If a diet seems too good to be true, chances are it is. You'd think we'd know that by now, but it appears that we don't. This past year saw some of the craziest diet trends to date, with people trying everything from ingesting creepy, crawly creatures to drinking batidos made from sapitos–all in the name of losing a few pounds. And those are hardly even the kookiest or most dangerous diet fads of 2014. What's worse is the fact that many of these trends are being hyped as natural and healthy. Listen to me when I tell you that they're not. Not by a long shot!
Read more ¿Qué más? Want to know what's really making us fat?
Here are the top 10 worst diet fails of 2014, in order of just how much they suck! Avoid them like the plague, especially if you want to live a happier, healthier life in 2015.
See which one made the top (or is it bottom?) of the list.
Image via Thinkstock
Paleo diet
The Paleo dieters strive to eat like cavemen, meaning they can’t have processed foods, grains, legumes, dairy or sugar. As you can imagine, their meals are incredibly plain and boring. They’re also devoid of many of the nutrients our bodies need. That’s no bueno. Think about it, cavemen only lived into their 20s and 30s. Is that what you want? A life expectancy of 30 years? Probably not.
Sarah Wilson's "I Quit Sugar"
Nixing sugar from your diet may sound like a good idea, but it isn't. In doing so, you're essentially eliminating fruits and veggies from your diet. I don't know if you know this, but you need both of those food groups in your vida. Besides, sugar isn't the devil. You can eat it, just in moderation.
Dog food diet
Anne Kadet swapped human food for dog food for a week, and lived to blog about it. All in all, Kadet said doggie treats were her fave, but most of the meals left a lot to be desired–including the flavor. Not to mention, the woman could have gotten food poisoning. She ultimately went back to eating human food. Good girl!
Frog smoothies
The main ingredient in a so-called cure-all Peruvian batido is … rana. Ew! To make their take on a healthy green juice, locals beat frogs to death, then drop them in a blender where they are whipped up into a frothy green liquid. Not only is this incredibly messed up, but it hardly sounds appetizing. Fail!
Clay cleanse diet
Actress Zoe Kravitz underwent a "clay cleanse" in order to lose 20 pounds to play an anorexic girl for an upcoming role. She said the cleanse worked, but it also left her feeling "awful." Um, yeah! She was filling her body with clay when it was craving food. Needless to say, any "cleanse" that'll make it so you "look" anorexic is dangerous.
Urine therapy
Ay, dios mío. Some locos out there believe ingesting or injecting their own urine will help them ward off extra lbs, dry skin, cancer and numerous other ailments and diseases. That’s gross. Also, these so-called health claims are unfounded, meaning people may be drinking their own urine for nothing. Shudder.
Tapeworm diet
Okay, so the tapeworm diet isn't new. However, this story is: In a desperate bid to help her daughter lose weight for an upcoming pageant, a woman fed her tapeworm eggs without telling her. Long story short, the girl landed in the hospital with severe stomach pain, at which point her mother had to fess up. Needless to say, she's not in the running to become mother of the year.
Toilet paper diet
Stay-at-home mom Jade Sylvester began craving the taste and texture of toilet paper when she was pregnant, but maintained the gross habit even after she gave birth. Nowadays, she says she eats toilet paper in lieu of real food. Needless to say, this habit is far from healthy. If ingested, toilet paper can clog your GI track. Also, it has zero nutritional value.
Cotton ball diet
Models and regular ol' people alike have taken to eating cotton balls dipped in orange juice or yogurt in a bid to lose weight. This diet isn't healthy. For one, you're filling your body with something that may one day need to be surgically removed. Also, this is basically a starvation diet.
Breatharianism
Breatharians, like Human Barbie Valeria Lukyanova, believe people can live off sunlight and air alone. Yeah, no. This is essentially a starvation diet. Human beings need a lot more than Mr. Sun and a nice breeze to survive. Our bodies require protein, carbs, fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals in order to function properly. And you do know where all of these diet staples are found? In actual food–that’s where!
