Garden of Eating Diet

More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. Overweight people pay 42 percent more for health care than normal-weight people, says the NIDDK. The Garden of Eating Diet claims to help you lose weight and reverse diet-related disease through the consumption of a Paleolithic diet, according to the company's website.

Identification

The Garden of Eating Diet was created by Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz and her husband Don Matesz. Don Matesz holds a comprehensive nutrition diploma from the American Academy of Nutrition in Corona Del Mar, California, according to the diet's website. The diet claims to help you lose weight by showing you how to model the way you eat after ancient man's hunter-gatherer dietary practices, says GardenofEatingDiet.com.

Theories/Speculation

Humankind originated in the tropics, say the Mateszs. Therefore, we were created to consume a produce-dominated diet of nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits, and also eat lean wild game, according to the diet's website. The Mateszs also point out that ancient man did not eat grains, sugar, alcohol, dairy products or refined vegetable oils. The Garden of Eating Diet excludes these foods that ancient man did not eat to help you improve your health, shed pounds and elevate your resistance to diet-related degenerative diseases, claims GardenofEatingDiet.com.

Methodology

You begin the diet by adjusting your diet to two-thirds vegetable and fruit-based meals and snacks. Second, you eliminate alcohol, dairy products, soda, vegetable oils, sugar and refined grains from your diet. Finally, you consume only grass-fed or wild animal meat and egg products, which have more nutrients and fewer calories than supermarket meats, says GardenofEating.com. The Mateszs provide 250 dairy-, grain- and gluten-free recipes to help you follow the diet.

Clinical Data

In a study conducted by the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine under head researcher L.A. Frassetto, nine non-obese volunteers ate their normal diet for three days and then increased fiber and potassium-rich foods for seven days. The volunteers ate a hunter-gatherer diet of nuts, vegetables, lean meats and fruit for the following 10 days. At the beginning of the study, the researchers recorded the volunteer's blood pressure levels, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. At the end of the study, the researchers found that the short-term consumption of the hunter-gatherer diet increased the participant's insulin sensitivity. The diet also improved their blood pressure and glucose tolerance, as published in the August 2009 edition of the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Warning

Speak with your doctor about the benefits and risks of the Garden of Eating Diet before you start it. You might have specific dietary needs that the program does not address, or your doctor may prescribe another dietary approach based upon your specific health needs.