What is the Scarsdale Diet? What You Need To Know

Scarsdale Diet | What is it?

In looking for the quickest and most effective diet for fulfilling nutrition, what is your end goal? Do you want a slimmer body, achieve fitness, enjoy maximum health benefits, or observe a healthy eating habits and pattern?

In the 1970s, a cardiologist in Scarsdale, New York thought of a diet plan (for dieters) that might suit everyone looking for it.

The book The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet published by Dr. Herman Tarnower and self-help author Samm Sinclair Baker had a bold promise: to help people lose up to 20 pounds (nine kilograms) in just two weeks.

No wonder why it became a bestseller after it hit the shelves and took America by the storm, as its original book cover touted.

 

Although Dr. Tarnower, the “Scarsdale Diet Doctor,” was murdered and shot just two years after his famous book was published, his ideas live on after five decades.

It is still regarded as a fad diet until now, just like how it became trendy with elite women and socialites who wanted to test the Scarsdale Diet’s results. So what is it?

What is its program, and what is the diet’s advantages, disadvantages, and recommendations? What are some delicious Scarsdale Diet recipes that you can enjoy if you want to try it out? In this article, you will find out.

 

The Scarsdale Diet in a nutshell

 

            The Scarsdale Diet is appealing and attractive because of how straightforward it is. 

You just need to limit your diet to 1,000 calories every day, whether you are a male or a female, young or old, active or lethargic, and light or heavy. To achieve this, Scarsdale Diet followers should primarily eat protein.

This makes it resemble the ketogenic diet (in its inclination to high fats and protein) and the Stillman Diet (a similar high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet).

            In Dr. Tarnower’s book, he laid out this percentage for the Scarsdale Diet plan: 46% protein, 21% fat, and 35% carbohydrates.

There are also strict limitations and restrictions on snacks, water, and vegetables. It was designed to be quick and short-term: the diet should only be done in two weeks.

Afterward, the diet observer can proceed to the Lifetime Keep Slim program also designed by Dr. Tarnower. This introduces some bread, snacks, and beverages prohibited in the original Scarsdale Diet menu.

            According to the maker of this diet, you should continue to observe the Keep Slim program until your weight starts to increase once more. If this happens, you must revert to the 14-day Scarsdale diet.

 

Foods that you should eat

 

            In The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, the foods that you may eat in this diet every day are specified:

 

1. Lean beef, hamburgers, fish, and poultry products can be eaten.
2. Beverages such as pure, black coffee; tea; at least four cups (9455 mL) of water; and diet soda.
3. Raw and non-starchy vegetables, such as bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, radishes, cauliflower, and celeries.
4. As for the fruits, originally, grapefruit only was allowed. But current Scarsdale Diet versions allow (only as a treat) apples, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, peaches, pears, mangoes, papayas, blueberries, and starfruits.
5. Only protein bread is allowed.
6. Eggs may be eaten without oil and butter.
7. Low-fat dairy products like 2% milk and cheese slices are allowed.
8. Only six walnut halves may be consumed.
9. Most herbs and spices can be added to food.

 

Foods that you should avoid

 

            The Scarsdale Diet is very restrictive to give way for a high-protein diet. These are the foods that you must not eat to achieve the diet’s results:

 

1. Beans, corn, potatoes, rice, and lentils.
2. Avocados.
3. All sweets, fast food, and processed foods.
4. All flour-based foods.
5. All forms of oil, including butter and mayonnaise.
6. All kinds of nuts and seeds except walnuts and pecans.
7. All highly processed meats like bacon and sausage.
8. Full-fat dairy, milk, and cheese.
9. Bread, pastries, and most products with wheat and grain, including desserts and treats such as cereals, cakes, cookies, crackers, pizza, pasta, and donuts.
10. Alcohol, soda, and artificially sweetened drinks.

 

How does it work scientifically?

 

            By principle, the Scarsdale Diet is a drastic sprint to achieve a calorie deficit. It maximizes protein intake while eating only less than 1,000 calories per day, one thousand calories less than the recommended calorie intake for adults.

Because of this, the body will burn fat, muscle, and glycogen (stored carbohydrates)—all while consuming more calories than you eat.

This reaction, as proven by research recorded in the US National Library of Medicine, will significantly help in weight loss and weight change.

Moreover, increased consumption of protein will help you feel full and satisfied, according to a study by Healthcare, so you do not have to worry about feeling hungry afterwards.

 

            However, the heavy Scarsdale Diet restrictions and its low-calorie prescription is not sustainable and might lead to relapse and weight gain.

This is the reason why Dr Tarnower limits the Scarsdale Diet to two weeks only, minimizing the health risks the diet may incur. Also, the Scarsdale Diet must be accompanied by healthy living habits like exercise, self-control, and stress management.

 

Scarsdale Diet benefits

 

            Despite many criticisms, the Scarsdale Diet features many advantages that its adherents may enjoy:

 

1. It’s simple and straightforward. It is fair to say that this diet is so easy to understand. The instructions are exact, the foods to consume and avoid are clearly stated, and you don’t need to guess about it.The clear-cut the 1,000-calorie rule also frees it from ambiguity and second-guessing. Moreover, with a specific recipe provided in the original manual (read further to know about this), you no longer need to calculate your caloric intake and balance your consumption to meet its requirements.

 

2. It promotes protein and vegetables. Whether you will continue following the Scarsdale Diet or not, this program will help you adopt meals with high-protein meats, vegetables, and fruits. This will motivate you to cook and prepare balanced food and improve your diet quality over time.

 

3. It’s very cheap. Unlike other diets, Scarsdale does not require pills, medications, supplements, or equipment. The vegetables and meat you are allowed to eat are not costly, either. The two weeks you will spend in this eating pattern will help you save money while you get slimmer.

 

4. It’s time-specific and not long-term. Many people are discouraged from committing themselves to diets and fitness plans because of the daunting sight of the future. Many people feel pressured about the restrictions of their diet that they are tempted to break it. The Scarsdale Diet is excellent in this regard because it ends after two weeks. If it works with you, the choice is yours if you want to proceed to the Keep Slim program or do the Scarsdale Diet sometime later.

 

Scarsdale Diet disadvantages

 

If you want to try this diet, it is best if you will consult a physician or a dietician first because this eating pattern is infamous for a reason.

Since its publication in the United States, the Scarsdale Diet has been controversial for its strict restrictions, big promises, and grave health risks. It has disadvantages which include:

 

1. Risks. The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet was stopped from circulation because of heavy criticism. It is unsafe for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic diseases. It has temporary side effects, which include constipation, weakness, and nausea. Misuse of this diet (and other patterns that cause ketosis) can cause kidney and liver damage. It might also bring metabolic disorders like porphyria, a liver disease that damages the skin and the nervous system. Also, without milk and dairy, you might become deficient in calcium. Hence, it is crucial to bear in mind that you can only do this diet for two weeks.

 

2. Very restrictive. The two weeks that will follow after you adopt this diet might become difficult. You might miss out on celebrations and events where eating plays a significant role. It is also very likely that you would crave the foods you are not allowed to eat, leading to overeating and distress. Many cite that this is something that needs to be done to lose weight.

 

3. Not nutritionally balanced. Many experts say that the Scarsdale Diet has severe nutritional deficiencies. This diet and the Keep Slim program is an example of yo-yo dieting, the cycle of weight loss and weight gain. According to the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome’s Weight Cycling and Its Cardiometabolic Impact, this cycle can make metabolism slower, lead to poor body image, and eating disorders.

 

4. Weight gain and relapse. As you deprive yourself of food groups you used to eat, you might end up binging on them after the duration of the diet. Some criticize that it promotes weight loss over health, which boils down to the mentality of the person observing the diet.

 

The Scarsdale Diet’s Original Rules and Daily Plan

 

            Although the book written by Dr.Tarnower is rare now, its contents are preserved until our time. The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet lays out ten basic rules for its observers, courtesy of Moms Who Think Club:

 

1. Eat what is assigned precisely.
2. Do not drink alcohol and alcoholic beverages.
3. You may only eat carrots, low sodium vegetable broth, and celery as snacks between meals.
4. The beverages you can only consume is black, regular/decaffeinated coffee, tea, club soda, diet soda, and sugar-free drinks.
5. Use only lemon, vinegar, vinaigrette, or mustard dressing with salad.
6. Eat vegetables without butter, margarine, and fats. (The vegetables you should avoid are above.)
7. All meat should be very lean and without fat. Remove poultry skin as well before eating.
8. Do not substitute or add from the ingredients or meals recommended by the book.
9. When you are already full, stop eating.
10. Do not observe the diet for over fourteen days.

 

            The book also lays out the daily Scarsdale Diet plan and menu from breakfast to dinner, which we will teach you:

 

            Day One. In your breakfast, you may eat a slice of protein bread and grapefruit, with a cup of coffee or tea. During lunch, you can enjoy assorted tomatoes and cold cuts, either sliced, broiled, or stewed, still with coffee or tea. In your dinner, you can eat broiled fish and selfish (as much as you want) with salad, a slice of protein bread, and a grapefruit.

 

            Day Two. You may have a slice of protein bread and sliced grapefruit in your breakfast. Then, you can have as much fruit salad as you desire with the same beverages. Your dinner can have hamburgers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery until you are full.

 

            Day Three. You can enjoy the same breakfast you ate on Day One and Day Two. At lunchtime, you can have tuna salad (until you are full), a piece of grapefruit, and coffee or tea. At night, you can eat lean pork and green salad as much as you want.

 

            Day Four. Like what you did for three days, you can drink coffee or tea and eat a slice of protein bread and grapefruit. As your lunch, you can have two eggs, cottage cheese, string beans, tomatoes, and protein bread. Then, you can eat skinless chicken, either broiled, barbecued, or roasted, with green beans, spinach, or green peppers as much as you want.

 

            Day Five. Eat the same breakfast. During lunch, you may enjoy unlimited spinach and assorted low-fat cheese slices with a slice of protein bread. You will turn to seafood during dinner, with broiled fish, shellfish, and salad until you are full. You can still have protein bread with coffee or tea.

 

            Day Six. You can have the same breakfast and lunch you enjoyed on Day Two. During dinner, you can eat broiled or roasted chicken or turkey with unlimited salad.

 

Day Seven. As always, you will have a slice of protein bread with a cup of coffee or tea and half of a grapefruit. Chicken or turkey, carrots, tomatoes, cooked cabbage, and cauliflower will be your lunch, together with grapefruit, melon, or tea.

At dinner, you can have grilled and fatless steak with salad. You can also enjoy lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery. Again, you can have as much as you want until you are full.

In the second week of the Scarsdale Diet plan, you will repeat the diet menu.

FAQs

What meat can you eat on the Scarsdale Diet?

These are the types of meat that are allowed to be consumed and those that shouldn't be consumed.

Allowed	Not Allowed
Cold cuts	Bacon
Shellfish	Sausage
Fish	Bologna
Turkey	Other highly processed meat
Chicken
Lean Beef

Is there any associated risk?

While the diet itself doesn't pose any kind of risk, it is advisable to  consult with a doctor once if you have a medical history of any chronic illness.

What types of lean meats are allowed?

As you can see in the above table of allowed and not allowed meats, lean beef is allowed out of all types of lean meats.