The Grapefruit Diet--also known as the Hollywood Diet and the Mayo Clinic Diet--is a weight loss plan that has been popular in a number of different variations for years. The Grapefruit Diet includes a specific set of guidelines, as well as a list of recommended foods and foods to avoid. Proponents claim that if you do not follow each of the guidelines precisely, you will not lose the maximum amount of weight possible on the diet. While the Grapefruit Diet does feature advantages, critics believe that the program's disadvantages make it an unhealthy weight loss choice.
History
The Healthy Weight Forum site reports that the first variant of the Grapefruit Diet emerged in the 1930s and became popular among Hollywood celebrities of the time. Supporters of the diet claimed that grapefruit contained enzymes that could help promote weight loss, even without exercise or other lifestyle changes. Research conducted by the Scripps Clinic and a 2006 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food support the idea that eating grapefruit regularly can help stimulate weight loss and that eating grapefruit prior to each meal may be a factor.
Guidelines
The Grapefruit Diet includes detailed instructions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bedtime snack, all of which are to be followed strictly for 12 days. After 12 days on the diet, you can take two days off to eat regularly, then begin the 12 day plan again if you wish. Before each main meal, the program specifies you should consume 1/2 a grapefruit or 4 oz. of unsweetened grapefruit juice. Following the grapefruit, you should eat at least two eggs and two slices of bacon for breakfast, any amount of meat cooked in any manner and a salad with any type of dressing for lunch and any amount of meat or fish paired with vegetables cooked in any manner for dinner. For the after-dinner snack, choose between a glass of skim milk or a glass of tomato juice.To follow the diet correctly, you must not skip any meals or any of the specified foods. You are allowed to eat as much as you want, but eating between meals is forbidden. While you may use as much fat as you like to prepare and season foods, limit your caffeine consumption to one cup at each meal and eliminate most forms of carbohydrates.
Recommended Foods
According to Healthy Weight Forum and Every Diet, the recommended foods while on the Grapefruit Diet include vegetables like broccoli, green onions, lettuce, cabbage, red onions, carrots, peas, spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers and radishes; all types of fruit; sweet pickles; peanut butter; any jam or jelly; corn; and carbohydrate sources like pasta, cereal or corn chips.
Foods to Avoid
While on the Grapefruit Diet, avoid the following foods: all types of bread; hot dogs; mayonnaise; vegetables like celery, green beans, white onions and all types of potatoes; and chili peppers.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Most people following the Grapefruit Diet report at least some level of success losing weight. The program is inexpensive and simple to follow. According to Diets in Review.com, the Grapefruit Diet provides significant amounts of the vitamin beta-carotene, an antioxidant compound that grapefruits are rich in, and it also provides vitamins and minerals from the vegetables required for lunch and dinner. However, the Grapefruit Diet may not offer sufficient amounts of calories or a wide enough variety of nutrients for optimal health; a typical day on the diet provides only 800 calories while Diets in Review.com reports that nutritionists recommend consuming no less than 1,200 calories a day, even while dieting. The diet severely restricts complex carbohydrates and cannot be followed by vegetarians or vegans. In addition, the site That's Fit points out that consuming grapefruit can interfere with the function of a number of medications, including certain antidepressants and many cholesterol and blood pressure medications. Although the Grapefruit Diet may yield a temporary weight loss, it is not believed to be an effective long-term weight control solution.
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