The truth about two fad diets

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Diet 1: RAW FOOD
(such as the Caveman Diet and Hallelujah Diet)

Hook: If you return to the Garden of Eden and eat like our ancestors, you'll feel healthy, decrease your risk of illness and lose weight.

Diet: Most raw-food diets suggest eating at least 75 per cent of your food raw; strict versions insist on a 100 per cent no-cooking regime. The diet consists of fresh raw fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds, nuts, grains and legumes. Advocates suggest that cooking destroys certain enzymes; without these enzymes, they say, digestion is more difficult. Subcategories of raw-food dieters include fruitarians, who eat mostly fruits; sproutarians, who eat mostly sprouts; and juicearians, who consume mostly fresh juice. None of the groups eats dairy products, eggs or meat.

Pros: You get all your nutrition from fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They're rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

Cons:
•The diets are low in calcium, vitamins B12 and D, zinc and possibly protein.
•They're difficult to follow on a long-term basis.
•Preparation of raw foods can take a lot of time, and the diets prohibit eating prepared foods.
•Raw isn't always best. Certain foods, such as tomatoes, are more nutritious when cooked.

Bottom Line: These are fad diets. They're very difficult to follow and are not supported by any scientific evidence.

Diet 2: GLYCEMIC INDEX
(such as Rick Gallop's GI Diet)

Hook: You can eat lots of healthy carbohydrates, as long as they're the right ones, and still lose weight.

Diet: These diets work on the principles of the glycemic index (GI), which shows how different carbohydrates affect blood sugar once eaten and digested. Low-GI foods, such as brown rice, rye bread, oatmeal, eggplant, apples, grapefruit and yogurt, cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar and take longer to digest; they release energy more slowly, leading to more-consistent energy levels. Rick Gallop's GI Diet suggests that low-GI foods are better for blood-sugar control in those with diabetes and may help with weight loss because they leave you feeling fuller for longer. High-GI foods, such as white bread, potatoes and watermelon, are more quickly absorbed, so you don't stay full for as long. The diets suggest you eat lots of low-GI foods for meals and snacks.

Pros: You'll eat lots of healthy fruits, vegetables and grains that will provide vitamins, minerals and fibre

Cons:
•GI diets are not as exact as the books make them sound. The total GI of a meal can be altered by the combinations of foods you eat; for example, if you top a potato with cheese or butter, which take longer to digest, you'll lower the combined GI of that meal.
•There's no GI for meat, fish, poultry, eggs or fats, so you have to limit the amounts of these foods to lose weight.

Bottom Line: It takes some work, but you can construct a healthy, balanced diet that will leave you satisfied.