It's a carb lover's dream -- a diet rich in bread, pasta, rice and other foods you thought you had to swear off to lose weight. All whole grains, of course. It's the anti-Atkins. This plan actually orders you to consume up to 12 pieces of bread a day for women and 16 for men.
Olga Raz, author of the Bread For Life Diet, maintains that by consuming carbohydrates you raise serotonin levels, thereby reducing cravings and hunger pains. The best part: the Israeli nutritionist says you'll lose between 10 to 20 pounds in two months.
The science behind it goes something like this: the carbohydrate content of bread causes the body to release, tryptophan, an amino acid which helps produce the chemical serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that curbs food cravings, elevates your mood and boosts energy levels.
For the die-hard carb fanatic, the diet sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, which can be topped with butter, cottage cheese or cream cheese. In addition to bread, followers enjoy one serving of fruit a day, three or four eggs a week, two to three tablespoons of olive oil daily and water. Dieters will also consume as much lean meat and fish as they want for three meals during the week. However, carb intake must be reduced by two to four slices that day.
Comment #1
(Posted by JAN) Rating
Sounds hokey to me. I do better when I cut down on breads.
Comment #2
(Posted by Deb) Rating
Does it work? Do you eat no protein on 4 days out of the week?
Comment #3
(Posted by Roberta) Rating
I agree that it soulnd hokey. It also sounds confusing. Personally, I need to be premitted to eat the same kinds of foods each day. Keeping up with special days for eggs and special days for other proteins... it just seems like a lot to get used to.
Comment #4
(Posted by manndie) Rating
I agree with Jan's comment. It does sound hokey and I too do better with out the carbs.
I believe it as I am maintaining my weight with whole wheat bread and tomatoe sandwichs. I live in a very hot climate and needed something to be filling and nourishing, I love fresh tomatoes but find they weren't filling enough. I worried at first because I'd finally lost weight but found I could easily maintain and I even started to lose again which I didn't need. People may say it sounds hokey but they're wrong as I've been doing this for several weeks and been most successful!
Comment #6
(Posted by dawn medina) Rating
i had went on a diet and my diet consisted of mostly pasta, potatoes and ceral and i lost 36 pounds in 3 months and wasn't hungry.
Comment #7
(Posted by Michelle) Rating
Hmmmmmm.......
Comment #8
(Posted by NancyJ) Rating
This is rediculious. Carbs unless they are natural in fruits & vegetables are not healthy. It is not always about loosing weight, you need to control your mouth and put only healthy things that God made in it. Rice, pasta and bread are man made w/ all kinds of additives no mater how ORGANIC they say they are.
Comment #9
(Posted by Bo) Rating
I do a lot of weight training so I am always concerned about eating the right foods that will provide the best building blocks for my body. I have read thousands of articles relative to diet and exercise. The bottom line is fruits, vegetables and protein based meats like fish and chicken. I eat 6 times a day and never worry about weight. All these other diets are superfluous fodder that may work but only until they are over- all the while you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. It's not a good tradeoff. Bread (alone) is not a great building block for your body. When all is said and done you have to put special diet emphasis on what grows in the garden and of course, fish and chicken. It's not a difficult science. We just keep trying to find something easier or tastier. There is no magic bullet.
Comment #10
(Posted by jennifer) Rating
is this a diet that you can live with the rest of your life?? i feel like we harm ourselves more with the yo-yo diets. i think finding something we can live with and making health changes for life is the way to go.
Comment #11
(Posted by Jimini) Rating
This is a curious diet. But I would not dismiss it out of hand. Grains grow in the garden, and I believe they are as important to our health as any other class of food. My idea of a satisfactory program is: Cut out processed foods, "whites" and focus on whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean meats; in that order
