Can a diet flush your fat? - Think Healthy News

Shape, August, 2002 by Ramin Ganeshram

The Fat Flush Plan, by Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S. (McGraw-Hill, 2002), suggests that five factors cause weight gain: liver toxicity, waterlogged tissues, a lowfat diet, excess insulin and "liver stress." The cure, in turn, involves "detoxifying" the liver with a cranberry-based spritzer and "good fats" (flaxseed oil and omega-3 fatty acids) that "rev up" the metabolism. The diet also cuts out dairy, wheat and other foods and recommends eating 1,100-1,200 calories per day in the first two weeks and 1,200-1,500 calories daily after that.

Is the diet safe, and does it work? Therese Franzese, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition at Chelsea Piers Sports Complex in New York City, says no to both questions. "You cannot 'detox' your liver or speed up your metabolism with specific foods," Franzese says. "Any weight loss that results from this diet plan stems solely from a calorie deficit."