Generality
What is the Scarsdale Diet?
Scarsdale is the name of a diet born in the United States some decades ago and still in vogue, thanks to the numerous supporters and the relaunching of the media that periodically propose it as an example of "miraculous diet".
How does it work?
At the base of these extraordinary results we find a dietary regime that strongly emphasizes the restriction of carbohydrates, without worrying too much about the total calorie content of meals.
The Scarsdale diet also provides for 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 Scarsdale also includes significant consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Yo-yo effect: is the Scardale diet advisable?
Again based on what the defenders of the Scarsdale method claim, this diet would also help maintain the weight achieved, avoiding the dangerous yo-yo effect.
In reality the opposite is true since, as we shall see, such a restrictive caloric regime is destined to be abandoned after a short period.
Basic Principles
Basic principles of the Scarsdale diet
The Scarsdale is the classic last-minute diet; in fact the authors advise following it for 7-14 days, respecting a specific dietary pattern.
Below we will summarize the general principles of the system by dividing the behaviors and choices recommended by those that are not appropriate
| 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 follow the dietary pattern | Alternate meals or days of diet to moments of sgarro | ||||||
Consume 3 main meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner | Consume only two out of three main meals or insert intermediate snacks | ||||||
Take only healthy and "clean" foods | Prefer junk food | ||||||
Reduce the total carbohydrates of the diet, both simple and complex | Maintain a nutritional breakdown that favors carbohydrates | ||||||
Reduce the total fat in the diet | Eat fatty foods and season various recipes | ||||||
Prefer lean foods | Do not dress with oil or butter | Eat fatty foods | Season the dishes with oil or butter | ||||
Prefer high protein foods to the detriment of others | Penalize the fraction of protein foods | ||||||
Estimate the portions "by eye", without using the scale | Weigh the portions of the food | ||||||
Reduce the calories of the diet | Maintaining the total calorie intake through the diet | ||||||
Increase the consumption of liquids | Keep liquid consumption unchanged or decrease | ||||||
Drink a lot of water | Promote the consumption of herbal drinks | Eliminate carbonated sweet drinks | Drink a little water | Do not include herbal drinks in the diet | Drink lots of carbonated sweet drinks | ||
Abolish alcohol | Drink alcohol | ||||||
Do not practice motor activity, especially intense and prolonged | Start or continue sports physical activity | ||||||
What to eat
Scarsdale diet structure
The day begins with a breakfast of coffee or tea and citrus fruits.
Lunch and dinner should instead be rich in protein foods, low in carbohydrates and without condiments.
The Scarsdale diet recommends increasing the consumption of liquids, so as to favor the elimination of nitrogenous waste produced by the metabolism of proteins.
Between meals, the Scarsdale diet bans alcohol and snacks, encouraging the use of herbal preparations that can keep hunger under control.
Weightless Diet
Despite the fact that the Scarsdale diet does not require weighing food, thus losing importance to the "quantity" of food, it is nevertheless careful to respect the constraint of caloric restriction.
The foods he proposes (meat, eggs, fish) are indeed particularly satiating and, for most people, it becomes difficult to consume them in large quantities.
The table below shows the energetic detail of some typical foods of the Scarsdale diet.
| CALORIC CONTRIBUTION OF SOME TYPICAL FOODS OF SCARSDALE DIET | CALORIC CONTRIBUTION OF SOME PROHIBITED FOODS FROM SCARSDALE DIET | ||
THE COMPARED FOODS BELONG TO THE SAME FOUNDATION GROUP OF 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 | Frankfurters | 270 kcal |
Beef fillet | 127 kcal | Sausage | 304 kcal |
Slice of tuna in brine | 103 kcal | Fried fish | 265 + 135 kcal |
Mackerel in brine | 177 kcal | Tuna in oil | 258 kcal |
Swordfish | 85 kcal | Eel | 237 kcal |
tomatoes | 19 kcal | Battered vegetables + frying | 231 + 135 kcal |
Salad | 16-19 kcal | Black olives | 150 kcal |
Grapefruit | 26 kcal | Avocado | 231 kcal |
Physical exercise
Scarsdale: diet without motor activity
Dr. Herman's weight loss strategy does NOT include the winning combination "diet and regular exercise".
The subject is however left free to practice moderate activities, such as a thirty-minute walk at a fast pace.
Due to caloric restriction, sporting practice may still be much more demanding than usual.
If you decide to carry out a bit of motion anyway, we advise you to bring some sugar sachets with you so as to quickly face the possible appearance of hypoglycemia (take sugar when symptoms such as blurred vision, weakness, intense hunger, dizziness appear) and sense of general malaise).
Scarsdale diet example
- Indicative calorie intake of the proposed Scarsdale diet: 800-1, 000 Kcal per day
- Macronutrient distribution: 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; salt, tea or coffee
- DINNER: burgers (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: omelette of 2 eggs with cheese (lean or semi-fat) + 75 grams of pumpkin + 1 toast + coffee
- DINNER: chicken (without skin) + spinach with green pepper and coffee
Diet Day 5
- BREAKFAST: coffee or tea with artificial sweetener and 1/2 grapefruit
- LUNCH: cheese or milk flakes + 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: dry fruit plus a coffee
- DINNER: baked chicken without skin + 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 salad, melon or grapefruit
- DINNER: lean beef + mixed salad + coffee
- The consumption of carrots or celery is tolerated between meals
- Seasonings allowed: spices, lemon, pepper, vinegar, mustard, ketchup and soy sauce
- Instead of sugar, use artificial sweeteners to sweeten tea or coffee.
To learn more: Example Scarsdale Diet »
Health repercussions
Slimming effect of the Scarsdale diet
Even the most skeptical of nutritionists will agree on the "slimming" effectiveness of the Scarsdale diet.
Like all ketogenic diets or those based on partial fasting, Scarsdale also promotes rapid weight loss.
The impressive weight loss recorded in the first days is however mainly linked to the impoverishment of the carbohydrate reserves, to the reduction of the muscular masses and to the consequent dehydration of the organism.
Undesirable effects of the Scarsdale diet
Initially, people who follow the Scarsdale diet can lose a lot of weight (up to 3-4 kg in 7 days), but this weight loss is not easily sustainable or conservable.
The risk of quickly regaining the pounds lost with the Scarsdale diet is therefore high; this is due both to the restoration of glycogen stocks and rehydration, and to the lack of food education.
Most skeptics paint the Scarsdale diet as an unhealthy diet due to:
- High protein intake
- Deficiencies of carbohydrates, which although not essential are however necessary for the correct functioning of the organism (especially of the brain)
- Excessive global caloric restriction
- Deficiency of essential nutrients (vitamins, essential fats, minerals, etc.).
Furthermore, it is possible that the prevalence of saturated fats (to the detriment of unsaturated fats) and the considerable amount of cholesterol in the diet may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially in those predisposed.
In fact, despite proposing some interesting ideas, the Scarsdale diet has many weak points and must therefore be replaced with a more balanced and correct diet (see: dietary advice).
