UPDATE 4/2: We have our Misguided Madness Championship winner! Through both expert vote and social media write-in, we had a decisive victory for one terrible piece of food advice to beat them all: “Cleanse” toxins out of your body. For 4 great reasons why you should avoid cleanses, check out our New Year’s blog on Ditching Detox Diets.
Original Post, 3/23:
We have a Final 4! In all of the ridiculous, far-fetched, and downright irresponsible food advice we’ve heard, here are the official top 4 that most represent food MADNESS. Tweet at us to vote in our two final matchups:
- “Juice is a good replacement for a meal” versus “’Cleanse’ toxins out of your body”
- “Diet products make you gain weight” versus “Change how you eat to alter the pH of your body”
So far, we’ve gotten some great votes (and a few write-ins!) from you on Twitter.
Danielle Robertson (@GreenEyedGuide) called our closest matchup, feeling divided between the idea that you should eat to change the pH of your body (which made it to our final 4) and the idea that you shouldn’t eat items or ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
Sarah N. (@SarahNeb07) nailed one of our biggest concerns- the idea that you need to eat in a hyper-restrictive way to ‘cleanse’ your body, instead of letting your liver and kidneys do that for you with a normal healthy diet (hey, it’s their full-time job!)
Jesse Lunsford, RD (@JesseLunsford) agreed on the ‘cleanse’ vote, highlighting our major pet peeve of vague references to “toxins.”
And we have a final favorite write-in from Robyn Flipse, RD (@EverydayRD), the use of the term ‘Super Food!’ We didn’t think of this one initially, but it’s a perfect example. While there are foods often called “functional foods” that come with more benefits than the inherent nutrition (think foods fortified with vitamin D or probiotics in yogurt), there’s no one food you can eat for the perfect diet. It’s about balance, variety, and moderation. So don’t let these weird, trendy, or quick-fix tips trick you into thinking otherwise!
