It’s tax season, 2025, and somehow, celery juice is still trending. Every year, we get hit with a wave of promises — quick fixes, skinny teas, miracle macros — all dressed up in wellness language that sounds legit but rarely delivers.

If you’ve ever been caught in the cycle of excitement turned exhaustion from trying the “next big thing,” you’re not alone. Truth is, the diet industry thrives on our confusion and insecurities.

But the landscape is shifting.

More people are waking up to the idea that health isn’t about extremes but consistency, sustainability, and evidence. The best nutrition advice isn’t always sexy, but it works.

It’s time to stop giving attention to outdated trends that do more harm than good and start tuning in to what really supports long-term health. Let’s look into the myths we’re finally letting go — and why you’ll be better off for it.

Detox Teas and Juice Cleanses

The obsession with “cleansing” the body refuses to die, but your liver and kidneys are already detox machines.

“I haven’t found any solid scientific studies to suggest that your body needs to be cleansed and that any product or regime on the market is a good means to do it​,” says registered dietitian Abbey Sharp, RD.

In fact, long-term juice cleanses can lead to nutrient deficiencies and blood sugar spikes. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) confirms there’s no evidence that detox products improve health or aid in sustainable weight loss. Instead, they’re often loaded with sugar, low in protein, and dangerously low in calories.

Keto for Everyone

The ketogenic diet has held the spotlight for years, but its blanket application is being challenged. While it can be therapeutic for epilepsy and certain medical conditions, going ultra-low-carb isn’t a sensible one-size-fits-all approach.​

In a 2019 interview with NPR, Dr. David Katz, founding director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center, expressed concerns about the keto diet.

“This diet is at odds with human health. It tends to be a very low-fiber diet. That’s bad for the gastrointestinal tract. We simply don’t know that this diet is compatible with human health across the lifespan. Well, you know, to me, that sounds like a game of Russian roulette. It may go your way. It may not.”

Villainizing Carbs

Carbs have been treated like dietary criminals for far too long. But unless you’re dealing with a medical condition like insulin resistance or celiac disease, carbs are not the enemy.

Cutting out entire food groups is a red flag. Complex carbs — think oats, sweet potatoes, lentils — are loaded with fiber, which keeps blood sugar stable and supports gut health.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45–65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates, depending on your needs.

Fasting as a Fix-All

Intermittent fasting isn’t inherently bad. But, it’s been oversold as a miracle solution for everything from weight loss to anti-aging. While it can work for some people, especially those who find it easier to manage their eating in set windows, it’s not a magic bullet.

And despite all the hype, intermittent fasting isn’t guaranteed to work any better than traditional, balanced calorie control. A 2020 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine compared intermittent fasting to consistent calorie restriction in overweight adults.

The findings surprised many fasting fans. After 12 weeks, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups. The fasting group lost more lean muscle mass than the control group, raising concerns about its long-term impact on body composition.

Glorifying “Clean Eating”

What started as a well-meaning trend has turned into another obsession. The term “clean eating” implies that some foods are morally superior, feeding into guilt and what can become disordered eating patterns.​ Christy Harrison, a registered dietitian and author, discussed the impact of diet culture.

“Diet culture is a system of beliefs that equates thinness to health and moral virtue, promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status, and demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others.”

Recent research highlights a growing concern about how clean eating behaviors can spiral into orthorexia nervosa, a condition characterized by an unhealthy compulsion to eat foods one considers pure or healthy.

A 2022 study published in Eating and Weight Disorders explored how health anxiety and beliefs about personal control over health contribute to orthorexic tendencies.

What We Need

Time to break up with rigid rules and fall in love with something radical: listening to your body. Diet trends are often built on fear, not facts. And as science evolves, so should we.

Instead of detox teas, support your liver with hydration, fiber, and whole foods. Instead of fearing carbs or worshipping fasting windows, focus on sustainable habits, like eating enough protein, sleeping well, and moving your body because you enjoy it — not to punish it.

Real health is about nourishment, flexibility, and freedom, not perfection.