– British daily newspaper founded in 1855. The chronicle of the newspaper, dating back more than 160 years, is full of recommendations for “healthy” food for those who want to lose weight. Many of the tips are relevant for today, some are strange and even catastrophic for human health. Here is a list of the 10 most original diets:
1. Vinegar and water
Cleansing the body with vinegar and water was popularized back in the 20s of the XIX century. This unpleasant procedure led to vomiting and diarrhea. There was no real evidence of weight loss.
2. Smoking
In 1925, a brand of cigarettes promoted the idea of the benefits of smoking against the backdrop of harmful eating of all sweets. Consumers were taught that nicotine quenches their appetite. The idea is still alive. It is good that doctors were puzzled by the fight against smoking, which causes undeniable harm to human health in general – otherwise such a diet could lead very far …
3. grapefruit
The precursor to the low-calorie diet, this method consists of consuming grapefruit with every meal. Citrus has a minimal calorie content, but not everyone benefits from its acidity. Disputes on the topic of this fruit continue to this day.
4. Cabbage soup
In the 50s of the last century, those wishing to lose weight were offered to include cabbage soup in their diet. They promised that they would lose up to 10-15 pounds (4-5 kg) a week if they ate two bowls of cabbage soup each day plus a certain amount of fruit (excluding bananas), some baked potatoes, drinking skim milk, and even allowing themselves a little a slice of beef.
5. Sherry
In 1955, an English writer, to the delight of all sherry lovers, recommended drinking this particular drink as the main element of the diet for the average Mrs. She urged to drink sweet or dry sherry as a digestif after every meal. Unsubstantiated!
6. Dream
According to the ideologists of this diet, the sleeping beauty is exactly Beauty, because she is asleep. For while you are resting from wakefulness, you are not eating. This fad was fashionable in the 60s. People were advised to sleep for several days. Yes, following such a diet, you can sleep through all the fun, and not just extra pounds and centimeters.
7. Cookies
In 1975, a Florida (USA) physician instructed his patients to take large portions of biscuits mixed with amino acids. What happened to these “lucky ones” is unknown.
8. Horns and hooves
Truly the most harmful way! In the 70s of the last century, the doctor invented – a food supplement from the horns, hooves of animals using artificial colors and flavors. Some of the patients suffered heart attacks.
9. sunlight
A strange technique of the 80s of the last century, claiming that you can live without food, but only be content with fresh air and natural sunlight. The followers of this theory still live on. How? I would like to believe that it is happy!
10. Friendly conversation
One of the most harmless and cute modern diet-ideologies: unhurried food, unhurried conversations, plus a riot of greenery and nature around the table. The benefits are attributed to the scattering of attention from food and the redistribution of effort between communication, observation, and, directly, absorption.
EXPERT OPINION
Elena Motova, nutritionist, sports doctor
The speed with which popular “diets” appear, spread and die suggests that losing weight is easy and fast – something from the category of miracles, but not reality. The approach itself is wrong. Only 5% of people who lose weight without taking into account physiological characteristics, increased physical activity and changes in dietary habits will maintain the lost weight. The rest will recover even more in the long run. Popular diets of the past and future offer the same calorie restriction, but it is achieved in very exotic ways.
Smoking does reduce appetite, but the same effects can be achieved with exercise or with enough complex carbohydrates in the diet.
Cabbage soup is a low-calorie food that provides a good feeling of fullness, just like any other vegetable soup.
Mono-diets, due to their monotony, dull the feeling of hunger, but you cannot last long on such food simply because it does not provide enough essential nutrients and nutritional impressions.
There are no magical foods like grapefruit, herbs, supplements, liquid mixtures in boxes that can affect the basal metabolism and “reboot the metabolism.”
The lack of discussion of contraindications and side effects makes many popular diets not only useless and contrary to common sense, but also potentially dangerous.