Live Life Team
The Pritikin Diet is based upon a 1979 bestselling book, “The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise,” written by Nathan Pritikin. Pritikin, a famous dietician of the 1980s, billed his plan as “mankind’s original meal plan” since it relies upon a base of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, starchy vegetables, lean meats, and seafood. The Pritikin Diet is a very low-fat plan in which the total fat in your diet is less than 10% of your daily intake. Pritikin also believed in daily exercise and urged dieters to incorporate at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking on a daily basis, weight training two to three times a week, and doing stretching exercises on a daily basis.
Pritikin’s plan is generally well-received by nutritionists, and there are several studies that support his claims that it helps reduce the incidence of many cardiovascular diseases and lowers cholesterol levels in dieters. His diet program has also been successful at treating diabetic patients, many of whom ceased being reliant upon insulin injections as a result of following his plan.
Pritikin’s son, Robert, has written several new books elaborating upon the original plan and added a concept he calls “Calorie Density.” According to Robert Pritikin, people should be less concerned with total calories and more concerned with the density of the foods they consume. He maintains that choosing less dense foods will “give you the freedom to eat until you are full and never limit your portions or be hungry in order to lose weight.”
