I am always asked questions regarding healthy nutrition and the latest, most popular diets. I try to make it clear that I am a personal trainer and not a dietician. Of course, with over thirty years as a certified trainer, I have a good knowledge of proper nutrition. I also have my own personal opinions on healthy eating and fad diets.
I believe a red flag should go up when a diet does not “allow” whole food groups, such as grains or dairy products. General and long term health benefits definitely come into question when this occurs. Certain nutritional deficits can increase when careful attention is not given to a balanced diet.
Many times when grains are eliminated, the emphasis is on protein ingestion. There are risks with long term high protein diets. Most are too high in saturated fats, which can lead to heart disease and other illnesses. Although high protein diets can result in weight loss, it can also cause high ketone levels. This condition, called ketosis, can be very serious and can cause gout, kidney stones, or renal failure.
If a diet is low in carbohydrates, low energy can result. Although the high protein diets allow carbohydrates through vegetables and to a lesser degree, fruit, the amount is still lower than if whole grains were ingested. Thus, feelings of fatigue and weakness may result. Please note that balancing a diet without a food group can be done, but most people do not balance it properly.
The bottom line is there are pros and cons to most diets. The best one is a diet that is designed for each individual with all specific health issues in mind.