Popular Fad Diets: The Grapefruit Diet Plan

The Grapefruit Diet plan is a popular fad diet for many years (although not for me since I HATE grapefruit!) It’s based on some mystical, magical property that grapefruit is supposed to have in relation to dissolving fat. The grapefruit juice diet has been around for 30+ years and is often identified with the famous Mayo Clinic and in fact is often referred to as the "Mayo Grapefruit Diet". However, the Mayo Clinic totally refutes that claim and disavows any knowledge, just like in Mission Impossible – "the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions".

Although there are several grapefruit diet menus, they are mainly focused on three items:

Grapefruit: 1/2 fruit with each meal

Meat

Eggs

Generally, there is a menu to follow and it’s a 12 day rotation … follow it for 12 days, "eat normally", repeat, etc.

The Grapefruit Diet Plan Menu

Breakfast: One half grapefruit with two eggs and two pieces of bacon.

Lunch: One half grapefruit with as much meat and salad as desired.

Dinner: One half grapefruit with as much meat and salad as desired.

Snack: an 8ounce glass of skim milk or tomato juice.

Restricted foods: among others are hot dogs, cheese, potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, cucumbers, and snack foods are not allowed.

Grapefruit Diets & Health

This is a nutritional disaster! Carrots, peas and cucumbers aren’t allowed – but unlimited meat is? With such a limited menu that is so overloaded with animal protein – and therefore steroids, hormones, uric acid, etc. – this is the WORST diet we’re reviewed in our series on popular fad diets.

Furthermore, anyone who takes prescription meds needs to be cautious. Yes grapefruit is a healthy food, but it also interferes with the action of certain drugs. On this blog we’re firmly opposed to medicine and advocate natural health whenever possible but there’s no doubt that some people need meds at certain times.

The "magic combination" of protein and grapefruit is really a variation on the Atkins or South Beach Diet. The very low carb intake is the reason the Grapefruit Diet menu causes such rapid fat loss. Like all such diets, the weight loss will be primarily water and will return about as fast as it came off.

Grade: F