As we have reached that time of the year when we are bombarded on all media fronts by the latest diets and DVDs, it was interesting to watch a programme that was looking at the above nutritional changes (not a single kettle bell or spin class in sight).
The presenter started by introducing and then tasting a gluten free menu, which, in order to look at its best, had to be presented on a table and of course photographed to upload onto the Internet. A significant portion of the programme thereafter was based in the USA, where we were met the originators of the other two approaches. In particular, the alkaline diet was discussed at length in the extensive landscaped gardens of a clinic, where we subsequently learnt that the creator was facing charges including fraud. This clinic was also being investigated after the death of a UK patient who had travelled there in search of a cure for her cancer.
So, what are we to make of these three diets? Each was described with passion by their founders, but all lacked any independent validation of the theories. “It looks SO good” or having a gazillion likes on social media does not translate into being either safe and/or effective. The programme did not go into the details of the quality of food prescribed (and the ensuing costs which would probably limit them for the majority) or the time taken to prepare some of the recipes which again would be a negative for those with hectic lifestyles.
Ultimately, we were left feeling that the presenter had essentially de-bunked all three diets by the end of the programme; the “whiteboards” were pulled down and put in a rubbish bag. The other message that came across is that these approaches do not appear to have harmed the bank balances and book sales of their respective owners in any way.