Fad Diets

I am a 34-year-old female who started taking a nutritional drink mix two weeks ago called Balance 40-30-30. A week later, I noticed that the tips of my fingers are wrinkling as if I had been in the water for a long time. It varies from finger to finger and hasn't gone away. I...

On the Jewish day of atonement and my friends and I endured the annual 24 hours fast with ease. One of the topics of our conversation was fasting for health and cleansing purposes. I would like to find more information about week-long liquid diets and/or fruit diets that would be safe to practice while...

Does grapefruit, orange juice or apple cider burn off fat? No, Grapefruit, orange juice, and apple cider do not burn off fat whether they are eaten alone, in between meals, or with a meal. Citrus juices are slightly acidic in nature but are much less acidic than the hydrochloric acid secreted by your stomach (pH of...

My mother is 60 years old and is on a quick weight loss diet. She has a heart blockage and is being treated for it. Is that diet safe? She said it would be safe because it was written by a doctor. Most quick weight loss diets allow all the lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs,...

I read some of your nutrition advice on fad diets. I would like to point out that it has been known for decades that the brain burns ketones (Nelson et al, JBC (140):p.361, 1941; Owen et al. J Clinical Invest.46:1589-95, 1967; Hawkins and Krebs (there's a famous name) Biochemistry J. 122:13-18, 1971. In fact,...

I've read some pretty convincing ads about starch blockers. Do they really work and can I really eat all the starch I want? No. I had thought we had heard the last of the starch blocker issue when the FDA banned them. Starch blockers do not prevent you from absorbing starch and do not live...

There's a physician assistant at a hospital near me that is advocating a "protein sparing modified fast" type of diet that includes lots of lean meats and is not more than 800 calories/day. I have always read this to be a very unhealthy way to eat, but he insists it works and says he...

I was looking for an article on carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism prevention. I could not find it anywhere. Do you know anything about these inhibitors? How healthy or safe are they? I am not aware of any pills currently available that really do block metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, or fat. I would not recommend...

Your comments on weight loss give much advice. I feel your suggestion, however, of consulting a dietitian for sound advice, is not the only recourse. There are many articles by nutritionists to rely on. The Herbal Life Plan is one such alternative and people may tend to shy away from even looking at any of...

Recently, I have been curious about the practice of fasting. Not for religious or cultural reasons, just curiosity. Some of my friends who have done this have described various sensations of euphoria or "inner calm" associated with fasting. What health benefits and risks can you associate with fasting? I imagine that dehydration is the biggest...