usually low in calories and full of vegetables, which are
an important part of a healthy diet because they con-
tain many differentvitaminsandminerals. Eating a
soup like the one required by this diet can help dieters
feel full without eating too many calories, which may
help dieters stick to a healthy reduced calorie diet.
Precautions
Anyone thinking of beginning a new diet should
consult a medical practitioner. Requirements of calo-
ries, fat, and nutrients can differ significantly from per-
son to person, depending on gender, age, weight, and
many other factors such as the presence of diseases or
conditions. This diet may be of special concern because
of the very limited number of foods that are allowed
each day. Pregnant orbreastfeedingwomen should be
especially cautious because deficiencies of vitamins or
minerals can have a significant negative impact on a
baby. This diet may result in a very low intake of calories
during some or all of the days on the diet because of the
low calorie content of the soup. Pregnant and breast-
feeding women should be especially careful to get
enough calories each day because a diet with too few
calories can also have a negative impact on baby.
Risks
There are some risks to any diet. The Sacred Heart
diet is severely limiting in the foods that can be eaten
each day. This means that it is likely that the dieter will
not get enough of all vitamins and minerals required
each day for good health. Any dieter thinking of
beginning this diet may want to consult a healthcare
provider about a supplement that would be appropri-
ate to help reduce the risk of deficiencies. Supplements
have their own risks.
Research and general acceptance
The Sacred Heart diet has not been the subject of
any significant scientific studies. Although the name
implies that it was created by doctors or other medical
professionals, this is probably not the case. The origin
of the diet is unknown and many Sacred Heart Hos-
pitals have made statements indicating that they did
not create it and do not recommend it.
The United States Department of Agriculture
makes recommendations for what healthy children
and adults should eat each day in MyPyramid, the
updated version of the food guide pyramid. For most
people these are good recommendations for the num-
ber of servings from each food group required daily
for good heath. Because the Sacred Heart diet is
extremely limited in the foods allowed it does not
fulfill many of these recommendations. This makes
the diet especially likely to be unhealthy if repeated
frequently.
MyPyramid, recommends that healthy adults eat
the equivalent of 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day.
The Sacred Heart diet would probably meet this
requirements for most people because the soup has
many different vegetables in it, and most of the days
allow vegetables.
MyPyramid also recommends that healthy adults
eat the equivalent of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit per day. It
is unlikely that a person following the Sacred Heart
diet would get this much fruit, except on day 1 when
fruit is the only food allowed and day 4 where the
dieter is required to eat at least 3 bananas.
Some versions of The Sacred Heart allow skim
milk to be consumed as much as the dieter wishes at
any time during the diet. Other versions of the diet to
not allow it. Dairy products are generally considered
to be part of a healthy diet. MyPyramid recommends
the equivalent of 3 cups of low-fat or non-fat dairy per
day for healthy adults. This requirement would prob-
ably be met during day 4, when the dieter is instructed
to drink as much skim milk as possible. It is unlikely
that this requirement would be met on other days of
the diet, however, especially if the dieter is following a
version of the diet that does not allow skim milk dur-
ing days other than day 4.
Starches and grains are also severely restricted on
the Sacred Heart diet. Whole grains are generally con-
sidered a necessary and important part of any healthy
diet. MyPyramid recommends the equivalent of 3 to 4
ounces of grains each day for healthy adults, of which atQUESTIONS TO ASK THE
DOCTOR Is this diet safe for me?
Do I have any dietary requirements this diet
might not meet?
Would a multivitamin or other dietary
supplement be appropriate for me if I were to
begin this diet?
Is this diet safe for my entire family?
Is it safe for me to follow this diet over a long
period of time?
Is this diet the best diet to meet my goals?
Are there any sign or symptoms that might
indicate a problem while on this diet?Sacred heart diet