Health expert issues warning to anyone making ‘clean eating’ New Year’s resolution for 2026
These five well-meaning habits might be harming your health instead of helping it
It’s New Year’s Day, the gateway to a magical time of year where gyms are heaving, fridges are full of healthy food and motivation is at an all-time high.
Whether you've made New Year's resolutions or not, most of us want to start eating a bit better after a few weeks of stuffing our faces with festive food.
And while there's nothing wrong with that, like plenty of other aspects of life, some of us can take it to the extreme.
From drinking too much water to taking too many supplements, there are multiple faux pas we might all be making without even noticing.
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And that means that yes, consuming too much of food and drinks that are meant to be 'good' for us can actually lead to ill health.
Dietitian Katie Sanders from the healthcare review platform Doctify has broken down exactly where we're going wrong and how to course correct.
Too much fruit
While fruit is incredibly nutritious, Katie warns the 'problem isn’t the fruit itself', but 'how concentrated and how quickly it’s consumed'.
Katie explains that whole fruit slows sugar absorption because its fibre structure stays intact, but when fruit is juiced, blended or dried, that natural structure is broken down.
This can cause 'a rapid rise in blood glucose and a much higher fructose load for the gut', she says.
This may lead to a whole host of unpleasant issues, including bloating, painful gas, diarrhoea, reflux and reactive hypoglycaemia.
Katie concluded: "Whole fruit is not the enemy - the issue arises when large amounts are consumed rapidly."
Drinking more water isn’t always better
Hydration is essential, but it is possible to drink too much water.
Katie says that very high intakes in a short time can dilute sodium and cause hyponatraemia, a condition where blood sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L.
This can lead to headaches, nausea, confusion, and in severe cases, seizures.
She stresses that the problem isn’t water, but the 'speed and volume' that it's consumed.
This is especially true with detoxes that encourage constant drinking.
Her approach is simple: "‘Steady and sensible’ beats ‘excessive and fast’ every time."
Her tips for staying hydrated include drinking regularly throughout the day, letting thirst guide you and replacing electrolytes, not just water, if you've been sweating heavily throughout the day.
Too much potassium - and too little salt
"Salt has been heavily demonized, so many people try to cut it out completely — especially during January ‘clean eating’ and detox trends," Katie explained.
"At the same time, they often increase potassium-rich foods like bananas, spinach, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, dates and avocados."
But sodium and potassium actually work together to keep nerves, muscles and the heart functioning.
So when salt becomes very low and potassium becomes very high, the body’s electrical balance is disrupted.
"Possible symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations, low blood pressure, muscle weakness or cramps," Katie said.
This imbalance can be more dangerous in people with kidney or heart problems, or those taking medications for high blood pressure and heart conditions that already increase potassium levels in the blood.
Going forward, make sure to use moderate amounts of salt in cooking and be mindful of eating multiple high-potassium foods if cutting down on salt.
If you have kidney or heart problems, avoid big dietary changes without support.
Katie also advises people to check the labels at the grocery store, as low-salt seasoning is often potassium-based.
Overlapping supplements
"Problems arise when people take several products that contain the same ingredients without realizing," Katie noted.
Combining multivitamins, greens powders and beauty supplements can push nutrients 'far above safe upper limits'.
Over time, she warns this may lead to 'nausea, headaches, fatigue, hair shedding, nerve tingling or thyroid disruption'.
Instead, Katie advises treating supplements like medication; check labels, avoid duplication and choose only what you genuinely need.
Too many ‘health shots’
We've all read about the benefits of the likes of ginger, turmeric and apple cider vinegar.
A popular way of getting more of those into our diets might be wellness shots, commonly sold in grocery and health stores.
And while they seem like a decent option, Katie warns concentrated doses can irritate the gut rather than support it.
"Taken daily - especially on an empty stomach - they can potentially trigger burning stomach pain, acid reflux, nausea, diarrhoea and cramping, and can worsen gastritis or IBS symptoms," Katie explained.
"As a simple guide, using these ingredients within meals or drinks is far gentler on the stomach than taking them undiluted.
"People on blood thinners, reflux medication, or with sensitive stomachs should be especially cautious."
Topics: Fitness, Food and Drink, Health, Science, Life
Ellie Kemp