Nathan Pritikin first published this program in 1979. He strongly believed that a low fat and high carbohydrate diet was the best way to lose weight. Since the first publication of the Pritikin Diet, many authors have updated his Nathan’s concept and developed the approach to weight loss.
The program focuses on the importance of calories on one’s weight loss. However, instead of calculating the calories of each food item, dieters are counseled on planning the general calorie-content of the entire meal.
The Pritikin diet plan is low in fat and calorie, high in fiber and composed of plant-based foods. Fat intake should not exceed ten percent of the required total daily calories.
This program is almost vegetarian. It advocates vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, salads, pasta, low-fat dairy products and limited amounts of seafood, meat and poultry. During the entire Pritikin program, the dieter cannot consume alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks.
The Pritikin dieters are required to walk to exercise for at least 45 minutes daily. The diet program also encourages stress-reduction techniques.
Many people prefer to follow this diet to prevent the initiation or progression of medical conditions such as heart disease and cancer. The program also helps in lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Moreover, combined with adequate exercise, could result in a healthy weight loss.
The weakness of both Nathan Pritikin’s diet and the expanded Pritikin model is that it is too low in essential fats. Because of this, the dieter could lack fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin K, E, D and A (which are all needed in tissue growth and normal cell functioning).
This weight loss program is perfect for vegetarians because they are more used to eating low-protein meals.
Since you have the freedom in planning your meals, you will learn which foods are healthy and which are not. However, since the Pritikin does not have a specific diet plan, people who lack in discipline may easily get off the program. In addition, those dieters who eat at restaurants regularly may find it difficult to balance the low-fat diet.
