Diet Trends
This episode continues the rapid-fire review of current diet trends, focusing on what the evidence supports and where online claims can become oversimplified.
Low Inflammation Diets
A lot of “low inflammation” content online starts with a long list of foods to avoid. Some lists go so far that you’re left wondering what’s even allowed. The problem isn’t that inflammation isn’t real. It’s that broad rules like “cut gluten and dairy to reduce inflammation” don’t hold up for most people without individual context.
A more evidence-based way to think about this is through the Dietary Inflammatory Index. It scores dietary components based on how they tend to influence inflammation markers. It also matters how inflammation gets measured, because feeling “puffy” or “sore” isn’t the same thing as a measurable change in inflammatory markers like CRP, interleukins, or TNF alpha.
When you zoom out, the least controversial “anti-inflammatory” patterns usually look familiar: fatty fish, nuts, berries, ginger, leafy greens, green tea, turmeric, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, dark chocolate, antioxidants, and fibre. On the flip side, the more consistently “pro-inflammatory” dietary patterns include processed meats, sugar, sweetened drinks, refined grains, fried foods, trans fats, high sodium foods, and alcohol. From a practical lens, the simplest first step is to focus on what you can add in, rather than trying to eliminate everything.
Seed Oils
The seed oil conversation has swung hard into fear territory online. The more balanced view is this: seed oils are calorie dense and often low in micronutrients, especially when they’re highly refined. So yes, it makes sense that people can overdo them, particularly when they show up mostly through ultra-processed foods.
However, many of the dramatic claims attached to seed oils don’t consistently show up in broader outcomes research. The omega-3 to omega-6 conversation also gets messy, because omega-6 from whole food sources like nuts and seeds doesn’t seem to carry the same concerns. A practical takeaway lands in the middle: there’s no need to avoid seed oils completely, yet reducing them can happen naturally when you build meals around whole foods. It’s also a reminder that blanket statements can backfire, because flaxseed oil technically counts as a seed oil and can be associated with positive outcomes when minimally processed.
Protein-sparing Modified Fast
This is an extreme, short-term approach designed to maximise fat loss while trying to preserve muscle. It usually involves very high protein, very low calories, minimal carbs, minimal fat, low-calorie vegetables, and often supplements like electrolytes.
One study discussed followed a small group for three months on a very low-carb, high-protein approach, with vitamins and minerals added in. People lost around 10% of their body weight in that period, which sounds impressive. Yet weight loss stalled afterwards, and many struggled to transition back to higher calories. The bigger issue is sustainability. This approach can look appealing when someone wants rapid results, but it often comes with low energy, poorer training performance, and clear nutritional gaps over time. Even when someone manages the short phase well, long-term success seems rare.
Calorie Cycling
Calorie cycling alternates lower and higher calorie days rather than keeping intake consistent every day. It might look like eating in a deficit through the week and having a higher day on the weekend, or matching higher intake to harder training days.
The main benefit is adherence. If weekends usually blow out your deficit, building extra flexibility into the plan can make the overall week more consistent. It also works without tracking, because many people naturally eat this way. The downside shows up when the swings get too big. If the higher days climb too far, the “compensation” days often become under-fuelled. On top of that, higher calorie days are not usually higher in nutrient density. In the end, total energy balance still matters most for fat loss, so calorie cycling is mainly a strategy, not a magic lever.
Stable Blood Glucose Trends
Blood glucose naturally rises and falls after meals. For most healthy people, that’s normal and expected. The trend being called out here is the obsession with flattening every small rise using tactics like vinegar before meals, eating vegetables first, and walking after meals.
Vinegar before meals can reduce post-meal glucose levels, and it may have a place for some people with insulin resistance or diabetes. Even then, the effect is often small and short-term, and it may not be clinically meaningful for everyone.
Meal order can also reduce the size or speed of the rise, because fibre and protein slow gastric emptying and carbohydrate digestion. Again, this is more relevant in a clinical context than as a rule for the general population.
Walking after meals is one of the more practical strategies when it’s easy to do. A short walk can help muscles use glucose and lower post-meal levels. The catch is real life. Many people can’t walk after every meal, and if you don’t have a medical reason to track glucose closely, there are often bigger priorities that support metabolic health.
The bigger picture stays consistent: focus on overall dietary patterns, not perfectly flat glucose lines. Pair carbohydrates with protein and fibre across the day, choose whole grains and vegetables more often, and remember that sometimes a glucose rise is useful, such as fast-digesting carbs around training.
Key Takeaways
Most diet trends become problematic when they turn into rigid rules. A better approach starts with context. Add more whole foods, build meals around fibre and protein, and use targeted strategies when they actually match your goals and health needs.
Relevant Studies
- Scientific basis of dietary inflammatory index (DII): A dietary tool to metabolic syndrome risk – ScienceDirect
- Vinegar (acetic acid) intake on glucose metabolism: A narrative review – ScienceDirect