Looking at the Rice Diet

The rice diet is labeled technically as a fad diet and seems to alternate between good and bad press. This is not a flash in the pan sort of eating plan, however, as arguably this might be the oldest fad diet that is still commonly in use today. This weight loss plan first appeared all the way back in 1939, from Dr. Walter Kemper's book.

This is a very restrictive diet which focuses on low calories, low sodium, low fat, and low protein. In addition to these pillars, there is also a strong emphasis on organic or natural foods over anything processed. The more organic and natural it is, the better. Processed materials should be avoided as much as is possible.

The diet has three phases, with the first stage being the most restrictive by far when it comes to food and calorie count, and involves exercise for a "cleansing" effect on the body. In addition, later phases focus on reeducation and discipline to learn how to incorporate a more balanced and healthy diet into your lifestyle.

The combination of low fat, low salt, and low calories would be enough to lose some weight in and of itself, but when exercise is added in, dieters on this plan often lose a great deal of weight, and many manage to keep it off later. That being said, there are some obvious red flags with this eating plan, not the least of which is the very low calorie counts early on in phase one.