Diets

The word "diet" makes me sick to my stomach. It really means "eating experiment". For me, I've read and tried a ton of them. And when I try, I mean I stick to it without reservation. I'm a stickler for details, so if the "diet" says not eat any sugars for the first two weeks, I will literally spit out lemonade, thinking it was water. Each of the "eating experiments" lasted for several weeks or months, I lost some weight initially, felt pretty good, and then I went back to my normal diet and all the gains were basically erased in a few weeks.

The first diet I tried was "The Zone" by Dr. Barry Sears. Instead of the normal 60/30/10 (carb/protein/fat) ratio, you go with a 40/40/30 ratio. Less carbs, more protein, more fat. The bottom line is that this diet basically reduced my overall calories per day, and thus I lost weight. But, the ratios for me didn't really matter. I could've stayed 60/30/10 and reduced my overall calories and it likely would've been the same. The discipline in planning my meals and counting my calories helped me lose weight initially, but when my calories went up (even through I kept it at 40/40/30), I put the weight right back on. Nice try, but this didn't work for me.

The next one was the "South Beach Diet" by Dr. Arthur Agatston. Here, you are educated about the types of carbohydrates and fats that are good and bad for you and why. Then, you embark on a 3-phase schedule to greatly reduce your carbs for a limited time, then reintroduce foods as you lose weight, then maintain. It's a great diet, and I enjoyed this one, and many of my friends swear by it to lose weight. I lost some weight on it, but I plateaued quickly in Phase 2. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get past that plateau. And believe me, I tried. So once again, once I started eating the "banned" foods, I put the weight right back on.

The Atkins Diet (eat meat and don't eat carbs) failed miserably for me. What was I thinking even trying this? I actually got sick the time I was on this, and felt horrible. I discontinued this within two months.

I've tried colon cleanses, colon hydrotherapy, fasting, juice fasting, and several others...

Earlier this year, I tried a "raw food" diet, inspired by a video called "Raw for 30 Days," which documented 6 diabetics in their struggle to cure their disease with nutrition. Dr Gabriel Cousens hosted these people for 30 days and monitored and administered their diets closely. The results were simply amazing, enough for me to give it a try. My mother is Type II Diabetic, so I did this really to inspire her to try it. A raw (vegan) food diet doesn't allow any cooked food, because the enzymes in vegetables and fruits are killed or altered with temperatures about 105 degrees, or so they say. So no meat, no bread, no dairy. Just vegetables, fruits, raw nuts, and raw seeds. This was tough, I really gave this my all, and I finished all 30 days without eating anything cooked (except for spices, dressings, etc.). And I felt great, better than I've ever felt in my life. I lost weight, the type I wanted to lose, around my belly. My fingers felt thinner, and less swollen. My skin and hair were vibrant. And most of all, my mind was lucid and clear. But, alas, the tough part of this "eating experiment" is that it socially isolates you. Can you imagine living with 3 daughters who are eating sandwiches and pizza right in front of you? Yes, I couldn't eat bread (or cheese), so I was dying. I couldn't go out to eat with my co-workers or family, because there are so few options for 100% raw food. Luckily, my best friend was doing this with me, and found a couple of local restaurants that catered to raw foodies. We tried some of their stuff, which was the inspiration and kick I needed to finish off. I did it for my mom, and to also find out how I felt afterward. I knew I wouldn't do it long term, I just wanted to try it. And I must say, if you measure a "diet" by how you feel, then this one, by far, was the best. However, it was the most unrealistic to sustain as well. For those people who continue to stay on raw food diets over many years, I am seriously impressed. They all look amazing, 10-20 years younger than their real age. They have a vibrance and enlightenment about them, and I appreciate so much the sacrifices they've made for their health.

My latest endeavor is to follow the "Eat to Live" plan by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I would suggest for anyone who is in search of answers to read that book. It's an eye opening read. It is basically a compromised raw food diet that allows some cooked vegetables and legumes, and limits dairy, animal products, oils, fruit juices, etc. The foundation that Dr. Fuhrman lays out is very interesting and solid, and his plan is very easy to follow, even if you are very active. He allows enough leeway to make mistakes, and you can really go out to a restaurant and survive. I will detail my experience on this diet in future posts. But, for now, knowing how great I felt on the 100% raw food diet, I'm very excited to follow this plan.