Students often try crazy diets in an attempt to fight the infamous “freshman 15.”  Some common diets include “juicing,” gluten-free, grapefruit, and Atkins diets. LSU Student Health Center Dietitian Julie McNeil says the diet she sees most often is the “cleansing diet.”
The cleansing diet is where someone drinks liquids such as water, lemonade or tea for about three days straight, McNeil said. “It’s to cleanse. It’s to totally get rid of all kinds of inorganic anything that they think is dirty basically to the body.”
Alexis Nguyen is a freshman who has tried many diets in the past, including “juicing” and “cleansing.”
“I did the ‘juicing’ diet where you juice everything you eat,” Nguyen said. “It was horrible.”
“Juicing” involves measuring out and then blending together certain proportions of fruits, vegetables and proteins. This process is time consuming and difficult to maintain during college, Nguyen said.
Eventually Nguyen tried a “cleansing” diet; however, she didn’t go to the extreme. Rather than completing a purely liquid diet, Nguyen continued to eat meals.  Instead, she just replaced all sugary and caffeinated drinks with water, lemonade and tea. In addition, she made sure the meals she did eat were healthy.
“I wasn’t sluggish, and I felt like I could do anything I wanted to,” Nguyen said. “It really motivated me personally because I felt so good about myself. I felt like I had so much energy.”
While this form of the “cleansing” diet is healthy, McNeil believes extreme detoxes are a waste of time.
“I don’t think it’s unhealthy, but I think it sets you up,” McNeil said.  “You’re going to lose weight, but you’re going to gain it as soon as you eat, so you haven’t learned anything.”
McNeil believes the “cleansing” diet along with many other diets are just “quick fixes.” Students don’t realize that eating right is a lifestyle change, McNeil said. Often they are looking to lose weight in two weeks for a specific reason or function.
McNeil encourages students to learn how to eat right. Students should have variety in their diet and make sure they are eating in proper portion sizes. McNeil also recommends healthy snacking and regular exercise.