The Bread for Life Diet

The Bread for Life Diet was created by Olga Raz, a nutritionist who claims that eating large amounts of bread each day can help you lose up to 20 pounds in eight weeks. Raz also claims that eating this much bread can correct chemical imbalances in the brain that hinder weight loss. Always talk with your doctor before beginning a new diet program.

How It Works

Raz claims that the complex carbohydrates in bread increase serotonin levels in your brain, which may reduce your cravings for sweets and suppress your appetite. The diet works in two phases, the first containing complex carbohydrates from bread alone and the second allowing you to substitute with other forms of complex carbohydrates. Other foods are allowed as bread fillings. You will consume six small meals each day and learn to overcome dieting roadblocks. Besides weight loss, the Bread for Life Diet is supposed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and may ease the symptoms of diabetes.

Food

While following the Bread for Life Diet, women should consume eight to 12 slices of bread each day and men should have 12 to 16 slices daily. The diet requires choosing light bread with 35 to 45 calories per slice. Fill the bread with mustard, peanut butter, hummus, avocado, sugar-free jelly, vegetables, tuna, smoked salmon, chicken or turkey breast, tofu, low-fat cheese or any combination of these items you prefer. The Bread for Life diet limits fruit because Raz claims that it can raise blood glucose and is not a necessary part of a healthy diet. You are able to eat as many vegetables as you want. Unprocessed meat can be consumed three times per week, but no amounts are provided and up to 8 oz. of dairy foods are allowed each day. You will also eat two to three tablespoons of olive or canola oil daily.

Exercise

A healthy weight loss plan should include exercise regularly. The Bread for Life Diet does not include specific exercise recommendations, but you should combine the meal plans with a good dose of physical activity on most days of the week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting at least 150 minutes of exercise per week and strength training twice per week.

Considerations

The Bread for Life Diet emphasizes whole grains, vegetables, unsaturated oils and lean protein, making it a good way to consume nutrients that are important for your health. However, the restrictions on how much dairy and fruit you can eat may put you at risk of a deficiency, particularly when it comes to calcium. The science behind the diet is controversial and weight loss may be due to a low calorie intake rather than altering serotonin levels, reports the American Dietetic Association. This diet may be a good choice for you if low-carb diets have not worked in the past, you don't like counting calories and fat grams, and are otherwise healthy.