Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

Description

Although there are a number of plant-based oils

used in cooking that contain monounsaturated fats—

olive oil, peanut oil,flaxseedoil, and sesame oil—the

Hamptons diet claims to be based on a ‘‘secret ingre-

dient’’macadamia nut oil from Australia. Macadamia

nuts are produced by an evergreen tree,Macadamia

integrifolia, which is native to the rain forests of

Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.

The Hamptons diet uses macadamia nut oil not

only for cooking, but also in salad dressings and mari-

nades. Pescatore claims that macadamia nut oil is ‘‘the

most monounsaturated oil on the planet.’’ Macadamia

nut oil contains 84% monounsaturated fats, 3.5%

polyunsaturated fats, 12.5% saturated fats, and no

cholesterol. Pescatore presently sells MacNut Oil, a

form of macadamia oil on his website; it can also be

ordered directly from a distributor in Plano, Texas.

In addition to the ‘‘secret ingredient,’’ the Hamp-

tons diet is distinctive for the use of food lists defined

by how much weight the dieter needs to lose. Calories

and portion sizes are not emphasized; the dieter is

expected to divide the recipes into portions according

to the number of servings indicated by each recipe.

The basic menu plans, however, provide between 1000

and 1200 calories per day. There are three food

groups, labeled A, B, and C:

A group: Foods on this list are for people who need

to lose more than 10 pounds. These dieters are lim-

ited to between 23 and 26 grams of carbohydrates per

day.

B group: For dieters with less than 10 pounds to lose.

They may select foods from both the A and B lists,

which allow 40 to 43 grams of carbohydrates per day.

C group: Foods on this list are slowly added to the

meal plans as the dieter reaches his or her weight loss

goal and begins a maintenance diet. Foods in this

group provide up to 65 grams of carbohydrates per

day.

Function

The Hamptons diet is essentially a low-carbohydrate

diet intended to promote a moderate rate of weight

loss in otherwise healthy people. It is not intended to

treat any chronic medical conditions or disorders.

Benefits

The Hamptons diet promotes a gradual weight

loss and encourages eating a balanced range of foods.

It allows dieters complexcarbohydrates(including

whole-grain breads and fresh fruit); discourages the

use of processed foods and distinguishes between

healthy and unhealthy sources of fat in the diet. Its

preference for such lean sources ofproteinas chicken

and fish rather than the higher saturated fat items

such as bacon and steaks is also in its favor. In

addition, some people like the fact that the Hamp-

tons diet allows moderate amounts of alcohol and the

kinds of flavorful foods featured in the Mediterra-

nean diet. The gourmet-quality recipes in this diet

mayalsobeusefultodieterswhowanttocookfora

family or for guests without having to prepare two

separate meals.

Precautions

Although the Hamptons diet is not a very low-

calorie diet (VLCD), it is always advisable for people

who need to lose 30 pounds or more; are pregnant or

nursing; are below the age of 18; or have such chronic

disorders as diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease

to check with a physician before starting a weight-

reduction diet.

The Hamptons diet has been criticized by nutri-

tionists for its inadequate allowances offiber,vitamin

C,calcium,folate,vitamin D, andvitamin E. The diet

is also high in fat, which provides as much as 70% of

the calories in some menu plans, particularly those

that call for cream cheese, bacon, and heavy whipping

cream. The Hamptons diet does not focus on high sat

fat items. Therefore, the cream cheese, bacon, and

heavy whipping cream is generally only recommened

KEY TERMS

Macadamia nut—A hard-shelled nut resembling a

filbert, produced by an evergreen tree native to

Australia and cultivated extensively in Hawaii.

The nut is named for John Macadam, an Australian

chemist.

Monounsaturated fat—A fat or fatty acid with only

one double-bonded carbon atom in its molecule.

The most common monounsaturated fats are pal-

mitoleic acid and oleic acid. They are found natu-

rally in such foods as nuts and avocados; oleic acid

is the main component of olive oil.

Trans-fatty acid—A type of unsaturated fatty acid

that occurs naturally in small quantities in meat and

dairy products; however, the largest single source

of trans-fatty acids in the modern diet is partially

hydrogenated plant oils, used in the processing of

fast foods and many snack foods.

Hamptons diet