AFTER all the drinks, chocolate and cheese devoured in December, January often feels like a fresh start.
It's a chance to get the diet back on track, fill the fridge with veg and steer clear of the pub.
But if weight loss is your New Year's Resolution – and according to Aqua Pura, more than a quarter (28 per cent) of us do want to lose weight – fad diets aren't the way to go.
You want a healthy balanced diet, regular exercise and sustainable weight loss over time – rather than a quick fix that let's face it, likely won't stick.
As a health journalist and personal trainer, I often turn a blind eye to the weird and wonderful health and wellness ‘trends’ that make the headlines.
Daily movement, a nutritious diet and low stress levels usually do the trick when it comes to maintaining good health.
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So here are the diet trends that went viral in 2022 that we really should turn our backs on, pronto…
1. Cucumber and sugar
Supposedly, dipping cucumber in sugar creates a watermelon-like flavour.
As with many of these strange health trends, the #cucumberwithsugar hashtag made waves on TikTok.
Chemistry is to blame for this flavour creation.
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Cucumber and watermelon come from the same plant family and contain similar compounds which, when mixed with sugar, create a similar taste.
As for why people are dunking cucumber in sugar? Who knows.
A tastier way to enjoy vegetables?
Surely just find a vegetable you enjoy eating, or you know, just eat some watermelon…
2. Lemon coffee
Lemon and coffee are two words that simply don’t belong in the same sentence.
Yet, here we are, watching TikTokers put lemon juice in their brew as a means of burning fat.
Lemon juice has been hailed in the past for its ability to boost a sluggish metabolism, while coffee (or more specifically, caffeine) has also been praised for its supposed weight loss capabilities.
But I can tell you right now, a lemon coffee will not help you lose weight.
3. Dry Scooping
Typically, pre-workout powder is mixed with a liquid, transforming it into a drink.
However, dry scooping involves popping the whole scoop of powder into your mouth and somehow swallowing it without the use of water, juice or milk.
As you can imagine it’s messy, tricky and offers a potential choking hazard.
Have I tried it myself? No I haven’t and I have no intention of doing so.
The quicker this loses popularity, the better.
4. The Salt Water Flush
Constipated? Struggling to ‘go’? We’ve all been there, and that’s what the salt water flush (or #saltflush) is said to be good for.
Upon waking, people are necking lukewarm water mixed with sea salt in a bid to clear out small intestine ‘sludge’ and potentially trigger weight loss.
I was sceptical to include this one as I’m someone who regularly drinks Epsom salts mixed with water first thing in the morning to relieve my Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms.
As a weight loss strategy however, this won’t do much.
Going for a poo will naturally lighten your load on the scales, but it won’t burn fat.
5. The 75 Hard
It was entrepreneur and author Andy Frisella who coined the 75 Hard plan back in 2019, but it had a resurgence in 2022.
It involves sticking to a set of rules for – you guessed it – 75 days. Those rules being:
- Do two 45-minute workouts
- Drink 4.5 litres of water
- Stick to any diet, with no alcohol or cheat meals allowed
- Take a daily progress photo
- Read ten pages of personal development non-fiction
If you slip up, the 75 days starts again. Brutal, no? And a daily progress photo? No thanks.
There’s nothing I want less than 75 pics of me in my undies clogging up my phone album.
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Plus, I advocate a rest day a week, or more if you need it. This time off exercise is beneficial for the body.
In fact, if you’re lifting weights, it’s during these rest days that muscles heal and grow.
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