The new year is upon us and you can hardly turn on the TV, open up a magazine, or visit with a friend without some diet trend surfacing. Whether it be probiotics to boost your gut health or intermittent fasting, everyone seems to be an expert. While there is no shortage of diets, reliable nutrition information can seem scarce at times. So where do you turn when presented with nutrition advice that seems well intentioned, but actually may do more harm than good? Read below for five red flags to look out for when considering diet advice.

Red flags when considering diet advice:

• Promises rapid weight loss. Weight loss more rapid than 1-2 pounds per week tends to be regained even faster. Many factors play into our weight status, including genetics and physical activity levels, along with what we eat. Rather than focusing solely on weight, consider if you will be learning new skills that improve your health, like meal prepping or choosing whole grain foods.
• Cuts out entire food groups. Removing an entire food group (like dairy, grains, or legumes) without a medical reason to do so (such as a food allergy) is impractical and can cause you to miss out on key nutrients.
• Detoxes/cleanses/fasts. Did you know your body comes with built in detoxifiers? That’s right, your kidneys and liver have been doing this since the day you were born! Additionally, there are many concerns regarding following a cleanse diet for an extended period of time, including fatigue due to limited protein, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and dehydration.
• Requires you to purchase pills/bars/or shakes. A sustainable (and affordable!) eating pattern is based on food readily available in grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
• No need to be physically active. Physical activity is essential for good health and weight management and should be a part of your daily routine.

So what should you be looking for in terms of nutrition advice? First, consider recommendations that focus on your overall meal pattern rather than a specific diet. Your health status is a reflection of what you consume over the course of time, not a diet you follow for a few weeks. A healthy meal pattern encourages balance and moderation, does not exclude any particular food or food group, and emphasizes small changes to improve your health. For healthy meal pattern ideas, visit Spend Smart. Eat Smart., choosemyplate.gov, and www.eatright.org. Next week on the blog, Jody will share some tips and tools to help you get started with healthy meal planning.

Written by: Rachel Wall, MS, RD, LD