This Diet Loved by Fitness Instagrammers Just Got Destroyed by Experts
Even if you’re not all aboard the “new year, new me” train, there’s no shame in trying to get back on the fitfam wagon after eating your body weight in cheese over the holidays.
Unfortunately, if you were planning on doing the Whole30 diet to detox, it might not be your best bet. According to U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking, in which experts ranked diets from best to worst, Whole30 was the last diet on the list out of 38 different diets.
READ MORE: You Don’t Actually Need a Juice Cleanse To Detox
The Whole30 diet has been a hot topic ever since its creation in 2009, and it seems like it’s not a horrible idea, I mean, if you’re a psycho like me.
You basically can only eat “whole” foods for 30 days, which means you’re essentially restricted to meat, seafood, eggs, veggies, and small amounts of fruit. You can also eat specific oils, nuts, and seeds. It’s kind of like paleo, but way more strict.
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Sure, it sounds hard, but it doesn’t sound unhealthy. After all, it doesn’t seem to be depriving you of any major food groups besides grains, and enough white girls seem to survive gluten-free just fine.
READ MORE: I Ate Like Bella Hadid And Lost Way Too Much Weight
So why are nutritionists so anti-Whole30? It’s because of the amount of meat involved.
“This diet did not fare well in the rankings overall, and certainly did not fare well with me,” says panel member Dr. David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine, in a comment to Cosmopolitan.com.
He explained further to Cosmopolitan that he takes issue with the fact that the diet encourages meat consumption while discouraging healthy food groups, such as grains and legumes. Other nutritionists believe the diet could lead to long-term nutritional deficiencies and that it contains too much sodium and cholesterol.
READ ALSO: Why Your Egg White Habit Needs To End This Year
We see his point. Maybe the people behind Whole30 don’t necessarily want you to overindulge on meat, but if you’re making a choice between veggies and a steak, what would you choose?
The Whole30 creator stood by her diet, telling Cosmopolitan that Whole30 is not a meat-heavy program, and that their animal protein recommendations are in line with government guidelines.
Honestly, it seems every diet has its flaws, with even some of the highest-ranked diets, such as the DASH Diet or the MIND Diet, only receiving 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Maybe you should just stop looking for a quick-fix diet and change your lifestyle eating habits? Besides, a little moderation never hurt nobody. And neither did a little holiday cheese.
