REGISTERED nutritionists know all too well that the New Year creates a huge amount of interest in lifestyle and diet from so-called health gurus. This is easy to see after the festive period as brands use this time to prey on potential customers and encourage them to think they need to invest in a new product or new diet. Some of the diets that do the rounds include Atkins, alkaline, detoxes, cabbage soup, blood type, ketogenic, maple syrup, paleo, juice cleanses, whole 30 and potato. And of course celebrity-endorsed diets with no scientific backing.
You will have the likes of unregistered people selling or promoting these diets as well as different products to line their pockets. Some of these unregulated people include fitness, health and diet gurus as well as personal trainers. This year we are saying ‘No, thank you.’ As a registered nutritionist, I want to push positive messages around food and lifestyle. It is important to understand the dangers of fad diets and think less about being restrictive. Everything isn’t about weight loss and weight loss doesn’t always mean optimum health.
Beware of unregulated professionals delving into my field of nutrition as this is a science and not an opinion. pseudoscience.
Happy New Year to everyone and, please, in 2026 make informed choices regarding your health and diet.
Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentivenutrition@gmail.com
