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Selasa, 18 Juni 2013

What Is the Peanut Butter Diet?

"The Peanut Butter Diet" is an eating regime outlined in a book released in 2002. It is essentially a low-calorie diet with the addition of daily consumption of peanut butter. The diet claims that followers will lose weight, benefit from the nutritional value of the peanut butter and be able to continue the diet happily for the rest of their lives. The diet has not been subject to any clinical trials and it falls into the category of "fad" diets, but several pros and cons can be deduced.

The Book

    The diet was introduced in 2002 with the book "The Peanut Butter Diet" by Holly McCord, a writer for "Prevention" magazine. The book claims that incorporating peanut butter into your daily meals and snacks can help you loose up to 25 pounds in a year when combined with a low-calorie diet. It claims that the diet is easy and healthy to maintain for the rest of your life, and offers a four-week meal plan and 50 recipe suggestions.

Nutritional Value of Peanut Butter

    Peanut butter is touted in the book as a healthy food that should be eaten every day, up to 4 tbsp. for women and up to 6 tbsp. for men. Peanuts and peanut butter are high in fat, but they contain monounsaturated fat which can raise "good" cholesterol and which should be included in moderation in a healthy diet. Peanut butter also provides protein and niacin, which is good for blood flow and brain health.

Pros

    The Peanut Butter Diet is essentially a low-calorie diet, recommending consumption of 1,500 calories a day for women and 2,200 calories a day for men. A low-calorie diet is proven to be one of the most effective ways to lose weight, with or without peanut butter consumption. The Peanut Butter Diet may be more effective than a simple low-calorie diet for some people because peanut butter is filling, so a small snack containing peanut butter will suppress the appetite and reduce cravings for food between meals, aiding weight loss.

Cons

    Some peanut butter contains added oils, salt and sugar, which makes it less healthy than natural peanut butter, so the consumer needs to beware of this when purchasing the product. Although peanut butter contains "good" fat, it is still high in calories, which seems to contradict the otherwise low-calorie diet recommended. A greater proportion of the recommended daily calorie intake is used up by the consumption of peanut butter than alternative healthy snacks which can have fewer calories and provide more diversity in nutritional value.

Efficacy of "Fad" Diets

    The Peanut Butter Diet is essentially a traditional, low-calorie diet, novel only in its recommendation to eat peanut butter daily. The concept can be construed as simply a re-randing of an old idea intended to generate publicity and sell books, i.e. a "fad" diet. These types of diets are named "fad" for a reason---they are unrealistic in the long term, and while weight loss may result when followed diligently, people are highly unlikely to continue the novelty aspect of the diet, i.e. daily peanut butter consumption, for long.

Why it May Work

    The Peanut Butter Diet may work because it is basically the tried and tested method of losing weight by reducing calorie intake. People who love peanut butter will appreciate new ideas for using the ingredient and will feel less deprived of favorite foods than with a simple low-calorie diet alone. Those who consider it a "comfort food" will have their food cravings sated by eating peanut butter. Many of the suggested and traditional snacks involving peanut butter also have other healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetables, and as a spread it is a healthier substitute for butter or cream cheese.

Why it May Not Work

    Although the diet is touted as one that can be followed for the rest of your life, its daily reliance on one individual food substance means followers are likely to get bored of it after only a short period of time. Even people who love peanut butter may find that eating it every single day soon becomes tiresome.

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