The Bread for Life Diet: The High-on-Carbs Weight-Loss Plan

Bread is back—up to 12 or 16 slices daily in order to lose weight, says Raz, director of the nutrition department at Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center. And she doesn't stop there. Pasta? No problem. Brown rice? Bring it on. The premise behind the Bread for Life diet is that consuming carbohydrates raises serotonin levels in the brain, whereas eating protein reduces them. Higher serotonin levels result in feeling full and satisfied, says Raz. When serotonin levels are too low, people tend to remain hungry and crave sweets. Raz argues this is a key reason why high protein diets fail so often. A diet high in nutritious complex carbohydrates, however, reduces cravings for fattening sweets (simple carbohydrates) as well as hunger levels in general, resulting in fewer overall calories consumed. This is especially true if one consumes smaller carbohydrate-based meals every three to four hours throughout the day. While this prescription for shedding pounds isn't necessarily new, it certainly flies in the face of the anti-carb diets dominating today. Raz claims the average weight loss among healthy people on her bread-based program is 10 to 20 pounds in two months. If this is true, Tel Aviv may just become the next South Beach. (Oct.)