Flavor Point Diet
In his book, The Flavor Point Diet, David L. Katz, MD, MPH, argues that in today’s world we are bombarded by too many flavors at once. Backed by scientific research, Dr. Katz claims that food flavors are broken down into three categories: Savory, salty, and sweet. He says your brain and stomach reach a “flavor point” when you are satisfied, and when a variety of flavors are eaten together, the appetite center of your brain is over-stimulated and overeating occurs.
The diet is based on the idea that there is a tendency to eat less when flavor variety is controlled. Each day of the week is assigned a flavor theme to control and minimize flavor intake. For example, a daily flavor theme could be tomato, orange, or almond. The idea is to aim for variety over time, not variety all the time.
A day on the orange theme might include orange juice at breakfast, along with cereal, a salad with oranges at lunch, an orange-banana smoothie or yogurt with oranges and raisins for a snack, and grilled fish with orange-accented vegetables and complex carbohydrates for dinner. Dessert might be fat-free orange sorbet or a fresh orange.
By streamlining our sensory experience, Dr. Katz claims that we can control our hunger cues, avoid overeating, and lose weight while still enjoying a wide variety of foods over time.
Foods to include:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Whole grains
- Lean chicken
- Lean fish
- Eggs
- Beans
- Low-fat dairy
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy oils
Foods to avoid:
- Red meat
- Processed foods
- Refined grains
- Sugar
- Full-fat foods
- Trans fats
Pros:
- May spark quick weight loss
- Lifestyle approach rather than diet
- Whole, fresh foods emphasized
Cons:
- May be inconvenient, especially for those who dine out often
- Requires extensive meal planning and forecasting
- Some thrive on red meat
Sources:
Dr. David L. Katz’s The Flavor Point Diet
The Flavor Point Diet www.davidkatzmd.com (Links to an external site.)
The Flavor Point Diet www.abcnews.go.com (Links to an external site.)
