Blood Group Diet
WHAT IS IT? This eat-right diet encourages people to consume certain foods and avoid others based on their blood type — A, AB, B or O. Your blood type reflects your internal chemistry and it actually determines the way you absorb nutrients. What foods you absorb well and how your body handles stress, differ with each blood type.

THE HYPE: Dr Peter J D’Adamo, author of Eat Right for Your Type believes blood types affect the digestive system and that some foods that are good for one type are dangerous for another. He also believes that your blood type determines your susceptibility to certain illnesses and how you should exercise. This diet became an instant hit in Hollywood with the likes of Liz Hurley, Courtney Cox-Arquette and Cheryl Cole, who has talked about her experience with this diet routine.

MY VERDICT: There are not many positive things to say about this diet, which is clearly based on science-fiction rather than science fact. However, as with any diet it will get you thinking about what you are eating and that you might decide to make changes in your diet. Added to this, the blood type diet recommends eating fresh, natural food rather than processed foods, takeaways and chocolate — all of which our ancestors missed out on!

The Apple Diet
WHAT IS IT? The three-apples-a-day diet consists of eating an apple before each main meal. The idea is that the fibre in the apples makes you feel full and the sweetness satisfies any cravings. Dieters should also follow a fairly low-fat diet, with low intake of carbohydrate and saturated fats and refined sugars being completely eliminated.

THE HYPE: This plan was created by Tammi Flynn, a registered dietitian in the US. She discovered that, when one of her clients ate an apple before each meal without changing anything else, they were able to break a weight-loss plateau. Celebrities known to have tried this diet are Katie Price and Jessica Simpson.

MY VERDICT: Eating an apple before any meal will promote a sense of fullness and reduce the need to overeat. Apples also contain soluble fibre which can help to reduce cholesterol levels. The diet itself is very similar to a body builder’s diet; plenty of protein, low GI carbohydrates and some good fats. But, they’ve added an apple to each meal and made a new diet book out of it! It’s marketing at its finest; don’t get me wrong, an excellent diet especially when combined with weight training.