CELEBRITY DIET FADS

The celebs will go to great lengths to maintain that svelte superstar figure. We all know that regular exercise along with a well balanced diet are key, yet that doesn't stop us from marveling at what some celebs do to maintain their shape. For every celeb on a sensible diet meal plan and workout program, there is another celeb on a fad diet. Some celebs are endorsed or paid to sell diet plans too. Watch out they may be making money to sell you that celeb fad diet gimmick, diet plan, nutritional supplement or weight loss pill.

Do you remember the Beverly Hills Diet of eating mainly pineapple? If you're over forty I am sure you have seen your share of celeb fad diets. You might remember Trim Spa. The old Trim Spa formulation had ephredra in the mix until it was banned in the US. It did suppress appetite, but had negative side efforts on blood pressure for some women.

The latest craze has been the Acai Berries and it's amazing antioxidant properties. Like other berries the acai does have antioxidants, however they may be exactly what they are, just another berry.

The Master Cleanse diet was really popular recently, where you have homemade lemonade, maple syrup, water and Cayenne pepper. The master cleanse diet became popular after reports that Beyonce had tried it with success.

Raw food diets have been in the news too. You'd think that the veggies are great for you and they are. The downside is that some fruits and especially vegetables can be absorbed better when cooked and may cause less stomach irritation. Celeb Demi Moore is said to like raw foods. Raw meats are what makes me give pause for thought, as they can contain bacteria that only cooking kills.

There's the baby food diet. Who wants to eat all pureed baby foods? In some sense that is essentially a liquid diet. Any diet that reduces calories down to less than 1000 a day is questionable. It's not enough.

There is a plethora of other ones, like the facial analysis one that determines food based on skin type, the one that tells you to sniff grapefruit oil that JLo supposedly tried, and the fish facelift one that has to do with eating lots of fish, supposedly tried by Kim Cattrall. There is the cabbage soup diet, supposedly tried by Sarah Michelle Geller, which helps you lose water weight they say, by sticking to vegetable soup for days. As I mentioned before, any food that is good for you but consumed to excess (fish included) can become bad for you.

Some diets can leave you wiped out, particularly if you aren't eating enough to stay energized. The macrobiotic diet that Madonna eats includes mostly whole grains, raw and cooked vegetables, beans and miso soup. It sounds sort of healthy yet Madonna looks sort of pale and wiped out. Makes you think she's not eating a healthy girl's diet.

Bottom line is that these fad diets are not without potential health consequences and side effects. You might think a coconut diet is a good idea after reading that Jen Aniston tried it, yet what if that raises your saturated fat intake and ultimately your cholesterol? If you snack only on ice cubes or replace meals with cookies, or eat only purple food, ask yourself, can that really be a long term solution? I mean, you really have to be careful. Even if you were to lose water weight you might gain it right back once you start eating more normally.

That's why its probably best to not try fast weight loss plans, or if you do, stick to them for a few days at most. Consult your doctor before adopting any type of fad diet or restricted food group diet. If you plan to follow a fad diet for days on end, its probably best to check it out with your doctor.

If you want to try a fad diet I'd say do it for a day and do it for fun, but ultimately a healthy nutritious outlook on eating healthy will yield the most success with the least potential complications.

WEIGHT CONTROL

I've read everything from eating meals only through a straw juice diets, to having weekly colonics and enemas at the health center to lose weight. In fact, I've read that Demi and Ashton get colonics all the time (actually she stated that she tried a cleanse and loved it in a late night TV interview I saw).

Some of these diets not only sound hard to stay on and unhealthy when you think of eating those specific things day in and day out. Not only that, they can be expensive to afford and you can gain the weight right back. I do see the turn over a new leaf type fun in it to a certain extent. Women want to feel like they are doing something and they want the fastest weight loss solution they can find so they like the concept of these drop weight fast diets. But in reality the results won't last unless and until a woman consistently employs a long term healthier eating plan.

If it gives you a giggle tickle to try a fad diet they be my guest. However, anything more than a day or two should be checked out with a physician. Always transition to a healthy diet that includes all the food groups from whole grains to veggies, fruits, proteins and some dairy. A well rounded mix of food is best. Just watch calories and keep the consumption of junk food, starchy food, and fried food in check.

The last thing you want is a diet that is going to send you to the maker earlier than you had hoped. Be safe and be careful. Especially if you have health concerns, you may want to check with your doctor and monitor your vitals, stress and blood work regularly. That way, if you are emerging with high cholesterol or triglicerides, are pre-diabetic, or have high blood pressure, that you will catch these issues early on. Make sensible diet changes over the course of months and then get your blood work checked regularly to avert oncoming health and diet related complications.

As for the celebrities promoting diets and the rumors you read about how they eat this and how they eat that, don't fall for everything you read. You can drop weight merely by cutting back on the junk foods and fatty meats, keeping an eye on your calories consumed and consuming a well rounded mix of foods. Merely being practical in terms of your daily diet can go a long way towards a healthier more slender you.

Some women find that journals and keeping track of what they are eating is helpful. At least that way you can see in writing if you are getting all the healthy foods, good for your heart foods, cancer fighting foods, and that heart healthy antioxidants are making there way into your daily meal plan. If you don't see your basic food groups covered in your journal, considering adding them into your diet. If you aren't getting enough vegetables, it should be obvious and you can make adjustments. After a few weeks time, if you have verified that you are eating a healthy variety of foods, you can stop journal tracking and get back to the more important things in your life.