(upbeat orchestral music)
- Hey munchies!
If if you're new, I'm Alyssia.
And we're getting weird today as we discuss
some of the dumbest diets I have ever heard of.
Disclaimer.
I must be clear that in no way am I recommending
any of these diets.
Let's learn together today while making fun
of some people's pretty crazy and often unsafe ideas.
Remember, you need to do what's right for you.
If that is one of these diets,
well, take responsibility for your choices.
The cookie diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- This was a real diet developed in 1975
by a physician treating overweight patients.
These are pre-made cookies, diet cookies,
not regular cookies.
They're high fiber and high protein.
I can only imagine the taste is far from a delicious cookie.
It's been revamped since then by a few different companies
and the deal is, you can have one or two cookies
every two hours for a total of six to nine per day.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- These cookies may essentially be
like cookie shaped protein bars,
but what I hate about this diet
is that it just further perpetuates
our unhealthy relationship with food
and lack of understanding of moderation.
Healthy cookies are not, I believe
our goal should be to develop a hunger for whole foods
and an appreciation for those less healthy options
when we consume them on occasion.
- [Man] Alternative?
- Literally any diet except for the ones in this video.
The tapeworm diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- It emerged in the 1920's based
on the obviously false notion that ingesting a tapeworm
was an appropriate way to shed pounds.
People actually did this.
Popping pills that contained tapeworms
which once in your intestines,
were supposed to feed off of your innards,
helping to consume your digested food.
- Why it's stupid.
- I'll let you be the judge of that.
(intense music)
Eat a salad or even 18 salads.
You'll be better off and still probably lose more weight.
The military diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Lose 10 pounds in one week.
A predetermined menu consisting of toast,
vanilla ice cream, saltine crackers,
hot dogs and more strange combinations.
It does note to not consume artificial sweeteners though
because those are bad for you and your blood sugar.
Also, don't add any cream or sugar to your coffee,
but you can still have ice cream every night.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- Rewind the last 10 seconds of this video.
- [Man] Alternative?
- Don't do this diet.
There's no rhyme or reason behind it.
And the only reason anyone would lose weight
is because of calorie restriction.
Yes, a deficit in calories can be helpful for weight loss
but it can be done in a much healthier way
with more nutrition dense foods.
The potato diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Potatoes of all kinds, cooked, baked,
mashed or sliced all day long.
No oil, dairy, meat, eggs, only potatoes
with some spices or steamed veggies.
It started because some dude wanted to make a point
that potatoes were unfairly demonized
and could be a healthy food.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- I sort of feel this way about all mono diets,
there's no reason to only eat one food.
We need a variety.
Sure, you could survive on potatoes,
but why even do it when you can survive
more nutritiously and more comfortably with other foods?
I get that potatoes get a bad rep
because they're high in starchy carbs
but is the way to prove people wrong about potatoes
to really only eat them all day long?
- [Man] Alternative?
- Don't be afraid of potatoes.
And treat them like any other root vegetable
when including them in your diet.
I know, some vegans out there are gonna tell me
that potatoes are a complete food
and that this is a great diet.
And to all of you, I say, eat all the potatoes you want.
The baby food diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Three or more days of eating pureed baby foods.
The first two meals of the day are only baby food.
The last meal is a low calorie meal
consisting of a small serving of protein and veggies.
You're supposed to eat 14 jars of baby food per day.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- Goo goo, gah gah.
Me a baby.
- [Man] Alternative?
- Eat the whole foods that baby food is made from
but in its whole foods adult form.
A.K.A. not pre-chewed.
The ice cube diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- This is no mono diet of only ice.
Instead, pop a hoodia satiety cube
into any drink and curb your appetite and snack less.
Hoodia is an herbal supplement from South Africa
that's supposed to control hunger pains.
But the main question is how this rare supplement
can actually be in so many diet products
claiming to contain it.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- You're consuming an expensive ice cube
to keep you from eating as much food.
- [Man] Alternative?
- Eat whole foods that will keep you full
from healthy nutrients, fiber and protein
rather than a creepy cube of ice.
The cotton ball diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Gobble up around five cotton balls
dipped in orange juice or lemonade in one sitting.
Feel full without gaining weight.
Some people use these to limit their food intake
and others subsist on cotton balls exclusively.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
(crickets chirping)
- Come on you guys!
Most cotton balls aren't even made of cotton.
They're bleached polyester fibers with loads of chemicals.
This T-shirt is also made of polyester.
Maybe I'll dip that in orange juice and eat it for lunch.
- [Man] Alternative?
- If we're serious, the alternative is to eat food.
And please note that this is actually not just a joke,
it's dangerous, eating cotton balls can build up
and create blockages and there's that whole
malnutrition thing since you know, cotton balls aren't food.
The soap diet.
- [Man] What is it
- Well, thank goodness you're not eating soap.
This one is from 1924, La-Mar reducing Soap
was supposed to offer a magic solution
for unwanted double chins and tummy fat.
Pretty much it's supposed to reduce cellulite
and it actually continues today.
There are tons of scams where companies
try to market soaps that will
supposedly make you lose weight.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- While soaps and beauty products may be able to help
tighten skin or wrinkles,
it isn't going to penetrate your skin and zap the fat away.
Wouldn't that be nice?
- [Man] Alternative?
- A healthy diet and lots of water
will do our bodies inside and out
better than any soap ever could.
Staring into the sun diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Instead of eating, stare into the sun.
Seriously, one of the latest diet fads in Honk Kong,
women are going to the beach around sunset.
And instead of dinner, they spend about half an hour
staring directly into the sun.
(fire crackling)
Sun gazing is their eating substitute.
They're literally feeding off of solar energy.
Some of the women who have done this therapy
claimed that they now eat less
and some don't have to eat at all.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- Staring into the sun is painful for a reason.
It's bad for your eyes.
Also, you're not a plant.
You can't photosynthesize.
Soak up a bit of vitamin D during the day with sunglasses on
and then eat some nutritious vegetables for dinner.
The clay diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- A new detox diet that involves
stirring an edible clay like bentonite
into a glass of water to drink.
Now, this isn't supposed to replace your food.
It's supposed to accompany it to absorb and remove toxins,
impurities and chemicals and help you lose weight.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- This is another fad diet and quick fix.
Remember, our kidneys are there to detox for us.
If we are fueling our bodies properly,
they don't need any help from an expensive clay.
Also worth mentioning, the key ingredient
in this clay is also in cat litter.
- [Man] Alternative?
- To avoid heavy metals, don't smoke,
use aluminum-free personal care products
and eat more nutrient dense detoxifying foods
like parsley, kale, broccoli
or foods that are rich in zinc, selenium and vitamin C.
The air diet.
- [Man] What is it?
- Eat nothing at all.
(chuckles)
Eat zero foods to shed those pounds.
Based on the concept of breatharianism,
believing that you can live on only energy
from the sunlight and air,
similar to the staring into the sun diet,
and that you don't need any nourishment from food at all.
- [Man] Why it's stupid.
- Here is the best part in why it's stupid.
With this diet, all you do is prepare a delicious meal
no matter what it is, even if it's junk
and you keep the meal right in front of you
and you eat the air above the meal
to try and trick your brain into thinking
that you're actually eating the meal without eating it.
Wait, wait, wait.
Do I have to starve myself and I still have to cook?
- [Man] Alternative?
- Cook the meal you wanna eat and then also eat it.
Moral of the episode,
don't get caught up in ridiculous diets.
If it sounds crazy, it probably is.
And if it doesn't sound crazy, it still might be.
Most importantly, learn what works for you body.
I will you see next week for a new episode
and remember, specially when it comes to dieting,
it's all a matter of mind over munch.
- [Man] Oh there she goes.
(laughs)
- Goo goo, gah gah.
Me a baby.
(laughs)