Single Food Diet

A food fad is born every day for waist-line conscious consumers. Understand that most of these so-called revolutionary diets are risky and unhealthy. Never believe that there are quick fixes for pudgy bodies. Combine healthy foods and exercise to maintain a normal weight and learn why these single food diets are never going to work. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Grapefruit Diet

This wasn't initially a single food diet when first introduced, but over time it evolved into grapefruit only. It works because the caloric intake doesn't meet daily requirements and this causes weight loss. Also, there is an enzyme in grapefruit that can cause diarrhea. This is unsafe and dumps electrolytes the body needs to function. Over several days, the dieter becomes dehydrated.

Potato Diet

There are claims of great weight loss and satisfaction with some vegetable-based diets. The potato diet is a seven day regimen that claims quick weight loss. There is a greater feeling of fullness and satiety for the dieter, but except for being sufficient in fiber, the potato diet is lacking in all essential vitamins and minerals and it contains no protein, which is one of the building blocks of the body.

Sustain a Single Food Item

Chocolate ice cream may be wonderful, but after four big bowls, it has lost its glamor. No matter what the single food is, it will become boring and unappealing. One food cannot contain all of the vitamins, minerals, fiber or protein the body needs. On a daily basis, it is self-defeating because of the monotony of the diet.

Only for Seven Days

The cabbage soup diet has a list of ingredients that sound healthy like fruit, vegetables except baked potatoes, and even some beef. It sounds wonderful until you read that the diet must not continue longer than seven days and then cannot be started again for two weeks. Their own advertising says that some people feel dizzy, light headed and disoriented, but think that is acceptable because it is only for seven days and they are losing weight.

Single Food Diets are Worthless

Any diet that urges the dieter to go off after a week and not try it again for two more weeks is useless. It's a quick calorie purge that leaves a person nutritionally challenged. It does nothing to address retraining the body and mind to make healthy food choices every day. Single food diets are low in calories and there may even be a temporary weight loss, but the consensus is that most of the weight loss is water, not fat, and the nutrition is so poor that it borders on dangerous and should be avoided for more well thought out and sustainable diet plans.