Top 10 dieting, or simply the new illusion?

There is no shortage of ideas for weight loss, especially for those who knew how to exercise and eat right. INFORMATION diets, which normally focus on one type of food or food categories, have become popular in recent years. But there is a difference between a fad diet and a healthy diet that optimizes the weight loss. And while pills can be a big thing now, do not provide the one thing that needs a dieter: the ability to make wise choices. Top 10 diet diets, such as Sonoma County and the South Beach Diet not only provide healthy eating choices, helping fans changed eating habits. The following diets designed by doctors and dieters both:

1. South Beach Diet: it has much in common with a once-popular diet Atkins. Created by an origin, this three-phased diet includes fruit, temporarily giving of fatty meats and starches, intended to cure the longing for types of unhealthy foods.

2. Lake Mary diet: this is another three phases of the diet, but this focuses on ten "energy" foods, including spinach, tomatoes and grapes. This is not a low-carb or low-sugar diet, but does not limit saturated fats and white flour.

3. top 10: The NutriSystem diet, this program is the only one that requires dieters to buy their food from the company. Serves to reduce cravings by controlling carbs glycaemic index recruitment.

4. the weight watchers: this is not a diet but a lifestyle. People determine objectives, and work towards the completion of these goals while regular support group meetings. There are two different projects, core and flex projects. Both operate with the exception of a point, with each food that gives a different value.

5. diet: this is not a "diet" in the traditional sense either. It was invented by a biochemist, and promotes eating protein and carbs in a ratio of 3 or 4. While it is a low-carb diet, you don't need to do this at the edges of other diets. The zone diet stresses the importance of maintaining hormonal balance through consumption of certain foods.

6. Atkins Diet: perhaps the most popular of the low-carb diets, Atkins, we the people away from the food pyramid and a diet that restricts carbohydrates effect blood sugar. With exercise and nutritional supplements, diet Atkins stresses the importance of eating unprocessed foods and avoiding foods high in saturated fats.

7. This diet: nutrition Ornish opposes the Atkins and other low-carb diets. Is a vegetarian diet, which stresses the importance of complex carbohydrates and simple sugars, strictly prohibits cholesterol and saturated fats. Another reason the diet, with 10% fat, 20% to 70% protein and carbohydrates.

8. the blood type diet: this is a controversial diet that works with the idea that each person should eat foods that match their blood type, based on the development of formulas. Proponents of this diet believe that these types of "O" should eat mainly meat. "A" vegetarian diet formulas have at most and types "B" must eat high amounts of dairy products.

9. fit for life diet: Short-term dieting is not the solution, according to the couple that created the diet. Combinations of foods are emphasised. Only the fruits should be eaten in the morning and meat should not be combined with complex carbs.

10. Metro nutrition: the list of top 10 diets will be complete by this diet. Everyone seems to know Jared, the College student who lost 245 pounds eating subway Sandwiches. But it is in fact a diet? As with other weight loss plans, story of Jared includes daily walks and a severe reduction in calories daily, except for eating healthy subs with fresh vegetables and baked chips.

Top ten diet reviews Information

Many people want to lose weight and are willing to try anything, from a stomach stapling for measure allokotoi diet. Some diets are controversial and may be harmful to health. Others are short-term hunger. Here is a list of the top 10 fad diets.

# 1 of the Atkins diet is one of the most popular Americas and philosophy after many years. The Atkins diet is based on the processed food and nutrition carbohydrates are the core problems that make people fat and maintain. The diet has four phases.

The first phase and more restrictive is the OWL phase. The OWL phase (continuous weight loss) restrict their intake of carbohydrates just 20 grams per day. Twelve to fifteen grams must originate from salad. Meat, seafood, fish and poultry are abundant at this stage. A small soft cheese is allowed daily, some low-carbohydrate vegetables, alcohol, caffeine is not limited, butter or oil and water, lots and lots of water should be consumed.

Phase two allows more carbohydrates each week, selected by a ladder. The dieter is an increase of 5 grams of carbohydrate per week by a group of various food every week during this phase.

The next phase increases the carbohydrates, until you stop losing weight. Once the dieter arrives the final goal weight maintenance phase begins the kicks.

Atkins Diet weight loss displays direct, but it is difficult to observe due to rigid dietary patterns. A study has shown that the diet could cause kidney damage.

# 2 of the diet green tea using a low calorie diet and nutritional adds green tea to every meal and snack.

# 3 Number three in the list of diet fad is negative calorie diet ten.
The diet takes its name from the theory that the food in the diet uses more calories to digest than they contain. While there is no scientific proof that you can eat your way thin, many of these foods are healthy, nutritious foods that are low in calories. Foodstuffs in the list increases the metabolism of the body and AIDS rapid weight reduction.

# 4 Grape diet is number four fad diets and ten one rather worse. Nothing but grapes and water is the fare for days on end. The diet, was originally created to cleanse the system and the fight against cancer, became a diet weight loss somewhere along the way.

# 5 three-hour diet that takes into account the time of day they are eating. Diet food breaks into mini-meals eaten every three hours. Looks like a diet for hypoglycemia. This diet is nutritionally balanced and maintains stable blood sugar levels. That stability decreases the rush for a 5: 00 p.m. feeding frenzy that often occurs in dieters. This one makes sense. At the bottom is the need to eat constantly, even if you are busy or not hungry.

# 6 diet lemonade cleanse diet was another who has changed his weight loss. Nothing but a salad maple syrup, Cayenne Pepper and lemon juice is added to the list of edibles for the ten day fast.

# 7The ice cream diet is simply a regular calorie controlled diet that makes space for a small ice cream at the end of the day. Of course, if controlled, calorie weight loss occurs. The diet is nothing more than assigning for ice cream. Calcium in the ice cream is good for the bones and metabolism, but apart from this, you can substitute a brownie and brownie diet to call.

# 8 The cabbage soup diet soup created by using a cabbage and other vegetables and mixtures with other low-calorie food rations and cranberry juice or tea for five days of tedium and gassy stomach.

# 9 The raw diet is a diet with vegan foods left Uncooked. Blend, Chop them and arrange them nothing but not cook or heat it beyond 116 Degrees Fahrenheit. Raw contains more vitamins, in many cases by their cooked counterparts. Nuts are included in the raw diet as a source of protein. The diet consists mainly of vegetables is a diet low calories, but it is difficult to keep well balanced. It is much healthier than most fad diets and the introduction in the body of the fresh vegetables brings in many nutrients. The fiber of raw vegetables clean very toxic waste.

# 10 Final diet in the list of ten is zone diet fad diets. Like Atkins diet has phases and attempts to change lifestyle and eating habits. The zone diet uses a balancing act of carbohydrate ratio. Each meal consists of 40% carbohydrates, proteins, food 30% and 30% fat content of the flour. The popularity of this diet created by Visa puts Oprah's to list the top 10 fad diets.

Looking for the Top 10 diets?

Want to learn what are the Top 10 diets? We have done the same. So we decided to find out what the most searched for on Google-diets was the number one search engine. And here are the top 10 diets, starting with number 10:

Ornish diet) 10-Ornish diet, which was created by Dr. Dean Ornish diet is a low-fat vegetarian. This plan gives you the option of going under the knife to get rid of their clogged arteries--take control of your life, your diet and learn to manage stress.

9) Zone diet-zone diet created by Dr. Barry Sears, a diet with reduced calories and has a simple premise-food be used as fuel. Eating the correct proportion low carbohydrates, dietary fat and lean proteins you can burn excess body fat and keep permanently.

8) Okinawa diet-first published in 2001, the diet of Okinawa is an outline of healthy habits in lifestyle and diet of Okinawans who have the highest rate of centuries (40 per 100,000) on Earth. With lots of vegetables and complex carbohydrates diet that takes much of the protein from tofu.

7) Genotype diet-Dr. Peter j. D'Adamo, author of eat right 4 your type has done it again, and now defines six types of distinct body genetics. If you are a nomad, Warrior, Explorer, teacher, or a hunter gatherer, Dr. D'Adamo offers a custom program that compliments your genetic makeup.

-6) DASH diet created by n. i. (National Institute of health) to lower cholesterol and blood pressure without benefit of medicines. This diet has many fruits and vegetables, low-fat or nonfat milk and/or, beans, fish and poultry, grains, nuts and lean meat. This diet has 28 days of meal plans along with the recipes.

5) Diabetic diet-Dr. Richard k. Bernstein brings a new low-carb diet plan that has enabled patients to control their disease by stabilizing blood sugar without the usual anebokatebasmata and with fewer drugs.

4) Weight Watchers diet-weight watchers first surfaced early in mid air. Some 97% of the members of the weight Watcher tell them not only as the plan will constitute the diet to a friend. There are no forbidden foods or required prepackaged foodstuffs on the market. The various eating plans, you have several options for weight watchers.

3) South Beach diet-diet was created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a home for patients to use to improve insulin and cholesterol levels. But to the surprise, not only did this diet low fat low-carbohydrate and improve their health, has also caused patients to drop weight.

2) Mediterranean diet-50 years, doctors have observed that the people of the Mediterranean region were far less likely to suffer heart disease or strokes. The characteristic of the area of health to a diet low in saturated fat with plenty of whole grains. This reduced-fat diet, with many complex carbohydrates is one of the easiest to follow.

1) Atkins Diet-Dr. Robert Atkins, whose diet books business directories for years, is the author of "Atkins Diet". Dr. Atkins advocates a diet rich in protein, weight loss, which stresses the benefits of protein and the dangers of carbohydrates. Still number one, after all these years.

So you will have the top 10 diets to be served by Google itself.

Types of Information diets

There are many types of fad diets. Some of the fad diets that focus magic melting fat with not so secret food types or combinations of foods that cause destruction of fat cells.
There are a few examples of such diets.

A myth that cyber money for clinical Mayo is a 12-day grapefruit diet. This diet does not have a menu that is used daily for 12 days and each menu meal contains a grapefruit. At the end of 12 days, get two days on your own and then again in the diet.

Another diet that focuses on what you eat is lemonade diet. This fad diet allows only one item for 10 days. This is a lemonade with maple syrup, lemon juice and Cayenne Pepper, all added to a glass of purified water. The creators of this fad diet intended to clean the House and be healthier, but having lost weight, everyone jumped on the chariot of power to the test. A cleanse is perhaps good, studies on the fasting display benefit. As a diet, is horrible. The metabolism slows down and the weight lost water, come back quickly.

There are diets that limit the intake of certain foods.

Atkins diet and South Beach diets restrict carbohydrate intake in different ways. Atkins merely reduces the South Beach Diet and distinguishes between good and bad carbohydrates. Both diets contain phases that begin with hunger and keep you closer to normal diet as you proceed. Long-term reduction of specific foods can be dangerous. The final phase of both diets are close to the usual requirements for carbohydrate intake.

Other diets that restrict certain types of food is a low fat diet. Low-fat is not "fat" and doctors and health care professionals often define these types of diets. The amount of fat in the diet necessary to maintain the good health is part of a diet recipe. Some types of these fad diets, not completely, eliminate the fat from the diet. These types of fad diets cause many problems, including depression of low cholesterol.

Some types of fad diets are diets simply crash. Lemonade diet mentioned above is one of them. Crash diets eliminate virtually all foods from the diet and to create an operation hunger dieter House. Also called grape diet, the diet of grape juice is another fad diet, what began as a quick health. This diet reduces food intake nothing other than grapes for period differed.

Another type of diet fad uses bad science as a basis. The diet plan explains that some foods take more calories to digest than they contain, and lists all the foods you need to consume to the magic happen. These diets focus on low-calorie foods and actually works because of food restriction.

The final type of fad diet is a diet that tells you when to eat. Three hour diet is one of the top fad diets in that category. Designer diet creates consumption in every three hours. Small meals every three hours create reduction of blood sugar spikes and keep hunger pangs away.

Another diet that matches this category is the diet "anything after 6". The dieter has only to remember a rule, eat anything after 6 pm the diet States that food creates fat after this time. One reason is that many diets work challenged eating late at night.

Weight loss diet reviews

Here is a look at some of the most common diets people use.

Atkins Diet

Atkins diet is rich in protein, low-carbohydrate fare. Allows all the meat and vegetables that you want the fat without restriction. Fruits are kept to a minimum. Bread, pasta, cereal and other products is limited. Many people have had success of Atkins Diet weight loss because it offers many options, delicious food. However, it may be high in fat, possible harmful for long periods and low fibre and calcium.

The carbohydrate Addict's diet

This is another low carbohydrate diet that lets meats, dairy products, vegetables, fruit and cereal products, but restricts all other carbohydrates. This tends to be very high in fat and saturated fat.

The choose to lose diet

This is a low fat diet that allows you to eat from all food groups large. Only limited by a "fat budget" that you can choose how to spend it. Are carbohydrates, lean meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, vegetables, bread and pasta. Choose to lose diet allows sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and provides a fairly healthy eating plan for quick weight loss.

The DASH diet

The DASH diet provides carbohydrates intake, with moderate amounts of fat and protein. Originally designed as a light diet. The DASH diet follows the principles of the food pyramid, but recommends more servings of fruits and vegetables (up to nine daily) and more dairy servings (two to three daily servings of low fat or nonfat dairy.), DASH diet may require very large amounts of food for most people to see the results of weight loss.

The eat more weigh less diet

This diet is a very low-fat diet that focuses on vegetarian fare. Allows for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, eggs and some white nonfat dairy products. This is a very limited diet that restricts even healthy foods such as lean organic meat, poultry, and low fat dairy products. This diet is great for vegetarians, but it is a low concentration of calcium, and can be very difficult for most people to follow long enough to see the results of weight loss.

The eat right for your blood type diet

This diet plan bases your food choices on the type of your blood. For example, those with type o blood follow an eating plan that includes lots of meat. Some of the diets "blood Type" in this draft are excessive in calories and may be poor nutritional balance. Little evidence offered on the basis of nutrition, since this type of blood should not hinder dietary choices.

The diet of the Pritkin principle

This diet focuses on reducing calories, eat more "Watery" food that fills up quickly. (This follows the same principle that you should drink a full glass of water before each meal for your stomach to feel full faster; this allows for fruits, vegetables, pasta, oatmeal, soups, salads and low-fat milk productsbut limits the sources of protein lean meat, poultry and seafood. This is a low fat diet offers an abundance of fruits and vegetables, but may be low in calcium.

Protein power diet

This is a very high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Allows for lots of meat and fats, however, that the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This is a very restrictive diet restricts healthy foods like whole grains and beans. It is very high in fat, especially saturated fats, and is very low in calcium.

Busters power

This is a low-carbohydrate diet that is high in fat and protein. Forbidden fruit and cereal products, but allowed high-fat meat and dairy products. Like many other low-carb diets, diet Busters power is high in fat, high in saturated fat, and low levels of calcium.

The diet of Slimirex

I commend particularly Slimirex diet. I have been using the product, weight loss, Slimirex moderate exercise coupled with at least three times per week and a moderate diet is an effective method of losting the weight you want.

Volumetrics

Volumetrics diet is a restricted calorie diet that allows for fruits, vegetables, pasta, oatmeal, soups, salads, lean meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. High fat food and "dry" foods such as crackers, koyloyria and sweetcorn are limited. Is low in saturated fat and provides a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables ...

Weight watchers

This diet is not limiting followers to a total meal plan. Dieters are able to plan their diet each day by a point system that allows the dieter to spend a certain "allowance" in each category. This allows "Moderate diet intake fat and protein and carbohydrate consumption. Generally, vegetables and whole grain products have the lowest price point and high fat foods cost the most amount of points.

The zone diet

This diet is moderately high in protein and low carbohydrate content. Allows low-fat foods like chicken and fish and abundance of fruits and vegetables. But grain is limited. This is a healthy eating plan, although it is a low concentration of calcium.

All these diets, Slimirex and personally recommend taking the "bio-rate diet plan" described in the "Weight loss secrets revealed" eBook in http://www.weightlossobesity.com website.

Life is one diet after another penny

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A common expression is that we're "going on a diet." The phrase suggests that, like a vacation trip, there is a beginning and an end. We dream of the day we will reach our weight goal and how wonderful it will be when we don't have to lead a life of painful deprivation.

In the back of our minds, there is a comforting little tape playing, promising us that when our weight loss campaign is over, we'll be able to stop counting calories, carbohydrates, or fats. We long for the day when we no longer have to clench our teeth as we refuse a favorite dish that always causes us to salivate in our sleep. We reach for the carrot and celery sticks without anticipation or enthusiasm while torturing ourselves with visions of the special treats we'll enjoy when the diet is over.

Uh, hello?

Allowing ourselves to think of a diet as a delineated, restricted period within our total life span is a sure avenue back to tent city (that refers to what we wear, not where we live). To have any hope of attaining permanent weight control, we must approach it as a lifelong effort, watching our intake day after day, week after week, year after year.

You feel your heart sinking in your chest. You think "If I have to live like this all the time, it's just not worth it!" That little voice promises you that you are different. You can relax because now you know how to lose weight, you can do it anytime you want. Gain five pounds and you'll go back on your diet and be back to goal in no time at all.

But you won't! Think back over your chequered weight history. We all believe that once our weight is down, it will be so easy to go on a short diet if we gain back a few pounds. It doesn't work that way, though, does it? We start gaining a pound here and a pound there, but then there are some special events coming up and a diet would be so inconvenient. We don't go back "on" our diet until we've gained enough weight to develop the self-disgust that warrants a new period of serious deprivation. We have become a full-fledged member of the yo-yo club, that vast majority of dieters who cannot keep the weight off for more than a few weeks.

The reasons we go "on" and "off" diets are numerous: they are boring, depressing, and very uncomfortable. They set us apart from friends, family, and coworkers who continue to snack, to feast, and to celebrate. We resent how diets make us feel and how they impact our daily lives.

Let's look at the whole picture from a different perspective for a minute.

Instead of "a diet" envision a way of eating that involves living on a diet for the rest of your life. While the prospect may appall you, don't say you can't do it just yet.

First, consider another wide-spread concept many of us accept. To lose substantial weight in a relatively short time, we need to select the diet that seems to fit us and then stay with it, religiously, until we've reached our goal.

Let's now take these two concepts, squish them together, and then turn them upside down.

We are not "going on a diet." We are starting our diet-for-life. We then pick a diet, any diet at all, and make the commitment to stick with that diet for one week, and one week only. At the end of the week, we are going to pick an entirely different diet to which again we only commit for a one week period. This continues for virtually the rest of our lives with selected diets changing on a weekly basis.

What does this accomplish? A whole bunch of things:

1. By selecting a different diet each week, it removes those common misgivings that maybe we should have gone in a different direction. We worry that we're not getting the right nutrients or that we're going to get sick or develop a rare disease. We read the diet ratings and panic at the warnings posted for all the popular programs. With our new approach, you don't have to fret about if you made a good or bad choice because you'll be making a new choice in a week.

2. If there are particularly painful "No-Nos" in this week's diet, resolve to try something next week that allows a currently forbidden fruit. For example, a primarily protein regimen has been found successful for many participants who often lose five or ten pounds in a week. However, they miss the vegetables and salad they enjoy. The next week could then be a vegetables and salad only routine, also successful for rapid weight loss but a bit lean on the protein your body needs for self-repair.

You may then find yourself craving some good bread so you switch to the Subway diet for a week until your craving is satisfied. Move on to something completely different - the cabbage soup diet or liquid shakes. Since there are literally thousands of diets, a few are bound to include the food you crave.

You are never more than a week away from having what you feel you absolutely must have in order to keep going. You can include spartan fad diets that move fat quickly and you can include calorie counting or Weight Watcher diets that allow almost anything so long as you adjust your intake to stay within the totals specified.

3. The frequent changes in your eating patterns keep your body off-balance. Give the body enough time and advance notice and it will adapt to anything, turning protein into carbohydrates and storing even low calorie carbohydrates as little pockets of fat. By totally changing what you eat on a regular basis, the body gives up trying to figure out how to thwart you and spends its time efficiently processing what you give it. You are effectively using your smart little mind to outmaneuver your smart not-so-little body.

4. The constant changes force you to buy food in smaller packages. It's pointless and wasteful to buy those family packs of anything. That will help you with overall portion reduction, a must for any serious dieter. Your shopping goal is only to purchase items that you can consume within a week. If you see something that you particularly want but is not on your allowed list, make a mental note to find a diet for next week that can accommodate it.

5. The need for a new diet each week requires that you read and research a lot of diets. The reading acts as reinforcement for your goals and will assure your continuing education on nutrition and fitness. When you see something that intrigues you or just makes a lot of sense, try it out. Perhaps one week will involve barely restricted eating but require a lot of exercise. Go for it - it's only a week.

6. You are in the happy position of having wide choices available but also the needed structure of an organized plan to follow. The regimented eating is within each week's diet; the power of choice is operative when you decide what the next week's program will be.

7. Can you stay on a diet permanently? Yes, you can, because you're not restricting yourself from anything for life, just for a week at a time. Should you stay on a diet for the rest of your life? Yes, you probably should as long as you are getting a balance of foods from an intelligent mixing of alternative diet plans. If you like one diet more than another, or if one particular program works exceptionally well for you, by all means cycle that diet into your routine on a regular basis. Just make sure you don't use the same plan more than once a month or your body is going to be ready for it and Zap! you find it no longer works so well.

8. Can you over-diet? We have all seen (although they seem to be harder to find these days) overly thin, cadaverous dieters with sunken cheeks and loose skin. That can be avoided by making your selected diets very diverse so you are never without needed nutrients for very long. For example, many retirement homes and assisted living co-ops produce thin seniors with pallid skin and protruding abdomens. Replace their mushy, high starch meals with any of the myriad high protein and vegetable-fruit diets and their color will improve, their energy increase, and their tummies fade.

9. Can you ever be too thin? Visit an eating disorder facility and you will see the results of anorexia nervosa, not a pretty sight and highly dangerous from a medical standpoint. If you have a history of overweight, you may tell yourself that being too thin will never be in the cards for you. However, there are not infrequent cases of the perennial heavy who becomes anorexic through dieting too much with resulting anxiety about gaining back even an ounce of the flesh so painfully discarded. If you have a distorted body image, and reliable friends are concerned about your being too thin, get professional help.

10. It all comes down to using your brain intelligently. When you are at your heaviest, with the most to lose, the logical choice is a rather spartan program that will get the fat moving quickly. As you lose, more moderate programs can be interspersed so that your skin and cheeks have a chance to adjust and fill in as your weight stores become redistributed. If a particular part of your body is resistant to reduction, exercise may become a more important part of your plan than simply a dietary approach. Once you are hovering at your ideal weight, simple calorie counting or support group involvement may be all you need.

The secret is to be rational about it all and use that wonderful mind of yours to set the program for your not-so-intelligent body with its insatiable appetite and poundage conservation cravings. Don't try to cheat unless you want to cheat yourself and then be honest and admit that, for whatever reason there is, you want to avoid further weight loss. When you want and need to lose fifty pounds, an ice cream and chocolate diet is not rational. When you are at ideal weight or below, a stringent fad diet makes no sense.

Will all this mixing of diets result in consistent weight loss? There is never consistency in weight loss because there are just too many factors involved: water retention, digestive inefficiencies, the amount of energy expended, and individual body quirks. Over time, you will lose steadily but there will always be some ups and downs along the way.

Once the concept of "going on a diet" has been discarded, a lifelong eating plan can be embraced, guaranteed to leave you in control of your weight for the rest of your long slender life.

The diet Craze

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That little bikini in the back of your bottom dresser drawer is calling your name. The sun is shining, the kids are begging for a trip to the beach, but the idea of putting on a bathing suit makes you about as excited as the idea of spending the day scrubbing toilets. You are not alone. In 2003, 65% of U.S. citizens tried some form of weight loss or weight control. But the idea of weight-loss is daunting to anyone, especially with the ever-increasing number of weight-loss plans, online diets and magic pills that make the weight vanish while you sleep (wouldn't that be nice?).

To ease your worries and debunk the mysteries, we have taken a close look at three of the most popular diets out there.

Atkins

* What it is

Known predominantly for its low-carb stance on weight-loss, the Atkins diet has been making noise in the media for decades. Dr. Atkins' theory is that a diet high in carbohydrates does not allow the body to produce high levels of energy. By eliminating these carbohydrates from your diet, your body will instead use fat as fuel, ultimately resulting in weight loss. This "fat burning energy," as the plan calls it, claims to shed pounds and diminish your appetite. The drastic exclusion of carbs, while adding in healthy doses of saturated fat is the basic formula of the Atkins' diet supposed magic.

* What you do

The Atkins' diet is broken up into four phases that guide you through the weight-loss process. You may choose to begin your diet at any phase, but it is recommended that you start at Phase 1 to help your body adjust to the drastic diet change.

- Phase 1: Induction

This is essentially a 14-day boot camp for your body in which you eat leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables as the 20 Net Carbs allowed per day.

- Phase 2: Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL)

During this time, you are given greater freedom in your diet choices and can eat up to 25 Net Carbs per day. This is a slower-paced phase in which the Atkins people promise the pounds will come off gradually.

- Phase 3: Pre-Maintenance

Nearing your target weight, this phase encourages you to "take ownership of your new Atkins healthy eating habits" and plan to maintain them even after reaching your weight goal.

- Phase 4: Lifetime Maintenance

In this final phase, Atkins challenges you to maintain your Atkins Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE) and stay within 5 pounds of your final target weight. Using the knowledge and habits learned throughout the diet, you should potentially be able to maintain your weight for the rest of your life.

* What you eat

Your carb intake is determined by which phase you are in, so obviously you'll have more options the longer you stick with the plan. The following are just a few menu options, but click here for more recipes:

Crab and Avocado Salad

Chocolate Pancakes

Pork Chops with Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Shrimp and Feta Stew

Chocolate Cream Frosty

Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Cheese Omelets

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Mahi-Mahi with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Vanilla Mousse with Rhubarb Sauce

Salmon-Stuffed Zucchini

* What you should know

Like any fad, there are always loyal followers and skeptic criticizers. For the Atkins diet, most criticism from the medical profession focuses around a health concern. Because the diet is so high in saturated fats, you may shed the pounds, but your heart may be suffering as well. It has also been found to be as effective or less effective than other diets that include carbohydrates in a more balanced diet. However, to date, there have been no long-term studies of people on the Atkins' diet.

Zone (also see Dr. Sears' website)

* What it is

Unlike the Atkins' diet, the Zone Diet is less about dieting and more about a lifetime of healthy eating. Founded by Dr. Barry Sears in 1984, he believes that achieving hormonal balance through diet is essential to maintaining a healthy weight. According to Sears, hormone insulin will make you fat and keep you fat, so the goal is to regulate that insulin.

* What you do

The Zone Diet is simpler to explain because its foundation is very basic. There are no steps or phases, just the goal to stay within the Zone.

- 3 meals, 2 snacks

In order to maintain your desired insulin level, Sears believes you should eat at specific timed intervals throughout the day, totaling three meals and two snacks. Even if you aren't hungry, you must eat to stay in the Zone. It is essential to plan your meals like you plan the rest of your day to ensure you eat the proper amount at the right time. This controls how your body uses proteins and carbohydrates consistently throughout the day.

- Exercise

Because staying in the Zone promises an increased level of energy, even people who are not normally active will want to add exercise into their daily routine. Sears encourages this activity, but believes that exercise can only get you so far. He says that it should be an 80/20 rule, with 80% diet and 20% exercise.

* What you eat

The possibilities are endless as to what you can create, as long as you stay within the guidelines. The following are some Zone snacks to keep you full between meals(click here for full recipes). Also, check out the Zone food and recipe website for more ideas:

Deviled Eggs with Hummus

Waldorf Salad

Chips and Salsa

Mini Pita Pizza

Spinach Salad

Tuna Salad and Cracker

Hot Dog (soy)

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese & Fruit

Crabmeat Salad Sandwiches

Ham and Fruit

* What you should know

Although the Zone diet shows slightly higher success rates than the Atkins' diet, it is smart to be skeptical of any diet that concentrates on one food group drastically more than the others. Consequently, the American Heart Association does not recommend the Zone diet of its excessive emphasis on high-protein, little nutrients and the lack of long-term studies done on the Zone diet.

South Beach Diet

* What it is

The South Beach Diet was originally created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, who is a cardiologist in Miami, Florida. He wanted to find a way for his heart patients to lose weight in a healthy way. Concentrating on good carbs and good fats rather than bad carbs and bad fats, the idea is to get rid of bad fats and carbs that impair insulin's ability to properly process fats and sugars. Overall, Agatston believes in a healthy balance of food in general, rather than an elimination of carbohydrates.

* What you do

There are three phases in this diet and, like the Atkins' diet, with each new phase you have more options of food.

- Phase 1: Start losing weight

During this phase, your three meals per day will include normal-sized helpings and plenty of choices including meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs and nuts. Part of this phase is eliminating hunger cravings and learning which foods will keep you full the longest. Like the Zone diet, you should eat two snacks per day as well.

- Phase 2: Reach your goal

The key to this phase is balance. You may start adding foods back into your diet that were not allowed before, but in a balanced relation to the other foods in your diet. Whether it be bread, rice, potatoes or cereal, you will learn how to eat them and make them "smart carbs."

- Phase 3: A diet for life

After the first two phases, you will have learned how to eat and prepare meals that include good carbs and good fat to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. The South Beach Diet emphasizes the long-term effects of the diet. In fact, they say that, "you'll notice that this plan feels less like a diet and more like a way of life."

* What you eat

The South Beach Diet has hundreds of recipes for each phase so you can prepare healthy meals at home, but they also have a retail product lines from Kraft and Santa Fe to make staying on the diet that much easier. Here are a few choices:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Roasted Eggplant with Lemon and Olive Oil

Baked Barbecue Chicken

Whole Wheat Penne with Eggplant and Ricotta

Cannellini Bean Salad

Warm Beef Salad

Mango Smoothie

Pear Bran Muffins

* What you should know

While this diet may seem to be the most flexible, don't be fooled by introductory gimmicks. While the South Beach Diet allows you some leeway, be prepared to make some sacrifices to lose the weight.

Please remember, this is just an overview. If you are seriously thinking of trying these diets or any others, do your research. Read the diet books and talk to people who have tried them. The more you know the better chance you have at being successful.

Copyright © 2006 Ampere Media LLC

So what is all new Detox Diet Craze

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Effective or Fad?

It seems like the latest craze in dieting and health, everywhere you turn there are commercials, infomercials, magazine articles, and of course, sales pitches regarding the Detox diet. So how is one to decipher whether detoxification is a relative need or a simple promotion to assist the diet industry's billion dollar a year sales?

A little due diligence can help determine whether a Detox diet is something that can help you retain or gain a higher level of health. Removing toxins from your body can make a significant difference in your overall health. Detox diets are based on the principle that our food is for the most part chemically treated, and filled with toxins. Even foods listed as organic are not completely organic unless they are labeled 100% organic. Anything with an organic label that does not specify 100% organic can have as much as 25% non-organic material and toxins in the processing, growing, or cultivation phases.

"So What Is All The New Detox Diet Craze" It's no secret that farmers utilize growth hormones in their livestock to produce more pounds of meat per animal. These growth hormones are pinpointed as one of the leading causes for the rapid growth rate of our children. The majority of twelve year olds are now above five feet. Scientists look toward the growth hormones used in animal production to help explain this.

Thus, toxins are in the foods we eat, the water we drink, even the water we purchase. There is a build up of chemicals in the body that the body is not likely to rid itself of, and thus the Detox diet was introduced to assist in the removal of toxins from the body.

A Detox diet that has been tailored to you is best. Being able to readily lay your hands on information about how to guide yourself through the detoxification process is also vital to the success of an effective Detox diet. For instance, a person who eats a diet that consists mostly of fish, particularly salmon can find themselves with a sudden case of mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning is not an obvious ailment. In fact it is very difficult to diagnose until the individual loses the function of their hands. Even then it can be missed. However, once the mercury poisoning is diagnosed, one of the fastest methods of treatment is an effective Detox diet. Why? Because a good Detox diet will cleanse the system and rib the body of the majority of poisons and toxins that build up in our systems through the foods we eat and the environments we live in.

However, the same Detox diet utilized for an individual with too much fish in their diet is not likely to be as effective for an individual who wishes to use the Detox diet to assist in the process of smoking cessation. An effective Detox diet for smoking cessation will vary, as the primary goal is to rid the body of a build up of nicotine in the system.

The next logical question is do Detox diets work? Some Detox diets work and other Detox diets don't work. "So What Is All The New Detox Diet Craze" How can you tell the difference? For starters, an effective Detox diet should be able to explain why the foods that are being suggested are on the list in the first place. Anyone can slap together an outline of vegetables and call it a Detox diet. A Detox diet contains more than just vegetables.

An effective Detox diet will have strong recommendations for various vitamins and minerals, along with an explanation of why these vitamins and minerals help in the detoxification process. The detoxification process is more complex than most people realize, and using a blend of vitamins and minerals to assist in the detoxification process is necessary, without overdosing on detoxification vitamins. It is possible to overdose on vitamins. Any Detox diet that does not restrict the vitamin intake is not an effective Detox diet.

An effective Detox diet will educate the dieter along the way. The detoxification process is not just a blanket idea. Retaining the positive effects takes some education as well as a constant desire to remain healthy. An effective Detox diet will show you how to rid your body of the current toxins while teaching you how to minimize the intake of toxins once normal eating has resumed.

There are those who should avoid a Detox diet. Just like all diets and diet products, the Detox diet is not a one size fits all plan. People with specific health concerns, eating disorders, or chronic illnesses should at the very least consult their physician or avoid the Detox diet altogether. Any Detox diet that markets to everyone without regard to personal health or possible complications is not an effective Detox diet plan.

The Dieting Industry

The dieting industry is a billion dollar a year business, with annual growth that leaps by about 10 to 15% annually. People are searching for better ways to be healthy, not to mention better ways to lose weight, look younger, and feel more energized. The dieting industry is loaded with companies that take full advantage of any fad or trend that comes along. It's a dieting jungle out there, and it is a case of buyer beware.

"So What Is All The New Detox Diet Craze" Most Detox diets available today are simple plans that the designer of the plan wishes you to execute time and again, thus very few teach you about common toxins. Common toxins are easy to avoid, and of course easy to ingest. It is difficult to avoid ingesting the common toxins if you are unaware of what they are and how we end up with these common toxins in our body. Common toxins that produce illness, stress, fatigue, and run down your body are everywhere. How easy would it be to avoid them if you just knew where these common toxins existed? Of course, most Detox diets are based on the principle that you will notice how much better you feel and as you re-ingest the common toxins, you will return time and again for more information on the detoxification process.

Thus, while you are seeking an effective Detox diet, you want to be sure that it offers methods of avoiding the common toxins that we run into on a daily basis. These common toxins are in the air, in the products we use on our hair and skin, and in the foods we eat.

Detox Supplementationg

There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding Detox supplements. Particularly Detox supplements that are sold by the creators of the Detox diet you are interested in purchasing. Many Detox diet programs are designed to automatically ship you their products month after month. This creates a simple chain that allows them to maximize their profit at your expense.

Detox supplements that are set up for consistent delivery charge you prior to receiving the Detox supplements. That means if you decided that you are not interested in their Detox supplementation programs, and you have forgotten to cancel your order, sometimes in as little as two weeks, you will be charged for a product you do not wish to receive.

These Detox diet programs are set up for maximum profit and little regard to customer satisfaction. While there are advantages to some Detox supplements, not all of them are high quality. Once again, the due diligence must be considered by the buyer in cases such as these.

Doctor Recommended Detox Diets

As with any diet plan, it is always better to take advice from doctor recommended Detox diet plans than it is from any other source. You are not interested in witchcraft and potions, you are pursuing better health through the detoxification process. There is a big difference when it comes to Detox diet programs. A Detox diet plan that comes with the recommendation of a physician, as well as physician assisted Detox diet planning, there is a much higher chance of success and overall wellness.

Don't be fooled into thinking that all Detox diet plans are doctor recommended. One doctor's stamp of approval doesn't really mean anything. When a doctor recommended Detox diet plan has been approved and contributed to by numerous doctors, then you have a little proof in your pudding. Doctor recommended Detox diet plans are actually much less common than most people realize. A specialized Detox diet plan that includes all the basic nutrients your body needs not only to rid itself of toxins, but to operate well during the detoxification process takes vast amounts of research to produce.

Take the Next Step

So now you're ready to do your homework and find the right Detox diet plan that will work for you. Luckily, most of the research has been done for you. The absolute best bang for your buck Detox diet plan out there today can be found in "detoxmanual".

The "detoxmanual" a complete guide offers full scale information, as well as a complete Detox diet plan that is founded in medical advice from medical providers. The Detox diet plan offered is not only about half the price of other Detox diet plans, but it is much more comprehensive, and comes with a money back guarantee. You have nothing to lose except the unwanted toxins flowing through your body.

Let's talk about dieting Information

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Although the big push for fad diets has died down a little bit, it is still estimated that at least two-thirds of Americans are on some type of diet at any given time. Although research shows the importance of eating from all the major food groups, people are still confused about what type of diet to follow, keeping the window open for more quacky solutions to pop up.

In an effort to help readers determine what makes a diet healthy and when it's time to steer clear, I am going to discuss what makes a diet a 'fad' diet and why these diets are something best to stay away from. Along the way, we will discover what each food group has to offer that can be beneficial to our health.

Our bodies are uniquely designed to take advantage of the proteins, carbohydrates and fats that we eat. In order for the liver to do the best job it can for us, we actually need all of these nutrients, known as macronutrients. Even a 'detoxifying' diet should also include all of these macronutrients!

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. Currently, more than 64% of US adults are either overweight or obese, according to results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). So, look at the facts: Two thirds of all Americans are on some 'diet', yet we are getting fatter and fatter. Would that perhaps mean that the fad diets don't work? Let's talk about it.

Identifying a fad diet

A 'fad diet' is defined as something temporary. Therefore, it's no surprise that these diets are not successful. Let's begin by looking at how to identify a fad diet.

#1 - Promises a fast weight loss.

This is great, in the short term, but how many readers have or know someone who has followed one of these diets, only to regain the weight back, plus more for added bonus? When people lose weight very quickly, they lose a lot of lean muscle tissue, and the weight that comes back will most likely be more fat and less muscle, making it easier and easier to regain weight each time they drop the last fad diet. A healthy diet to follow will be one that will encourage slow, progressive weight loss over a longer period of time. It will have enough calories to support vigorous exercise, so that you lose fat and not muscle. Diets that are too low for the body's basic needs will result in the body breaking down it's protein stores (muscle) for the fuel it needs. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of the diet!

#2 - Eliminates foods or food groups.

The very first thing that alerts us that a diet is a 'fad' is when a particular food, or entire food group, is considered off-limits. This is a good time to talk about the low carb diets.

What is it that has made carbohydrates a bad nutrient? When you look at other countries, where the intake of carbohydrates is as high as 80%, and see that many of these countries are not suffering even close to the obesity rates we are in America, you have to wonder why they are not having the same problem. So, can it really be the carbs? Probably not. But, maybe it's the type of carbs. Many people who decide to go on one of the popular low carbohydrate diets start to eliminate a lot of food from their diets, including all the snack foods they were eating, particularly at night. Gone are the chips, the cookies, the crackers, the ice cream. Gone are up to 300 to 1,000 calories per day! Anyone would lose weight if they cut out those many calories from their daily diet.

Another problem with eliminating entire food groups, especially on low carb diets, is that they are recommending eliminating or limiting the intake of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. With all the substantial research showing how beneficial these foods are to preventing various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, it's amazing that anyone involved in healthcare would recommend such a diet. Something to also notice, however, is that none of these fad diet books are written by anyone with a degree in nutrition. Even the medical community is confused, which explains why physicians will fall for some of the hype fad diet authors write.

But let's talk a little more about fruits, vegetables and starches: A diet high in animal protein and animal fat has been linked to various disease and inflammation states. A diet very high in protein puts a great load on our kidneys and can contribute to constipation, gout and bone loss due to calcium depletion from the high protein load.

Combine that with decreased fiber from lack of whole grains and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables, and many people just don't feel well; they feel fatigued, sluggish and their immune system is depressed.

#3 - Starts with a shock or follows a strict plan.

When the diet says you have to start with an extremely restricted diet, or you can only eat certain foods on particular days, you know it's a fad diet. They justify this by saying you have to clean out the body, or only certain foods will help with the weight loss process. Any change in how you currently eat will result in changes on the scale. Very few people can remain on these diets very long, so once they are 'off' the diet, the weight returns. The dieter learned nothing other than the misinformation the author provided them with. This can actually have far-reaching consequences, as then the dieter is more confused than ever and doesn't know what to believe!

Once a person learns what the qualities of a healthy diet consist of, they find that their optimum calorie level is for their own needs, and they are able to achieve their goals, combining their eating plan with exercise. Not only do they start to enjoy life again, but enjoy food AND see weight loss!

Although fad diet authors want you to believe their 'miracle' (and buy their products), there really is no get-thin-quick solution that is permanent.

But what does constitute a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that is adequate in calories to support healthy weight, low in animal fats and saturated fats, animal protein should be very lean and adequate enough to support a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grain starches. Any healthy diet can include foods that are just for enjoyment, however. All foods really do fit, in moderation. A general rule is an 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of the time the diet should be healthy and then 20% of the time it can include foods you would not eat on a regular basis if you were trying to eat for health and weight loss.

#4 - Contradicts what experts say.

Authors of low carb diets say that the carbohydrates are what have made American's fat. But they can't explain why other countries whose diets are very high in carbohydrates don't have the same problems with obesity. You know it's a fad diet when the author says they have the 'inside' or 'hidden' truth about our health or diets. You also know it's a questionable publication when they say there is a hidden agenda among health professionals or the government.

But why is America getting fatter and fatter? America is a country of grab-and-go: The faster, the better. Families seldom sit down to meals, together. There are fewer physical fitness programs in school and many of the school food choices are fast foods. People and entire families eat 2-3 of their daily meals from a drive-through or a restaurant, most of which provide very few of the foods high in nutrients and low in calories. Restaurants add extra fats to their dishes to enhance the taste, so a meal you could make at home without added fats could have up to 60% of it's calories coming from fat to make it taste better! Plus, the serving sizes are much larger than they were 20 years ago, so most of the time the size of the meals could actually feed us for 2 to 3 meals, instead of one! However, many people still feel they must clean their plate rather than let the food 'go to waste'. They really should say, "go to waist"!!

As you read this, think back to the last week. How often did you sit down at home and eat a home-cooked meal? Do you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner each day? How often do you exercise vigorously? In Europe, the meals are much smaller and people walk a great deal more than in America. In some neighborhoods, it's actually impossible to walk to work, even if you live very close! Our road systems are no longer built for riding bikes or walking to work. You take your life into your hands, either from passing traffic or crime.

#5 - Relies on testimonials rather than scientific research.

The fact that Jane lost pounds in a week because she just ate cabbage soup does not mean it's safe, effective, or that it will work for you! What if you don't LIKE cabbage?

An example of testimonials, combined with the research to back it up, is the National Weight Control Registry. In order to join the Registry, a person has to have lost pounds and have kept it off for a year. Currently consisting of over 4500 individuals, the Registry was founded in 1993 as a longitudinal prospective study. Currently, there have been six studies resulting out of the Registry. For more information on the Registry, along with how most of the Registry members have in common, here is the website: http://www.nwcr.ws/.

#6 - Has a gimmick.

The problem with diet plans that have some type of gimmick, is people can't stay on them and they don't learn how to eat for the long-term. It's no secret that all the books must have something to 'catch' the reader. However, hidden among all the hype are books that really DO offer safe and effective solutions to weight loss. A book written by a registered dietitian (RD) is a guarantee that the material is accurate and safe. An RD is someone whose education, training and experience all revolve around the science and practice of nutrition; these truly ARE nutrition experts.

Consider this: If you had heart disease, you would see a cardiologist who specializes in heart health. If your teeth needed work, you would see a dentist. However, many people will buy 'diet' books from people who are not educated in nutrition! People will buy a diet book from a person who found what worked for them, or a movie star or a physician. In many of these books, because the author does not understand nutrition, many facts are distorted or misrepresented. It may not always be on purpose, but the point is these books are written by someone who really does not know nutrition and the science behind it, so either they distort the facts, or they make them fit the gimmick they are trying to sell.

So, the next time a friend mentions this great new diet they're on, or you see a new book that offers 'miracle' weight loss or something that 'health professionals don't really want you to know', take a step back and ask yourself these questions:

1- Does it promise fast weight loss?

2- Does it eliminate any major foods or food groups?

3- Is there a strict plan that must be followed for success?

4- Does it contradict what nutrition experts and science has to say?

5- Does it rely primarily on testimonials and 'before and after' pictures too good to be true?

6- Is there a gimmick?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, after you have stepped back, walk away and find a better plan. Isn't today time to get real and make your weight loss plan permanent and realistic?

Low Carb Diets the truth: part one

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Almost everyone knows someone who has used a low carb diet. They have used it themselves had a friend use it or are getting ready to use it . Are these diets magic? Are they safe? Can I really eat all of the cheese and meat I want ? Will I die if I go into ketosis?

These are just a few common questions I hear in regards to questions that concern low carb diets. In this series of articles I will present readers with scientific facts and my practical observations for implications concerning low carb diets. Some low carb supporters will not like what I will have to say. Some low carb haters will not like what I have to say. The objective of these articles are to educate readers on the practical implications of low carb dieting. Some will be offended and some will say how can that be. Either way sit back and enjoy as I attempt to shed light on the highly talked about topic - low carb diets (ketogenic diets)

I have provided a brief overview of some the topics that will be discussed in this series of articles.

What type of changes occur while using low carb diets

Do low carb diets make me mean

Do low carb diets spare muscle

Can I gain weight on a low carb diet

How much weight can I expect to lose

Can this diet help my medical condition

Different types of low carb diets

Why you need to cycle higher days of carbs

Who needs low carb diets

Are they safe for children

Are they beneficial for athletes

The topics mentioned above are just a few that will be addressed in Low Carb Dieting.

Before we move any further let me introduce the word ketogenic. Must of you reading this article are probably familiar with the world as it implies low carb or restriction of carb intake. Simply put for our purposes the words ketogenic and low carb are synonymous. A couple of other comments I would like to make before we move on. This comment is for Low Carb supporters that swear of all vegetables and fruits. Get on medline.com and do some research. Go to the library and look through some journals. A complete diet for long term use needs to incorporate greens and some fruits to be healthy. A short term diet devoid of fruits and vegetables might not be that bad, but rejecting greens and any fruits for life is a bad idea.

This comment is for the low carb haters. One of the number one reasons most of America is fat is because of chronically high insulin levels. Which is primarily contributed to excessive carb intake. Don't get me wrong I am not blaming high carbohydrate intake on all of our obesity problems. I should probably say excessive and the wrong types of carbohydrate at the wrong times are the problem. At the same time the answer is not to eat all of the saturated fat we can find : which can contribute to insulin insensitivity, elevated TG's, increased lipogenesis and digestive problems.

What is a ketogenic diet? A diet that causes ketone bodies to be produced by the liver, and shifts the body's metabolism away from glucose in favor of fat burning. A ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates below a certain level (generally 100 per day). The ultimate determinant of whether a diet is ketogenic or not is the presence or absence of carbohydrate. Protein and fat intake vary. Contrary to poplar belief eating fat is not what causes ketosis. In the past starvation diets were used often to induce ketosis. I will repeat myself again and say lack of carbohydrate or presence of ultimately determines if the diet is ketogenic.

In most eating plans the body runs on a mixture of protein, fats and carbohydrates. When carbohydrates are severely restricted and glycogen storage (glucose in muscle and liver) is depleted the body begins to utilize other means to provide energy. FFA (free fatty acids) can be used to provide energy, but the brain and nervous system are unable to use FFA's. Although the brain can use ketone bodies for energy.

Ketone bodies are by products of incomplete FFA breakdown in the liver. Once they begin to accumulate fast and reach a certain level they are released , accumulated in the bloodstream and cause a state called ketosis. As this occurs there is a decrease in glucose production and utilization. There is also less reliance on protein to meet energy requirements by the body. Ketogenic diets are often referred to as protein sparing as they help to spare LBM whiled dropping body fat.

In regards to ketogenic diets there are two primary hormones- insulin, glucagon that need to be considered. Insulin can be described as a storage hormone as it's job is to take nutrients out of the bloodstream and carry them to target tissues. Insulin carries glucose from the blood to the liver and muscles, and it carries FFA from the blood into adipose tissue (stored fat triglyceride). On the other hand glucagon breaks down glycogen stores (especially in the liver) and releases them into the blood.

When carbs are restricted or removed insulin levels drop while glucagon levels rise. This causes enhanced FFA release from fat cells, and increased FFA burning in the liver. This accelerated burning of FFA in the liver is what leads to ketosis. There are a number of other hormones involved with this process as well.

In general we refer to three different types of ketogenic diets.

1) STANDARD KETOGENIC DIET- A diet containing l00 or less grams of carbohydrates is referred to as STANDARD KETOGENIC DIET

2)TARGETED KETOGENIC DIET- consuming carbohydrates around exercise, to sustain performance without affecting ketosis.

3)CYCLICAL KETOGENIC DIET- alternates periods of ketogenic dieting with periods of high carbohydrate intake

The Beginning of Ketogenic diets

Originally ketogenic diets were used to treat obesity and epilepsy. In general ketogenic diets are similar to starvation diets in the responses that occur in the body. More specifically these two states can be referred to as starvation ketosis and dietary ketosis. These similarities have led to the development of modern day ketogenic diets.

Ketogenic dieting has been used for years in the treatment of childhood epilepsy. In the early 1900's times of total fasting was used to treat seizures. This caused numerous health problems and could not be sustained indefinitely.

Due to the impracticalities and health problems occurring with starvation ketogenic diets researchers began to look for a way to mimic starvation ketosis while consuming food. They determined that a diet consisting of high fat, low carb and minimal protein could sustain growth and maintain ketosis for a long period of time. This led to the birth of the original ketogenic diet in 1921 by Dr. Wilder. Dr Wilder's diet controlled pediatric epilepsy in many cases where drugs and other treatments failed.

New epilepsy drugs were invented during the 30's, 40's and 50's and ketogenic diets fell to the wayside. These new drugs lead to almost disappearance of ketogenic diets during this time. A few modified ketogenic diets were tried during this time such as the MCT (medium chain triglycerides) diets, but they were not welly accepted.

In 1994 the ketogenic diet as a treatment for epilepsy was re-discovered. This came about in the story of Charlie a 2yr old with seizures that could not be controlled with mediacions or other treatment including brain surgery. Charlie's father had found reference to the diet through his research and ended up at John Hopkins medical center.

Charlie's seizures were completely controlled as long as he was on the diet. The huge success of the diet prompted Charlie's father to start the Charlie foundation. The foundation has produced several videos, and published the book The Epilepsy Diet Treatment: An Introduction to the Ketogenic diet. The foundation has sponsored conferences to train physicians and dietians to implement the diet. The exact mechanisms of how the ketogenic diet works to control epilepsy are still unknown, the diet continues to gain acceptance as an alternative to drug therapy.

Obesity

Ketogenic diets have been used for at least a century for weight loss. Complete starvation was studied often including the research of Hill, who fasted a subject for 60 days to examine the effects. The effects of starvation were very successful in regards to treatment of the morbidly obese as rapid weight loss occurred. Other characteristics attributed to ketosis, such as appetite suppression and sense of well being, made fasting even more attractive for weight loss. Extremely obese patients have been fasted for up to one year and given nothing but vitamins and minerals.

The major problem with complete starvation diets is the loss of body protein, primarily from muscle tissue. Protein losses decrease as starvation contines, but up to one half of the total weight loss can be contributed to muscle and water loss.

In the early 1970's Protein Sparing Modified Fasts were introduced. These diets

allowed the benefits of ketosis to continue while preventing losses of bodily proteins.

They are still used today under medical supervision

In the early 70's Dr. Atkins introduced Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution With millions of

copies Sold the diet generated a great deal of interest. Dr. Atkins suggested a diet limited

in carbohydrate but unlimited in protein and fat. He promoted the diet as it would allow

rapid weight loss, no hunger and unlimited amounts of protein and fat. He offered just

enough research to allow the diet recognition. Although most of the evidence

supporting the diet was questionable.

During the 1980's Michael Zumpano and Dan Duchaine introduced two of the earliest

CKD's THE REBOUND DIET for muscle gain and then the modified version called

THE ULTIMATE DIET for fat loss. Neither diet became very popular. This was likely

due to the difficulty of the diet and the taboo of eating high fat.

In the early 90's Dr. Dipasquale introduced the ANABOLIC DIET . This diet promoted 5

days of high- fat-high protein-low carb consumption whle eating high carbs and virtually

anything you wanted for two days. The diet was proposed to induce a metabolic shift

within the five days of eating low carbs (30 or less). The metabolic shift occurred as your

body switched from being a sugar buring machine to a fat-burning machine.

A few years later Dan Duchaine released the book UNDERGROUND BODYOPUS: MILITIANT WEIGHT LOSS AND RECOMPOSITION . The book included his CKD diet which he called BODYOPUS. The diet was more specified than the Anabolic Diet and gave exercise recommendations as well as the basics concerning exercise physiology. Most bodybuilders found the diet very hard to follow. The carb load phase required eating every 2 hrs and certain foods were prescribed. I personally loved the book, but felt the difficulty of the diet made it less popular. In this author's opinion Ducahine's book is a must read for anyone interested in Nutrition.

Ketogenic Diets have been used for years to treat specific conditions such as obesity and childhodd epilepsy. The effects of these diets have proven beneficial in a number of these well documented cases, but for some reason when we mention any type of low carb diet (ketogenic diet) people begin to tell us about how their doctor or friend told them it would kill them or how that diet was shown to damage the liver or kidneys. Keep in mind epileptic children have been in ketosis for up to three years and shown no negative effects; quiet the opposite. The weight loss in morbidly obese patients has been tremendous and the health benefits numerous. Maybe before coming to the conclusion that all types of ketogenic diets are bad other factors need to be considered such as activity levels, type of ketogenic diet, length of ketogenic diet, past eating experience, purpose of ketogeninc diet, individual body type and response to various eating plans, current physical condition, and quality of food while following ketogenic diet. As you can see there are numerous factors that come into play when saying a diet is good or bad. I think people should take the time look at the research and speak with various authorities in regards to low carb diets before drawing conclusions from the they says.

Relevant research in regards to ketogenic dieting

Efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet for intractable childhood epilepsy: Korea multicentric experience

Chul Kang H, Joo Kim Y, Wook Kim D, Dong Kim H,

Dept of pediatrics, Epilepsy center, Inje Univ Coll of Med, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul Korea

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the safety of the ketogenic diet, and to evaluate the prognosis of the patients after successful discontinuation of the diet in infants, children and adolescents with refractory epilepsy. The study looked at patients who had been treated with KD during 1995 through 2003 at Korean multicenters. The outcomes of the 199 patients enrolled in the study at 6 and 12 months were as follows: 68% and 46% of patients remained on the diet, 58% and 41% showed a reduction in seizures, including 33% and 25% who became seizure free. The complications were mild during the study, but 5 patients died during the KD. No significant variables were related to the efficacy, but those with symptomatic and partial epilepsies showed more frequent relapse after completion of the diet. The researchers concluded the KD is a safe and effective alternative therapy for intractable epilepsy in Korea, although the customary diet contains substantially less fat than traditional Western diets, but life-threatening complications should be monitored closely during follow up.

Reference

McDoanld, L (1998) The Ketogenic Diet. Lyle McDonald.

Copyright 2005 Jamie Hale

Best Information diets

What are the best fad diets? It is a question often asked. Unfortunately, I'm not really in favour of koinotismoy diets, so it is a difficult one to answer.

Not that I'm against all fad diets. But if there is one message I would like to remove from my website, obesity is Cures.com that there is no silver bullet. Without a shot cure ... No fad diets better.

This is the message which I hope you take away from this article.

Your ideal weight loss solution must include a basket of treatment, each selected to meet your specific needs. A diet, is alive or not can be one of the ingredients of the basket. However, one size does not fit all.

However, if you are choosing a diet is seen as part of weightloss in your basket, you should at least be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

In this article I will outline some of the main categories of fad diets and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Fat, low-carbohydrate diets

Millions of Americans have joined the low-carb craze and began low-fat diets such as Atkins carb diet and the zone diet. These are composed of approximately 60% fat, carbohydrates, 10% and 30% protein.
These fad diets tell you to eat high amounts of fat and protein in very low amounts of carbohydrates in the form of vegetables.

The main principle of low-carb diet is a diet low in carbohydrates leads to reduction of insulin production.

The end result is that the fat and protein stores will be used for energy. This makes it a lot yourself full unlimited quantities of meat, cheese and butter, and eat only a small proportion of carbohydrates.

But here's the catch ...

People who start the diet usually loses a large amount of weight, but not for permanent weight loss. Instead of burning fat, lose valuable muscle tissue and water.

In addition, these diets are low in nutrients and contain excess cholesterol and saturated fats, substances which increase the risk of heart disease.

In addition, regardless of what they claim, the huge amounts of protein in your put a strain on the kidneys.

Is not exactly a promising contender for the Title best fad diets!

Moderately fat diets

Then there are the moderate fat diets. Moderately fat diets include diets such as weight watchers, the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, Herbalife, and Jenny Craig.

These diets consists of approximately 25% fat, 60% carbohydrates and 15% protein. Encourage intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and essential fatty acids, found in foods such as olive oil and salmon.

These diets usually nutritionally balanced if the dieter is eating a variety of foods from all categories. For example, weight watchers works on a system where food receive a number of points based on calories, fiber, and fat.

Dieters find a certain number of points, they may use it for the day. While not encouraged, may choose to spend most of their points on balancing carbohydrates instead of what. This could lead to deficiencies in nutrients such as calcium, iron and zinc.

Herbalife counters this with a series of nutritional shakes and vitamin products.

If followed correctly (and supported by prudent additional), these diets are probably the most successful for weight loss and maintaining ... A possible title opponent for the best diets quirk.

Low and very low-fat diets

Finally, you have your diets low fat and low-fat too. Diets-AGGREGATING DEVICES in this category include Dr. Dean Ornish diet and plan the Pritkin, among others. These are composed of approximately 13% fat, 70% carbohydrate and 16% protein.

These diets are mostly vegetarian diets and is not recommended to eat a lot of meat. As the low-carb diets, you can eat unlimited quantities of certain foods. Because you cannot eat a lot of meat, these diets are deficient in zinc, vitamin B12, and fatty acids.

Also, it is so restrictive that people find a hard time staying in this life and end up gaining back the weight.

So, that the brevity of some of the main categories diet fad. And, Yes, you are right, you don't have your say definitively what I think is the best fad diets. But read carefully the above and you'll see I've nudged toward a certain your direction.

This is as far as I am prepared to proceed without knowing more than one
on your specific circumstances.

This is really something you need to decide for yourself. Your needs will be different from the others.

While the rapid weightloss diets are generally inadvisible, you may have valid reasons for having to lose weight fast. In this case, perhaps a low-carb diet, despite many shortcomings, is what you need now. You can always switch to a different program later.

The choice is yours ...

Low-carbohydrate diet revolution--A history

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Most people think of the Atkins diet when they hear the phrase low-carb. Indeed, Dr. Robert C. Atkins is the author of a number of low carbohydrate ketogenic diet books. The first one was published in 1972, and his pioneering efforts revolutionized the dieting world we see today. For everything that you hear; however, Dr. Atkins did not create low-carb dieting.

William Banting published pamphlets in the 1860s extolling the health benefits of the low carbohydrate diet he was put on by his medical advisor, Mr. William Harvey, F.R.C.S. The basic tenet of his diet was to consume as little as possible bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer, and potatoes due to his belief that these contained starch and saccharine matter, which tended to create fat. Mr. Banting found that his indigestion disappeared, his umbilical rupture was cured, he lost 50 lbs, his sight and hearing were surprising for a man in his 70s, he slept better at night, and he basically felt in better health than he had for the previous 26 years of his life. Mr. Banting revolutionized dieting in his time, and he received thousands of letters from readers thanking him and telling him how his low carbohydrate diet had changed their lives for the better.

The Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic devised a diet to treat epilepsy in the 1920s. The diet requires high fat consumption and a low intake of carbohydrates in order to induce ketosis. They studied how the diet worked with children who were unsuccessful in treating their epilepsy with medication, and they found that 55 percent of the original patients remained on the diet and 27 percent had a greater than 90 percent decrease in their seizures. There were some children who had no seizures for two years while on the diet, and they appeared to be cured of the epilepsy even after stopping their low-carb ketogenic diet.

Walter Lyons Bloom and Gordon Azar did a study in 1963 comparing carbohydrate restrictive diets to fasting diets. They concluded that eating a diet adequate in calories, protein and fat, but deficient in carbohydrate, resulted in weight loss similar to that of fasting patients.

The first truly popular low-carb diet was popularized in the book The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet by Dr. Irwin Maxwell Stillman in 1967, and the low carbohydrate revolution began. The diet consisted primarily of protein sources like meat, fowl, fish and eggs while curtailing the consumption of carbohydrates to close to nothing. The book sold 2.5 million copies from 1967-69 and large numbers of people lost a lot of weight on this controlled carbohydrate diet.

Dr. Robert C. Atkins opened his practice as a cardiologist in New York City in 1960. When he was in his 30s and overweight, he ran across a 1963 article by Bloom and Azar. Their article said you do not have to go hungry to lose weight; instead, you can lose weight by cutting back on carbohydrates. This convinced Dr. Atkins to try the diet, and to his amazement it worked very well. After his success with the diet, he began recommending it to his patients and found that not only did they lose weight; other health problems they were fighting with either had greatly improved symptoms or went away completely. These included high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, heartburn, diabetes, acid reflux, and arthritis. The vast majority of his patients also reported that they slept better, had more energy, got sick less often, and basically felt better overall.

Dr. Atkins published his original book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, in 1972; however, the revolution was off to a slow start. His low carbohydrate diet countervailed what had been taught in the mainstream medical institutions and was attacked by the likes of nutritionists, dieticians, physicians, and the Journal of the American Medical Association; however, other doctors were also now aware of the connection between carbohydrates, disease and obesity.

In 1983 Dr. Richard Bernstein, a type 1 diabetic since the age of nine, opened his highly controversial clinic to treat diabetics with a very strict low carbohydrate approach to the disease. Bernstein's ideas were ridiculed at first by the medical establishment, but the low-carb revolution picked up steam.

In 1992, Dr. Richard Heller wrote his first diet program called The Carbohydrates Addict's Program for Success: Taking Control of Your Life and Your Weight, which blamed high carbohydrate consumption for the increased obesity being found throughout the USA. He found a fast growing audience for his ideas as the revolution continued to grow.

The first edition of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution was published in 1992, and another came in 1999. These two editions sold over 10 million copies and the editions combined to become one of the 50 top selling books of all time.

The year 1999 was a breakthrough year for low-carb practitioners and the low-carb revolution steamed full speed ahead. Dr. Richard Bernstein published his book Diabetes Solution, and it was an instant hit selling upwards of a million copies. Today the latest 2003 Edition has a preface by none other than the president of the American Diabetic Society, quite a victory for a man who when he first preached his controlled carbohydrate approach to the disease was regarded as a crackpot and eccentric by the American Medical Association.

Also in 1999, Dr. Richard Heller teamed up with his wife, Dr. Rachel Heller and Dr. Frederic Vagnini to publish The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program: Break Your Carbo-Insulin Connection to Heart Disease, a newer version of his first book that documented very clearly the relationship between high carbohydrate consumption and the plethora of Syndrome X diseases as well as, of course, obesity. This book and several related ones by this group of authors sold and continue to sell millions of copies.

One low-carb diet; however, was much more successful and popular with the public than the others; that was Dr. Robert Atkins' diet. Literally millions of people succeeded in losing weight and improving their overall health by following the programs put forth in Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.

Dr. Atkins nutritional approach spread primarily by word of mouth as people successful on the diet introduced it to others. The medical establishment was stubbornly against the Atkins approach and tried their best to discredit it. The debate over the Atkins nutritional plan grew into a roar as millions tried and succeeded losing weight and improving their health while the experts claimed it was wrong and could not be done. The real testament as to the validity of Dr. Atkins' program is that while a large majority of the medical & nutritional establishment claimed his diet was just plain wrong, the number of people following the program continued to grow at a faster and faster pace as successful individuals motivated and encouraged their friends and others to try the Atkins Nutritional Plan.

As more and more people found the diet worked for them, other successful low carbohydrate diets quickly followed such as The Zone, Sugar Busters!, The No-Grain Diet, and The South Beach Diet, to name a few.

The revolution took off at amazing speed when Dr. Atkins published an updated version of his book, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, in 2002. The new edition incorporated slight changes in his program based on his last 30 years of research. This edition of his book was soon followed by a plethora of published research findings validating the weight loss and health benefits of a low carbohydrate diet. Some people in the groups that previously attacked his diet were now considering the possibility that low carbohydrate consumption was a safe, effective way to lose weight and eat for life.

Now millions of people are doing Atkins, and the revolution has skyrocketed. Companies have begun putting out a myriad of low carbohydrate foods, which have quite literally flown off the shelves. More and more restaurants are providing low carbohydrate menus or net carbohydrate counts on their existing menu items. Even fast food companies have jumped on the bandwagon with low carbohydrate hamburgers, wraps, and breakfast bowls.

What the future holds for low carbohydrate diets is anyone's guess. They have entered the mainstream, and the results of current research will certainly have a major impact on the continued acceptance of low carbohydrate diets. I am certain that Mr. Banting would be pleased to see the low-carb revolutionized world of today.

Scores of koinotismoy diets

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THE 200 POINT SYSTEM

With so many different diets available, how are we to know

what works and what is safe? The only way to be sure is to

discover the author's background and the research behind

the diet's methodology. Every good diet should give a

background about the author and his/her credentials and

experience in the fields of nutrition and biochemistry.

However, even a vast resume does not mean a credible and

safe diet. But it does suggest, at least, that the author has

some knowledge of nutrition. Providing research behind the

diet proves that the diet is not something the author

invented, so long as the research is not self-serving and

altered to fit a hypothesis.

Some diets may not need a great deal of tests and studies

behind them, simply because they are based on

fundamentals. For example, many women's magazines

have articles on dieting and weight loss, but they are

common sense suggestions that most people concerned

about weight should know already: "Eat smaller meals", "cut

down on sugar and fat", etc., are typical philosophies. More

structured diets should give some scientific reasons for its

suggested success, preferably case studies and research

performed on everyday test subjects, as well as athletes.

Since we have established the importance of eating a

balanced diet in accordance to selecting healthy foods and

obtaining RDA minimums, it is possible now to rate the

diets in accordance to those specific criteria. Begin with a

score of 200 and subtract 10 points from the total for each

statement below in which the diet concedes. An ideal diet

should maintain a score of 200, but a score of 160 or

greater is acceptable.

1. The diet does not include the food groups in adequate

amounts. Some fad diets eliminate one or more of the food

groups. Do not deduct 10 points if a food group's nutrients

(e.g., carbs, proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals) are

adequately substituted with that of another food group.

2. The diet does not provide at least 45% of its calories from

carbohydrate sources. In order to prevent ketosis, at least

150g of glucose/day is required. That's 33-50% of total

calorie intake on a 1200-calorie diet. Keep in mind that is

the minimum. For highly active individuals, that amount

should increase to 60% at times, i.e., immediately after

exercise.

3. The carbohydrate content exceeds 20% concentrated

sugars. At least 80% of carbohydrate sources should be

complex, and preferably in the form of vegetables, seeds,

and legumes.

4. The protein content exceeds 30%. A very high protein

intake is unnecessary, it places additional strain on the

urinary system, and it is a poor source of energy. Thirty

percent is more than adequate, even for growing children

and teenagers. The only group that requires higher protein

intake are those who recently suffered a severe injury (e.g.,

leg amputation), infection, or surgery. However, these

individuals will be under the care of a physician with a

special high protein diet.

5. Protein content accounts for 15% or less of total calories.

Although unnecessary in large amounts, protein still has

many vital functions, including tissue repair and the

formation of enzymes.

6. Fats exceed 30% of total intake. Besides increasing the

risk of cardiovascular disease, high fat diets have not been

demonstrated to decrease weight better than other methods

of 'proper' eating.

7. Total fat consumption is less than 15% of total calories.

Fat in moderate amounts is essential for a healthy diet, and

such a diet provides taste to many foods. Fat intake below

15% for long periods, for most individuals, is unrealistic.

Fat intake that is too low can also be detrimental to children

and teenagers who require ample kcalories for continued

growth.

8. Total fat consumption is less than 25% essential fatty

acids, and saturated fat is more than 30% of total fat

consumption. Deduct 10 for each.

9. The diet does not suggest common foods, meaning

foods you should be able to obtain at any grocery store or

market.

10. The foods for the diet are expensive or monotonous.

Some diets require the purchase of 'their' foods or

expensive 'organic' foods only obtained through health food

stores. Some foods taste so bad they are difficult to

tolerate repeatedly (e.g., seaweed). Deduct 10 for each.

11. The diet consists of an inflexible meal plan. The diet

does not allow for substitutions or deviations, requiring a

person to live under 'house arrest' with the same food

selections every day.

12. The diet provides less than 1200 kcalories per day.

Less than that and the body's basic functions may not be

getting the energy, vitamins and minerals needed to work

properly, and the dieter almost is certain to feel hungry all

the time. Diets below 1200 kcalories should be reserved for

those under the supervision of a dietitian or licensed

physician.

13. The diet requires the use of supplements. If the diet

provides adequate energy and it is well balanced,

supplements are unnecessary. 'Fat accelerators,' such as

ephedrine, may increase the rate of weight loss, but the diet

should be able to stand on its own merit. Some diet clinics

promote a vast array of herbal preparations and fat

accelerators, and this is where these clinics make their

money - not in their knowledge and ability as nutritionists.

14. The diet does not recommend a realistic weight goal.

Diets should not be promoting the body of a Greek god or a

supermodel. They should not be suggesting that a person

lose 100 pounds (even if 100 pounds overweight). Nor

should diets recommend weight loss below an ideal

weight.

15. The diet recommends or promotes more than 1-2

lbs/week weight loss. Do not expect to lose more than 1-2

pounds of fat a week - it is physically impossible unless

chronically obese, at which point 3 pounds may be

possible. If more than two pounds is lost per week, the

body change is due to a loss of water and/or muscle tissue.

Gimmicks that promise 10 pounds in 2 weeks are either

simply not true or else something other than fat is being

lost. Also keep in mind that the more fat a person wishes to

lose, and the less a person has, the more difficult and

slower it will be to lose additional fat.

16. The diet does not include an evaluation of food habits.

Dieting should be a slow process by which a person

changes normal eating habits. It should not include looking

for quick fixes and quick plans promising short cuts and

extreme changes - a person would never stay with these

programs and such diets do not work long-term. The

number of kcalories eaten, and the food selections and their

amounts, should be reevaluated on a regular basis...

perhaps once every 1-2 months to determine the program's

effectiveness.

17. Regular exercise is not recommended as part of the

plan for proper weight loss. Weight loss occurs twice as

fast with exercise, and without exercise there is a greater

tendency to lose lean muscle tissue as well as fat. This is

not ideal.

OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS DIETS

Low Carbohydrate Diets: Ketosis occurs, and this presents

the same problems as fasting. Once glycogen stores are

spent (which happens quickly with athletes and those who

exercise regularly), glucose must be made from protein

sources, and there is greater wear on the kidneys as a

result. Even on a high protein diet, some protein will be

taken from body tissues in order to produce enough energy

for the nervous system and regular activity. The onset of

ketosis is an indication that this process has begun and it is

not a positive aspect, regardless of what pro-high-fat

authorities indicate.

Great weight loss on a low-carb diet is evident because of

the fact that carbs hold water in the muscles at a ratio of 1:3.

As carb intake decreases then so, too, does water retention.

Much water flushes as a result of lack of glycogen to hold

water molecules. Moreover, by increasing protein intake,

excess nitrogen flushes with even more water since the

kidneys use water to dilute the concentration of nitrogen.

Once leaving a low-carb diet and the muscles refill with

glycogen, fluid concentrations increase and the dieter

regains some of the weight.

Low calorie diets of 400-600 kcalories that consist primarily

of protein have the same problems as fasting and

low-carbohydrate diets: proteins are used for energy and

weight loss comes largely from water. Low-cal diets must

be supervised properly by a medical professional and only

as a last resort for those who cannot seem to lose weight by

other methods. However, even those individuals tend to

regain most of their weight back once they return to a

balanced diet.

Beverly Hills Diet - a diet consisting of grapefruit, eggs, rice,

and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

Cambridge Diet - a very low kcalorie (300-600 kcal/day);

protein/carb mixture with mineral imbalances; the dieter is

close to fasting.

Complete Scarsdale Diet - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the diet

consists of low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and

protein; the diet has a high meat (saturated fat and

cholesterol) content.

Dr. Atkin's Diet Revolution - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; carbs are

very low (20-50 g/day), whereas fat and protein are high;

there is high meat (saturated fat and cholesterol)

consumption.

Dr. Linn's Last Chance Diet - this diet has a very low

kcalorie intake (300-600 kcal/day); it consists of a

protein/carb mixture with a mineral imbalance; the dieter is

close to fasting.

Dr. Reuben's The Save Your Life Diet - this is a calorically

dilute diet consisting of high fiber (30-35g/day); the diet is

low in fat and animal products; there is poor absorption of

minerals because of too much high fiber.

"Fake" Mayo Diet - this diet consists of grapefruits, eggs,

rice, and kelp; it is deficient in minerals and vitamins.

F-Plan Diet - this is a calorically dilute diet consisting of

high fiber (30-35g/day); it is low in fat and animal products;

there is poor absorption of minerals because of too much

fiber.

LA Costa Spa Diet - this diet promotes weight loss of 1-1_

lbs/day; there are various plans of 800, 1000, and 1200

kcal/day composed of 25% protein, 30% fat (mostly

polyunsaturates), and 45% carbohydrate; the diets includes

the four food groups.

Medifast Diet - this diet is balanced nutritionally, but

provides only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes

this diet monotonous and expensive.

Nutrimed Diet/Medifast Diet - this is a nutritionally balanced

diet, but it supplies only 900 kcal/day; the use of liquid

formulas makes this diet monotonous and expensive.

Optifast Diet - this diet is nutritionally balanced, but

supplies only 900 kcal/day; use of liquid formulas makes

this diet monotonous and expensive.

Pritikin Permanent Weight-Loss Diet - this is a nutritionally

unbalanced diet; some days are calorically restricted; the

dieter alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the

diet consists of high protein (100 g/day); unless the foods

properly chosen, it may be low in vitamin B12.

Prudent Diet - this is a balanced, low kcalorie (2400

kcal/day) diet for men; it is low in cholesterol and saturated

fats; a maximum of 20-35% calories are derived from fat

with an emphasis on protein, carbohydrates, and salt; there

is ample consumption of fish and shellfish, and saturated

fats are substituted with polyunsaturated fats.

Quick Weight Loss Diet - this diet is unbalanced

nutritionally; some days are calorically restricted; the dieter

alters portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, although

there is low carbs (20-50 g/day), and high fat and protein;

there is high meat consumption (saturated fat and

cholesterol) with this diet.

San Francisco Diet - this diet begins at 500 kcal/day,

consisting of two meals per day of one fruit, one vegetable,

one slice of bread, and two meat exchanges; the second

week limits carbohydrates, with most food coming from the

meat group and with some eggs and cheese, and a few

vegetables; week three includes fruit; in week four there is

an increase in vegetables; week five the dieter add

fat-containing foods (e.g., nuts, avocados); week six

includes milk; week seven includes pastas and bread,

where the diet is maintained at about 1300 kcal/day; this

diet avoids the issue of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Slendernow Diet - this diet is unbalanced nutritionally;

some days are calorically restricted; the dieter alters

portions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat; the protein is

generally high (100 g/day); unless foods are properly

chosen, there may be a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Weight-Watchers Diet - this diet is balanced nutritionally, at

about 1000-1200 kcal; use of high nutrient-dense foods are

consumed; economic and palatable food makes it one of

the most successful diets with no real health risks.

Wine Diet - this diet is about 1200 kcal/day, containing 28

menus together with a glass of dry table wine at dinner;

besides the medicinal components of wine, it is believed

that individuals reduce portion sizes when wine is

consumed with a meal; the diet is low in cholesterol and

saturated fats; there is a focus on fish, poultry, and veal with

moderate amounts of red meat.

Yogurt Diet - this diet consists of two versions, being

900-1000 kcal/day, and 1200-1500 kcal/day; plain low-fat

yogurt is the main dairy dish, consumed at breakfast, lunch,

and as a bedtime snack; the diet is high in protein, and it is

low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

Diets that do not provide 100% of the U.S. RDA for 13

vitamins and minerals:

Atkins

Beverly Hills

Carbohydrate Craver's Basic

Carbohydrate Craver's Dense

California (1200 kcal) California (2000 kcal)

F-Plan

I Love America

I Love New York

Pritikin (700 kcal) Pritikin (1200 kcal)

Richard Simmons

Scarsdale

Stillman