The ‘Fit For Life Diet’ is all about combinations of food. It was created by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond in the 1980’s. They also wrote a book about it and provided all the details that go into this diet. There is some controversy around this diet. Some nutritionists have disputed it and said it is only a fad. We want to lay down the basics of it and show you how easy it could be.
Dairy Products
This may be hard to give up, but while on the Fit
For Life diet, you shouldn’t have any dairy. Food items like milk, cheese,
cottage cheese, butter, and yogurt are all on the no-no list. The developers
say that us humans can’t digest dairy products properly. They claim dairy will
rot in our digestive tract leading to some health problems such as, IBS and
Crohn’s disease. You can check out Research and You to decide which supplements
could help you fill the no dairy gap.
Fruits
If you are having fruit, it should only be eaten
alone and not with any other meals. It is best to have them first thing in the
morning to help cleanse your body. It is also ideal to only have them on an
empty stomach, which is why you shouldn’t consume them as part of other meals.
You can also blend fruit together and have a smoothie first thing in the
morning. This diet really emphasizes eating raw fresh fruit. More fruit is
always a great addition to your diet. As the saying goes, “an apple a day keeps
the doctor away”.
Carbohydrates and Protein
Carbohydrates and protein cannot be combined
ever! If you decided you are having a carb for lunch, pair it with a vegetable.
Same goes for a protein - pair it with vegetables. Any and all carbohydrates
that you eat need to be whole grains and unprocessed. You should eliminate
processed and refined grains from your diet completely. Protein meals should be
reserved for dinners. Diamond recommends avoiding animal protein completely
except for eggs and fresh fish. Proteins could be items like dried beans, tofu,
or salmon.
No More Counting Calories
For some, counting calories
may be difficult. Since this diet is all about what you eat, there is no
emphasis on how much you are allowed to eat. The developers of Fit For Life
claim that when you combine certain foods in 1 meal, it will cause fermentation
in your stomach, which will then lead to the destruction of valuable nutrients
and enzymes. That’s why the diet focuses on your food combinations and not on
your calorie count.
“Dead Foods” and “Living Foods”
In the book, Diamond describes food as either
being “Dead” or “Living”. “Dead Foods” are foods that clog your body and
“Living Foods” cleanse it. You should avoid foods that have highly refined or
processed origins, those are “Dead Foods”. Examples of “Living Foods” are raw
fruits and vegetables.
Water Only
The only drink you are allowed to drink on this
diet is water. You are also allowed fresh fruit juice
but that is only in the morning and on an empty stomach. You should never drink
water at meal times. It should only be drank alone. It is claimed that if you
drink water during a meal, it will disrupt the digestive process by diluting
the gastric juices. There have been no studies done that support this claim.
Everyone knows that water is essential to living, Diamond is simply giving time
frames as to when you should drink it.
Effectiveness
There have been health experts that completely
dismiss this diet and say it is rubbish and a hoax. They also have disputed
Diamond’s own credentials. Diamond went to a non-accredited college, called
American College of Life Science, which was founded by a man who didn’t even
graduate high school and get accredited himself. Some of the claims made in the
Fit For Life book have actually been debunked by scientific research. A
non-calorie restricted diet isn’t necessarily more effective than a calorie
restricted diet. There is definitely no harm in trying it if you wanted to. You
can try to revise it to better fit your needs as well.