It may be an indigestible fact for fitness-fad enthusiasts, but there's no such thing as the Mayo Clinic Diet. The origin of the Mayo Clinic eating plan, which has been slammed by the Clinic itself, remains a mystery.
Some speculate that it kicked off when a former Minneapolis radio and newspaper personality who was treated for gout at the Mayo Clinic shared his doctor's "diet for gout" with his radio audience and readers.
Similarly, the American Heart Association had to come out against a phoney diet being circulated under their name. This particular three-day menu, circulated in different names such as the Spokane Heart Diet and the Cleveland Clinic Diet featured "creative" foods like vanilla ice-cream, eggs and cheddar cheese. The diet promised a 10-pound weight loss in three days.
Though many such fad diets abound, most lack proper research or scientific basis to back them. People have devised diets around blood types and bodily chemical reactions between meals. These diets, however, require you to undergo a lifestyle change.
Truly, nutritionists today believe it's better to inculcate a lifestyle with good eating habits rather than pursue these fad diets. Alternately, you can visit your neighbourhood nutritionist and draw up a nutritive eating plan to suit your needs.
Still, many people pursue these fad diets. The following is a list of some popular diets, each with its merits and demerits according to Friday columnist and dietitian Christina Aon:
Mediterranean Diet
Duration: For a lifetime
The traditional diets of people residing in countries like Greece and southern Italy were the basis of an extensive study many years ago by Harvard University. The lifestyle and dietary habits of more than 12,000 men were studied in seven countries including the U.S. The research revealed that Greeks and Italians may be overweight but incidences of chronic diseases were low and their life-expectancy rates were high.
The Mediterranean-style diet stacked with fresh fruits, vegetables, grains of all types and legumes (such as beans, lentils and peas), some meat and fatty dairy products, was termed healthy. In fact, it is less of a diet and more of a health-enhancing dietary pattern.
Interestingly, the traditional Mediterranean Diet delivers as much as 40 per cent of total daily calories from fat. But, the presence of olive oil in the diet, which is stated to be "heart healthy" acts as a good leveller, it is believed. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat which does not have the same cholesterol-raising effect of saturated fats and happens to be a good source of antioxidants!!
The main elements of this diet are:
Daily
* Plenty of breads, pasta, grains, potatoes, fresh vegetables, fruits (for dessert), legumes and nuts.
* Olive oil as the principal fat in small amounts in place of other fats and oils.
* Cheese and yoghurt in low-to-moderate amounts.
Weekly
* Low-to-moderate amounts of fish and poultry.
* Upto four eggs.
A few times a month
* Red meat on rare occasions (limited to 12 to 16 ounces)
(In addition, daily physical activity is recommended)
Merits
It's based on a research and provides people with a guide. The problem with fad diets is that you are confused about what to do after the diet is over. But, the positive aspect of this diet is that it calls for a lifestyle change. Any person from any culture can follow it.
It promotes a vegetarian-type diet with very little meat, which is good for health. Eating high amounts of complex carbohydrates and fibre may offer some protection against colon problems and, because beans and peas absorb cholesterol and restore blood sugar levels to normalcy, it's good for diabetics. Fish, which has omega 3 fats, also has a protective effect on the heart and blood pressure.
Demerits
There are no portions assigned to the foods and people may eat too much. People who adopt this programme keep gaining their weight back. Since weight loss is slow, it often discourages people.
Dr Dean Ornish Diet
Duration: For a lifetime
It was devised as a dietary plan for adults with a history of heart problems. A hi-profile celebrity who adheres to this diet is none other than American First Lady Hillary Clinton. She changed the diet at the White House kitchen and made them pursue the guidelines laid down by the preventive medicine specialist, Dr Dean Ornish (author of Eat More, Weigh Less).
His diet, which recommends a lifestyle change, prescribes a low-fat vegetarian way of eating with less than 10 per cent calories from fat (for most people, this would be a diet with 15 to 25 gms of fat per day) but with unlimited amounts of fruits, vegetables and filling grains!
The diet
The following foods can be eaten until you are full (not stuffed):
* Beans and legumes, fruits, grains and vegetables e.g. lentils, kidney beans, apricots, strawberries, melons, corn, oats, rice, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, eggplant.
The following can be consumed in moderation:
* Non-fat dairy products and non-fat or very low-fat commercially available products e.g. skim milk, non-fat yoghurt, cereals, fat-free crackers.
The foods to be avoided here:
* Meats (all kinds including chicken and fish)
* Oils (all kinds) and oil-containing products, including margarine and most salad dressings
* Avocados
* Olives
*7 Nuts and seeds
* High-fat or low-fat dairy, including whole milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese, egg yolks, cream, etc
* Sugar and simple sugar derivates (honey, molasses, corn syrup, high fructose syrup and the like)
Note: This diet promotes no more than 10 per cent of calories from fat, 15-20 per cent protein, 70-75 per cent complex carbohydrates and 5 mg cholesterol
Merits
The diet rests on whole plant foods. These foods are naturally low in fat and high in protective components such as fibre, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Secondly, the dieters do not have to limit their calories because it's so low in fat and high in fibre. It also reduces the LDL (bad) cholesterol. Studies show that it helps to reduce cardiac problems.
Demerit
Since it comprises very low-fat vegetarian diet, it is difficult to follow.
The Cabbage Soup Diet
Duration: One week
The basis of this diet is a cabbage soup consumed along with some specified food items. It has no fat-burning powers but it fills you up, acting as an appetite suppressant. You do lose weight quickly on this diet, but the rapid drop in pounds is mostly due to water loss, not a reduction in body fat.
The soup is made from one head of cabbage, six large onions, two green peppers, one 28-ounce can of tomatoes, a bunch of celery, one packet of onion soup mix and water.
In this plan, each day, dieters down cabbage soup to their heart's content, plus a specified food also in unlimited amounts (except where noted):
Day 1: Any fruit excluding bananas
Day 2: Vegetables including a baked potato with butter for dinner (potatoes are off-limits on other days)
Day 3: Fruits and vegetables
Day 4: Up to eight bananas and skimmed milk
Day 5: Six
