You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but just three years ago her health was in shambles.
Living a fast food, hard partying lifestyle, 25 year old Loni Jane Anthony knew her health was headed down a rocky path, yet didn’t know what to do. For help, she turned to doctor Doug Graham, whose controversial 80/10/10 Diet–a low fat diet which only allows raw fruits and vegetables–was increasing in popularity.
Then, she took to Instagram to record her journey from flab to fit.
“[This diet] wasn’t for weight loss or for a quick fix,” says Anthony. “I was internally really sick; I was killing myself slowly.”
Switching out fast food favorites for a diet of bananas, mangoes, and other raw fruits and vegetables, Anthony soon caught the attention of many other Instragrammers, who soon wanted to know the secret behind her glowy, fit physique. But it wasn’t until she became pregnant that she caught the attention of health experts.
“Some days, even on my Tumblr, the amount of questions I get asked is just insane,” says Anthony. “I’m like why are people so interested in me? I’m just sitting here eating my bananas. I’m not anyone special.”
What Experts Don’t Like About This Diet
So she looks great and feels great–so what do experts have against this plan?
As it turns out, there may have plenty of reasons to oppose this diet.
“This diet is high in sugar from all the fruit, low in protein which is essential for cell structure, and hormone and enzyme production, both critical for health–and doubly so in pregnancy,” says Jo Travers, a London based nutritionist. “The human body during pregnancy protects the fetus at the expense of the mother so she is risking all sorts of nutrient deficiencies including calcium and iron which can have lasting consequences.”
In addition, Travers adds that Anthony is probably missing out on essential fatty acids–something necessary for supporting the development of a fetus. Fitness expert Sam Feltham agrees, and says this diet may be more dangerous than helpful.
“The danger with this type of diet is that you lack essential nutrients such as cholesterol, saturated fat and vitamin D,” says Feltham. “If you look at a nutritional breakdown of breast milk it’s primarily fat, with about 50% of that coming from saturated fat. Nature hasn’t made a “mistake” we need these essential fatty acids to help us function optimally in infancy and adult hood.”
In conclusion, experts say that although eating more fruits and vegetables is a good way to stay slim and healthy, neglecting other food groups as well won’t improve your health. In fact, it may be just as bad as living on a diet of french fries and pizza.
Your best bet? Increase your vegetable and fruit intake in your diet as a must, but make sure you’re eating plenty of good fats and protein instead.
Readers: Do you think her diet is safe for pregnancy? Why or why not?
Sources:
Loni Jane Anthony’s 10 Banana a Day Diet – While Pregnant – HuffingtonPost.com
Eating 10 Bananas a Day Saved My Life – NYPost.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.