Two Different Fad Diets Combined Using Spices and Eggs

¶ … Pounds, 5 Spices and Eggceptional Diets Turmeric, ginseng, cinnamon, ginger, and cumin are not only tasty; they may help dieters lose weight. Turmeric is a spice that is yellow in color, mild in flavor, and which also happens to contain a substance called curcumin. Curcumin provides the spice with its yellow color and also has anti-inflammatory properties that may even "suppress the growth of fat tissue," and lower serum cholesterol as well (Appleby, n.d.).

Adding turmeric to foods or taking a turmeric supplement may help some people achieve weight loss goals. Ginseng is a family of roots commonly used to brew teas. Although some data may suggest that ginseng may improve glucose tolerance, there is no evidence suggesting that ingesting ginseng promotes weight loss per se (Saper, et al., 2004). Likewise, cinnamon may help to regulate glucose metabolism in the body and decrease blood sugar (Anne, n.d.). Cumin is another spice that has a pleasant flavor and may help control blood sugar (Abdullah, 2014).

Some sources seem to suggest that cinnamon lowers LDL cholesterol, speeds metabolism, burns belly fat in particular, and suppresses appetite too (Anne, n.d.). Ginger might help regulat cholesterol, boost the immune system, and act as an anti-inflammatory, as well as promote satiety in eating ("7 Unbelievable ginger benefits for health and weight loss," 2014). However, none of these findings can be substantiated by peer-reviewed research and it is doubtful that five spices alone will lead someone to lose weight.

Most likely, the ingestion of tasty food will help people feel satisfied and thereby cause them to eat less junk food. These five spices, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, ginseng, and turmeric, may be combined with the chicken and egg diet called the Eggceptional Diet. This high protein diet entails eating four eggs and skinless chicken every day. In addition to boosting the poultry industry, this diet may or may not have benefits for promoting weight loss and reducing cholesterol. The five spices would add flavor to an otherwise bland diet.

An example would be for breakfast, a dieter might eat two hard-boiled eggs and half a grapefruit. The grapefruit has no calories of importance. The two eggs have fat, protein, and calories in the right quantities, to promote satiation and provide optimal nutrition. It would be much better if the dieter could eat something that tasted good, which is why the spices might be used to enhance the meal. For lunch, a dieter might eat a small, skinless roasted chicken breast and a green salad.

An alternative to the lunch salad would be fresh cut up vegetables. The meal sounds tasteless, but the addition of the five spices might add some flavor. As with breakfast, there is no carbohydrate. For dinner, dieters could eat a two-egg omelet with tomato and spinach, and even use one slice non-fat mozzarella cheese. Alternate dinner by adding zucchini and/or mushrooms. The addition of the spices could add some flavor and perhaps boost the body's response to fat.

Black coffee with cinnamon could be served with breakfast or dinner, offering the opportunity to ingest more cinnamon. Ideally, the diet should be used for five days with two days off, repeated as often as possible or as needed. Because eggs and chicken are nutritious foods that are high in protein, the diet does provide a good amount of nutrition. Unfortunately, though, the combination of the five spices and eggceptional diet can be considered a fad.

The diet involves eating eggs and chicken breast every day, something that is not only monotonous and unethical, but may also be unhealthy over time. This diet is most likely to lead to someone binging on flavorful food after depriving oneself of a balanced diet. People who are allergic to eggs could not use this diet. Likewise, people who are vegan could not even attempt this diet. This diet also lacks fiber, which could be bad for optimal digestive health. An excess of protein may cause constipation and other problems.

On the other hand, people who are counting calories alone and who do not care about flavor or anything else might appreciate this diet. It is very low in calories, leading to less than a thousand and as few as 565 calories per day. An adult can consume about 2000 calories a day. Protein itself has fewer calories per gram vs. fat, and although eggs do have some fat, there is little enough in this diet to promote weight loss.

Although the suggested meals sound tasteless, they are high in protein and may help a person feel full and satisfied if they have no interest in deliciousness. Some dieters will therefore feel more sated than others. Some evidence also suggests that protein promotes thermogenesis, linked to increases in metabolism. Metabolizing protein burns more calories than metabolizing other types of food like fat or carbohydrates. The body might even need to burn fat while metabolizing protein. However, the Five Spice/Eggceptional Diet has no evidence whatsoever to support its claims.

All restrictive eating patterns can lead to initial weight loss, much of which might be water weight and therefore temporary in nature. If the goal is long-term weight loss, then the person might need to discover more feasible solutions involving lifestyle changes. Instead of embarking on a fad diet like this one, it would be better to get into the habit of eating healthier foods more often.

A balanced diet is ideal, because any diet that severely restricts some food groups and overemphasizes others could cause both psychological and physiological noncompliance. Too much protein might also be unhealthy, leading to the build-up of ketones, and resulting imbalances in hormonal function and toxicity in liver and kidneys. The fad diet mentions nothing about vegetables or fruits, which provide a large number of vitamins and minerals necessary for maximum health and well-being.

Ideally, the person uses not only five but many more spices in their daily lives, and includes vegetables and whole grains as well. The goal would be to consume less food throughout the day, perhaps by limiting portion sizes while still eating a balanced healthy diet. Exercise is also a key for achieving weight loss goals. While each person is different, all people benefit from exercise in some way. Combining a healthy diet with a healthy lifestyle, a person can lose weight and feel healthy.

Adding the five spices to the diet should be viewed not as a fad diet but as a way to make food taste better. Cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger all add flavor to food. Ginseng is less commonly used as a food seasoning but.