Read This Before Trying The Mushroom Diet

There always seems to be a new diet trend to try. The juice cleanse, for example, was once widely thought to support the immune system and help toxins leave the body (per Medical News Today). The more recent "what I eat in a day" food trend, which you'll find when following the social media hashtag of the same name, shows the eating habits of influencers, particularly focused on portion sizes and types of food (via U.S. News). And of course, other popular diets such as intermittent fasting, keto, and paleo still garner a lot of attention. 

While some of these fads might work for some people, what you see on social media is never the full picture. When done the wrong way, Medical News Today reports that a juice cleanse can lead to low blood sugar and long-term nutrient deficiencies. Trying to copy an influencer's diet doesn't take into account your own nutritional needs or physical profile. Factors that can affect many diet trends include age, weight, activity level, and vitamin deficiencies. 

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the M-plan, a trending mushroom diet that claims to spot-reduce fat in stubborn areas, like the hips and thighs (per Verywell fit). There is no book, website, or known origin of this diet, and experts say it may not live up to the hype.

Like fresh juice, mushrooms sound pretty healthy, right? Eating mushrooms every day can provide a dose of selenium, potassium, vitamin D, and antioxidants. According to Verywell fit, the mushroom diet, or M-plan, requires you to replace only one meal a day with a mushroom-based dish for two weeks. You can eat anything else you want for the other meals.

Mushrooms can be filling, are nutritious, and are frequently used as a low-calorie meat alternative. However, per Verywell Fit, there are many downfalls to this diet trend too. Besides the lack of scientific evidence that this diet works, mushrooms aren't guaranteed to eliminate fat from any specific part of your body. Furthermore, if weight loss is the ultimate goal, then it doesn't matter how healthy one mushroom dish is, especially if your other meals are high in calories and fat.

This diet doesn't help you to establish new, healthy eating patterns or encourage a fitness routine, and only requires replacing one meal with a healthier alternative. If you want to eat mushrooms, certainly have fun with different recipes, but recognize that mushrooms aren't the end-all-be-all solution for weight loss. And if you're going to try the latest diet trend, make sure to consult a doctor or dietician first.