Mediterranean Diet: 50% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 20% proteins

As one of the best-known and well-studied dietary patterns,  Mediterranean diet is a dietary plan which revolves around the eating habits of Crete people, mostly in Greece and Southern Italy in the 1960s. Studies showed that Mediterranean diet has beneficial effects to reduce metabolic syndrome and its constituent parts, like large waist, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream and high blood pressure.

In Mediterranean diet, olive oil is the distinct characteristic. It contains monounsaturated fats which may reduce coronary heart disease risk while antioxidants in olive oil can improve cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol reduction.

Mediterranean diet allows high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, vegetables; moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly cheese and yogurt) and wine consumption; moderate to high consumption of fish; low consumption of meat and meat products. The general rule of food consumption in Mediterranean diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 20% proteins.

Liquid Diet, Goodbye Solid Foods…

Liquid diet is a dietary plan containing no solid foods that is normally prescribed for gastrointestinal illness or before/after mouth or gastrointestinal surgery that will flush the bowels while decreasing strain on digestive system. Proponents believe that fluids will cleanse the system from impurities, including in the liver.

Liquid diet methods include clear liquid diet and full liquid diet.  Clear liquid diet only allows transparent liquid foods like clear fruit juices, vegetable broth, clear gelatin desserts, or clear carbonated drinks. Meanwhile full liquid diet allows both clear and opaque liquid foods comprising milk, cream soup, milkshakes, puddings, ice cream, smooth cooked cereals, fruit juices (without pulp), water, coffee  and clear carbonated beverages.

Liquid diets however are normally prescribed for medical purposes, not specifically for weight loss. If you need to reduce calorie associated with liquid diets, Mediterranean Diet is mostly recommended.

Detox Diet’s Pleasurable and Dreadful Methods

Proponents of detox diet state that human body is continuously swarming with toxins from, among others, pollution, pesticides, cigarette smoke, alcohol, food additives and caffeine. As these toxins increase in the body system, some health problems can occur, like weight gain, dull skin, cellulite, bloating, lowered body resistance, fatigue, and lack of healthiness in general. Detox diet has been claimed able to remove toxins from our body that will cause weight loss, healthier body and prevent health problems.


Mainly detox diet suggests that most food is actually contaminated by a range of ingredients considered unnecessary for human body, such as preservatives, food colorings and flavor enhancers. Due to detox toxins in our body, a number of diet methods are recommended. These methods vary from mild and pleasurable methods like massages, body brushing and sauna, to the dreadful methods such as colonic cleaning, fasting and bowel enemas.

Overall fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, and herbal tea are allowed in diet detox. Herbal supplements like detox drinks and liver tonics are also recommended to help the detox process. Meanwhile  meat, wheat, fish, eggs, dairy, salt, sugar caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods are banned.

South Beach Diet – Let’s Fight the “Bad Carbs”

The South Beach Diet is one of the popular diet in the world today. Developed  by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon, South Beach Diet is a diet plan as an alternative to low-fat approaches.  It works to make you healthier by eliminating “bad carbs,” which include refined sugar products like cake, candy and soda in three separate phases.


Phase 1, which lasts about two weeks, is the most restrictive part of the plan. During this introduction phase of South Beach Diet, you cannot consume all sugars, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables as well. Its purpose is to control carb cravings that will maintain the blood sugar level.

Phase 2 of South Beach Diet continues as long as you want to lose weight.  In this phase, most fruits and vegetables as well as some whole grains are gradually added back in. The last but surely not the least is phase 3 as the maintenance phase and lasts for the rest of your life.

By the time you reach the last phase of South Beach Diet, you can tell how carbohydrates affect your weight and how much or how little you should take so there is no specific list of permitted and prohibited foods.
In general, the South Beach Diet only demands strong willpower during Phase 1 for the first two weeks.

However – once you pass the introduction phase, there will be fewer restrictions than other diet plans. Major food groups, plenty of fruit and vegetables are allowed and mostly follow the basic principles of healthy eating that will make you become healthier.

Is Detox Diet Harmful?

The concept of detox diet is detoxifying or purifying the body from harmful toxins since most food is contaminated by various ingredients considered needless for human, like food colorings, flavor enhancers, and preservatives. This concept has already been known for centuries and returned back as hot diet trend nowadays.


Every detox diet book and kit usually has their own way to cleanse the body such as spices and fruit juices, or vegetable purees. Mostly their methods are boiling food to extremely low-calorie, above all liquid diets. For about three days to a month, these methods are believed able to rid all toxins absorbed from the environment and unhealthy or junk food.

Some methods for detox diet forbid solid food and survive only allow low-calorie beverages for days. While Joshi holistic diet restrict acid-forming food – including seemingly healthy veggies and grains-  for  about three weeks.  Popular detox diets even claim that this method can wash out all toxins in your body, reduce the excess fat, enhances the immune body system and good for complexion.

However experts say that there is not enough evidence to prove that such radical methods like Master Cleanse or Fruit Flush will work out as claimed and the worst thing is they can cause unpleasant as well as unhealthy side effects. In addition, nutrition experts expressed the dangers of prolonged or repeated detox diets among others vitamin deficiency, muscle breakdown and blood-sugar problems as well as frequent liquid bowel movements.