Diet Novelties .com

…„A new diet craze is promising a wrinkle free face for anyone who eats large amounts of salmon.

The Perricone diet taps in to one of the biggest concerns about ageing and pledges a nutritional ‘facelift’ without having to resort to the surgeon’s knife.

It is already a huge hit in the U.S., threatening to unseat the popular low- carbohydrate Atkins diet as a best-seller.

Celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Willis and Sex And The City star Kim Cattrall are said to have tried it.

The key is eating salmon three times a day in order to benefit from essential fatty acids to stimulate nerve function and ‘plump out’ skin.

Unlike Atkins, which is at the centre of health fears over links to diabetes and kidney damage, nutritionists say the Perricone diet offers large amounts of beneficial Omega-3 acids found in oily fish.

The acids are already known to help protect against heart disease.

But, like the Atkins diet, there are concerns that people who follow it rigidly may miss out on vital nutrients because it does not advocate eating many carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes and pasta.

Devised by U.S. dermatologist Dr Nicholas Perricone, the diet is said to have caused a run on fresh salmon when it was launched in New York - to the extent that some shops ran out entirely.

The three-day initial programme promises a marked improvement in facial sagging and lines.

Those who are determined to get younger looking skin can then embark on his 28-day programme which involves eating large amounts of salmon each day.

Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine are banned and dieters have to take up exercise and drink eight to ten glasses of water a day.

The diet also recommends both supplements and specially formulated face creams.

The pills cost [pounds sterling]199 for just over a month’s supply, while the antiageing creams range from [pounds sterling]36 to [pounds sterling]119.50.

Dr Perricone said: ‘Omega-3 is your magic bullet for great skin tone, keeping your face firm and contoured. It prevents and reverses sagging.’ The research scientist and former assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University believes foods rich in protein are crucial to help iron out wrinkles.

Fish is one such food, and oily fish has the added benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids. Wild cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and trout have the highest levels.

Dr Perricone said: ‘As protein is digested it breaks down into amino acids that are used by cells to repair themselves.

‘Without adequate protein our bodies enter into an accelerated ageing mode.

Our muscles, organs, bones, cartilage, skin and the antibodies that guard us from disease are all made of protein.’ Protein cannot be stored in the body and so Dr Perricone advocates eating it three times a day.

Although losing weight is not the aim of the diet, it may result in this because sweets, sugary foods and alcohol are cut out.

Last night Dr Sarah Schenker, a scientist with the British Nutrition Foundation, said she had some concerns about the diet.

She said: ‘Unfortunately it does not appear to be a particularly well-balanced diet. The good thing is that the initial programme is only advocating eating in this way for three days, but whether it will actually do what it says it can is another matter.

‘Oily fish such as salmon is good for you but there are other foods, such as walnuts, which also have very high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.’ She added: ‘The diet does not appear to contain many carbohydrates. It is not good to be banning entire food groups and one wonders whether people will simply get bored with eating salmon at every meal.’ State registered dietician Lyndel Costain said: ‘There are good elements, like plenty of leafy vegetables, but it’s low in healthy whole grains and dairy products and not at all practical.

‘I’d question the need to go to such extremes when the benefits are questionable.

‘There’s no known benefit to skin on overdosing on protein and the theories on inflammation are interesting but by no means proven as a way of beating wrinkles.’ Some critics also warn against eating more than two portions of farmed salmon a week because of fears over pollutants.

‘It’s easy and the results are instant’

RESTAURANT manager Pam Sharrock, 46, a mother of two from Essex, has been on the diet three times.

She said: ‘I first tried the Perricone diet just over a year ago and I loved it.

‘Now whenever I need a bit of a boost for my complexion and my figure I go on it for three days. It is easy and it works.

‘I stick to the plan religiously, but the hardest bit is drinking the two litres of water a day which is so much more than I would usually have.

Cutting out coffee is a bit of a shock to the system.

‘And I do find it hard to stop eating carbohydrates, particularly chips and crisps, which I eat a lot when I’m working, but for three days you can manage.

‘The results are instant. All the water makes you feel cleansed and salmon is so chewy and tasty that you don ‘ t feel deprived or hungry.

‘The first time I did it I lost 4lb in three days and my skin looked vibrant, silky and much more moisturised. I also felt perkier and more energetic because I wasn’t overloading my body with the usual lardy foods that slow you down.

‘I know that there is a big fuss about the Atkins diet, but I just cannot believe all that red meat can be good for you.

‘This diet, on the other hand, makes sense to me.

‘Everyone knows that fish is one of the best things to eat for protein and omega oils, and unlike Atkins it allows you to eat lots of fruit and vegetables.’

‘I didn’t see any benefits’

ARCHITECT Leslie Hughes, 45, from Brighton, tried the diet unsuccessfully.

She said: ‘The thought of losing weight and improving my skin in three days seemed too good to be true - and in my case it was.

‘I tried the Perricone diet because I suffer from occasional bouts of eczema and am prone to bloating at certain times of the month.

‘While I am not obsessed with losing weight, I want to lose half a stone and am willing to try anything that might help the eczema.

‘When I tried the diet my skin was going through a good phase anyway and I noticed no improvement.

‘I lost only 1lb, which is hardly noticeable considering my weight naturally fluctuates between 3lb and 5lb during a week anyway.

‘The hardest thing about the diet for me was cutting out tea.

‘I am used to having at least six big cups of strong tea a day and cutting it out left me with terrible headaches and by the third day I was very short tempered.

‘I am also used to eating quite erratically and tend to have just one main meal a day.

‘The pressure to eat three meals a day on this diet was quite constraining and I was thinking about food constantly.

‘Also, it was annoying to cook twice in the day, especially when I travel for work and am out and about.

‘I know that it is healthier to eat regular meals and that the foods on the diet are good for you but I didn’t notice any benefits.

‘Perhaps it would have more of an effect if you did it for longer than three days.’…”