From causing fatigue and bloating to missing out on key nutrients, it can often do more harm than good
WORDS: JENNY ROWE. PHOTOS: GETTY. *HSIS
Tempted to ditch gluten, or wave goodbye to meat, dairy or both? You may be considering a restrictive diet to lose weight, but will it work? ‘Yes, potentially. This would depend on what you cut out and your original diet,’ says sports nutritionist Jess Hillard at teamwarrior.com.
Cutting out any food and not replacing those calories will lead to weight loss. But there are drawbacks. ‘Excluding a food group puts you at risk of developing key nutrient deficiencies,’ says Jess. Here’s what happens when you reduce how much you eat of certain foods, with tips on avoiding the pitfalls.
Quitting carbs
‘I would never advise this,’ says Jess. ‘Carbohydrates provide essential fuel for the body.’ They should make up just over a third of the food that we eat, according to the NHS’s The Eatwell Guide. However, plans such as the Keto or Atkins diets include eating carbohydrates at very low levels, so what happens when you cut off this supply?
‘Once your body has broken down its glucose stores, it starts using fat for energy, which is called ketosis. Initially, this aids weight loss,’ says nutritionist Christina Mamada from vitl.com. ‘However, over a long period of time it can lead to malnutrition.’ Other risks include nausea and fatigue, caused by lack of glucose to fuel the brain, and digestive issues as a result of diets low in carbohydrates being also low in fibre.
✱ DO IT RIGHT
‘Instead of cutting all carbs, swap to brown, wholegrain sources,’ says Jess, such as brown rice, brown bread and wholewheat pasta.
Choosing meat-free meals
‘Cutting out red meat can be a good way to decrease saturated fat in the diet, as well as increasing fibre intake,’ says Jess. This may improve your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, as well as ease bloat and constipation. In terms of weight loss, ‘losing processed meat such as ham, hot dogs and pepperoni will help,’ says Christina. ‘But lean meat sources like chicken, turkey and fish can help with slimming, as they keep you feeling fuller for longer.’
✱ DO IT RIGHT
Eat plant-based protein sources, such as beans, pulses and tofu, to make sure you get enough of all nine essential amino acids. The other potential risk is a lack of iron. ‘Iron can also be found in green leafy veg and beans and pulses, but in a less absorbable form,’ says Christina.
Ditching dairy
Cutting down on dairy can help with w
