Those of us who didn’t go militant vegan when it became trendy were holding out for the day when the long term effects of living on leaves, beans and self-righteousness would become apparent.

And it’s not just veganism – flexitarianism, starvation, protein diets – it’s hard to keep up with all of the ridiculous food and lifestyle trends doing the rounds on social media.

Veganism when done right – healthy life choice and well done to you.

Veganism when modelled on some influencer who doesn’t have a clue what they’re talking about – bad life choice and shame on you.

It’s even harder to avoid the influencers who preach the benefits of each one from the ‘expert position’ of trying a thing and then wanting everyone else to do it, too, so that they can get paid.

Now actual experts are weighing in to warn you that Instagram influencers, pushing extreme diets like “raw veganism”, are causing young people to suffer from malnutrition and eating disorders.

This, reports the Telegraph, has been thrown into the spotlight after a popular vegan vlogger admitted she fell ill after following her own diet plan.

Yovana Mendoza Ayres, known to her fans as “Rawvana“, has over 10 million followers across Instagram and YouTube – but admitted becoming dangerously unwell as a result of her raw vegan diet and 25-day fasts.

We’ve spoken about the merits, or pitfalls, of the fasting craze before, because starving your body comes with dangerous side effects.

Her fans condemned her after a video emerged of her eating fish, which goes against the vegan and starvation diets she was promoting on Instagram.

She said that because of her diet, “something wasn’t going right” with her body, and she began to lose her menstrual cycles, and that doctors told her she needed to eat more fat, and she started eating cooked food again.

“I wasn’t ovulating,” she said in a video explaining why she ate fish, “I was basically anemic and my thyroid levels were low. It was really bad, but it was borderline.”

Harley Street registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert said she has seen seriously ill clients who came to her for help after they followed the advice of Instagram celebrities.

“This is extremely worrying, with social media stars replacing qualified health professionals something has to be done. I have seen a rise in my clinic of poor nutrition and in severe cases eating disorders from poor advice online.

“Low calorie diets can be very dangerous if followed poorly and when the individual is already at a healthy  status. The risk of micronutrient deficiencies is heightened when reducing  energy intake, let alone when the diet is vegan and raw. A vegan diet is very difficult to get right and requires a lot of nutritional education and guidance, especially when it comes to vitamin D, B12, Iodine, Calcium, Iron and Omega 3.”

Side note – if you’re considering that ‘carnivore diet’ that people have been talking about, think again. See, vegans, we’re taking the piss out of all of these ridiculous diet fads.

While sharing what you eat, and evangelising about your dietary preferences might seem harmless, it’s not as innocent as you think.

Another nutritionist, Pixie Turner, added: “I think ‘influencers’ with no nutrition degrees have no right to give out advice about food and nutrition online. They can share their own choices, sure, but even then there needs to be a clear distinction that this isn’t advice. Also, influencers need to be aware of the responsibility they have, and particularly when they pair their food choices with their aesthetically-pleasing body, suggesting ‘if you eat like this you can look like me’. (which is a total lie as it’s more genetics than food choices anyway).

Look, wanting to be healthier and more environmentally conscious isn’t a bad thing, but you have to do it right and you shouldn’t do it just to follow a trend.

You should also check yourself next time you try to shame someone into a diet that might be bad for them.

There are many ways to get started on your healthy eating journey, like ordering balanced meals delivered right to your door, but please don’t jump on board some influencer’s bandwagon because they look good in a bikini.

[source:telegraph]