Dissociated Diet Review
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By CANDICE GREY ConsumersCompare.org Update: Oct 18, 2024 |
DISASSOCIATED DIET is a food program that divides and conquers so to speak. There are different categories based on the type of food, for example carbohydrates and protein. Instead of the dieter focusing all of their attention on the type of food they eat, it is more about the combination of the different food groups. Eating food from different categories together is seen as a no no because of the way the body converts it into fat. Eating the food groups separately is what the creators of the Disassociated Diet recommend.
The creator William Howard Hay believes that consuming foods made up of one macro-nutrient at a time will cause weight loss, less bloat and overall more energy. [1] This diet was started in 1911, and it was built on theories that nutrients should not be combined as it will slow down the digestive process. When the digestive process slows, Dr. Hay believed it caused a variety of health issues to deal with.
How Does The DISASSOCIATED DIET Work?
The diet itself is pretty simple to follow. You cannot mix any foods together in the same day, or even in the same meal. All of the meals you eat need to contain a major food type, but there cannot be two different major food types on a plate (think carbohydrate and protein). It is also frowned upon to mix different proteins together such as beef and fish for example. Along with an entire host of rules and regulations, desserts and fruits are not recommended after any meals.
Basically, the entire diet is founded on the idea that digestion happens in the body in specific acidic worlds, meaning different foods are processed at different pH levels in the body which is why mixing foods wreaks havoc on the system. If you do mix foods, weight loss is said to be unlikely, partial digestion of foods may occur, and you will experience constipation gas and bloating.
The Bottom Line: The diet has a list of foods that are acceptable, and then a set of rules to follow when eating the foods on the list.
back to menu ↑Is The DISASSOCIATED DIET Safe?
The basis of this specific diet program are pretty safe for the most part. There are certain rules like not eating meat after 7:00pm, eating meals three hours apart, only drinking water, and not drinking any alcohol while on the diet that can turn people off. As far as safety is concerned, there is nothing unsafe about this program as a whole. The types of food allowed on the diet are: Meat and fish, cheese, eggs, vegetables with or without a high starch content, cereal, bread, polenta, onions, garlic, milk, butter, and a variety of fruits. [2]
Pros and Cons of DISASSOCIATED DIET
As with any diet there are going to be some major pros and cons associated with the structure of the diet itself. There is a large list of foods that are allowed that are not known to be the most healthy such as breads, cereals, and tropical fruit which is high in sugar and causes an insulin spike. You can eat ice cream if you wish, as long as you do not have anything else such as biscuits or creams which is an easy rule to follow. With all that being said, there is not real education about eating a healthy diet to feel better overall and it is solely based around the body’s digestion.
Another con is the fact that the diet is not very well balanced at each meal, and you may run the risk of missing out on nutrients needed for optimal health. The unique eating patterns do not form great habits long term, but they are quite interesting to say the least. Some pros are the fact that you will most likely eat more greens in one sitting, and that the program is free.
Conclusion
This is an interesting diet model, and it dates back to 1911 which makes this old school to say the least. Not many people follow this way of eating, and they are still losing weight so it is not the only way to get a hold of those unwanted pounds. The concept of the layout and rules are interesting, but it is not impressive because it allows rather unhealthy foods which will not make you feel great after eating them (even if it is by themselves). Taking its idea with a grain of salt, and being more cautious about the hours you eat meat, and how to pair certain foods together for optimal nutrition less all of the rules seems like a better way to go!
