Eat as much as you want and still lose weight?
Created by Dr. Terry Shintani, the Hawaiian Diet is a holistic diet that centers around creating a new, healthier, well-rounded person. For those who choose to follow the Hawaiian diet, there can be many benefits, including the potential to lose weight. However, following the Hawaiian diet requires a delicate balance in order to see results.
History
Developed in the 1990s, the Hawaiian diet emerged as a response to growing trends in obesity, not only among the Hawaiian islands, but throughout the United States. Dr. Shintani created the nutritional side of the diet based on the traditional USDA food pyramid but with his own modifications. However, the Hawaiian diet focuses on more than just the foods you eat; it encompasses the age-old idea that to be healthy, you must be balanced mentally, physically and spiritually.
Key Elements
The Hawaiian Diet centers around two key concepts: diet and exercise and mental clarity. Nutritionally, the Hawaiian Diet says that an individual can eat as much as she wants of the recommended foods, as long as she is burning the calories she consumes. In addition, the diet puts strong focus on developing a solid spiritual connection and mental clarity in order make your whole person healthy.
Benefits
The number one potential benefit to the Hawaiian diet is weight loss. Because it focuses primarily on eating whole, natural, well-balanced foods accompanied with rigorous exercise, the weight loss potential is high. In addition, this diet looks at the internal causes for being overweight and guides you through resolving these issues. Other potential benefits include lowering your cholesterol, increasing metabolism and lowering cardiovascular risks and other health issues.
Disadvantages
While this diet does have potential to have positive benefits, there are downsides to the Hawaiian Diet as well. One disadvantage is the need for excessive exercise. Because the diet theoretically allows you to essentially eat as much as you desire, it is vitally important to exercise an above-average amount in order to compensate for the extra calories. Other disadvantages are the strict guidelines in regard to the types of foods permitted.
Participant Results
People across the country have followed the Hawaiian Diet. Perhaps the most high-profile participant is former Hawaiian governor Benjamin Cayetano, who lost a reported 12 pounds in the first three weeks of the program, in addition to lowering his triglycerides and cholesterol. Though some participants who were significantly overweight did not see the success they expected, in general participants reported losing between three and 10 pounds per week on average.
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