Fad Diets
We all know fad diets exist and their numbers range in probably the thousands, and they
range in wackiness from the ice cream diet to the grape diet to the cabbage soup diet,
and there is even the cookie diet and the sprinkle diet. Sure it’s nice to eat nothing by ice
cream or grapes for a day or two, but do it for more than a week and you’ve give yourself
diabetes from all the sugar, your nails will be brittle and crack, and your hair will fall out
because of malnutrition. Fat diets are not recommended because they do not teach sound
nutritional practices, healthy lifestyle changes, or encourage exercise. If you are going
to do a fad diet, and I am not promoting any of the ones below, they are just examples of
some crazy ones, remember that man cannot live on ice cream and cookies alone.
The Sensa Diet, also known as the Sprinkle Diet, requires you to purchase a
special “flavor enhancer” that you sprinkle on your food at each meal. This flavor
enhancer supposedly makes all food taste better, so you eat less of it regardless of
whether it is a steak, salad, or piece of cake. The Sensa Diet does not require you to
change the way you eat or exercise, though it is recommended. Side effects of the Sensa
powder include dizziness and gastrointestinal disturbances. The powder was developed
and tested by Dr. Alan Hirsch, a smell and taste sensory specialist, and there is even a
book. A program such as this that uses food additives like milk, soy and food coloring
does not promote healthy eating habits and does not help promote weight loss in a
healthy manner.
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a seven day plan, on each day you eat something else, one
day only fruit, one day only bananas and skim milk, one day meat and tomatoes, etc.
You can have as much cabbage soup as you can eat in addition to what you are permitted
to eat that day. On the website for this plan it says this diet is not recommended for the
long term, i.e. do not do this for more than the actual week because it is not nutritionally
balanced will lead to malnutrition. The site also recommends taking a multivitamin. This
plan does nothing to encourage healthy eating habits or exercise. The Cabbage Soup Diet
can at best be used as a weeklong detox plan because you do not eat anything processed,
but there are definitely better detox plans out there.
The Cookie Diet was developed by Dr. Sanford Siegel to help people the hypothyroidism
lose weight. The program is an extremely low calorie diet that consists of eating six
special diet cookies or drinking shakes bought directly from Dr. Siegel, drinking a
minimum of four glasses of water a day, and a dinner of six ounces of protein and a cup
of vegetables. The program is not nutritionally sound at all if all you eat is six cookies
or a shake in place of two cookies, six ounces of protein, and a cup of vegetables. That
means consuming almost no fiber or antioxidants, and very little carbohydrates, not to
mention feeling hungry all the time. The program is not meant to be done for an extended
period of time for this very reason. As soon as you start eating real food again the weight
will creep back on because you are no longer eating an average of 800 calories a day.
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What’s the Deal with Buckwheat?
Buckwheat is neither a grain nor a cereal, but actually the seed of a flower. Buckwheat is
grown in countries all over the world and stars in many different international cuisines.
In Asian countries, buckwheat flour is used to make soba noodles, and buckwheat starch
is used in soups, in Europe it is eaten as hot cereal for breakfast, or as filling for knishes
and crepes, as well as in the crepe batter. Buckwheat flour can be used in place of wheat
flour in pancakes. Buckwheat is gluten free and can be eaten by people with Celiac’s
disease. It is even used to make gluten free beer because the starch can be converted
to malt. Eating buckwheat has been shown to help in treating high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, Type II Diabetes by helping to control blood sugar. Buckwheat is an
excellent source of protein, fiber, iron, and phyto-nutrients.
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Black Lentil and Buckwheat Soup
1 cup black lentils, rinsed well
1 cup roasted/toasted buckwheat groats (they are darker in color than regular groats)
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash white pepper
12 cups water
In a large pot sauté the vegetables in the olive oil over medium-high heat for about five
minutes, until the carrots start to get soft. Add lentils, buckwheat groats, and water. Bring
to a boil, and then let simmer for about an hour, until the lentils and buckwheat are soft.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Makes 12 servings for appetizer, 8 servings
for a main course served with bread and salad.
Nutrition information for 12 servings: 102.89 calories, 0.93 grams fat, 0.133 grams
saturated fat, 111.04mg sodium, 19.6 grams carbohydrates, 5.61 grams fiber, 0.991 grams
sugar, 4.51 grams protein.
Nutrition information for 8 servings: 154.34 calories, 1.4 grams fat, 0.175 grams
saturated fat, 166.56 mg sodium, 29.4 grams carbohydrates, 8.425 grams fiber, 1.48grams
sugar, 6.775 grams protein.
Tags: cabbage soup diet, cookie diet, fad diets, sensa diet, sprinkle diet, very low calorie diet
