The first day of the New Year often marks a period where gyms are bustling, refrigerators are stocked with healthy options, and motivation is at its peak.
Whether or not you’ve set New Year’s resolutions, many of us aim to improve our eating habits after indulging in holiday treats.
While aspiring to eat healthier is commendable, some individuals might push these intentions too far.
Common mistakes include consuming excessive amounts of water or supplements—actions that may go unnoticed yet have negative health effects.
It’s important to remember that overindulging in food and drinks considered ‘healthy’ can actually be detrimental to our well-being.
Dietitian Katie Sanders from the healthcare review platform Doctify outlines common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Although fruit is highly nutritious, Katie points out that the issue lies not with the fruit itself, but with how it is consumed—specifically, its concentration and speed of consumption.
She explains that whole fruit maintains its fiber structure, which slows sugar absorption. However, when fruit is juiced, blended, or dried, this structure is broken down.
As a result, this can cause a rapid increase in blood glucose and a greater fructose load on the gut, leading to issues such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, reflux, and reactive hypoglycemia.
Katie advises that while whole fruit is not problematic, consuming large quantities quickly can be.
Staying hydrated is crucial, but it’s possible to drink excessive amounts of water.
Katie notes that consuming large quantities in a short period can dilute sodium and result in hyponatremia, characterized by blood sodium levels dropping below 135 mmol/L.
This can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, confusion, and in severe cases, seizures.
The issue isn’t water itself but rather the rate and volume at which it’s consumed, particularly during detox regimens promoting constant fluid intake.
Her advice is straightforward: “‘Steady and sensible’ beats ‘excessive and fast’ every time.”
For proper hydration, she suggests drinking regularly, listening to thirst cues, and replenishing electrolytes if engaging in heavy sweating.
“Salt has been heavily demonized, so many people try to cut it out completely — especially during January ‘clean eating’ and detox trends,” according to Katie.
Meanwhile, they might increase their intake of potassium-rich foods like bananas, spinach, and avocados.
Sodium and potassium work together to maintain nerve, muscle, and heart function.
When salt levels drop significantly and potassium levels rise, the body’s electrical balance is disrupted.
Possible symptoms of this imbalance include fatigue, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations, low blood pressure, and muscle weakness.
This situation can be particularly dangerous for those with kidney or heart conditions or who are on medications affecting potassium levels.
To address this, Katie advises using moderate salt in cooking and being cautious about consuming several high-potassium foods.
Individuals with kidney or heart issues should seek guidance before making major dietary changes.
Additionally, reading labels is important as low-salt seasonings are often potassium-based.
Katie warns that issues arise when individuals unknowingly combine several products with overlapping ingredients.
This can occur with multivitamins, greens powders, and beauty supplements, leading to nutrient levels that far exceed safe upper limits.
Over time, this can result in nausea, headaches, fatigue, hair loss, nerve tingling, and thyroid issues.
Her recommendation is to treat supplements like medications by checking labels, avoiding duplication, and selecting only those that are necessary.
The benefits of ingredients like ginger, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar are well-known.
Wellness shots, often found in grocery and health stores, are popular ways to incorporate these into diets.
However, Katie cautions that concentrated doses can irritate the gut instead of supporting it.
Taking them daily, especially on an empty stomach, may lead to burning stomach pain, acid reflux, nausea, diarrhea, and cramping, as well as exacerbate gastritis or IBS symptoms.
Her simple advice is that incorporating these ingredients into meals or drinks is gentler on the stomach than taking them in concentrated forms.
She adds that those on blood thinners, reflux medications, or with sensitive stomachs should exercise particular caution.