The Dubrow diet is one of the fashionable diet plans that aim to lose weight while maintaining vitality and energy. In this diet, fasting is recommended continuously and has strict guidelines about the foods consumed every day.
Consuming water and fluids during the fasting period is recommended and promises people that if they follow this diet plan, they will experience rapid weight loss and fitness.
What does Dubrow diet mean and who presented it?
This diet was introduced in 2018 by Heather Dubrow and her husband. He introduced this diet plan to the world in a book, Heather and her husband, who is a plastic surgeon, have a TV show and are celebrities in the American media.
For this reason, their book received a lot of attention and quickly turned Dubrow into one of the most fashionable diets in the world.
Dubrow is a low-carb diet plan that allows food consumption in a certain period of time, and its followers should refrain from eating food outside of this time and only drink permitted drinks such as broth, coffee without milk, tea or beetroot drink.
Proponents of this diet claim that in addition to rapid weight loss, it leads to an increase in energy and vitality and also fights aging by reducing inflammation. Speeding up fat burning and blood sugar control are other effects mentioned for this food plan.
While the fans of this food program confirm and praise its effectiveness, some experts and nutritionists also believe that it is unprincipled due to its low calorie content and may be dangerous to follow.
Heather Dubrow, the actress, singer and presenter who presented this diet is very fresh and energetic and claims that she has maintained her youth and beauty by following this diet plan.
So far, independent scientific research has not evaluated the effectiveness of this diet plan, and experts advise people not to follow trendy diets without full knowledge. People who decide to start this diet must consult with their nutritionist and doctor to minimize the risk of following it.
How does the Dubrow diet work?
In addition to paying attention to what people eat, the Dubrow diet also has a specific time schedule for eating. In this diet, there is a long interval between meals, which is also known as a feeding cycle.(1)
This food plan recommends an 8- and 16-hour cycle, that is, people are allowed to eat for 8 hours during the day and must refrain from eating meals for the remaining 16 hours. Depending on the person’s goals in the diet and how quickly they want to lose weight, this time interval can reach 12, 14 and 16 hours a day and during 3 phases.
University of Illinois research shows that intermittent fasting can have a direct effect on temporary weight loss, and after quitting the diet, the lost weight may return to its place.
How to follow the Dubrow diet?
The Dubrow diet is divided into three main stages, where a person is allowed to eat certain foods in each stage.
first stage
This stage, which usually lasts 2 to 5 days, limits food intake to 8 hours and tries to control hunger symptoms. The fact that a person eats only 8 hours out of 24 hours a day seems restrictive and may be accompanied by a feeling of hunger.
It is recommended to consume water and liquids during the time when one should not eat, and one tries to provide energy by consuming meat juice and bone marrow juice.
This phase is the most restrictive part of this diet and it recommends consuming lean proteins, healthy fats, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, dairy products, small amounts of nuts, seeds and complex carbohydrates.
second stage
In the second stage of this diet, the person must reach his weight loss goal, the meal schedule must be determined depending on the amount of weight loss, and the person must eat within the specified time frame until reaching the ideal weight.
Also, there are specific instructions regarding the allowed food groups in this stage and the specific amount of each.
During the allowed time, it is recommended to consume these foods:
- 2 to 3 servings of non-starchy vegetables
- 2 to 3 servings of lean protein
- 2 to 3 servings of healthy fats
- 1 serving of dairy products
- 1-2 servings of fruit
- 1 serving of nuts or seeds
- 1 serving of complex carbohydrates
third stage
When the person reaches his desired weight, he enters the third or final stage of this diet, the goal of this stage is to stabilize the weight over a long period of time.
All the rules of the second stage are followed in this stage, but the rule of observing the time interval of eating is reduced to two days a week, and the person can eat whenever he wants during the other days. During the second and third stages, people are allowed to consciously break the rules and indulge in limited amounts of the foods they like.
What are the allowed foods in Dubrow diet?
Here we mention some of the allowed food items of Dubrow diet that a person can use while following the diet.
1- Protein
- egg
- turkey
- Lean cuts of red meat
- meats (deer, bison and buffalo)
- Birds
- Protein powders
- Fish and seafood
2- vegetables
- Green leafy vegetables (eg, spinach, lettuce, kale)
- green beans
- Leeks
- Any vegetable that grows on the ground (asparagus, Brussels sprouts, celery, broccoli, summer squash, tomatoes, squash, or acorns)
- garlic
- an onion
- Root vegetables in limited form (eg radishes, turnips and carrots)
3- Fruit
- Apple
- Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
- Peach
- Pineapple
- cherry
- Lemon and lime
- Pears
4- Fats
- Avocado
- Oils (coconut, almond, grape seed, olive)
- Olive
5- Nuts and seeds
- peanut butter
- Pumpkin seed oil, sunflower seed oil, flax seed oil, and hemp seed oil
- Almonds, walnuts, pistachios
6- dairy
- Feta and Parmesan cheese
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products (milk, cheese and yogurt)
- Substitutes (coconut milk and yogurt)
7- Cereals and legumes
- Beans
- Pea
- Oat
- Bulgur
- lentils
- Whole wheat bread
- Barley
8- Beverages
- Water
- coffee and tea
- Low-calorie drinks with “alternative” sweeteners (such as natural fruit juice)
9- Condiments
- Herbs and spices
- pickles
- hot sauce
- mustard
Which foods are not allowed in Dubrow diet?
Here is a list of foods that are not allowed to be eaten during this diet:
- fast food
- cereal
- white pasta
- white bread
- Highly processed snacks
- Dessert
What does the daily menu of Dubrow diet include?
Allowed food during the day depends directly on the stage of the Dubrow diet. Here, we refer to a three-day meal plan that a person is allowed to consume according to the food pattern of 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting.
This diet includes three full meals and one snack during the day. If the length of the allowed eating period increases, a person can reconsider the time of eating.
Allowed hours of each meal
- Breakfast at 10 am
- Lunch at 12:30 pm
- Snack at 3 pm
- Dinner and dessert at 17:30 (one is not allowed to eat after 6 pm)
first day
- Breakfast: black coffee or without sugar
- Lunch: salad with grilled chicken and Chinese vegetables, with olive oil and lemon dressing Sour turkey snack
- Dinner: A piece of steak with broccoli
- Dessert: Simple Greek yogurt with honey (optional)
second day
- Breakfast: black coffee or without sugar
- Lunch: Fried salmon with zucchini noodles and a slice of whole grain bread
- Snack: a small piece of grilled meat wrapped with carrot or bell pepper strips
- Dinner: Homemade falafel made with chickpeas
- Dessert: Simple Greek yogurt with honey (optional)
third day
- breakfast: Black coffee or without sugar
- lunch: Lentil with feta cheese and bread and chopped cucumber and tomato
- snack: cheese and berries
- dinner: Hamburger with fresh meat and some lettuce
- dessert: Simple Greek yogurt with honey (optional)
What are the benefits of following the Dubrow diet?
This diet plan helps people lose weight quickly and achieve their desired body(2). This diet also focuses on nutritious foods and can create positive eating habits in people.
The existence of variety of food is another strength of this diet, which provides all the necessary substances to the human body and at the same time prevents overeating.
The Dubrow diet prohibits the consumption of processed and unhealthy foods and encourages exercise. The large volume of water consumption is another positive point of this diet.
Other benefits that supporters of this diet claim include:
- Dealing with premature aging
- Increasing vitality and daily energy
- Human DNA repair
- Reducing the risk of chronic diseases
- Help with heart health
- Reduce inflammation
- stabilization of blood sugar
- Improve brain health
Many of the foods recommended in this diet plan contain large amounts of fiber and nutrients that can move slowly through the digestive tract and help promote satiety and weight loss. Reducing carbohydrate intake may also help increase metabolism and lose belly fat.
What are the disadvantages of the Dubrow diet for its fans?
Dubrow is a strict low-calorie diet that, although it leads to weight loss, the effects may be temporary. Nutritionists do not recommend the use of low-calorie diets and believe that they are harmful to human health.
Although the consumption of nutrients is recommended in this diet, due to the low calories, people face the problem of providing the required nutrients. It is possible that a person will experience extreme hunger and fatigue during the diet.
Another point is to allow cheating in the diet, which allows a person to consume harmful foods on certain days, which may lead to health problems. While intermittent fasting is generally considered safe, it is inappropriate for people with certain health conditions, such as type 1 diabetes or low blood pressure.
Following this diet plan is not useful for all people, especially people who have a chronic disease or are taking certain drugs should consult their specialist before starting it.
It seems that anyone with an eating disorder should not follow the Dubrow diet because of its restrictive nature and focus on appearance. Pregnant women and people under the age of 18 should not try intermittent fasting.
Additionally, women are more sensitive to calorie restriction, and some evidence suggests that fasting may have negative effects on fertility. It is better for people over 65 years of age who have special medical conditions to follow this diet plan under the supervision of a specialist.
The Dubrow diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that limits food intake to certain hours during the day. Comprehensive research has not been done on the effectiveness of this diet, but the pattern used in it may help to lose weight and improve the general health of humans.
Since this food program puts the physical appearance of the person as its main priority and does not follow many principles of nutrition science, it is not recommended by experts.
It seems that special diets that are prepared according to the weight, age and physical condition of the person and contain all the main food groups are a better option for people. These diets, which are specially prepared by a nutritionist for each person, bring a long and stable weight loss to their fans.