The Fad Diet Craze Just Met Cookie Monster

One of the biggest nutrition mistakes you can make is to try one of the fad diets that eliminates food groups or promotes liquid starvation. The only reason you should be doing those things is if you have a health condition or engage in certain religious practices. These quick-fix diets only stunt your metabolism and make you gain more weight when you return to eating like a normal person.

We as consumers are blasted with infomercials and magazine ads promoting one diet or another – usually showcasing before and after photos of a sad, overweight, makeup-less mess next to a dazzling, bikini-clad, airbrushed super babe. (Side note – Britain is considering banning airbrushing. Wooowhooo if you ask me. check it out: Banning Airbrushing).

Knowing that these claims of instant sliming power are out there have never really bothered me until I heard about The Cookie Diet. I am actually annoyed that it exists and you should have heard me yelling at the TV this morning (because obviously the Channel 4 anchorman can make it go away). But seriously, are you kidding me with this? The claim is that you eat seven of these cookies and then a dinner of lean protein and vegetables and will lose weight in no time. A few things immediately came to mind. First, who the hell wants to eat a cookie for breakfast? And, what happens when you stop eating cookies all day, because that can’t last forever? And honestly, since you’re required to workout and eat a normal dinner, it’s essentially the same diet as eating three healthy meals a day. Plus I guarantee you that the variety and taste of eating real food outweighs any benefit of eating a processed, plastic bag cookie.

Here’s where I’m coming from: Experts in the fitness and nutrition fields are working to educate people on the importance of eating real food in moderation – just Google “eat real food.” No one’s perfect at it; our world doesn’t function that way. I personally cannot seem to get away from dumping two fake-sugar splendas in my coffee even though I know it’s terrible for me. But the idea is that eating processed, nutrition-ejected food is what’s causing us to overeat and feel more sick and sluggish. It’s killing our metabolisms. Imagine feeding our children this way – seven cookies day. What behavior does that promote?

Our brain is in control of what we eat. We have a conscious choice. And for some reason Americans cringe at the sound of “health food” and light up when hearing “chocolate dessert.” If this stupid cookie diet is successful (please God tell me that Americans are smarter than that) I will be creating a new diet that tricks everybody’s brains and uses the word “cookie” to replace healthy food. “Would you like a cookie with your halibut?” – cookie equals broccoli in my diet. I’ll host blind-folded parties and tell people we’re taste testing new cookies (remember what cookie stands for).

I don’t think we’ve seen the end of fad diets, but at least there are people and organizations out there promoting nutritional lifestyles that actually work. So eat to fuel your body, exercise for energy and stress release and when you want a cookie, make it a delicious one.