Diet fads are nothing new. For centuries, society has been bombarded with this concept of 'perfection' that seem so effortless among the celebrity elite, which makes rest of us normal folks feel like crap. But extreme perfection also involves extreme sacrifice. Below is a list of the most extreme diets that have been practiced by your favourite celebrities:
The Baby Food Diet: Jennifer Aniston; Lady GagaThis diet only allows you to indulge in a selection of pureed fruits and vegetables 14 times a day (25-75 calories a jar), with room for only one 'adult' dinner. And you still have to pair it with extensive cardio.
The problem: Baby food might be packed with nutrients, but it's not formulated for adult digestive systems.
The Grapefruit Diet: Kylie Minogue, Brooke ShieldsThis meal-plan has been around since '70s. You must start every day by munching on a whole grapefruit, which is rich in enzymes and will supposedly help boost your metabolism while breaking down fat. Additionally, dieters can incorporate half a grapefruit into every other meal, but cannot exceed a daily total of 800 calories.
The problem: Experts also argue that the fruit increases blood levels of the hormone estrogen, which increases the risk of breast cancer, and contain ingredients that affect how quickly drugs can be metabolized into the body. Also, the daily calorie restriction is far below the FDA approved 1200-calorie minimum for woman, and 1800-calorie minimum for men.
The Cookie Diet: Madonna, SnookieThis infamous diet originates from Britain and was founded by Dr. Sanford Siegal. The plan involves eating six specially formulated 90-calorie cookies daily, finished off by a dinner that totals 500-700 calories.
The problem: While this may seem like the perfect combination of weight loss and snacking, experts seem to agree that sticking with cookies simply does not provide adequate nutrients that healthy adults in order need to function properly.
HCG Diet: Laura PreponThis relatively new diet incorporates small doses of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone naturally produced by pregnant woman. The idea is to burn more fat from the body’s storage glans, even if you ingest only a small amount of nutrients (500 calories a day).
The problem: The fact that it forces the body to think that it is pregnant, suppresses hunger, and prevents the feelings of ‘starvation’ can't be a good thing. HCG is produced and extracted from the urine of pregnant women, which probably explains why it's not FDA approved as a safe diet plan. Additionally, a month of hormone injections can set you back by about $1000!
The Master Cleanse: BeyoncéAlso known as the ‘starvation diet”, this 10-day detox plan requires dieters to drink warm salt water every morning, followed by a 60-ounce concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper throughout the day. For dinner, you only get to sip on laxative tea.
The problem: With those kind of dietary restrictions, it really isn't surprising why its renowned as one of the most dangerous diets. Not only does it lack nutrients necessary for the body's survival, it can also induce the breakdown of muscle function. And reliance on laxatives for such long periods of time can lead to severe dehydration.
The Sleeping Beauty Diet: Elvis PresleyThe basic concept behind this diet is that you sleep on an empty stomach, which forces the body to continue to burn calories even when it is hindered from ingesting any more.
The problem: Dieters are given sedatives to induce extended periods of sleep, that can last for days! And sleeping through mealtimes means you won't be getting the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to survive.
The Breatharian Diet: Michelle PfeifferDieters believe that they can reach a level of consciousness where they can obtain all nutrients, vitamins and sustenance through just air and sunlight, just like a plant. Ironically, followers are allowed to ingest small amounts of vegetarian and vegan foods.
The problem: This lethal diet has already been
linked to at least four human deaths. So don't say we didn't warn you!
The Tapeworm Diet: Tyra BanksTalk about disgusting. Followers of this diet must ingest a parasitic tapeworm which is often taken in the form of a pill. The worm will live inside the dietary tract and indulge on all the food that enters the body, which in turn prevents weight gain. Once satisfied with the results, dieters are given another pill to kill off the parasite.
The problem: Tapeworms can live up to 20 years and grow to be 15-30 feet. And even if it did allow you to eat whatever you like without gaining weight, you're just going to pile back on once your worm buddy is gone.
So how far are you willing to go to shed a few pounds? If anything, this list should inspire you to just stick with eating healthy and working out.