True, not all liquid diets are the same, but all liquid diets suck, big time. Okay, there is one exception – the Velocity Diet. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that the Velocity Diet is not as dangerous as other liquid diets – it is, if you do not know what you are doing – but unlike other liquid diets, the Velocity Diet provides an ample amount of protein, calories, and healthy fats.
So what about other liquid diets, what is wrong with them? There is a reason why doctors and smart nutritionists advise against liquid diets. Liquid diets provide so few calories and nutrients that you run the risk of everything from fainting spells to dehydration. But what about the nonstop claims that liquid diets can flush out your system?
“Ridiculous,” says weight-loss doctor Jana Klauer, M.D. “Our liver and kidneys take care of that just fine.” Of course, liquid diets also claim that they are great for weight loss. What they do not tell you, however, is that by cutting protein from your diet, you lose muscle mass, which may lead to short-term weight loss but also ends up slowing your metabolism.
Fatigue and irritability is how nutritionist Philip Goglia describes potential side effect of liquid diets. He says that liquid diets will wear you down and put you in a bad mood “because the calories are so low. You have no energy.”
It gets worse, Dr. Eric Braverman, author of Younger Thinner You, says that people who frequently use liquid diets run a very real risk of missing out on valuable nutrients. “People get abnormal cardiac rhythms and light – headedness because they lose electrolytes, potassium and magnesium,” he says. That is not all – since liquid diets are not balanced, you could also become deficient in vital vitamins and nutrients, which can make you anemic.
Want more? How about digestive problems to boot? Goglia says most dieters should use colonics with caution (yes, most liquid diets prescribe colonics in addition to their inane nutritional regimes). “Ultimately, your body will start to shut down, because the colonics are doing things for your body that your digestive system should be doing on its own.”
The bottom line on liquid diets They are just bad for you, end of story. If you need to lose some weight, your best bet is to simply eat real food – you know, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. [sources: Us Weekly, OK!]