The New Beverly Hills Diet

Overview.  The diet, written by Judy Mazel, is based on a food combining principle (she called conscious-combining).   Her original book, The Beverly Hills diet was written in the 1980's, she has updated the  "New" version.   The new one forgoes many of the earlier extremes, and now, according to its author, meets recommended standards for a balanced weekly diet.  Eating proteins, carbohydrates, and fats at the same time "confuse your enzymes" and your food will not digest properly.

The diet is a 35-day program, in which you eat carbs only with carbs, proteins with proteins and fruits by themselves.  Mazel claims your body uses specific enzymes to digest carbs, proteins and fruit.   When you mix these foods, she believes that your body has a difficult time breaking them down.  Mazel also suggests that when your body is digesting properly you will see a decrease in body fat.  

What we like about this plan.   One can consume steak, shrimp, salad, baked potatoes, corn and wine during the first 10 days.  The diet promotes plenty of fruits. There is no caloric counting, portion restriction or and you may eat as much as you like provide you stick with the guidelines.  The expense is simply the expense of the book. The meals on this diet are simple to prepare.

 
What we dislike about this plan.   Food combining can be difficult to follow correctly. This can make it hard to eat out.  The "New Beverly Hills Diet" professes that fruits contain all of the enzymes necessary to break themselves down into nutrients for effective digestion, whereas proteins and carbohydrates require extra enzymes that slow down the process.  The truth is the enzymes needed for digestion are found in the body, not necessarily in the foods we eat.  These statements make the diet seem bogus.

How healthy is this plan?  It should be stated that Judy Mazel does not have any medical or nutritional qualifications and her theories are widely disputed by experts in the business.  Her suggestion that enzymes can't properly breakdown combined foods and turns them into fats is refuted by experts who believe the body can't absorb food that isn't broken down.  It is only these absorbed foods that can turn into fat.  And take note to this quote from her book: "In my opinion, the only reason exercise helps reduce weight is because the person exercising is too busy  to eat."  This is not a healthy way of thinking, so how can the plan possibly be.

Here Is The Bottom Line.  The New Beverly Hills Diet fails to undertake the issue of portion control or exercise, both of which are directly relevant to any successful weight loss program. Mazel's theories that exercise is unrelated to weight loss, that calories don't really matter, and that food combining is the best way to lose weight, limit the diet's usefulness long-term.  Avoid this plan and go for a well-balanced program that includes exercise and promotes all nutrients.

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