Unfit for Life
In 1986, more than a million copies of Fit for Life (FFL) were sold in the United States in six weeks. This is amazing considering the fact that the FFL diet plan is nothing but the same dog with a different collar, that is, a rehash of old muddled ideas which have no scientific basis.
Theres a lesson to be learned here and its this: With the right packaging and a tremendous amount of advertising, even a book written by a chimpanzee will hit the best-seller list.
FFL book sales are more a testament to the authors promotional appeal and to the level of public and professional nutrition ignorance, according to Dr. Jack Yetiv in Popular Nutrition Practices: Sense and Nonsense.
Is he exaggerating? Not really. First, lets look at the credentials of Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, the authors of the FFL book. Harvey supposedly received a doctorate in nutritional science from the American College of Health Science in Austin, Texas.
What he doesnt tell us is that this institution is not even allowed to grant degrees in Texas - the degrees have to come out of Mexico, Yetiv revealed. He added that anyone can get a doctorate from the said school in exchange for $ 1,250.
The whole concept of the FFL diet is based on the principles of natural hygiene, a century-old philosophy. This hardly makes the book a breakthrough in nutrition, contrary to what the authors claim.
Proponents of natural hygiene believe the body can properly absorb and digest food only at certain times. These are: appropriation - eating and digestion (noon to 8 p.m.); assimilation - absorption and use (8 p.m. to 4 p.m.); and elimination - of body wastes and food debris (4 a.m. to noon).
If you follow this timetable and properly combine foods, the FFL authors contend that you wont strain the digestive system but help it eliminate wastes and other toxic substances from the body. This, they say, will give you more energy and help you achieve your ideal weight.
How are foods combined? The Diamonds say you can eat all the steak, fish, and chicken you want provided you dont take them with rice, potatoes, noodles, cheese or bread.
All these principles are supposedly based on universal laws and physiological truths, the Diamonds claim. Yet Yetiv said he failed to find any recognized physiology book or legitimate scientific reference which supports the (FFL) concepts. In addition to this, a search of all scientific literature since 1965 failed to yield even one study showing either the effectiveness or safety of this diet.
Reading their book proves this. For instance, the Diamonds say that since our bodies are 70 percent water, we should stick to a diet that is also 70 percent water. Thats just like saying that since man is 65 percent oxygen, he should eat nothing but air. Or since a car is made of metal, it should also have metal as fuel.
To give credence to their food combining theory, the FFL authors draw many examples from the animal kingdom. They erroneously explain that tigers dont get fat since they dont combine potatoes with their meat meals.
It doesnt take a doctorate in zoology, however, to learn that the reason tigers dont get fat is because they use a lot of energy in their daily activities, thus burning up plenty of calories.
For contrast, take a look at whales. These large mammals eat essentially only vegetable matter (in other words, they adhere to the FFL eating plan) yet have a very high percentage of body fat, according to Yetiv.
The most sensible thing to do to lose weight is to follow a good exercise and diet program. Consult a reliable nutritionist or doctor for advice. To enhance your diet and exercise regimen, the use of supplements like Zylorin is advised. This powerful fat burner will reshape your future. Visit http://www.zylorin.com for details.
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