Trendy Diets: What Are The Risks?

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Your gut can’t handle massive, big swings very quickly. You’ve got trillions of bacteria in your gut, and these bacteria are used to eating certain types of food. If you change your diet overnight, the bacteria in your gut won’t handle it well.

Don’t go for massive diet swings. It never works. My industry is full of people who write diet books, and quickly claim their diet is better than any other diet. I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of diet books going right back to the 1920s. Some of my diet books are almost turn of the century, and they recommend boiled milk and white bread as rejuvenating foods for people.

I believe that the best diet for you is the one that suits you best. How do you work that out? You work it out instinctively. You work it out by trying to figure out what food sits well in your gut. What protein, for example, gives you energy, gives you a boost, and makes you feel good? What food makes you lethargic and crappy? For instance, we all know if you drink three or four bottles of whiskey a day, you wouldn’t feel very good. So, what’s the point in drinking alcohol at all? Tiny amounts of alcohol over a long period may be okay, but you need to be very careful about alcohol intake.

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A high-fat diet is a bad idea. Think about what it’s going to do to your gall bladder. Think of what it’s going to do to your gut, your liver? Your digestive system won’t handle a high-fat diet, so I would say you’re going to end up feeling tired and toxic — not a good idea.

If you’ve made a rapid switch to a new diet, my recommendation is to go back to the food that you usually eat. If you’ve been eating mostly starch and fruit, then slowly incorporate more fat into your diet. Add little bits, to begin with, and gradually build up the fat while bringing the starches and fruit down.

Look carefully at the protein you are eating. Make sure you are eating enough high-quality protein to give you the energy you need. Gradual changes to your diet are how your body find its set point, and your metabolic rate will work out fine. Your hormones will probably work quite well on a diet with more fat. Remember, jumping quickly from one food plan to another is like jumping out of a plane. Anything can happen, so be careful.

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About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.