About The Beverly Hills Diet

The Beverly Hills Diet, considered by many to be the first fad diet, was created by actress Judy Mazel and first written about in her 1981 book of the same name. The diet's origins lie in Mazel's own efforts to lose weight and her eventual success. In her book, Mazel claims to have lost 72 pounds following the Beverly Hills Diet, which is based on the theory that certain foods should be eaten together. In 1996, Mazel released an updated version of the diet, titled "The New Beverly Hills Diet."

Theory Behind the Diet

The Beverly Hills Diet is based on an idea known as "food combining" that claims all foods belong to one of four groups -- carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and fruits -- and that eating foods from certain groups together or in the wrong order causes them to not be digested properly. For example, according to the diet, combining proteins and carbohydrates doesn't allow each to be digested properly, and they turn into body fat. This theory also asserts that while fats can be eaten with carbohydrates and protein, carbohydrates and protein cannot be eaten at the same time. In addition, the theory behind the Beverly Hills Diet requires that all fruits be eaten separately from other foods.

Eating Plan

The Beverly Hills Diet includes a 35-day eating plan that centers heavily around fruits. According to the diet, the first meal of the day should be one kind of fruit, and the dieter can eat as much of this type of fruit as he would like during that meal. Because order is important in the Beverly Hills Diet, the next meal eaten during the day should consist only of foods from the carbohydrate group, such as breads and vegetables. For the third meal of the day, followers of the diet can eat another meal of carbohydrates or a meal of proteins, which includes meats and dairy. On certain days, dieters may be instructed to eat only one type of food, such as grapes or watermelon.

Benefits

The Beverly Hills Diet promises weight loss of up to 20 pounds in 35 days, which brings with it significant benefits, including decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Proponents of the diet also advocate that it is not calorie restrictive, allowing dieters to eat as much food as they'd like while following the rules of the plan. Another benefit of the Beverly HIlls Diet is that it includes a significant amount off fruits and vegetables, which contain many vitamins and nutrients essential to optimal health and nutrition. In addition, the diet advocates fresh foods while restricting those with artificial ingredients.

Criticisms

Although the Beverly Hills Diet may allow followers to lose significant amounts of weight, many medical and nutrition professionals are critical of the diet. According to an article in The New York Times published shortly after the diet's release, the principles behind the diet are not supported by scientific proof and in many cases contradict established fact. Other criticisms of the diet include the fact that, although it is not calorie restrictive, it naturally lends itself to a low-caloric intake, providing inadequate nutrition. Many also consider the diet unrealistic due to its extensive rules and restrictions.