Scarsdale diet 🆙

generality

What is the Scarsdale Diet?

Scarsdale is the name of a diet born in the United States a few decades ago and still in vogue today, thanks to the numerous supporters and media relaunches that periodically re-propose it as an example of a "miraculous diet".

Developed in the late 450s by Dr. Herman Tarnower, the Scarsdale diet goes as far as promising 1 grams per day (XNUMX pound / day) weight loss.

How does it work?

How does it work? Underlying these extraordinary results is a dietary regimen that strongly emphasizes carbohydrate restriction, without worrying excessively about the total calorie content of the meals.

The Scarsdale diet also provides a reduction in fat, less evident than that of carbohydrates, but still very important. We are therefore faced with a typical example of a low-carb diet (low in carbohydrates) with a ketogenic effect (production of ketone bodies with a toxic, dehydrating and anorectic effect). The Scarsdale diet is very similar to the Atkins diet (high protein, low fat and carbohydrate) with the difference that the Scarsdale diet also involves significant consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Yo-yo effect: is the Scardale diet advisable?

Also based on what the defenders of the Scarsdale method claim, this diet would also favor the maintenance of the weight achieved, avoiding the dangerous yo-yo effect.

In reality the opposite is true given that, as we will see, such a restrictive calorie regime is destined to be abandoned after a short period.

Basic Principles

Basics of the Scarsdale Diet

Scarsdale is the classic last minute diet; the authors in fact advise to follow it for 7-14 days, respecting a very specific dietary scheme.
Below we will summarize the general principles of the system by dividing the behaviors and choices recommended from those that are not adequate

What to do				What NOT to do
Duration 7-14 days				Follow the diet for less than a week or for more than two weeks
Strictly adhere to the diet plan				Alternate meals or days of diet with moments of cheating
Eat 3 main meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner				Eat only two out of three main meals or include snacks in between
Only eat healthy and "clean" foods				Prefer "junk foods"
Reduce the total carbohydrates of the diet, both simple and complex				Maintain a nutritional breakdown that favors carbohydrates
Reduce the total fat of the diet				Consume fatty foods and season various recipes
Go for lean foods		Do not season with either oil or butter		Consume fatty foods		Season the dishes with oil or butter
Give preference to high-protein foods at the expense of others				Penalize the fraction of protein foods
Estimate portions "by eye", without using the scale				Weigh the portions of the food
Reduce the calories of the diet				Maintain the total calorie intake with the diet unchanged
Increase your fluid consumption				Maintain or decrease your fluid consumption
Drink a lot of water	Promote the consumption of herbal drinks		Eliminate carbonated sweet drinks	Drink a little water	Don't include herbal drinks in your diet		Drink lots of carbonated sweet drinks
Abolish alcohol				Drink alcohol
Do not engage in motor activity, especially intense and prolonged				Starting or continuing physical sports activity

What to eat

Structure of the Scarsdale diet

The day begins with a breakfast of coffee or tea and citrus.
Instead, lunch and dinner must be rich in protein foods, low in carbohydrates and free of seasonings.
The Scarsdale diet recommends increasing the consumption of liquids, in order to facilitate the elimination of nitrogenous waste produced by the metabolization of proteins.
Between meals, the Scarsdale diet bans alcohol and snacks, encouraging the use of herbal preparations capable of controlling the urge of hunger.

Diet Without Libra

Although the Scarsdale diet does not require you to weigh food, thus losing importance to the "quantity" of food, it is nevertheless careful to respect the constraint of calorie restriction.
The foods it offers (meat, eggs, fish) are in fact particularly satiating and, for most people, it becomes difficult to consume them in large quantities.

The table below shows the energy details of some typical foods of the Scarsdale diet.

CALORIC SUPPLY OF SOME TYPICAL FOODS OF THE SCARSDAL DIET		CALORIC SUPPLY OF SOME FOODS PROHIBITED BY THE SCARSDAL DIET
COMPARED FOODS BELONG TO THE SAME FUNDAMENAL GROUP AS FOODS
FOOD	Calories x 100 g	FOOD	Calories x 100 g
Chicken breast	100 kcal	Brisket	171 kcal
Lean beef burger	120 kcal	Beef burger	150 kcal
bresaola	151 kcal	Rolled bacon	315 kcal
Pork, lean cuts	110 kcal	Frankfurter	270 kcal
Beef fillet	127 kcal	Sausage	304 kcal
Tuna steak in brine	103 kcal	Fried fish	265 + 135 kcal
Pickled mackerel	177 kcal	Tuna in oil	258 kcal
Swordfish	85 kcal	Anguilla	237 kcal
Tomatoes	19 kcal	Battered vegetables + frying	231 + 135 kcal
Salads	16-19 kcal	Black olives	150 kcal
Grapefruit	26 kcal	Avocado	231 kcal

Physical Exercise

Scarsdale: diet without motor activity

Dr. Herman's slimming strategy does NOT include a winning combination of "diet and regular exercise".
The subject is however left free to practice moderate activities, such as a thirty-minute walk at a brisk pace.
Due to the caloric restriction, practicing sports could still be much more demanding than usual.
If you decide to exercise a little, however, we recommend that you bring a few sachets of sugar with you in order to quickly deal with the possible occurrence of hypoglycemia (take sugar when symptoms such as blurred vision, weakness, intense hunger, dizziness appear. and a sense of general malaise).

Scarsdale diet example

Caloric intake indicative of the proposed Scarsdale diet: 800-1.000 Kcal per day
Breakdown of macronutrients: proteins (43%), carbohydrates (34,5%), fats (22,5%).

Diet Day 1

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: lean meat or fish at will; tomatoes, tea or coffee
DINNER: baked swordfish, tomatoes and lettuce, grapefruit or melon

Diet Day 2

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: lean meat or fish at will; salty, tea or coffee
DINNER: hamburger (without bread) and all the cooked vegetables you want

Diet Day 3

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: tuna salad + grapefruit or melon
DINNER: lean pork + mixed salad + coffee

Diet Day 4

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: 2 egg omelette with cheese (low-fat or semi-fat) + 75 grams of pumpkin + 1 toast + coffee
DINNER: chicken (skinless) + spinach with green pepper and coffee

Diet Day 5

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: cheese or cottage cheese + toast and spinach
DINNER: baked fish, cooked vegetables or green salad plus 1 toast

Diet Day 6

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: unlimited dried fruit plus a coffee
DINNER: skinless baked chicken + tomato and green salad + grapefruit or melon + coffee

Diet Day 7

BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
LUNCH: chicken, tomato, melon or grapefruit salad
DINNER: lean beef + mixed salad + coffee

Note:

The consumption of carrots or celery is tolerated between meals
Allowed condiments: spices, lemon, pepper, vinegar, mustard, ketchup and soy sauce
Instead of sugar, to sweeten tea or coffee, use artificial sweeteners.

For further information: Scarsdale Diet Example "

Effects on Health

Slimming effect of the Scarsdale diet

Even the most skeptical of nutritionists will agree on the "slimming" efficacy of the Scarsdale diet.
Like all ketogenic or partial fasting diets, Scarsdale also promotes rapid weight loss.
The impressive weight loss recorded in the first days is however mainly linked to the depletion of carbohydrate reserves, the reduction of muscle mass and the consequent dehydration of the organism.

Undesirable effects of the Scarsdale diet

Initially, people on the Scarsdale diet can lose a lot of weight (up to 3-4 kg in 7 days), but such weight loss is not easily sustainable or storable.
The risk of quickly regaining the pounds lost with the Scarsdale diet is therefore high; this is due both to the restoration of glycogen stores and to rehydration, and to the lack of dietary education.
The most skeptical paint the Scarsdale diet as an unhealthy diet due to:

High protein intake
Deficiencies of carbohydrates, which although not essential are still necessary for the proper functioning of the body (especially the brain)
Excessive global calorie restriction
Lack of essential nutrients (vitamins, essential fats, minerals, etc.).

Furthermore, it is possible that the prevalence of saturated fats (at the expense of unsaturated ones) and the considerable amount of cholesterol in the diet may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in predisposed subjects.
In fact, despite offering some interesting ideas, the Scarsdale diet has many weaknesses and must therefore be replaced with a more balanced and correct diet (see: dietary advice).