The Hallelujah Diet
What it is: Developed by Rev. George Malkmus and his wife Rhonda, the Hallelujah diet is based on what they believe to be “God’s way to optimal health.” The diet is a low-calorie vegan diet that has dieters consuming 85% of their food as raw organic foods and 15% cooked foods.
How it works: Because the diet is so low in calories, you will lose weight by following this plan. Malkmus believes that the elimination of sugar, animal products, salt and caffeine will solve your body’s problems and rid you prevent you from furthering craving those foods.
What you do: Meals on the Hallelujah diet are very restrictive. Dieters are only permitted to consume raw organic fruits and vegetables, three daily servings of “barleymax” supplement and one meal of cooked grains and vegetables with a small amount of vegetable oil. Two meals a day are required to be raw, while dinner is a cooked meal. The prohibited foods list is lengthy, and includes coffee, cocoa, salt, pepper, cereal, white rice and candy.
Benefits: Diets rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits are highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists. Dieters are very likely to lose weight because of the low-calorie intake associated with this plan.
The Down Side: Dieticians argue that the hallelujah diet is seriously lacking in essential vitamins and nutrients and the low-calorie intake may be very dangerous. Additionally, the diet lacks significant scientific evidence to back its claims.
