Diet Plans And Menus - The McKeith Diet by Levi Reiss

The McKeith Diet was created by the London nutritionist, Gillian McKeith. The menus are rich in vegetables and vegetable proteins, including legumes. It lasts 28 days and dieters must follow the proposed menus to the letter. Here are some of the diet principles.

Keep a daily journal to analyze your nutritional behavior. For a week keep a detailed record of food names, weight, volume, time eaten, and how you feel. These notes cover all meals and snacks. Also you must note your hours of sleep and of physical activities. Get in the habit of reading food labels. Ask yourself questions such as: Am I eating five servings of vegetables daily? Then establish objectives. Become aware of your bad eating habits. Reject harmful foods such as alcohol, cookies, salt, and white rice. McKeith's list of negative foods is quite long. Don't eat proteins with glucides or fruits for dessert. Drink eight glasses of water daily, but never at meals. Drink an infusion in the morning but no tea, milk, or coffee. Drink a glass of lukewarm water on rising and on retiring. Try to start meals with a soup. Accompany cooked foods with raw foods. All meals and snacks are strictly defined during the 28 days. Take food supplements. Practice a sport or exercise. For example, walk for 20 minutes before each meal, and that includes breakfast. But don't practice a sport if you are elderly or in poor physical condition.

An advantage of the McKeith Diet is that you won't have to spend time deciding what to eat. The foods are quite varied, and you may discover new foods. This diet is very rigid, often making it hard to eat at restaurants or at friends' homes. Many people don't have time to exercise before each meal. Many meals require extensive preparation.

Here are two sample menus:

Menu 1 (Day 5)

Breakfast: A glass of lukewarm water. A red elm infusion. Ginger zinger (6 carrots, 1 cucumber, 1 celery stalk, and ginger).

The mid-morning snack is two peaches.

Lunch: Adzuki beans.

The mid-afternoon snack is fennel, beet, and cucumber juice.

Supper: Yellow split pea soup. Oriental salad.

Menu 2 (Day 20)

Breakfast: A glass of lukewarm water. A nettles infusion. Barley soup.

The mid-morning snack is two pears.

Lunch: Roasted zucchini, bell peppers, and shallots. Arugula leaves. Semolina.

The mid-afternoon snack is puree of cashew nuts. Sliced raw vegetables.

Supper: Vegetarian stew. Brown rice.

Some of the information in this article comes from a fascinating new book, La Bible des Regimes, written by Jenny de Jonquieres and published by Amerik Media. Her book describes more than 80 diets and weight reduction programs. Each diet is presented with 5 menu plans, a detailed discussion of its advantages and disadvantages, and lots more. La Bible des Regimes is presently available only in French.