Going on a diet? Here's what you need to know

Wholefoods are king, with a reduced meat intake, combined with meditation and a lifestyle slowdown. Why: Drawn from Zen buddhism, the diet is more of a lifestyle and attempts to balance the yin/yang of food. Famous followers include Gwyneth Paltrow. Drawbacks: It’s not just diet you need to control here, it’s a whole lifestyle change.

Eat only unprocessed, plant based food with at least 75% uncooked Why: Advocates believe that cooking food breaks down its vital enzymes and nutritional benefits. Drawbacks: No hot food. Enough said.

Eat normally 5 days a week and restrict calories to 500-600 on 2 days. Why: The 2 days of low calories puts your body into fasting mode. Intermittent fasting is believed to improveme blood pressure and reduce cholestrol. Drawbacks: You’ll need to plan your meals thoroughly, as well as around your social calendar.

Only eat low-energy foods with a high water and fibre volume, such as fruits and vegetables. Why: The water and fibre promotes the feeling of being full despite the food being low-calorie. Drawbacks: A bit more complicated, it takes time to calculate energy densities of food.

Cut the carbohydrates and refined flour. Why: Without carbs, the body can start to burn body instead of glucose. Atkins also believes that burning fat takes more energy. Drawbacks: There is little scientific research that supports the diet over other healthy eating plans.

Avoid foods which are high on the glycemic index Why: When we eat high GI food, our insulin levels rise and fall rapidly which triggers our bodies to try and store fat. Drawbacks: Not all low GI foods are healthier options.

Quite simply, only eating cabbage soup for a week. Why: The low calorie content promotes rapid weight loss, but is only designed as a 1 week quick fix. Drawbacks: Zero variety. We can barely eat our greens as it is.

Drink a combination of olive oil & sugar water between meals, twice a day. Why: The calorific intake, without taste is meant to teach your body to stop associating energy with flavour, thus reducing cravings. Drawbacks: You get to eat normally but you also have to try and force the oil concoction down, twice a day.

Only eat foods that our caveman ancestors had available. Why: Avoiding the nasties of modern diets, this diet is nutrient rich and is designed to train your body to crave healthy foods. Drawbacks: The modern day equivalent of caveman foods can vary, so the definition of what’s allowed is not quite clear.

The infamous Beyonce diet, where you eat nothing except detox drinks made of syrup, lemon, water and cayenne pepper. Why: Also known as the Lemon Detox, the drink supposedly cleanses the body of toxins. It’s also extremely low in calories. Drawbacks: Being so low in calories, it acts like a crash diet. There are very little nutrients in the drink.

Eat certain foods based on your blood type. Why: It’s suggested that each blood type digests food proteins differently, so eating certain things may negatively affect you depending on your blood type. Drawbacks: How many of us know our blood type?!

No forbidden foods, this uses a points system to assess and measure food intake. Why: Calories are controlled and it’s said to be a sustainable long-term approach to weight management. It’s also been around for decades. Drawbacks: It might work but it’s hardly glamorous in a world of celebrity diets.

Eat small portions, every three hours throughout the day. Why: Constantly eating is considered to keep your metabolism running at a high rate, which burns more fat. Drawbacks: Can seriously disrupt your day if you’ve got to plan work around it. Also requires meal planning.

Designed by a cardiologist from Florida, this diet is low carbs, no refined sugar and plenty of lean protein Why: The balance of good carbs and healthy fats has 3 phases, designed to eliminate sugar cravings, lose weight and become a longer-term healthy eating plan. Drawbacks: This sounds just like healthy eating – if it was so easy, wouldn’t we be doing it already?

A liquid diet. Drink only fruit and vegetable juice and abstain from food. Why: This detoxing diet is reported to flush your system clean, whilst providing you with nutrients from fruit and vegetables. Drawbacks: No food means a lack of fibre, which is needed to regulate your digestive system.