There are so many dieting options out there. It almost seems that every few months there will be another life-changing diet plan that promises to make you healthier, thinner, and smarter and give you a long happy life. And they each come with hundreds of followers, diet experts, and nutritionists. So everything you need would be at your disposal if you download their application or simply buy their dieting plan that was made specifically for you and thousands of other people.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against diets. Some of them can actually be helpful and improve your health. There are diets to help you with diabetes, food allergies, epilepsy, and other health conditions. But I advise you to always consult a health professional before starting any diet plan. The choice for people who just want to lose a little weight or be healthier could be hard. And there are things that you need to be aware of. There are too many promises out there and some things that don’t make sense are sometimes quite hard to see before it’s too late.

When a diet requires you to drink vitamin supplements

This is the most common red flag I have seen. When I hear from my diet program that when on this particular diet I need to drink a vitamin supplement I don’t even give it a try. It’s a clear sign that the diet will not satisfy all your nutritional needs and that is why you need extra vitamins. Vitamin supplements may vary from additional magnesium for headaches and cramps to multivitamins for the lack of energy to calcium because dairy is forbidden.

There are certain nutrients that we have to get from our foods. And if your diet is so restrictive with food categories that require you to consume additional vitamins and minerals your health could be in danger. Do not listen to excuses why is it required. If their diet was so healthy and successful in the first place they would not be advising you to purchase any type of food supplements. Be very wary of diet programs that don’t contain enough nutrients and are only focused on the lack of calories.

When a diet causes you to feel unwell

I have heard it so many times. You are in the first week of your new diet and you experience headaches, dizziness, lack of energy, trouble sleeping, constipation, diarrhea, and muscle pain. or any other symptom. And they all say that is normal. Your body is cleansing itself. It’s just diet flu. Stick it up and you will be feeling so much better next week. For me, this is a clear reason to break from this diet and never return.

Dieting is not supposed to cause you any pain, or discomfort or make you feel tired or sick. What you are experiencing is probably connected with a lack of nutrition such as vitamins and minerals and it is a clear sign that something is wrong. It’s not all in your head. These are not cravings. If you are experiencing actual pain and discomfort don’t listen to other people, listen to your body and give it what it needs. Have a healthy meal with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein, and ask for a refund if you have spent any money. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied because you complained of feeling unwell. You don’t have to suffer pain or discomfort on any diet.

One fit all type of approach

We have all been attracted to applications and online tests where they ask you five simple generic questions and based on them they provide a personalized dieting program. And they promise that their dieticians and nutritionists are working on a personalized plan that is made only for you. But if you look at their questions there is nothing personalized about it.

They don’t even ask if you have any allergies or food intolerance. They don’t care how much you are willing to spend on your monthly food budget. They don’t ask what top five vegetables you enjoy eating. They don’t even ask about your eating habits. Trust me there is nothing personalized about it. You will get a generic diet plan that has nothing to do with you or your personal health issues. They will encourage you to eat chia seeds, wild salmon, avocados, and kale as any other person that sent them money to access their super personalized diet program which will make you lose weight and live happily ever after.

Online hormone/blood type diets

The purpose of this online quiz is to determine what hormones you have too much in your body. And then based on your answers they will diagnose you with one of their five type hormones diets without which it would be almost impossible for you to lose any weight.

Let us be honest. Any hormone imbalance in your body can not be diagnosed with an online questionnaire. People spend a lot of money and time on blood tests to check their hormone levels and consultations with health specialists. Anybody who is trying to convince you that you have a hormone problem based on your answers to a couple of questions is just trying to sell you something that is not safe. If you suspect that you have a hormone imbalance talk to your health professional and don’t spend money on these online charlatans.

Diets that promote starving

Any nutritionist or dietician will always tell you not to starve when you are on a diet. You should have small but frequent healthy meals all throughout the day with plenty of water. But lately, I have seen many diets promoting autophagia. And this is very dangerous. Autophagia put in simple terms is when people do not consume food during a certain period which is between 24 to 48 hours. They are allowed to drink water, tea without sugar, and water with lemons. But during this time they will not eat anything. During this time it is believed that body will start to consume itself. Fat cells which we have accumulated will be utilized to support the body during the time of autophagy. And not only that. Old cells will die and be replaced by new ones.

I can’t specify how dangerous this can be to people who are not knowledgeable about autophagia. Yes, there are some benefits for certain people with certain conditions but they should not be taken lightly. You can’t just start not eating for a longer period without having any prior experience. It could disrupt your sugar levels and put your health in danger. So please take this warning very seriously. If you want any information on the benefits of autophagy to your own body discuss it with a health professional first before you even try to start with the process.