Here is a review of THE COMPLETE SCARSDALE DIET authored by Dr. Herman Tarnower and Samm Sinclair Baker.
Dr. Herman Tarnower, was an American Cardiologist, who was an alma mater of Syracuse University, where he specialised in cardiology. In 1980,he was murdered by his long time lover, Jean Harris, who in turn was convicted of his murder in 1981.
Samm Sinclair Baker, was a author of self help books on various topics, from losing weight to better sex lives to making more money. He passed away in 1997.
This book has fifteen chapters and a section called the medical appendix. Chapter one titled, A Private Diet Goes Public, is about how the Scarsdale Diet came into exeistence. Dr. Tarnower, who was actually a cardiologist, would tell his overweight patients to go on a good diet to reduce weight. But most of his patients complained that diets don’t work for them. That is when, the Scarsdale diet was born. Dr. Tarnower compiled his medical recommendations on diet and nutrition that he felt would help his patients lose weight. Chapter two, The Ingredients Of The Successful Scarsdale Medical Diet, explains the key features that make this diet a success and popular among dieters. The main points being, nutritionally balanced, resulting in rapid weight loss, a varied choice of food and the feasibility of fitting into one’s daily life. You will also find here an approximate breakup of the Scarsdale diet in terms of nutrients, i.e. 43 percent proteins, 22.5 percent fats, and 34.5 percent carbohydrates. The Mystery Of Diet Chemistry, chapter three, provides the reason as to why the Scarsdale diet works. It is because of ketone production and revved up metabolism. The foods recommended on this diet, increases your fat metabolism and ketosis, thereby making the body lose weight. The only time ketosis is dangerous is if one has uncontrolled blood sugar i.e. diabetes, pregnancy or alcoholism.
The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, is the topic of chapter four. Firstly there is a basic weight loss program designed for healthy adults, the Scarsdale Medical Diet, that you go on for two weeks. After that you go on the Keep Trim Program for two weeks. Dr. Tarnower suggests, that even though you can manage to stay on these programs for more than two weeks at a stretch, still he insists that you alternate between them, for two weeks each, for maximum benefits. This has been named the Two-On-Two-Off program. Another useful tip is that even after you reach your goal weight once, if at any time you find yourself overweight by four pounds, you must go on the Scarsdale Medical Diet immediately. Weighing yourself every day and keeping a log, will help monitor the progress and keep motivated. Some basic rules of the Scarsdale Medical Diet include that you must stick to it as it is. No substitutions are allowed. No alcohol or sugary drinks, but you can drink as much as you like of black tea or coffee without milk or cream or sugar and diet sodas. Needless to say regular sodas are out of question. Only lean meats are allowed and all dressings and preparations must be without oil or butter or margarine, in short fat of any kind. There is the two week meal plan of the Scarsdale Medical Diet, where all meals are jotted down and you eat exactly what is planned.
Chapter five, Answers To Your Questions Regarding The Scarsdale Medical Diet, answers any queries one might have regarding this diet. Whether the diet will work for people with only five pounds to lose, drinking tea or coffee, why are there no substitutes allowed, and many more such issues that one may have are tackled here. “What Do I Do Now”? Scarsdale Keep-Trim Diet To Stabilize Weight Loss, chapter six, is on keeping off the weight you have lost so far, and going even further with your weight loss. This is the Keep-Trim Diet. After two weeks of the Scarsdale Medical Diet, you will be ready for the upkeep mode. There are certain rules and regulations, that are set, as guidelines, to help you get through this. Some few things, that are off the menu include, sugar or sugar based candies and desserts, potatoes, spaghetti, full fat dairy, sausage, butter, peanut butter etc. The do’s include, a dry alcohol drink of one and half ounces, all frozen and fresh fish, all types of lean meat, eggs, low fat cheese and other dairy, fruits, green salads etc. It is about making healthier eating choices that will make losing weight and keeping it off easier. After two weeks of the Keep-Trim Diet, if you still need to lose more weight, you can go back to the Scarsdale Medical Diet for two weeks and keep alternating between them.
Chapter seven, Scarsdale Two-On-Two-Off Program: Keep Trim for Your Lifetime, is one the main factors behind the success of the Scarsdale Diet. To lose weight, you start off with two weeks on the Scarsdale Medical Diet. After that you go on to the Keep-Trim Diet. Till you reach your desired weight, you can keep going back and forth between the Scarsdale Medical Diet and the Keep-Trim Diet. And once you do reach your goal weight, the Keep-Trim Diet is the one that should become the fundamental eating pattern for the rest of your life. Scarsdale Gourmet Diet For The Epicurean Tastes, chapter eight, is designed for people who can spend more time on their meal preparation and cooking, and have a more gastronome bent of mind. You have various recipes, all safe to eat on this diet. Also you can choose to go on this diet rather than the Scarsdale Medical Diet to alternate with the Keep-Trim Diet. But the do’s and don’ts of the Scarsdale Medical Diet are applicable here as well. Chapter nine, Scarsdale Money-Saver Diet To Save Pennies And Lose Pounds, is how to economise, eat healthy and lose weight. There is a 14 day meal plan as well keeping in mind different and cheaper ingredients. It drives home the point that you can eat healthy on a budget. Scarsdale Vegetarian Diet, chapter ten, is the modified version of the Scarsdale Diet, for vegetarians. It has a few options depending on whether you eat dairy or eggs or not. Also some things that are off the menu include, all dried beans except soybeans, avocados, sweet potatoes and yam. This only reiterates the basic fundamental feature, that if you plan ahead and think it through, it is possible to eat healthy and get slim. Chapter eleven, Scarsdale International Diet is a very interesting twist on the original plan. Here you have the option of eating a different cuisine for every day of the week and then repeat it for the next week. For example you can choose from American, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, among a few more.
Be A Scarsdale Loser And A Lifetime Winner, chapter twelve, lists the key traits of the Scarsdale Diet, that can be followed lifelong, to ensure a slim, trim and healthy you. Choosing sugar substitutes over sugar, eating lots of raw salad without any oily dressing, keeping healthier snacks handy, focusing on food and avoiding second helpings are some of the important ones out of the exhaustive list put enumerated by Dr. Tarnower. The things is, even if you can consistently make a few of them, a part of your life, you are bound to lose weight and keep it off. Chapter thirteen, Answers To Some More Questions You May Have After Being On A Scarsdale Diet, does just that. Answers any other queries one may have about the Scarsdale eating system. The problems addressed here are genuine and pretty common place among dieters. Chapter fourteen, Special Information That Will Help You, provides other titbits of information that you will find useful. Here you will find, your approximate calorie requirement for a day, how much calories are used by different activities, and the nutritional break up of a lot of foods as well. Shape Up And Count Your Blessings, chapter fifteen, ends the book with a note from Dr. Tarnower, stating the good times we live in. The advances made by science and medicine have made medical attention within reach for millions worldwide. The last section is the Medical Appendix, which lists a few medical issues affected by diet. Congestive Heart Failure, various allergies, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, are some of the problems discussed.
The Scarsdale Medical Diet and the Keep-Trim Program, are fairly decent. While avoiding the usual culprits, and focussing on healthier choices, it has a simple plan in place that is easy to follow. Also with only two cycles to choose from, there is not too much planning required. The variations provided of the Scarsdale Medical Diet, are interesting and seem to be a welcome change. There are a few things though, that did not sit right with me. First, artificial sweeteners being made an important part of this diet. Sugar substitutes come with a whole different set of health problems. Second, completely banning all beans except soybeans seems a very ridiculous thing to do keeping in mind their high nutritional value in mind. Third, the food quantity for the Scarsdale Medical Diet is a bit on the lesser side. It might be difficult for a lot of people to cut down calories so much. Apart from that, it is a sensible and pragmatic approach to weight loss, albeit abit on the stricter side.
Finally, we come to the crucial question. Does THE COMPLETE SCARSDALE MEDICAL DIET work? Yes. Is, it safe and healthy? Yes. Is it a viable weight loss solution? Yes. Hence, I give it 6 stars out of 10.
Feel free to leave your comments or drop me a line with your questions, suggestions and ideas.
Cheers!!!
Sash
Fitness With Sash 