The New Flavor Point Diet Claims We Need to Limit Flavor Variety

November 28th 2005

Many health conditions have been linked to obesity including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  Every year there are a plethora of diets that work for some people but not for others.  A few years ago the Atkins Diet was the rage.  Last year it was the South Beach diet. The diet rage for 2006 may be The Flavor Point Diet.

Supported by scientific research from the prestigious Yale Prevention Research Center, the Flavor Point Diet is clinically proven to help shed excess pounds quickly and safely.  The ABC News program 20/20 had a segment on this new diet that combines foods selected by flavor. 

Author of the book, Dr. David Katz, claims this diet “tricks your brain into being satisfied all day long”.  There is no need for diet pills or calorie counting, just a well prepared meal plan.  The diet incorporates “flavor themes” by week, day, meal or dish.  This will enable the dieter to reach the Flavor Point (the moment at which you feel completely full and deliciously satisfied) sooner.

The diet steps you though a 12 week menu plan with over 150 new recipes. The recipes stick to a specific flavor for a meal or day.  For instance you may add lemon to every meal for Monday but add onion or tomato to every meal for Tuesday.  Your goal is to limit “flavor variety.”

For example, you may start out with a tomato omelet for breakfast and then a tomato panini sandwich for lunch.  And then for dinner you may have grilled fish with tomato sauce or pasta with tomato sauce. Dr. Katz claims too much variety is getting us into trouble.   

This is how it works. Each flavor we eat stimulates a different set of cells in the brain.  Sweet flavors will stimulate one portion of the brain, while salty will stimulate another, and sour flavors may stimulate yet another.  The more areas in the brain you “turn on” the more you will need to eat to feel full.

If you turn on just one portion of the brain you will likely eat less but feel just as satisfied, according to Dr. Katz.  Essentially you will be fooling your brain into thinking you are full.  This one flavor a day technique is super important for the first couple weeks of the diet. 

The diet does require you to get rid of processed junk foods loaded with sugar and salt and replacing it with foods prepared by you.  The salt and sugar combination tells your brain to eat more.  The Flavor Point Diet book comes out in December just in time for the holidays. The book will also be available as an abridged audio CD and an abridged downloadable audiobook.