The new extreme Hollywood diets: the food

The lowdown on what you eat on the latest extreme diets.

 By Fleur Fitzpatrick

The Russian Air Force diet

Here's the skinny: If a strictly restricted eating regime is your thing, check out the Russian Air Force Diet! Based on an airman's diet, this is essentially a low-carb plan. Breakfast is coffee and a piece of toast or a pastry, lunch is protein and a piece of fruit, and dinner is protein and a salad.

How it works: Your body will have to turn some of the protein you eat into carbohydrate in order to meet basic energy needs, so you'll start to use up your body's fat stores.

Daily menu

Breakfast: Coffee and a very small amount of starchy carbohydrate
Lunch: Two eggs and a tomato
Dinner: 6oz of red meat and a green salad
Snacks: None - but you should drink at least 4 glasses of water or diet soda a day

What the experts say: Any starlet trying this crash diet can expect to be low on energy; they should also refrain from working out while on this diet as it does not include much carbohydrate, which your muscles rely on for fuel. Plus it falls short of the recommended eight glasses of water a day - those pilots must be thirsty! Though following the Russian Air Force Diet can lead to weight loss, the weight may return quickly because the diet does not teach you to change your eating habits overall.

Verdict: Your weight would crash like a plane hitting the ground - but so would your energy levels.

The egg diet

Here's the skinny: The Egg Diet has become increasingly popular, thanks to a few high-profile celebs who have successfully lost weight by eating only eggs. To lose 30lbs for his role in 'The Pianist', Adrien Brody following a version of the diet, adding in fish with steamed veg for dinner.

How it works: This diet is basically a variation on the Atkins diet where the focus is on restricting carbohydrate intake. However it completely cuts out whole foods groups (like most fruits and veg)... and hasn't anyone heard of the effects of too many eggs?

Daily menu:

Breakfast: Two boiled eggs, half a grapefruit
Lunch: Roast chicken without skin, green salad
Dinner: Two-egg omelette with spinach and tomato
Snacks: None

What the experts say: High protein, low carbohydrate diets help to reduce appetite, increase the rate of calorie burning and eggs are a good source of protein and vitamins. However it isn't a healthy or balanced approach to eating and the lack of carbs will make workouts a no-no.

Verdict: Don't try this at home! Dieters risk not only nutritional deficiency but also severe disruption to their health and well-being.

The three-day diet

Here's the skinny: Only three days until the big day? No problem - this diet claims you'll shed up to 10 pounds in just 72 hours. After the three days, you're allowed to take four or five days off... you'll need to!

How it works: The Three-Day Diet focuses on mixing certain types of foods that supposedly create a specific metabolic reaction in your body. The chemicals are supposed to boost your metabolism and help you burn fat at a higher rate than usual.

Daily menu:

Breakfast: Coffee (no sugar), half a grapefruit, and a piece of toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Lunch: A can of tuna, a piece of toast, and black coffee
Dinner: 3oz of chicken or lean meat, a cup of green beans, one cup of carrots, one apple
Snacks: One cup of regular vanilla ice cream

What the experts say: Quite simply, this is a very poor choice for anyone looking to lose weight. The ‘unique metabolic reaction' claims are unsupported; the only reason you would lose weight is because of severe calorie restriction. Because of the low amount of carbohydrates in the diet, it is also possible that a person on this diet will primarily lose water weight, as carbohydrate encourages your body to retain water.

Verdict: You may shed weight - water weight, which would return as soon as you back to eating a normal diet after you three days are up.

The grapefruit diet

Here's the skinny: This is an older diet which is enjoying a revival in Hollywood circles. The diet is designed to promote fast weight loss, promising a 10-pound loss after 12 days on this plan.

How it works: The premise of the Grapefruit Diet is based on the ‘magical' ingredient in grapefruits which, when eaten with protein, theoretically triggers fat burning and causes weight loss. Therefore on this plan you can use all the butter and salad dressing you desire and prepare foods in any method, including fried.

Daily menu:

Breakfast: Two eggs, two slices of bacon, black coffee, 1/2 grapefruit or 8oz grapefruit juice
Lunch: Salad with salad dressing, unlimited meat, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8oz grapefruit juice
Dinner: Red or green vegetables (except starchy ones such as peas, beans, corn, sweet potatoes) or salad, unlimited meat or fish, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8oz grapefruit juice
Snacks: 8oz skim milk (at bedtime)

What the experts say: This low-carb, high-protein eating plan averages 800-1,000 calories in most versions. Most people will shed pounds when calories are dramatically reduced to this level. Unfortunately, there are no explanations for how the mysterious grapefruit enzyme works and why it is only contained in grapefruit and not other citrus fruits.

Verdict: Anyone would lose weight getting by on as little as 800 calories a day, with or without a grapefruit or three.

Dr Siegal's cookie diet

Here's the skinny: Eat cookies all day and lose weight? It sounds crazy, but apparently Dr Siegal's Cookie Diet has helped thousands of people lose weight since 1975. This retro regime is also enjoying a resurgence, thanks to the attentions of a certain nameless Hollywood starlet who's bought all her friends his book!

How it works: According to the good doc, his cookies are scientifically designed to help to control appetite and reduce hunger. Each contains 90 calories and contains low GI ingredients such as whole wheat flour, bran and oats. However the main reason he says they work is due to a secret blend of amino acid proteins.

Daily menu:

Breakfast: Two cookies
Lunch: Two cookies
Dinner: A high-protein dinner containing up to 6oz of either chicken, turkey, fish and other seafood with one cup of vegetables (red meat is not recommended because of its high fat content)
Snacks: Two cookies

What the experts say: There is some scientific basis to this as proteins have been found to have a greater effect on appetite reduction than carbohydrates and fat in the diet. The total calorie intake averages around 800 calories per day - and Dr Siegal does emphasise that this plan should only be undertaken with the agreement from a doctor and under medical supervision.

Verdict: Nutritionally inadequate but at least you won't feel hungry... but don't expect a tasty biscuit. These are healthy!

Hallelujah diet

Here's the skinny: As its name would imply, Pastor George M Malkmus developed the Hallelujah diet based on what he believes is the ideal diet God intended for us to eat in the Garden of Eden. He describes the diet as composed of God's natural foods that are "bountiful in ‘live' enzymes that nourish cells and provide true energy."

How it works: The diet is fundamentally a vegan raw food diet and the basic guidelines of the diet are simple: consume 85 per cent raw foods and 15 per cent cooked foods. The cooked portion is usually consumed at the end of the evening meal.

Daily menu:

Breakfast: BarleyMax (Malkmus' barley juice drink)
Lunch: BarleyMax then after 30 mins a meal of salad or raw fruit
Dinner: BarleyMax then after 30 mins a large green salad with a variety of raw vegetables, followed by nut loaf, baked sweet potato, whole grain pasta or a vegetable sandwich on whole grain bread
Snacks: Carrot and green vegetable juice (2/3 carrot and 1/3 greens) with flaxseeds (mid-morning) and carrot and green vegetable juice (2/3 carrot and 1/3 greens) with raw trail mix (mid-afternoon) plus a piece of fresh fruit or a serve of fresh apple or pear juice.

What the experts say: While it may be beneficial for a short term cleansing diet, the Hallelujah diet isn't a viable healthy diet over the longer term. Stars on this diet who are physically active, as well as people with digestive disorders or chronic illnesses, will especially fall far short of their daily protein needs.

Verdict: A short-term feel-good fix that's sadly too lacking in protein and other essential bits and bobs to last you long...