up their Facebook feeds, so earlier this year they decided to do something about it.
The young foodies are sick to death of listening to friends of friends telling them of their dietary “route to health”, as if they had swallowed a women’s mag. Most frustratingly for the girls is the inaccuracy of the articles and blog posts that are read religiously by thousands of clueless consumers. Mostly because, they’re lucky enough to be taught the REAL facts from qualified experts which, needless to say, are pretty different from the advice in your usual Instagram caption.
Not only are these students calling out the likes of Elle magazine and ‘Boo-tea’ on their false dietary information, but they’re now taking the fad fight to the very top…
The government, y’all.
If you haven’t signed their awesome petition designed to protect the term ‘Nutritionist’ from being hijacked by unqualified bloggers: DO IT NOW. The petition is almost 4,000 signatures strong and needs another 6,000 odd to reach the powers that be. At 100,000 signatures, it might even make it as a topic of Parliamentary debate.
It’s nice to know that Laura and I aren’t fighting this battle alone and that there are women just as vocal about their irritation with pseudoscience as we are. Who knows what a bunch of angry women with healthy appetites and a little black book full of scientists can achieve, hey? Undecided on where you stand? Here’s a few food myths/fads that the Fight The Fads team find particularly annoying to rile you up all good and proper.
“Sugar-free” alternatives
“Agave nectar, Manuka honey and date syrup have exactly the same amount of calories per gram as common table sugar. These sugar ‘alternatives’ are often used in ‘guilt-free’ dessert recipes. The problem is, when someone feels they can eat more of the ‘sugar-free’ dessert as they believe it is a better option than a dessert using normal sugar, which can result in excess calorie intake. In addition to this, these alternatives are often promoted as better than table sugar as they contain minerals. If you’re getting a lot of minerals in your diet from agave nectar, you need to reconsider your diet.”
“Detox” Diets
“Based on the premise that over time toxins build up in your body, and you must periodically ‘cleanse’ your system to remove them. If toxins were really allowed to build up in your body – you would become very sick. The liver and kidneys are extremely efficient at removing toxic products, and periodic detoxes are simply not needed.”
Carbohydrates make you fat
“Gram for gram, they actually have the lowest number of calories out of all the nutrients, plus wholegrain varieties contain fibre which keeps you full for longer, meaning you are less likely to overeat. Too much of anything will make you fat.”
“Superfoods”
“Superfood is a marketing term, all foods have a role in the context of a healthy, balanced diet. Unsurprisingly, ‘superfoods’ usually have a much higher price tag attached too.”
Sweeteners and additives are harmful
“Any which are present in foods have undergone vigorous testing by the Food Standards agency (FSA) and been deemed safe for human consumption in the levels which they are present. To suggest that they are harmful creates unnecessary fear over food products.”
Protein supplements
“Almost all Brits consume over the recommended protein requirements each day. Unless you are an elite athlete/body builder, it is likely that a glass of milk or high protein snack (i.e a chicken sandwich) will provide you with enough protein. The body cannot store huge amount of excess protein, and as a result you excrete excess protein in urine. In other words, you will essentially pee out £s…”
Gluten is ‘bad’ for you
“Unless you have a medically diagnosed disease (i.e. ceoliac disease which is an autoimmune condition), there is no reason to cut gluten – a protein found in wheat – out of your diet. Wholegrain wheat products offer a whole host of nutritional benefits, and if you don’t replace wheat products with a suitable alternative, you are putting yourself at risk of certain nutritional deficiencies.
Cutting out entire food groups, i.e Dairy
“These diets demonise specific food groups, create fear over food and without the incorporation of alternatives they can lead to dietary deficiencies and in extreme cases secondary diseases. Elimination diets can have a role in the management of certain diseases and with the assistance of registered dietitians can provide effective treatment. If you think you need to eliminate whole food groups from your day, make sure to consult with your GP or registered dietitian.
