least half should be whole grains. The Sacred Heart diet
would very rarely meet this requirement. There are no
significant sources of grains or starches in the soup.
Days 1 and 2 do not allow any grains or starches at
all, and although day 3 allows one baked potato it is not
enough to meet this requirement. Days 5 and 6 also do
not allow starches or grains. This requirement will
probably be met on day 7 when brown rice is allowed.
MyPyramid recommends that healthy adults eat
between 5 and 6 1/2 ounces of meat or beans each
day. The Sacred Heart diet would not fulfill this
requirement except on days 5 and 6. Day 5 requires 10
to 20 ounces of beef, which is far more than the recom-
mended amount. Beef is also not usually a lean meat,
and MyPyramid recommends mostly eating lean meats.
Day 6 allows the dieter to eat as much beef as desired,
which would probably also result in a consumption far
in excess of the daily recommended amount.
This diet does not include any recommendation
for exercise. Exercise is generally accepted to be an
important part of any weight loss program. In 2007
the Centers for Disease Control recommended that
healthy adults get 30 minutes or more of light to
moderate exercise each day for good health.Resources
BOOKS
Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck ed.Diet and Nutrition Source-
book.Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2006.
Willis, Alicia P. ed.Diet Therapy Research Trends.New
York: Nova Science, 2007.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>
OTHER
Get the Skinny on Diets2007.<http://www.skinnyondiets
.com>(March 26, 2007).Helen M. DavidsonSaint John’s wortseeSt. John’s wort
Scandinavian diet
Definition
Scandinavia is a term for the region that includes
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The Scandinavian
diet often includes many kinds of fish and seafood,
and many kinds of salted and preserved foods.Origins
The origin of the Scandinavian diet dates back
many thousands of years. Because the winters in Scan-
dinavia are long and cold and last for many months,
methods of preserving foods so that they could be kept
and eaten through the winter months had to be devel-
oped early. Because the Scandinavian countries are all
on the sea, many different types of seafoods were
widely available. In an attempt to preserve these avail-
able foods, the process of smoking and drying was
widely used. Even before the year 1000, the Vikings
were catching and drying cod so that they could take it
with them on their voyages.
The long, cold Scandinavian winters also meant
that early Scandinavians needed to preserve other
types of foods, not just meats and seafoods. Cheese
making is popular in Scandinavia, because making
cheese is a good way of preserving milk. Fresh milk
spoils very quickly, but cheese concentrates many of
the nutrients of milk, and concentrates the energy in it,
in a way that can be stored for a long time, sometimes
for years. Beets and potatoes are also popular in Scan-
dinavia, possibly because they are root vegetables, and
root vegetables tend to store better than other types of
vegetables.
Sugar did not arrive in Scandinavia until relatively
late. The first time that sugar is recorded as having
been brought to Sweden was in 1324. At that time 1.5
kilograms (about 3.3 pounds) was imported to cele-
brate the funeral of the wealthiest man in the country.
Sugar would have been available only to the extremely
wealthy for a long time afterwards, and would have
remained an expensive commodity for hundreds of
years.Description
Scandinavia is comprised of three countries: Nor-
way, Denmark, and Sweden. These countries are in
northern Europe and all have significant sea access.
The diets of these three countries do vary somewhat,
but there are many commonalities.
The Scandinavian diet includes a wide variety of
seafoods. Because the countries of Scandinavia have
access to different bodies ofwatersome seafoods
commonly produced differ from country to country.
Sweden produces large quantities of crayfish, Norway
produces lobsters and prawns, and Denmark produces
many oysters. Some fish products are common to all
of Scandinavia, and include herring, cod, salmon,
mackerel, and even eel. Many of these fish are eaten
fresh, but they can also be smoked or cured. Some
kind of fish are also salted, dried, or jellied.Scandinavian diet