Posts Tagged ‘dietary’

One of the popular fad diets in Hollywood was the grapefruit diet. It dates back to the’30s, and many Hollywood stars of the time swore by it. It remained popular until the mid-1970s, when it became one of the diets that was sent from fax machine to fax machine, creating a phenomenon known as xerox lore. The diet is credited to the Mayo Clinic, which clearly states that it has nothing to do with the diet and that this diet is not healthy.

Originally the grapefruit diet was an Atkins style diet that added one half grapefruit before each meal. There was no cheating on this diet only three meals a day and no in between meals snacks. The diet made astounding claims such as lose a pound each day for 10 days.

The distribution was just as far fetched no weight loss for four days then five pounds lost all on the fifth day. It was based on the claim that grapefruit contains some form of fat burning enzymes, something that has never been proven medically.

In 2004 a scientific study determined that it is possible that the grapefruit diet helps people lose weight. 1/2 grapefruit with each meal helped people lose 3.6 pounds in only 12 weeks. Those who drank the serving of grapefruit juice at each meal lost just slightly less weight in the same period of time. Some people lost as much as 10 pounds in the 12 week study.

Researchers attributed the weight loss to decreased insulin levels caused by eating grapefruit. However, all the participants slightly enhanced their exercise programs, which may account for the lost weight.

Here’s a typical grapefruit diet:

- Drink eight servings of water a day. – Stop eating when you feel full. – Eat all the listed foods at each meal, don’t skip food as it interferes…