There are an increasing number of fad diets to reduce weight which are based on reducing the intake of carbohydrate, sometimes with the objective of achieving ketosis.

The carbohydrate addict's diet

The premise of this diet is that there are people who, for biological reasons, develop unmanageable cravings for carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain. The authors believe that this results from an overproduction of insulin, impairing glucose metabolism, and an insufficient rise of brain serotonin, responsible for the feeling of satiety. The objective of the diet is to control insulin release by minimizing the carbohydrate consumption which triggers it.

The basic daily diet consists of two carbohydrate restricted meals, and one "reward" meal which must be consumed within 60 minutes, but at which you may eat absolutely anything. At the restricted meals, you eat standard portions of such foods as eggs, fish, meat, cheese, salads and most non-starchy vegetables. The general rule of thumb for restricted meals is that an allowable food contains no more than 4 grams of carbohydrate per standard serving. Some surprises among the foods not allowed at these meals include fruits, broccoli, milk and yoghurt. No snacks are permitted.

Depending on the foods you select, the diet can be compatible with the standard recommendations for healthy eating (low fat, high-fibre, etc). The authors recommend a weight loss of no more than two pounds per week. Guidelines suggest variants on the diet based on how much weight you have lost in the past week, and what your goals are for the following week. A short paper and pencil test helps you determine if you are a carbohydrate addict.

The most recent book on the subject is   The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet   by Rachel F Heller and Richard F Heller, published by New American Library, 1993, ISBN: 0451173392.

There is an official web site,   The Carbohydrate Addict's Official Home Page  , and a mailing list,   CADIS   (Link not working).

The Atkins' diet

The Atkins diet is something of a precursor to the carbohydrate addict's diet in that it advocates unrestricted amounts of protein and fat, but restricted carbohydrate intake. The diet was developed by Dr Atkins; he first wrote about the diet in the 1970s. According to Dr Atkins, many people react unfavourably to carbohydrates by overproducing insulin, which causes the body to retain excess fat. Therefore, carbohydrates are held to an absolute minimum (in contrast to the carbohydrate addict's diet, which allows the consumption of reasonable amounts of carbohydrates, but only during one meal per day). The aim of the Atkins' diet is to get your body into a state of ketosis.

Dr Atkins has written a large number of books on the diet; the two most relevant are:

  Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution   by Robert C Atkins, Published by Avon, 1996, ISBN: 0380727293 and   Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook  , by Robert C Atkins and Veronica C Atkins, Published by Fireside, 1997, ISBN: 0684837013

There is an official web site,   The Atkins Center  , but it is not very useful.

The Zone

The Zone diet is described by Barry Sears, in his book The Zone: A Dietary Road Map. It recommends balancing one's intake of protein, carbohydrates, and fat so that, for every 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fat are eaten. Carbohydrates contribute about 40% of total calories on the diet, while fats and proteins each contribute about 30% of the calories. (This varies from current dietary recommendations from the American Heart Association and similar groups, which recommend 30% of calories from fat, 55-65% calories from carbohydrates, and 10-15% of calories from protein.) Sears believes that the diet, which restricts calories, carbohydrates, and saturated fats, and limits protein to the amount required for the individual (which depends on the individual's lean body mass and activity level) prevents excess formation of insulin and leads to optimum mental and physical performance (ie, "being in the Zone"). The aim of the diet is to switch the body's metabolism from a carbohydrate-burning mode to a fat-burning mode.

The most recent book on the subject is:   Mastering the Zone   by Barry Sears and Mary Goodbody, published by Harpercollins, 1997, ISBN: 0060391901

There is an official web site,   Zone Perfect  . There are a number of other internet resources on the Zone diet, including a variety of web site and a mailing list. Russell Swan's   Zone page   (Link not working) provides a list of links to other pages.

Palaeolithic diet

This hunter-gatherer diet of the palaeolithic humans, our ancestors who inhabited earth some 40,000 years ago, has been carried on in many tribal cultures. Recent archaeological findings suggest some of the food and life habits of these early human beings. They had regular vigorous exercise applied to hunting and gathering their food for survival. Flesh foods provided their proteins; seeds and nuts their oils; fruits and berries were available for quick energy; and some starchy vegetable tubers provided more complex carbohydrate fuel.

The theory behind the palaeolithic diet, is that our modern diet should be adapted more to that of our ancestors. This means avoidance of refined foods and that the main animal foods be closer to the wild game of ancient times. It includes fish and free range poultry, obviously with low chemical application to the raising, cultivating, and preparation of these foods. The view is that “modern disease is a result of a mismatch of our genetic makeup and our lifestyle.”

Exercise is seen as an integral part of the palaeolithic diet. Our palaeolithic forebears had a high level of physical activity in their daily lives.

The palaeolithic diet has been written about by Dr S Boyd Eaton, Marjorie Shostak and Dr Melvin Konner in   The Paleolithic Prescription   and by Ray Audette in   Neander-Thin  , published by Paleolithic Press 1995, ISBN: 0964634511

The Paleofood mailing list is a support list for people trying to follow a Palaeolithic diet in today's age. To subscribe send:

SUB PALEOFOOD your firstname your lastname

as a message to   listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu  . Searchable   archives of the mailing list   are available.

Low carbohydrate diets

For general information about low carbohydrate diets and other internet links and mailing lists, consult the   Lowcarb-list support group page  , run by Elizabeth Jackson.

return to   Other related diets

(checked: 15 November 2002)
(update 2.1: 18 July 2002)
(issue 2: 22 April 1998)