Fad diets come and go. Sometimes they come back again. People like to follow fad diets because they promise quick weight loss, the plan is easy, and you just have to do it for a short period of time. Plus, it's fun to jump on the bandwagon along with friends who might be following the program, too.

Common characteristics of fad diets include nutritional deficiency, frequently relying on just one food or food group, recommended short term use, and lack of long-term benefits.

Medical authorities debunk fad diets because of their dubious nutritional value, low daily calories, and bland tastes. The diets can also lead to weight-cycling or yo yo di eting.

Some of the more well-known fad diets include:
1. cabbage soup diet
2. grapefruit diet
3. chicken soup diet
4. even the chocolate diet

There are fad diets based on dubious medical research, such as the blood type diet and the macrobiotic diet.

Some diet plans are linked to the part of the world where the food is eaten, for example, the Mediterranean diet.

Would you like to eat like a Russian pilot? Follow the Russian Air Force diet.

Dreaming of being a starlet? Use the Hollywood Celebrity Liquid Diet and drink yourself thin.

Drink green tea, add apple cider vinegar, and only consume raw food. They are all diet fads.

With a little creativity, these diets could contribute to a healthy diet as well as weight loss.

How can you make a fad diet into a healthy one?

Include the fad food as par of a nutritious meal. Have a grapefruit for breakfast along with oatmeal, a glass of milk, and a slice of toast, for example.

Soups are very nutritious, so why not have a pot simmering on the stove? Enjoy it for a snack, it sure beats high fat chips or sugar laden cookies.

Chicken or cabbage soup is a great part of a meal. Include a green salad with low calorie dressing and a piece of fruit for dessert.

Have soup or grapefruit on hand when the munchies strike. You'll get filled up fast.

You could even have a small piece of chocolate when you're eating an overall healthy diet.

Be sure to incorporate exercise into your daily activities. That's another problem with fad diets. Most of the time physical activity is completely ignored. Increasing your exercise will help you lose more weight than any single diet plan on its own.

Want to follow a fad? Make it a healthy one.