Everything you hear about dieting should essentially be taken with a grain of salt. Basically, the only approach to have towards a healthy lifestyle is to eat a variety of healthy foods and include plenty of exercise and water. That’s it, there is no magic “8″ ball, no diet fortune cookie, no latest diet craze that is going to get you better long lasting and healthy results.

Just this past week The National Enquirer reported that rocker Eddie Van Halen had life-or-death emergency surgery when his intestines exploded because of a fad diet that consisted of consuming a cayenne based concoction. Eddie’s family, including ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, all had feared the worse for the 57-year old.

Eddie was doing the Master Cleanse to rid his body of toxins and was suffering from diverticulitis at the same time. Here’s more from the story:

Medical experts explained how Ed­die’s controversial diet treatment could have backfired and thrust him into the terrifying ordeal.

“Sometimes the stress of fad diets in­creases pressure on the colon, and if the person has diverticulitis there may be leakage from the bowel into the abdo­men,” said Dr. James O’Brien.

To the patient it can feel like “an explo­sion,” added the expert, medical director of quality and patient safety at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

When that happens, it can be deadly, noted Dr. Steven Lamm of the New York University School of Medicine and au­thor of “No Guts, No Glory.”

“It has little fiber, which can cause constipation, and that can cause block­ages that require surgery.”

Fortunately for Eddie, his people say: “No further surgeries are needed.”

Eddie is expected to make a full recovery, he was lucky. Personally, I don’t want to risk my life with a fad diet, so I simply eat healthy. Increased fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, what more can your body ask for? The best thing to do it is to eat a wide selection of fruits and vegetables of different colours. Keep count and make sure to eat at least 5 servings a day! That’s what I do.