The High Protein Low Carb Scarsdale Diet

The Scarsdale diet, which was published in a book called 'The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet' by Dr. Herman Tarnower of Scarsdale, NY and Samm Sinclair Baker in 1979, claims to be able to cause a weight loss of 20 pounds in 14 days for those who follow the diet.

This weight loss program might be best described as a more nutritionally varied version of the grapefruit diet, in that the Scarsdale diet plan includes half a grapefruit at breakfast each day for the supposed 'fat burning enzyme' that it contains.

It should be noted that there is no scientific basis for the idea of a fat burning enzyme in grapefruit.

During the first 14 days of the diet, Dr. Tarnower proposes a strict diet plan, followed by 1-2 weeks of a less restrictive plan before going back onto the more restrictive plan again for another 14 days if you need to.

The Scarsdale diet is, generally speaking, a high protein low carb diet plan, and the allowed foods while you're on the diet include fruit, vegetables, and lean sources of protein in unlimited amounts. You can also have 1-3 slices of protein-enriched bread per day.

Breakfast consists only of half a grapefruit and one slice of bread. For lunch, you may have fruit alone, or you can have meat, fish or cheese with salad or vegetables. Dinner consists of meat or fish with vegetables, and you may have bread at lunch or dinner on some days.

Tea, Coffee, Diet Soda, and water of course, are allowed on the diet, but snacks are limited to raw carrots, celery, etc, in unlimited amounts. Mustard, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire sauce and herbs are also allowed.

No potatoes, corn, peas, beans (other than green beans) or lentils are allowed on the diet, and no pasta, rice or other grains except for bread when specified.

Why Does The Scarsdale Diet Work?

The Scarsdale Diet is a strict calorie controlled diet and most people will lose weight over the 14 days if they can stick to it. The cyclical nature of the plan (2 weeks on, 1-2 weeks off) is said to optimize results because it prevents the metabolism from adjusting to the lower calorie intake.

Any Negatives With The Scarsdale Diet?

Most people who follow this diet will be very hungry, making it hard to stick to. Many choose to take some kind of appetite suppressant in order to get around the hunger problem, but these can carry risks of their own. If you can stick to the plan you will lose weight, but most of that initial weight loss will be water.

This would be a difficult diet for vegetarians to follow as there is a heavy emphasis on lean meats, with most of the calories coming from animal protein foods.

Many people also find the cyclical style of the diet to be difficult, and there is the risk of going completely off of it at the end of the 14 days and regaining any lost weight.

The Scarsdale Diet has been criticized for promoting yoyo dieting, which is the unhealthy habit of constantly gaining and losing weight in short periods of time. As with any other diet, it is best to consult with your physician before beginning this diet.

The Green Tea Diet

Most experts agree that supplements can significantly help to curb the appetite and decrease intake, which leads to weight loss. And while there are many weight loss programs and many supplements to choose from, Green Tea weight loss supplements are becoming a very popular choice.

Because of a standard diet that is full of too much protein, too many fats too many sugars, and not enough fruits and vegetables, obesity has become a significant problem in Western civilization.

Part of this is due to the fact that people just don't have an accurate understanding of the size of a 'serving'. For instance, a serving of meat is usually 3 ounces of lean meat, which is a small amount.

Weight loss supplements that are sold over the counter usually contain one of the three most commonly used supplements for weight loss, which are green tea, ephedra, and protein. Protein is used to increase one's protein intake and stop the use of carbohydrates, which puts the body into ketoacidosis, increasing the metabolism.

Since damage can occur to the kidneys from following increased protein diets, which are considered to be fad diets, they should not be maintained for any length of time.

Ephedra, which is a common supplement that has been proven to speed metabolism and decrease appetite, is also linked to significant side effects. Patients have been diagnosed with heart attacks and have died as a result of using this supplement.

Both caffeine and the chemical EGCG are part of the make up of the Green Tea weight loss supplements, and when the two of them react to each other, the metabolism in the body increases.

Unfortunately, there have been no long-term studies using green tea weight loss supplements to document the effectiveness and side effects, and many people have chosen to stick with the green tea 'weightloss brew' for this reason. So anytime you take supplements you should consult your doctor to ensure that the supplement won't interfere with any other medications, over the counter medications, or health issues you might have.

Green tea weight loss supplements also contain catechins, the anti-oxidants. These catechins are unfermented in green tea and in their natural state and are believed to suppress fat absorption from the diet. The anti-oxidants cause an increase in energy use in the body, thus burning more calories. The supplements stimulate the body to burn fats faster, and as a result, people who use them in studies will lose approximately 2 1/2 pounds per month.

Green tea weight loss supplements can help us to stay healthy by fighting free radicals - oxygen containing molecules that are a by-product of digestion. Free radicals can damage cells, DNA, and lead to diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Although Green Tea supplements contain caffeine, this doesn't seem to have the negative effects found in other products. For instance, Green Tea supplements don't cause the jitters or speed up the heart rate.

The main amino acid in green tea weight loss supplements is Theanine, which is able to induce relaxation and the release of dopamine, helping to provide a feeling of well-being. Theanine minimizes the effect of caffeine, which may be the reason green tea doesn't cause the jitters and increased heart rate.

Although people who take supplements to help them lose weight have a higher success rate than those who don't, people who receive support also have a higher rate of success. Green Tea weight loss supplements are another option to help suppress the appetite and eat less while trying to lose weight, but be sure you have all the facts straight before deciding to take any kind of weight loss supplements.