The Benefits of Trying ‘Fad’ Diets

I’m a fan of the ‘fad diets’ that come out regularly. Intermittent fasting, no carbs, all carbs, only eat what you can find in the forest, etc. Whatever the fad, they’re almost always fun to watch, and to hear about everyone around you trying it and having debates into the best way to do it. And of course some do have their own health benefits, while others are fairly questionable.

If you can stick to a diet that provides you with the best health, that is great. If you are the kind that jumps around to various diet trends, while I question your commitment, there are benefits to this as well.

Here are 5 ways that fad diets are actually useful:

1. Teaches you commitment (hopefully).

Even if you are the kind of person that tests out a diet for a month before going to the next, you’re still showing commitment to something and that is a trait that everyone needs. The fact that you’re trying, and even if you only stick to it for a month, you’re succeeding. Hopefully over time your concentration and commitment to a goal gets stronger, but just trying is a success.

2. They show you what foods and food styles you really like.

If you try a new diet and it you realise that you hate part of it but love another part, you’re actually learning and growing in your understanding of food and your own health. If the diet you’re currently on promotes juicing but no carbs for other meals, and you’re realising you are a fan of juices, then you can take away the best part of the diet and build your own over time.

3. They help build your overall best eating plan.

In my opinion, no diet is perfect for every person. Every person’s dietary needs are different and change based on your health, fitness level and even the season. So there is no reason to stick to a pre-set diet plan. But, while trying or reading about all these diets out there, you can pick out the best ideas/foods/meals/supplements that work for you. Then you take this and build your own diet plan that works for you.

4. They can help point out food intolerances.

There are a lot of people changing over to diets like a grain-free diet even if they haven’t been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolarance. The benefit of testing this out is that you may find yourself feeling healthier once you do, and maybe there is a hidden intolerance that you maybe didn’t know about. The same could be with a dairy-free diet or egg-free or additive-free. The point is that if you experiment with these as you’re trying out fad diets, and you realise that you feel a lot better after removing some of these foods, then perhaps you’ve found a food intolerance!

5. They let you try new things.

Maybe you’ve never thought of yourself as a ‘fish person’, but your diet recommends pan-seared salmon. So you try it and maybe you find you actually like it. This is a great benefit of testing out new diets and meal plans. Go beyond your own boundaries of what you think you like and try something new. Maybe you’ll actually hate it, but maybe you’ll find a new section of cuisine that you have never heard of and it opens new doors to amazing tastes and healthy meals.

As with all diets and food plans and health in general, do your own research before jumping into anything drastic and consult a naturopath or dietitian if you question anything. And most of all, take every new diet as a learning experience so that you can grow and eventually map out the best diet for you.