Overweight is considered in much of the world, as one of the most urgent medical complications to treat. Several factors can trigger an eating disorder, such as stress, daily agitation, and conditions in the body.
Apart from the physical aspect, in many cases, obesity is responsible for coronary heart disease, liver and gallbladder. In addition, there are cases of strokes, cancer and hypertension, which are directly or indirectly related to this problem. That is why, in many countries, obesity is already treated as a priority and public health.
Because of this, different types of diets arise and eating habits restricted, such as the Scardale Diet, where a specific selection of the foods to be consumed is made, avoiding some and increasing the intake of others.
However, do you know what exactly the Scardale diet consists of? We tell you its main characteristics.
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What is the Scardale diet?
Millions of people resort to different diets to balance their meals, with the aim of looking better physically or correcting an illness.
In this sense, the Scardale diet is surely one of the most controversial, because of the rapid impact it has on the body.
This regime was invented by the American cardiologist Herman Tarnower, in the 70s and allows you to lose up to 8 kilos in just two weeks.
First of all, the Scardale regimen consists of 3 meals a day. Among its main characteristics, we find a considerable decrease in carbohydrate consumption and the total elimination of sugars and alcohol.
On the other hand, a significant increase in the intake of proteins, vegetables and low-fat dairy products is sought.
Is it really healthy and does it work?
The first thing to clarify is that the Scardale diet has worked on millions of people. Of course, you need extreme discipline, and do not leave at any time indicated by the doctor.
At the time of making it, the ideal is that the person does not feel that he is in a strict regime and that is why the combinations are:
- 31% carbohydrates.
- 22% fat.
- 44% protein.
In this way, there are no anxiety attacks or arrive at the main meals on an empty stomach.
The idea is to consume just 1,000 calories per day, which results in a loss of almost 1 kilo per day. For this reason, the effects are fast and visible.
One Scardale Diet Basic is done in 2 parts. The first one lasts 2 weeks and is really intense. During this period, what is established by the nutritionist must be fulfilled perfectly.
You may be wondering, why can’t I maintain the diet longer? The answer is because it eliminates carbohydrates and dairy products that are essential for the body.
For example, the decreased calcium it may be reason enough to have bone problems.
Read more: Foods with more calcium.
The most difficult thing is not to arrive, but to stay. It is a phrase that applies very well for what comes after those intense days.
It is that after the strong part of the Scardale diet, the person has to establish a balanced meal plan, so as not to gain weight again.
At this point, food and beverages are added, always in considerable portions, which were prohibited in the first phase.
Opinions about diet
The Scardale diet has amazing numbers. For this reason, the Opinions of specialists are very varied. Is it possible to lose so much weight in a short time? The answer is Yes, as long as you take everything indicated in the diet to the letter.
Scardale menu
During the hardest part of the Scardale diets, no food should be eaten outside of mealtime. With the exception of consuming some vegetables, such as carrot sticks, a fruit or a gelatin without sugar.
Sugar and honey should also not be used. To replace these ingredients, you can opt for a sweetener.
As far as beverages are concerned, alcohol and soft drinks are prohibited. Yes you can drink coffee, tea and refluxscos dietetic. At this point, it is very important to drink 8 glasses of water daily.
When seasoning salads, the key is to do it with vinegar or lemon. Olive oil should be avoided, for example.
During the Scardale diet, chicken and turkey should be consumed without skin and steamed or grilled. On the other hand, red meats should be grilled and fat-free.
After the intense 2 weeks, daily meals go up to 6 servings. Foods and drinks that were strictly forbidden, such as pizza, cold cuts or some beer or glass of wine, can be added to the diet.
At this point, fried foods, stews and sauces should be avoided, as they provide large amounts of calories.
Food to consume
During the time that the person is doing the Scardale diet, there are essential foods in each of the meals. We talked about breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In this sense, at the time of the first meal of the day, you can not miss a fruit and the ideal is to vary it daily. This can be a banana, an apple, a pear or an orange. The fruit is always accompanied by an infusion, such as tea or coffee and a slice of bread.
Fruit and coffee are also part of the lunch menu, to which must necessarily be added a more forceful food, such as a grilled hamburger, grilled tuna, assortments of mixed cheeses, spinach or chicken.
Dinner has as a distinctive feature, which always involves the preparation of various salads. It is usually accompanied by a portion of meat, chicken, lamb or fish.
- Proteins such as lean meat, chicken, turkey and eggs.
- Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, celery, spinach and carrots.
- Drinks such as water and tea.
Foods to avoid
Among the most common foods and dressings that are strictly prohibited, we find butter, mayonnaise, flours, rice, milk, fatty meat and chicken with skin.
In addition, during the first 2 weeks of the Scardale diet, you can not consume any alcoholic beverages, as well as soft drinks.
It is fundamental respect the regime, because the intake of any of these foods or drinks, especially during the first phase, can ruin everything achieved so far.
According to the recommendations of the creators of this diet, it is necessary to avoid, in general, the consumption of this type of food:
- Rice, beans and lentils
- Chocolates
- Sweet desserts
- Juices and smoothies
- Potatoes and other tubers
- Dairy
- Fatty meats
- Fruits, except orange
Advantages and disadvantages of the diet
We will properly analyze the advantages of following this type of diet, as well as the negative side effects we can have, depending on the duration of the diet.
Nutritionally it has many detractors, because it is forced to eliminate foods that if they are considered healthy. There is a lack of flexibility when choosing certain types of foods and makes it a boring and excessively restrictive diet.
If the maximum duration of the diet is 2 weeks, no continuation options are given to avoid the “shock effect” by changing eating habits again and regaining kilos.
In general, it is offered to follow the diet in 2 weeks, rest from another 2, and perform it again if necessary for another 2 weeks.
Among the advantages, comment that yes that many kilos are lost due to food restriction and low fat consumption.
In general, the results are temporary and require specific maintenance. Ideally, we should follow up with a nutritionist, who will advise us on whether this diet is optimal or can be replaced by less restrictive and long-term follow-up.
Scardale Diet Variations
The Scardale diet can be applied to people with diabetes, although constant medical accompaniment is necessary.
Being low in carbohydrates, weight loss is immediate and glucose, responsible for the main problems for diabetics, remains at low levels.
In the case of vegans or vegetarians, it is also possible to carry out the Scardale diet. The key here is replacementgo animal meat proteins for those of plant origin. These must provide the amino acids and nutrients necessary for it to work correctly.
The Scardale Diet not recommended for athletes, due to the low consumption of carbohydrates, which can severely impair not only the performance of the athlete, but also his body.
