WomensDiets

2012-08-26T05:13:00.001-07:00

hould You Become a Raw Foodist?

If you're a healthy adult who likes to cook and you have no problem giving up meat or dairy, the raw food diet might be for you. Here are some things to consider before adopting a raw food diet.

The ADA wholly supports diets that are plant-based, but it takes issue with one that is mostly raw: Cooking makes some foods, like eggs and tomatoes, more bioavailable. That means their nutrients are better absorbed by the body.

The raw food diet also requires a lot of processing that can strip foods of their nutrients. Straining pulp from cashews to make cashew milk, for example, removes healthy fiber. Dehydrating and chopping can destroy valuable nutrients, too, as can exposure to air.

Because raw foodists do not eat fish, they may not get enough essential fatty acids, like omega-3s. Other vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamin B12, are also often lacking. As a safeguard, the ADA recommends raw foodists take supplements.

The ADA does not recommend a raw food diet for infants and children.

Raw Food Diet

2012-08-26T05:12:00.003-07:00

Is the Raw Food Diet Healthy?

The verdict on whether raw food diets are healthy is mixed.

Researchers who studied the impact of a raw food diet found that participants had low cholesterol and triglycerides. They also had a vitamin B12 deficiency. This finding is consistent with another study of raw foodists in Finland. B12 is found naturally only in animal products. It is critical to nerve and red blood cell development. Deficiencies can lead to anemia and neurological impairment.

A German study of long-term raw foodists showed that they had healthy levels of vitamin A and dietary carotenoids, which comes from vegetables, fruits and nuts and protect against chronic disease. Yet the study participants had lower than average plasma lycopene levels, which are thought to play a role in disease prevention. They are found in deep-red fruits like tomatoes. Lycopene content is highest, however, when tomatoes are cooked.

Low bone mass in the lumbar spine and hip may be another risk for raw foodists, who tend to be slim. Researchers concluded, however, that the raw foodists studied had “good bone quality.” That's because rapid weight loss at the beginning of the diet may have caused the decrease in bone mass.

Finally, another study showed that a raw food diet can interrupt the menstrual cycle, again because of drastic weight loss.

Raw Foodism and Nutrition

The raw food diet is rich in nutrients. It’s full of fiber and it’s low in fat and sugars.

But raw foodists, along with vegans, need to make sure they’re getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, most of which are found naturally in animal products.

The American Dietetic Association offers these guidelines:

Eat almost twice the iron as nonvegetarians. Good sources of iron are tofu, legumes, almonds and cashews.
Eat at least eight servings a day of calcium-rich foods like bok choy, cabbage, soybeans, tempeh, and figs.
Eat fortified breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, and fortified soy milk for B12. Supplements are a good idea.
Eat flaxseed and walnuts. Use canola, flaxseed, walnut, and soybean oil. These are all sources of omega-3 fatty acids. You may also want to take an omega-3 supplement.

Raw foodists typically get the same amount of protein as nonvegetarians through plant foods eaten throughout the day. But because plant protein is less digestible, the ADA also recommends eating plenty of soy and bean products.

Nutritionists at the ADA also recommend that raw foods and vegans increase their calcium intake. That's because their diets are high in sulfur-containing amino acids – nuts and grains, for example -- which can increase bone calcium loss.

Zinc is better absorbed by the body through meat. The ADA recommends soaking and sprouting beans, grains, and seeds. Doing this may help the body better absorb the nutrients from these foods.

Finally, people who do not eat meat or dairy products should be vigilant about their vitamin D intake -- especially for people who live in northern climates. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to weaker bones. The ADA recommends vitamin-D fortified foods, including some brands of soy milk and rice milk, some breakfast cereals and margarines. You also may want to take a vitamin D supplement.

2012-08-26T05:12:00.001-07:00

Depending on the source, a raw food diet is either a path to perfect health or to serious undernourishment. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Devotees insist that a diet consisting mainly of uncooked, unprocessed plant foods leads to a leaner body, clearer skin, and higher energy. They also believe it cuts the risk of disease.

But what exactly is a raw food diet? Is following a raw food diet healthy? Can anyone become a raw foodist? Read on for some answers.

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What Is a Raw Food Diet?

The fundamental principle behind raw foodism, also sometimes called rawism, is that plant foods in their most natural state – uncooked and unprocessed – are also the most wholesome for the body. The raw food diet is a lifestyle choice. It is not a weight loss plan.

Sticking to a raw food diet isn’t easy. Most raw foodists spend a lot of time in the kitchen peeling, chopping, straining, blending, and dehydrating. That's because the diet is typically made up of 75% fruits and vegetables. Staples of the raw food diet include:

seaweed
sprouts
sprouted seeds
whole grains
beans
dried fruits
nuts

Alcohol, refined sugars, and caffeine are taboo.

Most raw foodists are raw food vegans, who eat no animal products, but some do eat raw eggs and cheese made from raw or unpasteurized milk.

How Do Raw Foodists Prepare Meals?

Raw foodists do not cook using a traditional stove or oven. They use food dehydrators that lend crunch to vegetables and cookies. Food dehydrators also dry out fruits for fruit leather and other raw food recipes.

Try surfing the Internet for raw food recipe ideas. Web sites, including recipezaar.com, welikeitraw.com, and living-foods.com, all have collections of raw food recipes.

The dehydrator works with heat, but temperatures cannot be higher than 115 to 118 degrees. Raw foodists believe high heat leaches enzymes and vitamins critical for proper digestion. The American Dietetic Association challenges this assertion. It says the body -- not what goes in it -- produces the enzymes necessary for digestion. The ADA also says cooking food below 118 degrees may not kill harmful, food-borne bacteria.

Raw vs. Cooked

Medical literature on the raw food diet is scant. Research tends to focus vegetarianism and veganism and the health benefits of a plant-based diet, among them lower cholesterol and better glucose levels.

A few studies do appear to back up the belief that cooking vegetables tends to kill important nutrients.

One showed that eating raw, cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale) may reduce the risk of bladder cancer. Researchers noted that cooking cruciferous vegetables robs them of their isothiocyanates, agents that alter proteins in cancer cells. They found that even a few helpings a month of raw crucifers seems to lower the risk.

Another study that reviewed findings of about 50 medical studies on the raw versus cooked debate showed that eating raw vegetables helps reduce the risk of oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, and gastric cancers.

2012-08-26T05:11:00.001-07:00

What the Experts Say About the Protein Power Diet continued...

"In the short term, the low-carb diets are effective -- we see weight loss, improvement in some metabolic functions such as blood pressure, loss of body fat, but their real hazard is that they are nutritionally poor," she says. "They are low in calcium, low in vitamins C and A, low in fiber. We don't know if taking a vitamin-mineral supplement is adequate. There are a lot of micronutrients in foods that are not in supplements, including some we don't even know about yet. We do not have any long-term studies on these alternative diets with the extreme modifications of a nutritionally balanced diet."

Susan B. Roberts, PhD, a professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University in Boston, Ma., and co-author of Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, does not recommend the diet because there is no good evidence that low-carbohydrate diets work any more effectively than conventional ones. Furthermore, she says, "Because they cut back on foods that have multiple health benefits, they may reduce health in the long term."

Roberts notes that the Protein Power regimen may work for many, but the reason is different from the theory put forth in the book. It simply may be the lack of variety that works to reduce overall calorie intake. "Protein Power and most other popular diet books substantially reduce the variety of foods you are allowed to eat -- and variety itself is a major promoter of overeating," she says.

Food For Thought

As with any of the currently popular low-carbohydrate and high-protein diets, the Protein Power plan yields weight loss on the short term. However, the established nutritional community warns that these eating plans can be seriously deficient in important nutrients. While this plan does offer a range of sample diets and menus, it requires a reduction in the variety of foods that one can eat, which may be difficult to sustain over the long term.

2012-08-26T05:10:00.001-07:00

What You Can Eat on the Protein Power Diet continued...

The book's sample menus don't sound too temperate: Breakfast might be smoked salmon and a cream cheese omelet, one-half cup of fresh strawberries, a slice of light toast with butter, and coffee; for lunch, one-half avocado stuffed with chicken salad made with mayonnaise, served on a bed of fresh greens. Dinner might be a lean cut of meat, ten steamed asparagus spears, salad, one-half tomato, and a small glass of red wine if desired. Diet sodas and artificial sweeteners are permitted in moderation.

To round out nutritional needs, the authors recommend taking a high-quality vitamin-and-mineral supplement, along with at least 90 milligrams of potassium.

The book contains sample menus, more than 100 recipes, and suggestions on how to order in every kind of restaurant.

How Protein Power Works

Like the other low-carbohydrate diets, the Protein Power regimen is based on the idea that controlling the level of insulin, "the master hormone of humanmetabolism," helps regulate blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat storage. Researchers have long known that carbohydrates cause the body to produce insulin and that high levels of insulin inhibit the breakdown of fatty deposits in the body. In contrast, low intake of carbohydrates keeps insulin levels low, forcing the production of a counterbalancing hormone, glucagon, which seeks energy from the body's supply of stored fat. Therefore, one loses weight. Do this long enough and the fat seems to melt away, the authors claim, and they add that the usual "low-fat, high-carbohydrate approach won't do it; it has just the opposite effect."

If you are very overweight, the initial phase of the diet (when carbohydrates are severely restricted) will almost certainly put you in a state of ketosis, which happens when fat breaks down to the point where ketone bodies are produced and excreted in the urine. Ketones are incompletely burned fat, say the Eades, so that any ketones "you get rid of without actually using them for energy means you are ditching unwanted fat without having to actually burn it off."

Is ketosis dangerous, as some nutritional authorities would have you believe? Not at all, attest the authors. Ketones are the natural by-product of fat breakdown, normal and important sources of energy. To facilitate getting rid of these ketones, they urge you to increase your fluid intake by as much as 50%, to at least two quarts of water-based fluids a day.

As for exercise, the authors favor resistance-training, such as weight-lifting, because it stimulates the release of growth hormone more quickly than aerobic exercise. Why is this important? Because growth hormone shifts the metabolism to the preferential use of stored fat for energy.

What the Experts Say About the Protein Power Diet

Low-carbohydrate diets, which always mean high protein, usually draw a red flag from conventional nutritionists and medical experts. But since they do jump-start weight loss that you can see quickly, some say they have their place. "Fad dietsare OK for a quick start," notes Bonnie Brehm, PhD, assistant professor of nutritionat the University of Cincinnati's College of Allied Health Sciences in Cincinnati, Ohio. "Some people need to see that five-pound weight loss rather than just a single pound after a week of dieting." Brehm is conducting a study comparing a high protein diet with the low-fat diet recommended by the American Heart Association

2012-08-26T05:09:00.007-07:00

What Is the Protein Power Diet?

The popularity of low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets is not as high as it was years ago when Protein Power graced the New York Times best-seller list for over a year. However, low-carb, high-protein diets continue to offer weight loss options.

Written by a married couple of MDs, Michael R. and Mary Dan Eades, the book promises that you will "feel fit and boost your health -- in just weeks!" The cover includes praise from one of their diet-expert-author competitors, Barry Sears, author of The Zone, who calls their book nothing less than "The Nutritional Primer of the Nineties."

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What sets Protein Power apart is the wealth of historical information about low-carbohydrate diets and how these have influenced dieters galore, ever since William Banting wrote his Letter on Corpulence in the mid 1800s. The Eades also provide scientific explanations for the functions of insulin and glucagons, the major hormones involved in the food-to-fuel process, along with plenty of encouragement and practical suggestions, such as what to order in a French restaurant or fast food joint.

What You Can Eat on the Protein Power Diet

Those of you who crave steak, eggs, and cheese will have a great time on the Protein Power diet. Vegetarians will not, because tofu is the main source of protein allowed non-meat eaters. And as even the most dedicated know, tofu three times a day can get tiresome.

To determine your daily protein quotient, the authors take you through a series of steps and measurements to determine your body fat and lean body mass, as well as ask you to assess your physical activity level.

You may choose your protein from fish, poultry, red meat, low-fat cheese (cottage cheese, feta, mozzarella, Muenster), eggs, and tofu. If you want to lose a lot of fat (the authors don't say you lose weight, but fat instead) or correct a health problem, you can add only 30 grams of carbohydrate, or less, divided throughout the day. If your need to lose is not so great, you can up that quota to 55 grams per day. Favorite low-carb foods? Lists of low-carb fruits and vegetables are given to make your life easier. These include leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, and a surprise fruit that rarely makes the diet sweepstakes: avocado, high in fat, but low in carbs.

Add in 25 grams of fiber (you can subtract the fiber grams from the carbohydrate grams in commercially processed foods, which gives you more carbs to play with), and healthy fats: olive and nut oils, avocado, and butter. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day. And a glass of wine or a light beer is OK, but their carbs count, too.

2012-08-26T05:09:00.005-07:00

What the Experts Say About The Pritikin Principle

There seems to be little dispute that you will lose weight on the Pritikin diet or that it is generally a nutritionally rich diet low in calories. But there are caveats: "Because fat makes one feel full, the extremely low fat content of this diet will make those following it often feel hungry," says Teryl L. Tanaka, RD, the clinical nutritionmanager at the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center. Consequently, she adds, the likelihood is high of the weight returning after one stops strictly adhering to the diet.

James Hill, PhD, the director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, agrees that the diet is not practical for many people. While observing that people staying at the Pritikin Centers do really well losing weight, he asks: "How realistic is the diet once they get away from the centers and into the real world?"

Both the Pritikin diet and the nutritionally similar Ornish diet are extremely low in fat, Hill notes, down to 10% of total calories. "Yes, if we could do that we would all be healthier, but it is very hard to follow that formula in our environment," he cautions. "It's difficult to maintain such a low-fat content of our diets if you eat out often, and it takes time to prepare good,-tasting low-fat food. Most people do not have the time to spend hours each day preparing food."

Another problem, adds Tanaka, is that the low-fat content may actually be harmful to our health, "Pritikin also inhibits the intake and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, and can even limit the amount of essential fatty acids provided by the diet needed for normal cell function, healthy skin and tissue, growth, and development."

Food For Thought

What do most nutritionists and health authorities like about the diet? Its strict limit of animal products -- often associated with a variety of major diseases -- and that it incorporates exercise and stress reduction, along with overall low calorie intake. But this is qualified with a concern that the extremely low-fat regimen is difficult to stick with over the long haul.

2012-08-26T05:09:00.003-07:00

What You Can Eat With The Pritikin Principle continued...

Not surprisingly, the more processed the food, the more likely they are packed full of calories. Corn, for instance, starts out at a somewhat reasonable 490 calories per pound. By the time it ends up in a tortilla chip at your favorite Mexican restaurant, it's skyrocketed to 2,450 calories per pound. However, eat it with guacamole, and the combination (avocado dip with the chips) drops the number to 1,450 calories per pound.

The plan is to eat food with a large volume of fiber and water to fill up your stomach -- vegetables, fruits, beans, and natural, unprocessed grains. These foods, he claims, "create tremendous feelings of fullness, or satiety, in your stomach." In addition to eating three meals a day, the program incorporates two "calorically light" snacks as well. While Pritikin doesn't have you counting calories, you do have to possess a basic understanding of how to calculate the "average caloric density of your meal," and then keep that average below a certain number.

Exercise is strongly recommended, and walking is his favorite. How much is just right to maintain weight loss? Based on observations of obese people who lost weight and kept it off, Pritikin suggests "All of us should use ... 30 miles a week as a goal." For the rest of us, however, he suggests one 30-minute walk a day. Going at a good clip, you might average 12 to 15 miles a week.

How The Pritikin Principle Works

To lose weight, most of us will need to keep the average caloric density of each meal below 400 calories per pound. Since most vegetables fall below 200 calories per pound, when they are eaten with meat and starches, they bring down the calorie average of each meal. High-carbohydrate food, along with pasta and hot cereals, range between 230 to 630 calories per pound. Animal protein goes from 400 calories per pound (some fish) to 1,400 (that juicy porterhouse steak) to 2,170 (bacon). By combining the leanest portions of animal protein with plenty of vegetables, you can get the caloric density down to a level where you will lose weight, according to Pritikin's plan.

To keep within the suggested guidelines, Pritikin suggests we eat whole, unprocessed, and natural carbohydrate-rich foods, such as grains, vegetables, and fruit. Those preferred are:

Brown rice
Millet
Barley
Oats
A wide assortment of dark green lettuces
Onions
Potatoes
Squash
Beans (black turtle beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima and pinto beans)
Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Bananas

Some processed whole-grain foods, such as oatmeal, are acceptable. Even white-flour pasta is okay, as long as it is combined with vegetables to bring down the caloric density of the whole meal.

Other guidelines: Eat small portions of lean beef, chicken, and low-fat dairy products. Fish is fine, preferably three servings per week of omega-3 rich seafood. Avoid fried foods, dressing with fat, and fatty sauces. Eat frequently. Have three meals a day plus two snacks. Stay active and avoid salty foods. Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda are okay. And decaf tea, once frowned upon, is fine.

The New Pritikin Program contains several pages of suggested meals and tips on how they might be improved with substitutions, as well as a restaurant guide for everything from a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy's to buttered noodles in a French restaurant to a serving of almond chicken in a Chinese establishment. More than 50 recipes are also included.

2012-08-26T05:09:00.001-07:00

What Is The Pritikin Principle

Everyone who's ever thought about going on a diet has at least heard of The Pritikin Principle: a low-fat diet, not vegetarian, but largely based on vegetables, grains, and fruits. Fat in the diet accounts for a mere 10%. Since 1976, more than 70,000 people have spent time at the Pritikin Longevity Centers learning how to eat healthy, prepare low-fat meals and snacks, and incorporate exercise and stress-reduction techniques into their lives. Several books by Nathan Pritikin carried the message of the Pritikin approach to the masses. It was an approach designed largely to promote well-being by lowering cholesterol and helping diabetics normalize their blood sugar without taking insulin. That people lost weight was an added plus.

Now his son, Robert Pritikin, has taken over and tweaked the concept. The same plant-based foods of the original are the staples of his diet, and the fat content of the regimen is still about as low as you can go. But Robert's latest books focuses on something he calls The Calorie Density Solution.

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He claims the concern is not calories but rather how dense they are in any given food. Fill up on foods that have relatively few calories per pound and you will lose the "excess body fat that threatens your health and longevity."

Choosing foods that are not "calorie dense," such as apples and oatmeal, promises to "give you the freedom to eat until you are full and never limit your portions or be hungry in order to lose weight." The higher the caloric density of any given food, the more likely it is to causeweight gain, because you will consume more calories to feel full than if you choose foods with a lower caloric density. A pound of broccoli, for instance, has only 130 calories (that's raw and unbuttered, of course) but a pound of chocolate chip cookies has 2,140 calories. You get the drift -- broccoli, good; chocolate chip cookies, bad.

What You Can Eat With The Pritikin Principle

Some foods have more calories packed in them, bite for bite and pound for pound, claims Pritikin. If we eat foods with fewer calories per pound, we can fill up on these foods and still have the kind of calorie deficit that we need to lose weight. Pritikin doesn't shy away from the basic principle that weight loss is achieved by eating fewer calories than you burn each day, which is refreshing, given the spate of current diet books that attempt to ignore that simple but unalterable axiom. The Pritikin Principle has more than 20 pages of charts listing the caloric density of all kinds of foods, from snacks to sausages, listing them in calories per pound to graphically demonstrate the striking calorie differences between low-density foods and high-density foods.

2012-08-26T05:08:00.009-07:00

P.I.N.K. Method Diet: Food for Thought

Eating a wide variety of healthy foods and getting plenty of exercise is a well-known prescription for weight loss.

The P.I.N.K. Method is easy to follow and enhanced by online support and a nutrition guide. But it may be challenging because it is an inflexible, restrictive diet approach limited in calories.

If this program works for you, follow the wellness advice and P.I.N.K. primary recommendations to eat a cleaner diet with lots of healthy foods. Add a once-daily multivitamin/mineral to fill in the nutritional gaps, and get regular physical activity.

When dietary recommendations are not sustainable in the long term, keep looking for a diet plan that promotes healthy changes you can live with forever. Unless you change your eating and lifestyle habits permanently, the weight is likely to return. Better yet, consult a registered dietitian for a customized food plan just for you.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

2012-08-26T05:08:00.007-07:00

The P.I.N.K. Method diet is divided into four phases:

Reset: This phase lasts for three to 14 days. It's geared toward fast weight loss of up to a pound a day prior to starting the workouts. It's also used for four days between each of the plan's workouts. Sample menu items include a breakfast drink made with whey protein; vegetables for snacks; and protein, whole grains, and non-starchy vegetables for lunch or dinner. Apart from the morning drink, carbs are limited to vegetables throughout the day. It’s a good thing this phase is short, because sticking to the limited amount of food could be tough. "Reset has about 1,025 calories, which is too low. I never recommend going below 1,200 calories because it is impossible to get the nutrition you need," Mangieri says.
P.I.N.K. Primary: After losing five to 10 pounds, you move on to the P.I.N.K. Primary phase and start the plan's first workout DVD. Meal plans during this phase include protein, vegetables, and fruit. Mangieri estimates this phase contains about 1,600 calories per day. That should be enough to support the exercise component. "This phase has enough calories but is low in vitamin D andcalcium," which are two nutrients that many women don't get enough of, Mangieri says. She suggests adding a few servings of nonfat diary or a multivitamin/mineral.
7 Day Shred: When you are within five pounds of your goal weight, the plan calls for you to shift to the 7-Day Shred phase. This phase cuts down on carbs and fats, replacing them with a vegetable soup to help you peel off those last few pounds. Drink lots of water and take a multivitamin/mineral. Workouts are restricted to easy 15-minute activities. Mangieri recommends skipping this phase (and the Reset phase), because they are inadequate in calories and nutrients -- instead, go directly to P.I.N.K.'s Primary and Preservation phases.
PINK Preservation: This is the plan's maintenance phase, which you start when you reach your goal weight. It contains about 1,400-1,800 calories per day and is the plan's most flexible phase. "Preservation is the forever nutrition and fitness plan that keeps those lost pounds and inches from returning," Pasquella says.

P.I.N.K. Method Exercise Plan

The P.I.N.K. Method comes with three fitness DVDs. Follow them in order, using each one for three weeks.

Each DVD contains three workouts focused on sculpting, cardio, and flexibility for one to two hours. Bonus workouts are also included.

Physical activity is important for everyone, but "these tough workouts may be hard for older women or beginners," Mangieri says.

2012-08-26T05:08:00.005-07:00

If you want to change your life and improve your body, P.I.N.K. Method founder Cynthia Pasquella says she has the answers.

The hip, girly P.I.N.K. Method is a low-calorie diet plan with a rigorous exercisecomponent promising a full-body makeover. "It can help you lose weight, improve your health, look your best, and change the way you think about yourself," Pasquella says.

P.I.N.K. stands for power, intensity, nutrition, and "kardio." It was designed for women and has been seen on Dr. Phil and The Doctors TV shows.

"The P.I.N.K. Method has some great advice addressing the whole person, recommendations to choose nutrient-rich foods and be physically active," says Heather Mangieri, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly called the American Dietetic Association).

But Mangieri also thinks the claims are over-promised. "Even in the best circumstances, many of the claims are overstated and not based on research," says Mangieri, who counsels overweight women in her Pittsburgh practice. "Foods are not fat burners and not everyone is going to rejuvenate skin, hair, and nails, and heighten their energy and libido on this plan."

P.I.N.K. Method Diet: What’s on the Menu

Foods allowed emphasize light proteins and unprocessed, whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits, and carbs recommended are rich in fiber and take longer to digest. The plan recommends organic foods.

Refined sugars, alcohol, and processed foods are not on the menu. Caffeine is permitted in small doses. Alcohol in small portions (one to two servings per week) is allowed after the first nine weeks. Stevia is the only artificial sweetener allowed on the plan.

2012-08-26T05:08:00.003-07:00

What Is the Personality Type Diet

The Personality Type Diet is based on sensible eating and exercise. So what's new?

Author Robert F. Kushner, MD, teaches medicine at Northwestern University and is director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After seeing a lot of people who wanted -- and needed -- to lose weight, Kushner realized there's no one-size-fits-all diet.

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The book, Dr. Kushner's Personality Type Diet, asks readers to answer 66 questions about their habits and attitudes toward eating, exercise, and coping. Based on the scores, a person falls into one or more categories. For example, when it comes to eating, a person may be a "Mindless Muncher;" when it comes to exercise, an "All-or-Nothing Doer;" in coping, a "Can't-Say-No Pleaser."

In sections of the book appropriate for each type, Kushner offers specific advice helpful in changing the behaviors and attitudes with which a person self-identifies. This doesn't mean other sections of the book aren't full of useful advice. But because you've already identified things you need to change, Kushner's method points you to the areas where diet and lifestyle change will do you the most good. Besides, most people will identify with more than one "type" in each category.

What You Can Eat on the Personality Type Diet

The Personality Type Diet is big on "super foods." These are all plant-based foods: Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, dried beans, lentils, and soy products. All are low- or moderate-fat foods rich in vitamins and other important nutrients.

The Personality Type Diet isn't a vegetarian diet, but there's a definite focus on vegetarian dishes. Fish and poultry are on the menu. Lean red meat is OK, but not encouraged. You won't find any beef dishes in the recipe section. There is, however, a stir-fry recipe using lean pork.

What the Experts Say About the Personality Type Diet

"At first glance, Dr. Kushner's Personality Type Diet looks like one more over-hyped, hokey weight loss plan," notes the July 2003 issue of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. "But the book actually explores practical methods that readers can use to restructure problematic eating and exercise habits tied to, well, their personalities."

The Tufts reviewers say that the book is one of the more responsible weight-loss plans. They hail its "common sense" advise, "divided up into small, doable steps."

The approach targets diet advice to people based on what they need the most help with and focuses strategies in three areas: eating, exercise, and coping with lots of realistic tips and tricks.

Tufts gives the book a five-out-of-five-stars "highly recommended" rating.

Kushner himself is a well-respected nutrition expert. However, neither he nor his co-author -- wife Nancy Kushner, RN, MSN -- is a clinical psychologist.

Food For Thought

Are you really interested in taking a look at your relationship with food -- and changing it? If so, the Personality Type Diet is an easy, fun, and useful place to start. But relationships, whether with food or loved ones, are hard to solve all by yourself. It may be helpful for you to consider exploring your food issues with a clinical psychologist.

2012-08-26T05:08:00.001-07:00

Food For Thought continued...

That's a remarkable claim. If Perricone could really do it, he'd be the most famous doctor in the world. So far, the rest of the medical community is unconvinced.

Perricone's diet is problematic in a number of ways. Any diet that forbids a lot of foods and entire food groups is extreme and maybe risky. It's also hard to stick with.

The price of the Perricone diet is also steep. While you don't have to earn Courtney Cox's salary to be on the Perricone diet, it would sure help. The food itself -- lots of fresh berries and wild salmon -- will get pricey fast.

That's not to mention the extremely high prices of Perricone's cosmeceuticals. On his web site, a two to three-month supply of various creams and lotions can cost well over $400. A thirty-day supply of "Skin and Total Body Supplements" costs $140. The fact that his products are only retailed in high-end stores -- like Nordstrom's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus -- gives you an idea of the people who are buying them.

Some readers might also be put off by Perricone's style. He has a rather grand vision of his battle with the medical establishment. He is not shy of proclaiming his "revolutionary breakthroughs" or mentioning his fabulous celebrity clients, which include models and rock stars.

Perhaps time and further research will prove Perricone right. But right now, the scientific evidence to back up his claims just doesn't exist.

If you have the time, dedication, and the money to try the Perricone diet, go ahead. It's not likely to harm you, although you should check with your doctor first. Just be aware that, if history is any guide, the quest for the Fountain of Youth just never pans out.

2012-08-26T05:07:00.005-07:00

How The Perricone Promise Works continued...

In Perricone's world, every meal seems fraught with danger. According to him, a breakfast of orange juice, a bowl of cereal with skim milk and bananas, a low-fat bran muffin with margarine, and a cup of coffee has terrible results. It causes "a rapid acceleration of the aging process, increasing the risk of heart disease, every known form of cancer, memory loss, and mental deterioration." This meal, he says, will leave you moody, "fat, wrinkled, and fatigued."

Perricone claims that eating a Snickers candy bar would be preferable. It would at least be "less inflammatory." But you'd have to look far and wide to find a mainstream nutritionist who agreed.

What the Experts Say About The Perricone Promise

While experts praise a few aspects of Perricone's diet, they also have a lot of doubts.

"In general, I don't think that people will be harmed by what Perricone suggests," says Roberta Anding, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly American Dietetic Association). "Eating more cold-water fish, fruits, and vegetables and having frequent sensible meals are all good suggestions."

But she does think that his limits on foods are too strict. "Although Perricone's plan contains healthy foods, the limitation of some food groups contrasts with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the majority of nutritional science," Anding tells WebMD.

"I don't agree with [Perricone's] emphasis on the glycemic index," says Lona Sandon, MS, RD, also a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "The effects of foods with a high glycemic index just aren't proven."

Sandon also dislikes that Perricone hawks his own line of supplements and skin care products.

"Any time a diet is sold along with additional supplements and creams that cost more than what most people spend on a month of groceries, that raises a red flag," says Sandon.

The diet may also not be safe for everyone, say experts. You should never start taking supplements before talking to your health care provider first. Many can interact with common medicines and cause problems. Anding recommends that anyone who is using a blood thinner must check in with a doctor before trying the diet. In addition, pregnant women (and women who may become pregnant) should be careful about eating too much fish, especially tuna, which can contain mercury.

"Perricone has got great marketing," says Anding. "But I think most people need to stop and think before they try this. Deep down, do you really think that a diet is going to reverse the aging process? If I did, I would certainly be on it. But I'm not."

Food For Thought

As a rule of thumb, you should be suspicious when anyone tries to sell you X-ray spectacles, a home alchemy kit, or the secret to eternal youth. Perricone promises something like eternal youth. The book jacket of The Perricone Promise boldly states that the diet can help "reverse the aging process."

2012-08-26T05:07:00.003-07:00

What You Can Eat on The Perricone Promise continued...

Perricone urges you to eat foods with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. In his view, the good foods are:

Wild Alaskan salmon (never farm-raised)
Other fish, such as tuna, shellfish, halibut, and trout
Turkey
Eggs
Yogurt
Vegetables like leafy greens, bean sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes
Fruits like berries (especially blueberries), cherries, apples, pears, and some melons
Avocados
Olives
Whole barley
Beans
Oatmeal
Nuts
Green tea
Spices, including oregano, ginger, cayenne pepper, and basil
Spring water (8 to 10 glasses a day)

Perricone suggests that you take more than 25 supplements a day. He recommends his own brand, which are available in some stores and on his web site.

How The Perricone Promise Works

There are three basic parts to The Perricone Promise approach:

Diet. Perricone recommends five meals a day -- breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. He suggests you eat a lot from his list of "superfoods," including salmon and berries. He also says that you must always eat protein before you eat any carbohydrates. His books include recipes and meal plans.

Supplements. Perricone recommends more than 25 supplements a day taken with breakfast and lunch. He suggests using his own line of products.

Skin care products. Perricone also has an extensive line of skin care products, including cleansers, toners, lotions, lip plumpers, and moisturizers.

In addition, Perricone recommends exercising at least 20-30 minutes a day.

Perricone relies on the glycemic index to guide his food choices. The index is a way of measuring the effect of a food on your blood sugar levels. Perricone says that foods with a high glycemic index cause swelling throughout your body.

However, experts debate whether eating foods with a high glycemic index is a problem for most people. Besides, if you eat foods in combination with one another -- as most of us do -- you can change your body's glycemic response to it.

Some Controversial Science

Some aspects of Perricone's approach are founded on good research. Increasingly, experts do see inflammation as a serious health problem. It can contribute to diseases like arthritis and heart disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to help the heart. Some studies suggest that they can even help with mood disorders. And many researchers think that the results of aging may not be inevitable. A diet with lots of salmon and berries has many benefits.

The problem is that Perricone stretches the evidence too far. He makes grand and often odd conclusions that the science can't completely support.

He tends toward dramatic and alarming pronouncements. "In essence, a wrinkle can be considered a wound," he writes. He says that sugar can be "toxic." It contributes to the destruction of our organs, joints, and "the deterioration of every bodily function."

2012-08-26T05:07:00.001-07:00

What Is The Perricone Promise?

Unlike most diets, the Perricone diet -- in its current incarnation, at least -- doesn't focus on weight loss. Instead, dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, claims that he's found a diet and regimen of supplements and lotions that can make you look younger and live longer.

But wait. Perricone also says his approach can also decrease inflammation in every organ system, improve your metabolism, lift your mood, make your heart resistant to disease, decrease the risk of cancer, improve bone density, repair the skin, rejuvenate your immune system, and possibly help you lose weight.

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Over the last few years, Perricone has popped up everywhere. He's made his pitch on Oprah, Today, 20/20, and many other shows. He's had several specials on PBS. He has endorsements from celebrities like Courtney Cox, who calls herself a "huge fan." Perricone's line of supplements and skin care products -- or "cosmeceuticals" as he calls them -- are sold on his web site, at some high-end department stores, and at his own shop on Madison Avenue in New York. He's also written many books, most of them best-sellers. Some examples are:

The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet: A Simple 3-Part Plan to Lose the Fat, the Wrinkles, and the Years (2007)
Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation (2007)
The Perricone Weight Loss Diet (2005)
The Clear Skin Prescription: The Perricone Program to Eliminate Problem Skin (2004)
The Perricone Promise (2004)
The Acne Prescription: The Perricone Program for Healthy Skin at Every Age (2003)
The Perricone Prescription (2002)
The Wrinkle Cure (2000)

So what's the angle? Every fad diet has to have a villain, and Perricone's is inflammation. His basic idea is that swelling is at the cause of wrinkles, acne, and other skin conditions as well as many other medical problems. And what's the cause of all this swelling? Food and the inflammatory response. He says that bad food choices are "directly responsible for wrinkles, degenerative diseases, and accelerated aging."

However, he claims that following his diet and regimen of supplements and lotions helps "reverse the aging process." Perricone says that his diet will make you look younger in as little as three days.

Some of Perricone's suggestions are sensible and founded on accepted science, but others are sketchier. Perricone frequently talks about his own research, but very little of it has ever been published or reviewed by outside experts. While Perricone makes some big claims, his diet is strict, costly, and largely unproven.

What You Can Eat on The Perricone Promise

The Perricone Promise diet is rigid. He wants you to cut out foods that, he says, cause inflammation. The list of foods to avoid is long. It includes:

Alcohol
Breads (especially French baguettes and croissants)
Flour
Coffee
Breakfast cereals (except non-instant oatmeal)
Granola
Duck
Beef
Fruit juice
Many fruits, like grapes, mangos, oranges, papaya, raisins, watermelon
Many vegetables, like carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, pumpkin
Pasta and noodles
Pizza
Pickles
Rice
Soda (including diet soda)
Sugar
Hard cheese

2012-08-26T05:06:00.003-07:00

Following this six-week, reduced-calorie plan, you should see a healthy 1-2 pound weight loss per week. The plan is designed to help you eat a lower-calorie, nutritious diet, incorporate healthy new habits, dress more fashionably, and work positive new ways of thinking into your life. At-home exercises are mapped out each day over the 42-day period, with the intensity level increasing over time.

Phase 1 of The Park Avenue Diet is a two-week self-discovery stage that teaches the dieter how to apply each of the seven principles discussed in the book. Phase 2 is a week of "preparing for greatness" by practicing your new skills. And finally Phase 3, "making the A-list," unveils the new you.

Defying conventional wisdom, The Park Avenue Diet does not recommend regular weigh-ins.

"You don’t need a scale to tell you how you are doing, how your clothes fit, or how you feel," Fischer says.
"All the compliments you will get are better reinforcements than a number on the scale."

The book briefly addresses maintenance, suggesting a continuation of what has been practiced over the six-week period, yet it defines no particular maintenance plan. Sustain the fundamentals you learned throughout the program and it will last a lifetime, Fischer says.

However, the diet's 1,250-1,350 daily calorie level is inadequate for weight maintenance There is no guidance on increasing exercise, calories, alcohol, or adding foods, such as more dairy and whole grains.

Park Avenue Diet: What the Experts Say

Studies show that any reduced-calorie diet plan that includes exercise, like The Park Avenue Diet, is a good bet for weight loss success.

"The Park Avenue Diet is a good overall lifestyle plan, but the calorie level may not be adequate to satisfy hunger," says Elisa Zied, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. (Fischer suggests a snack of a slice of turkey wrapped around a carrot or celery stick if you get hungry.)

Zied likes the lifestyle approach to losing weight but says the plan is so restrictive that it may be hard to sustain. She also says the menus are generally good, with a few exceptions.

"The suggested menus are nutritionally inadequate in calcium, vitamin D, and potassium because of the limited amount of low-fat dairy and whole grains," Zied says.

Zied, author of Feed Your Family Right, suggests adding low- or non-fat dairy foods and whole grains such as popcorn to fill in the nutritional gaps and help satisfy hunger.

"You may eat a few more calories, but at least the diet will be nutritionally balanced, similar to the recommendations of the [U.S. Department of Agriculture's] Dietary Guidelines, and more satisfying so you can stick with it long-term," she says.

Zied also cautions that rigorous exercise may be challenging without adequate calories to provide necessary fuel.

The Food and Drug Administration and American Dietetic Association recommend consuming at least 1,600 calories daily to meet all of your nutritional needs.

2012-08-26T05:06:00.001-07:00

The Park Avenue Diet: What It Is

You don’t need to live on Park Avenue to have that well-heeled look -- all you need to do is follow the Park Avenue Diet plan, according to the author of The Park Avenue Diet. The six-week Park Avenue Diet program is more than a low-calorie diet. It includes a lifestyle makeover encompassing beauty, etiquette, poise, fitness, and fashion, designed to give you the look of the rich and famous.

"The Park Avenue Diet can help everyone be more successful by working from the outside in and inside out, because looking better is more than just eating properly," says Manhattan internist Stuart Fischer, MD, author of The Park Avenue Diet.

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Dieting alone won’t do it, Fischer says. You also need to address the seven fundamental components of your lifestyle to have a better chance of physical and mental self-improvement. Those components, according to the book, are: weight, physique, hair, skin, clothing, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.

"Two behavior modifications work on self-confidence and interpersonal skills, and the other sections focus on appearance, which is so much more than just weight. It is what everyone notices when you walk into a room," Fischer says.

For the book, he assembled a team of experts (not including any registered dietitians), each of whom offers a chapter of advice on everything from hair styles and make-up to self-confidence.

But no matter how you slice it, this plan is a temporary, low-calorie (1,250-1,350) restrictive diet with some added advice on other aspects of life. It is not intended to be the sort of lifelong healthy weight approach that most nutrition experts recommend.

The Park Avenue Diet: What You Can Eat

The Park Avenue Diet plan is a fairly well-balanced meal plan of three meals and one snack, totaling about 1,250-1,350 calories daily. The diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood, as well as a limited amount of dairy products and whole grains.

The book is organized into daily menu plans with recipes and nutritional analysis so you can determine your exact nutrient intake. Anyone watching sodium intake should be careful, as many of the recipes are high in sodium.

All the recommended foods are readily available, and there are no gimmicks or strange food combination, even though Fischer served as the associate medical director at the Atkins Center for years. Dieters are told to forego sweets, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, fruit juice, and milk (except skim in coffee or tea). There are a few dessert recipes that can be enjoyed on occasion, but for the most part, dieters will need to satisfy any sweets cravings with the natural sweetness of fruit.

"We eliminate artificial sweeteners, sugar, and most sweets other than the few recipes included because, in my experience, sweet treats are like giving an alcoholic a drink, furthering the temptation for more," Fischer says.

The book does not encourage dietary supplements, yet the author sells them on his web site and at his practice (which is in Manhattan, but not on Park Avenue).

2012-08-26T05:05:00.009-07:00

The O2 Diet: Food for Thought

Despite some of the book's unsubstantiated claims -- such as that The O2 Diet can make you more beautiful or give you energy off the charts -- there is little downside to eating a wholesome diet high in antioxidants.

Add some calcium-rich foods, whole grains, and lean protein to give yourself a few more calories, and you'll have a greater chance of sticking with the program beyond 32 days.

If you're looking for a beauty boost, keep in mind that healthy, balanced diets, along with regular physical activity, can help keep your skin, nails and hair looking their best.

2012-08-26T05:05:00.007-07:00

The O2 Diet: How It Works continued...

The final two-week phase is essentially the same as Phase Two with an extra starch or fruit each day and a weekly indulgence such as a glass of wine or small piece of chocolate.

Here are sample meal plans for the various phases of the plan:

4-Day Cleanse: (You eat the same foods all four days)

Breakfast: One egg plus three egg whites with basil; green tea; water with lemon
Snack: Granny Smith apple with cinnamon
Lunch: Spinach with vinegar; 3-4 ounces fish with spices; 8 pecan halves; water with lemon
Snack: Steamed artichoke; green tea
Dinner: Romaine and veggie salad with 1 teaspoon olive oil; steamed asparagus; 3-4 ounces lean protein with spices; blueberries; water with lemon

Phase 2 Sample Meal Plan

Breakfast: 1 peach, 6 ounces fat-free yogurt, 8 pecans, and cinnamon
Snack: Celery w/ 2 tsp. almond butter and cinnamon
Lunch: Quick Cobb Salad (recipe provided)
Snack: 6 oz. fat-free yogurt, 2 oz. pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup blueberries
Dinner: Salmon with raspberry balsamic glaze (recipe provided)

Phase 3 Meal Plan

Same as Phase 2, with the addition of:

One starch or fruit serving daily
One "conscious indulgence" per week

Glassman estimates you can lose 2-5 pounds in the first four days of the antioxidant-rich diet (about half from water weight), and 1-2 pounds weekly during the remainder of the diet.

She says you won’t feel like you are on a diet once you add the little indulgences. "In the last phase, the plan feels closer to real life and is more sustainable and adaptable to traveling or eating out," she says.

Ultimately, you're encouraged to follow The O2 Diet for life to help you maintain the weight loss you achieved on the 32-day diet.

The O2 Diet: What the Experts Say

It certainly won't hurt you to eat lots of nutrient-dense, less-processed foods, but do you really need 30,000 or more ORAC points a day?

It's not clear whether antioxidant activity can be used as a measure for weight loss success, says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Lona Sandon, Med, RD.

"There is not enough evidence to use the ORAC scale as a tool for weight loss, because even if a food has a high ORAC value, it may not increase the antioxidant levels or be used by the body to fight free radicals," says Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Sandon views The O2 Diet as a gimmicky way to package a nutrient-dense, low-calorie diet that is built mainly on sound nutritional concepts. Still, she does see some dietary shortcomings.

"The plan is super-nutritious and will meet the [government's] Dietary Guidelines for fruits and vegetables, but it comes up short on dairy, calcium, whole grains, protein, and calories unless you are a sedentary woman," she says.

Her advice: Add a serving of low-fat dairy and whole grain (about 250 calories' worth) to boost protein and calcium and satisfy hunger.

Even if you don’t follow the plan long term, Sandon suggests paying attention to the nutritious foods highlighted on The O2 Diet, which should be included in any healthy diet.

2012-08-26T05:05:00.005-07:00

The O2 Diet: What It Is

Throw away the scale, forget about what you can’t eat, and load your plate with a bounty of antioxidant-rich foods. The antioxidant-based O2 Diet, by Keri Glassman, RD, promises to make you thin and more beautiful while teaching you to love healthy foods.

On The O2 Diet plan, instead of counting calories, you count ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) points. This number reflects the antioxidant activity of foods as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Antioxidants are nutritional substances that protect the body from damage by disease-causing molecules called free radicals. Studies show they can play a role in preventing certain cancers and heart disease.

Glassman says they can do much more: "If you eat a diet with a large amount of antioxidants high in ORAC points, you will feel great, look fabulous, be energized, and lose weight."

She also says that when you start eating healthier foods -- like fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, lean protein, and green tea – you'll feel so great you won’t miss unhealthy processed foods.

Included in The O2 Diet are recipes, tips, sample meal plans, and food journal forms. But the O2 formula for success goes beyond diet. Dieters are encouraged to keep a food journal, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and even engage in regular sexual activity.

The O2 Diet: What You Can Eat

On The O2 Diet plan, you'll eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, fish, beans, healthy fats, herbs, and spices. Healthy indulgences like wine and chocolate are allowed in the final phase.

Although the emphasis is on achieving 30,000 ORAC points daily, calories still count. "You can eat all the veggies you want, but you need to pay attention to the portion of fruits, lean proteins, starches, fats, and the indulgences in order to lose weight," Glassman says.

Dieters are encouraged to eliminate baked goods, fat-free and sugar-free foods, fried foods, high-fat and processed meats, soft drinks, sweets, added sugars, trans fats, and processed foods.

The O2 Diet: How It Works

The O2 Diet is a 32-day plan that starts with a 1,200 calorie, four-day "cleanse" that provides 50,000 ORAC points per day. (That may sound astronomical, but keep in mind that one cup of blueberries has 9,700 ORAC points.)

"This phase is an important jump-start to get the dieter motivated and feeling better almost immediately," Glassman says. "There is no variety; dieters eat the same super-antioxidant-rich foods for four days, and the lack of sodium and sugar help promote weight and water loss."

A two-week Phase Two follows, with at least 30,000 daily ORAC points and 1,400-1,500 calories. Dieters can remain in this phase longer if they want to lose more weight.

2012-08-26T05:05:00.003-07:00

What the Experts Say continued...

Motivated dieters can benefit from the lifestyle tools, educational materials, and online support. But Farrell fears that some people will just eat the food and hope that by some miracle, they will improve their eating habits after finishing the program.

"The NutriSystem plan is great for a short-term approach, but eventually you have to do the work by yourself, so pay attention to the portion sizes and food preparation styles so you can learn from them and do it on your own," says Farrell.

She suggests slowly transitioning to planning and preparing your own meals.

"One of the most important aspects of weight control is learning how to shop and cook healthier foods, and this program does not accomplish that critical aspect," she says.

Farrell likes the way the plan promotes eating regular meals and snacks, but is concerned that there may not be enough calories.

"There may be too few calories to manage hunger," she says. "Some meals are 250-350 calories whereas others are only around 150 calories -- and that is fine for a snack, but not enough for a meal."

Experts' opinions are mixed on the glycemic approach to weight loss. Some think it's just another gimmick -- but say that if it helps people eat in a more healthy way, the gimmick can be successful.

For example, nationally known diabetes expert and author Marion Franz, MS, RD, CDE, says that while the glycemic index is useful for people with diabetes, it has no redeeming value as a weight loss tool. But Harvard endocrinologist and pediatric professor David Ludwig, MD, says he has successfully used a glycemic index-based diet plan to help many children and families lose weight.

Food for Thought

Singles, people on the go, or anyone who does not want to be bothered with cooking may find this low-calorie, nutritionally sound program an easy, short-term way to lose weight. And following the plan and controlling calories with healthy snacks and supplemental items should result in weight loss. The 12-week mindset and weekly newsletters can be helpful in changing behavior, but won't help you prepare your own meals when you re-enter the real world at the end the program.

Think of the NutriSystem diet as a temporary plan that can help get you started on the road to healthier eating, but keep in mind that you will ultimately have to do it on your own. The challenge is to continue losing weight on a calorie-controlled diet without the advantage of the prepackaged foods.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

2012-08-26T05:05:00.001-07:00

What You Can Eat continued...

The monthly shipments of food include 28 breakfasts, 28 lunches, 28 dinners, 28 desserts, and the option of one week of free food. No meal replacements are used, but dieters are encouraged to supplement the monthly shipments with fruit, vegetables, salad, protein, and milk purchased at your local market. Sugar, white bread, candy, cakes, processed foods, and alcohol are not permitted.

A typical 1,200-calorie meal plan includes:

Breakfast: NutriSystem breakfast entree, 1 serving fruit, and 1 serving dairy or protein
Lunch: NutriSystem lunch entree, 1 serving salad, 1 serving dairy or protein, 2 tbs. fat-free salad dressing
Snack: 1 serving fruit, 1 dairy or protein serving
Dinner: NutriSystem dinner entree, 2 vegetable servings, 1 salad or fruit serving, 1 fat serving
Dessert: NutriSystem dessert

How It Works

NutriSystem has programs designed for men and women, and the plan can be further customized for people with type II diabetes, vegetarians, older dieters, and people seeking to maintain their weight. There is no weighing, measuring, counting calories, or cooking -- other than adding water and heating pouches in the microwave.

"It takes the thinking out of healthy meal planning and helps dieters get accustomed to proper portion sizes and smart carbs," says Delphine Carroll, NutriSystem vice president for public relations.

If you take advantage of the education and counseling, she says, you should be able to prepare healthy meals on your own at the end of the program.

NutriSystem dieters choose meals and desserts from a catalogue of products for 28 days at a time, or until they reach goal weight. Most dieters stay on the program 10-11 weeks, according to the company. The program includes a planner that has step-by-step instructions for what and how much to eat at each meal, as well as a dining out guide to help with restaurant food choices. Dieters are encouraged to track everything they eat in the included meal planner. Counseling from health advisors is free with the food purchases.

The plan does not include a maintenance or long-term phase, only guidance from the web site and Mindset guide.

What the Experts Say

The real question is whether dieters can continue losing weight when they no longer rely on prepackaged foods, experts say. The plan offers a great jump start to healthier eating but some folks might stumble right back into their old eating habits afterward.

"Dieters may only experience success while they are ordering the prepackaged foods because once they are on their own, they are faced with the real world of cooking, meal preparation, and issues they are not prepared to handle because they were not addressed on the plan," says former Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD.

2012-08-26T05:04:00.007-07:00

What It Is

The NutriSystem weight management program is the ultimate in convenience. Dieters who don't want to think about portion sizes, planning, shopping for or cooking meals will love the NutriSystem diet plan. You simply make your food selections and then get a month's worth of meals delivered to your door in microwave-ready pouches.

Overall, the diet is healthy. The meals are low in sodium, saturated and trans fats , and include whole grains and a wide variety of foods. And portion-controlled meals offer an advantage for anyone who has trouble with portion size.

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The NutriSystem diet plan started in 1972. Since then it has undergone many changes, and today features the NutriSystem Advanced plan (launched in 2008), a "glycemic advantage" approach promoting "good carbs," low fat, healthy protein, and high-fiber ready-cooked meals. NutriSystem Advanced meals also contain soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to promote heart health and feelings of fullness.

The glycemic index is a popular weight losstool, based on the idea that foods ranking low on the glycemic scale help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings. The premise of the NutriSystem plan is eating high-fiber, low-fat foods with optimal amounts of lean protein to curb cravings and satisfy hunger on fewer calories.

Women follow a 1,200-calorie plan and men are allowed 1,500 calories per day. Meals are chosen and delivered via mail from the NutriSystem web site or over the phone. Meal, snack, and dessert options are available in shelf-stable pouches that can be conveniently heated in a microwave oven. The food costs approximately $260-$340/month (plus additional costs for supplemental items from your local grocer).

In addition to receiving the prepared meals, dieters are encouraged to learn to modify their eating behaviors. They receive a 12-week, self-guided "Mindset Makeover" behavioral guide, written by Temple University obesity expert Gary Foster, PhD, which addresses everything from curbing cravings to the importance of social support. In addition, diet and fitness guidance, a weight loss community, and support are available online. Counselors are also available over the telephone.

Exercise -- at least 30 minutes daily -- is recommended while following the NutriSystem diet plan. Dieters can use the demonstration CDs included in their packet or choose online fitness plans that can be tailored to various fitness levels. Options include aerobics , yoga, and resistance-training programs.

What You Can Eat

Dieters choose from more than 150 entrees and desserts that promise to be balanced in protein, fat, and "good" carbs. The diet is made up of 55% carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 20% fat. Most of the NutriSystem meals are lower in saturated and trans fats, sodium (approximately 1,800-2,200 milligrams per day), and rich in whole grains. The meals are supposed to be supplemented with 6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Dieters eat five to six meals a day,which should help control hunger.