January brings out the best of the diet craziness. We come back from the holiday coma with tight pants and the wish to make it go away and make it go away now. The holiday hangover sends many to Google to see how in a quick hurry, months, year, or even a lifetime of unhealthy eating and inactivity can be erased.
I have been in the business of nutrition and fitness for many years. I thought I had heard it all…that is…until now. A friend who needs to lose weight told me about her new “diet” prescribed by a “health professional.” It includes a restrictive eating plan, lots of supplements, and, wait for it, no baby carrots. No baby carrots? Yes, no baby carrots. Apparently, baby carrots are high in sugar. Compared to what, kale? Is it just the baby carrots, are regular carrots ok? Someone needs to clear this up for me. How can at about 4 calories each, baby carrots be singled out as a food that is off the menu?
I grow so tired of these diets that throw out things like “baby carrots are high in sugar,” or “bananas are toxic,” or “eat all the vegetables you want except tomatoes?” It is like they feel they need to throw in some sort of weird requirement to make people think they have the magic combination.
I will let you in on a little secret. There is no magic combination, there is no magic pill, baby carrots will not make you fat, bananas are not toxic, tomatoes are not evil. Any diet that limits the kind of fruits or vegetables you eat is not sound – period. I am not a fan of large amounts of white potatoes but that is another story entirely. Even white potatoes, however are not evil and fit into a healthy diet in moderation. If it grows in the ground, on top of the ground, on a bush, or on a vine, eat it, eat lots of it.
Ask yourself – did anyone wake up after all the holiday eating and drinking and say – wow, I wish I had not eaten all of those baby carrots?