Proponents Still Follow the Raw Food Diet Today

The Greeks were first to believe that being fat was morally and physically detrimental to society, which caused followers of the Greek physician Hippocrates to recommend a diet of light and emollient foods with nothing to unduly arouse the appetite or stir one's passions. Many civilizations in the Mediterranean basin adopted plant-based diets using healthy olive oils, vegetables and seafood with a preference for slow cooking over other methods. Combined with the healthy use of oils and seasonings this culinary style helps to retain vital nutrients and minerals in each dish.

Listed below is a chronology of both good and bad diets over the years:

• LIQUID DIET - Early mentions of an alcohol diet are traced to William the Conqueror, who after becoming severely overweight chose to follow a liquid diet consisting mostly of alcohol. He lost enough weight to resume riding his favorite horse and returned to battle.
• LOW-CARB MEAT DIET - One of the first published medical diets, it was written by Scottish military surgeon John Rollo, so adult patients with diabetes mellitus could extend their life expectancy by following his low-carb, meat diet.
• RAW FOOD DIET - Over 150 years old, the raw food diet instructs people to eat food that hasn't been cooked, processed, microwaved, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides. Founded by a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, proponents still use the diet today.
• LEMONADE DIET - In recent years, Beyoncé revitalized the lemonade diet after losing 20 pounds in two weeks. Created in 1941 by health enthusiast Stanley Burroughs, a mixture of juice, syrup and cayenne pepper is consumed six times per day for ten days.
• ATKINS DIET - The Atkins Diet is one of the most popular diets of the twentieth century. It was conceptualized in the 60s, but the high-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan came full circle when Atkins for Life was published in 2003.
• THE BEVERLY HILLS DIET - Originally, Judy Mazel's diet required people to eat enzyme-rich fruit only for ten days of a 42-day regimen. Highly criticized by experts, the New Beverly Hills Diet promotes all food groups but focuses on conscious food combinations of fruit and vegetables.
• PALEO DIET - The Paleo Diet emulates the food intake of the caveman and consists primarily of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and nuts. Absent from the diet are dairy products as well as whole grains and legumes (fiber and micronutrients).
• HCG DIET - Hollywood celebrities Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly followed the HCG Diet, which combines a fertility drug with a strict diet of 500 to 800 calories a day, to lose weight fast.

Tired of following a fad diet that only causes you to lose water weight? Dieting dates back to as far as the third century BC, when the Greeks adopted a belief that being fat was morally and physically detrimental. Whether you are trying to lose or have reached the maintenance phase of your weight loss plan, the food you consume should come from a combination of healthy macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) based on your body's unique needs. To learn more, contact a MRC weight loss clinic near you.