HEALTH

Instagram is the go-to place for fashion, friends and food. We love seeing new posts of the latest trends, but some trends aren’t always what they seem. Instagram foodies are constantly popping up in our feeds. We’ve seen everything—and even tried some ourselves, like hot chocolate and toast turned into unicorn or rainbow colors. Some recipes are clearly unhealthy, but super fun to try once. While others might be marketed as healthy but are actually pretty bad for you. These foodie fad posts creep into our feeds on the daily. Here are some of the worst ones we’ve found.

No variety!
Whether it’s eating only fruits, no carbs, or just protein, the one-food-fix-all post is all too common. But here’s the issue, not only does it not work, it’s very bad for you! Your body needs a balanced diet full of healthy fats, complex carbs and lean proteins. If a diet only limits you to one source of nutrition you could end up with malnutrition issues. An expert told Shape.com, "When too much emphasis is on one food or food category, that means you're missing out on other nutrients." 

Too much on your plate.
Portion size is a large factor in weight maintenance and health. Too much of anything, even healthy food, can be a bad thing. We've all seen our fave Instagram bloggers or celebs post huge servings of food for the #content. One of the largest culprits? The açaí bowls. Those big, beautiful bowls splashing with purple hues are three times the size of a healthy portion. Sometimes what happens on Insta should stay on Insta.

Drink it away.
Ads for diet teas and weight loss shakes are notorious for popping up on our feeds. If they seem too good to be true it’s because they are. Most times, the ad promotes plain tea that it's pawning off as a weight loss supplement and the rest are just laxatives that don’t help you lose actual weight. Be aware of these sneaksters and remember, continuous use of laxatives can negatively affect your body.

But hey, it’s not all bad.
While there are trends that you should beware, some trends are totes beneficial. Trends that promote low-carb or no artificial sugars are typically okay if they offer a balanced diet. Meal prepping is also a great trend. 

It's important to make food choices that are beneficial to you and your body. The sparkly and mouth-watering Instagram fads are great for a treat every once in awhile, but if you’re serious about maintaining a healthy weight contact a nutritionist.

Have you ever tried an Instagram food trend? Let us know in the comments?

Photo Credit: Instagram/A Girl in Progress

by India Afriyie | 2/2/2018