In the world of fad diets almost nothing can be more absurd than the cookie diet. In essence this diet claims that amino acids baked into cookies can control hunger.
The cookie diet has been around for more than 30 years. Perhaps you’ve never heard of it. If you have, you’re probably still questioning whether this somewhat odd diet plan will really do what it promises.
Fad diets and crazy weight loss tips seem to be everywhere these days. As a general rule, a fad diet is a diet which is designed to last for short periods of time, during which large amounts of weight can supposedly be lost. Often times, like the cookie diet, these diets rely on a single miracle food with amazing properties that lead to dramatic weight loss. These diets rely on slick pitches that make it seem silly not to buy and try the diet.
The cookie diet was created by a physician named Sanford Siegel in 1975 while he was researching a book on the effect of natural foods on hunger. This cookie diet consisted of patients eating six cookies each day in place of meals, then eating a reasonable dinner. There was a total of about 500 calories combined in the cookies, and the dinner could be 300 calories in the evening. People went wild over the cookie diet to the extent that 14 clinics opened in Florida. It wasn’t long before over 200 doctors were regularly recommending the cookie diet. The diet was quickly expanded to miracle soups and shakes that also contained the amino acids.
Later Hollywood grabbed the cookie diet. Stars and starlets made their use of the diet well known, which helped vault it to public attention. This newer version of the diet included four cookies and a dinner. Each cookie should contain approximately 150 calories, loaded with fiber, protein and 13 vitamins and minerals.
Don’t waste time with the cookie diet. Eat less, exercise more – that’s the formula for good health. In general this is a much healthier way to lose or maintain weight than relying on some fly by night miracle food, even if it is endorsed by someone you recognize from a movie.