Perricone diet
Definition
The Perricone diet is an anti-inflammatory and
anti-aging dietthat emphasizes salmon and nutri-
tional supplements. It is designed to promote weight
loss, maintain a healthy weight, and slow or reverse
the visible aging process. The cornerstone food in the
diet is fish, primarily salmon.Origins
The Perricone diet was developed by dermatolo-
gist Nicholas Perricone. It was first published in Per-
ricone’s 2001 book,The Wrinkle Curewhich claims
that proper nutrition is the key to preventing and
eliminating wrinkles from the skin. It advocates eating
foods rich inantioxidantsand low incarbohydrates.
It was followed in 2002 byThe Perricone Prescription,
which continued and expanded on the role of diet and
nutrition in maintaining a healthy and youthful
appearance. In 2005, Perricone publishedThe Perri-
cone Weight-Loss Dietwhich adapted his anti-aging
diet into a weight loss program.Description
The Perricone diet is promoted for weight loss,
improving physical appearance, and slowing the aging
process. The diet is laid out in six major books by the
author from 2001 through 2007. In general, each book
emphasizes a different aspect of the diet: the first book
is about the diet’s effect on diminishing wrinkles and
slowing or reversing the visible aging process; his sec-
ond book focuses on skin care, his third book targets
acne, and his fifth book deals with weight loss.
Regardless of what it is used for, the basic components
of the Perricone diet are foods that are rich inomega-3
fatty acids,protein, and antioxidants. Above all else,
the diet emphasizes eating fish, especially wild Alas-
kan salmon. He suggests eating salmon at least five
times a week but as often as two or three times a day.
Other fish allowed on the diet include tuna, cod, shell-
fish, sole, flounder, swordfish, trout, and halibut.
Among the other foods allowed on the diet are nuts,
green vegetables, beans, berries, egg whites, low-fat
milk and cottage cheese, citrus fruit, olives and olive
oil, apples, cantaloupe, kiwi, honeydew melon, nectar-
ines, peaches, pears, tomatoes and tomato juice, tofu,
and yogurt.
Foods to be avoided include bread (and anything
with flour), pasta, rice, cereal, popcorn, sugar, coffee,
red meat, pizza, most cheese, butter and margarine,grapes, watermelon, bananas, carrots, corn, potatoes,
and diet and regular soft drinks. The glycemic index
(GI) is used by the Perricone diet as a basic guide for
eating. Under the diet, foods that have a glycemic
index of more than fifty should be avoided while
those with a GI of 50 and under are acceptable.The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index measures the quality rather
than the quantity of carbohydrates found in food.
Quality refers to how quickly blood sugar levels are
raised following eating. The base of the GI is glucose,
which is assigned an index value of 100. Other foods
are compared to glucose to arrive at their ratings. The
higher the GI number, the faster blood sugar increases
when that particular food is consumed. A high GI is
usually considered to be 70 and greater, a medium GI
is 56–69, and a low GI value is 55 or less.
The following is the GI for a few foods:
Cornflakes, 83
Grapefruit, 25
Watermelon, 72
Sugar, 64
Potato chips, 56
White bread, 70
Sourdough bread, 54
Macaroni, 46
Baked red potato, 93
French fries, 75
Yogurt, plain, 14
Salmon, 0
But the GI in not a straightforward formula when
it comes to reducing blood sugar levels. Various fac-
tors affect the GI value of a specific food, such as how
the food is prepared (boiled, baked, saute ́d, or fried,
for example) and what other foods are consumed with
it. For these reasons, the American Diabetes Associa-
tion has adopted a position that there is not enough
conclusive evidence to recommend the general use of a
low-GI diet for diabetics. Not all physicians and endo-
crinologists (medical specialists who treat disorders of
the glands, including diabetes) subscribe to the associ-
ation’s position.
Besides salmon, Perricone has developed a list of
what he calls ten ‘‘super foods’’ that are high in essen-
tial fatty acids,fiber, or antioxidants, along with foods
that help to regulate blood glucose levels. These foods
are: Acai (a berry grown in South America), the allium
family (onions, garlic, and leeks), barley, greens (blue-
green algae, wheat grass, and barley grass), buckwheatPerricone diet