Most Popular Diets

POPULAR DIETS

Here are some popular diets which claim to help reduce weight. They are listed in no particular order and no claims are made for their effectiveness.
If shedding some extra pounds is on your list of New Year Resolutions, surely one of the following could help you reach your goal of a leaner, meaner YOU.

ATKINS

THE SCIENCE: The body metabolizes carbohydrates first; cut down on carbs, and your body will burn fat. So you can eat all the protein and fat you want and still shed pounds.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Sugar and carbs. After a stringent regimen during the first few weeks (including no more than twenty grams of carbs a day), gradually up your carb intake and ease into a diet low in trans fats, sugars, refined flours, and processed foods.

READING UP: Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, by Robert C. Atkins www.atkinscenter.com.

THE ZONE

THE SCIENCE: Balance the basic food groups: 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, one-dimensional meals.

READING UP: The Zone, by Barry Sears www.zoneperfect.com.

PERRICONE PRESCRIPTION

THE SCIENCE: Pounds are shed and wrinkles prevented by eliminating foods over 50 on the glycemic index and by increasing your intake of antioxidants (dark leafy greens, blueberries, cantaloupe) and omega-3 fatty acids (nuts, olive oil, salmon).

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Rice, pasta, bread, refined sugars, potatoes, and juice.

READING UP: The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Prescription, both by Nicholas V. Perricone www.perriconeprescription.com.

LIFE CHOICE

THE SCIENCE: The antithesis of Atkins: a low-fat diet that comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and soy products in their natural forms.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Cut back on meat, sugar, alcohol, and high-fat foods.

READING UP: Eat More, Weigh Less, by Dean Ornish www.ornish.com.

WEIGHT WATCHERS

THE SCIENCE: Foods are assigned point values based on their number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. Eat anything you want, but stay inside your daily point limit.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Five-course tasting menus and supersize McDonald's meals.

READING UP: Weight Watchers Stop Stuffing Yourself www.weightwatchers.com.

MACROBIOTIC

THE SCIENCE: Eat only when you're hungry, chew slowly, and divide your daily proportions along these lines: 10 percent brothy soup; 30 percent veggies, 10 percent beans and sea vegetables, and 50 percent whole grains-plus a bit of seafood, fruit, and nuts. And lots of twig tea.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Meat, dairy, artificially or chemically treated foods, and caffeine.

READING UP: The Macrobiotic Way, by Michio Kushi www.macrobiotics.org.

RAW FOODS

THE SCIENCE: Cooking food destroys its nutritional value: Enzymes begin to degenerate; the body has to use its own enzymes to digest food, hastening aging and sapping energy.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Anything heated past 118 degrees.

READING UP: Raw (came out May 2003), by raw-food guru Roxanne Klein and four-star chef Charlie Trotter.